There's a lot of people talking in vent about how we need to organize, practice, and push in the shit of the gankers that come, reguarly, to any city we occupy. We can't change alliances every week, nor do we plan to. Also, we have to come to realize that you'll NEVER catch up statwise to these EU, exploited characters. We'll try our best, but lets not use that as an excuse.

While my character is FAR from ready, I know some of you have characters that have been "ready" for quite awhile - so I guess it's ready for the harsh facts of the mistakes, at least in my eyes, we are making.

This may seem forum trollish but the conversation needs to start somewhere, and I'm tired of waiting for someone else to say it.

**

Communication

Introduction:
Communication, to me, is the legal version of the map hack, pure and simple. Good communication accomplishes two things - it allows us to know where the enemy is at and allows us to respond accordingly. Communication, however, is NOT a new concept to Competative Gaming. Darkfall is not a point and click, automatically hit the enemy every time - it is FPS like, and thusly, our tactics should reflect that.

The reason why the ONLY players that are considered good are the EU STAT exploited players, is because most of the guilds in Darkfall "Wing it." And the few that don't, are the merc guilds. (Which, lets face it, are the better pvpers in Darkfall) This is what separates KGB from the rest, and why I believe we are in a better position to get better than we were at launch. We want organization. We have people willing, and perfectly able, to do what ALL of the large guilds aren't doing. Organize. (Maybe with the exception of LOD) If I didn't believe that, I would of quit already.

Mistakes:
If there is one thing that I can't stand, it's communication that's vague - and no one realizes that it is the main reason people are dying. We don't have bad pvpers in KGB, a lot of the time it's because we have bad communication and that good pvper faces 5 guys when he ...

a) thought there were less enemies

or

b) was given a general location of the enemy and stumbled upon them.

... ending in a quick, painfully death that leaves him frustrated, not because he died, because of the way he died - against three times his number with no chance to defend himself.

**

Here's a couple of examples JUST from last night. In each instance listed below, the speaker said ONLY what's listed, then was silent. Only when asked directly would they give details.

"They [The Enemy] just killed me."
Kay: "Where are you?"
[Silence ...]

Thank you for the spot on description. Now I know you were venting, but none of what you said helps us.

"They are in the city."

Where in the city? How many? Numbers? What landmarks are they by?

"They are north"

Where north? By the northwest corner? On the trail? How far? Do you realize how big "North" is?

"I just got ganked"

Where? How many? What type of characters? Magic? Plate? Which direction are they running?

Another mistake that was done, is how people respond to the information given during battle. Especially in an FPS-like game, they get so hyped up they forget to communicate, respond or reply to information being sent to them.

For example:

Yesterday, we got ganked by Outnumbered, who thusly went into our city multiple times, going in and out at will. There was a point where a couple of us were fighting north, just on the ledge against 4-5 guys from outnumbered. We promptly killed their mounts, but got slaughtered in the process ...

Right after our last guy got killed, Sabin, fully geared, came around a corner and saw a single Outnumbered player. (I was looking from my dead body) The other Outnumbered didn't see Sabin yet because they were busy looting. Sabin, not seeing the other 4 enemy players, promply started attacking the single outnumbered thinking he was alone.

I yelled in vent, "Sabin, there's 4 more behind you!"

But, locked in on his target, he continued to swing away until he started getting beat on by the other outnumbered. Only THEN did he jump off the ledge and promptly got slaughtered by the chasing 4 enemy players.

I'm not calling Sabin out, because he's a good player - but this is just a concrete example of how bad communication goes wrong. I know I, and lots of people, have been guilty of this same mistake. Most of the time, it's me running into a battle headlong, not realizing that i'm running into twice my numbers, and then dying needlessly. (I did that following Kay, then, like a moron, got jumped by 3 melee users and died without firing a shot)

The REASON this isn't a problem for other guilds, is that they are small guilds. They selectively recruit people who either have Overpowered Characters so it doesn't matter, or they are merc guilds that are always on the offensive and are so selective in their process, that the players they recruit already have a keen sense around them. Those type of guilds are a dime a dozen and, the moment one key player quits the game, the guild falls apart.

How many times do you die and you don't know where they came from? If you're like me, that's like all of your deaths. You're just locked on your target, then suddenly, you find yourself being beat on by 3 players you never saw coming.

Communication is the key, and it is the FIRST thing we learn before anything else. Unless we have overpowered characters, and can take on multiple players at once, we have to rely on good communication of enemy locations between teammates so we aren't taken by surprise. The cold hard truth is that we have to work together to kill people more than other guilds because our characters don't have the stats to compete with them 1v1.

The following is the rules I believe, if we build upon, will help us move into the right direction.

*****







Fixes

Communication, in any FPS, involves two things.

1)Location of Enemy and/or landmarks.
2)Responding to Teammates' Communication.

______________________________________________________

Point 1:

I've said this in VENT multiple times, but it bears repeating. Call out enemy locations, even if it seems obvious. Include numbers of enemy and landmakers associated with it.

Examples:

"Three outnumbered hitting the farm."
"Five Enemy at the bank."
"Two enemy North, outside the walls, havn't jumped off yet."
"Three enemies fleeing north, they're turning around."

You get the picture.

"Enemy north," just doesn't cut it, and is leading to many deaths of people who just blindly go north without knowing the disposition and number of the enemy. You'll DIE every time, because sometimes it'll be a small number you can kill, and other times it'll be a large number.

______________________________________________________

Point 2:

Responding to teammates' information is CRITICAL. If someone says your going to be flanked, well then, GET your ass moving, or at least finish off your opponent as quickly as possible. This may seem like an obvious thing to say, but it needs to be said for those that's never played a competative game before.

______________________________________________________

Attitude:

Lastly, we need the proper attitude. Brag about the kill or emo later. Talk alot, but only what's important and relevant to the situtation.
As much as some people don't want to hear this, KEEP TALKING to each other. We're using each other as our own personal wall hack.

Future:

There are some things we may want to do once people get better as communication, some people have mentioned already.

-Pre-naming locations around the area we are fighting (a la Counter Striker or Quake matches), so we can quickly refer to them.
-Calling out healing spells and Focus Fire

ex. "Come together for Witches' Brew in 3 ... 2 ... 1"
"Focus Fire on [enemy name]"

-Overall, there's a million things we can do; but we have to work on the basics first.
-I've tried this a few times, and we wiped the floor with 420 working together; I think this can work.

For this to work, we need to help each other, depend on each other and trust that KGB member's information is true. We, also have to call out people that aren't communicating effectively, not pussyfoot around the issue. Just tell them respectfully what they did wrong, and move on. It's not being a dick, it's so we don't do the same mistakes over and over.

Of course, the success of any plan is dependant on those that believe in it. As you can tell, it's a slow day at work, but I do know what i'm talking about. I know no one gives a shit what I did in the past in FPSs, but I really believe the same things that helped me succeed there translates to this game or, at the very least, will help in some small way.

In the absence of any other system, I guess this will have to do.

Comments? Revisions? Critiques?

Former KGB Member