Thinking in tickets

[Scandicci]

I think it was Tartantyco that already said this in this thread but I just wanted to repeat it.

Not knowing the other side's ticket count, in my experience, has led to rounds going to the wire more often. I don't see situations as often where half the team is sitting a main engaging in a huge session of grab a%& because all the tanks are down, the A10 is AWOL and the bunkers are both in MEC hands. Teams tend to keep fighting.

I think in tickets and points every round. I do not act as commander very often but do so SL. As a round comes to an end I always try to stay alive unless my team is on a ticket bleed.

[Michael_Denmark]

I think it was Tartantyco that already said this in this thread but I just wanted to repeat it.

-I don't think in terms of tickets, I think of tickets. Most of the time when I'm commanding my side will simply crush the opposing side so it's rarely an issue. I prefer to get down and dirty, placing FBs and Bunkers myself since few people know where these should be placed for maximum efficiency and I only give very general orders to squads(Defend this, attack that, build this FFS!), relying on SLs to make the best decisions. Only a few times do I have to crack my S&M whip. Reinforcing is key; you don't just build a bunker on the flag, you build a supporting FB as well and make sure the squads place rallies. I'm often seen on the front line retrieving abandoned supply trucks, driving them through enemy fire to get them to the crucial spots for building FBs/Bunkers. The COs life is a hard one.

Before I began playing as CO in the Tournament, I remember that in periods I played the active CO function like you describe. But only on specific maps if I recall correct and mostly in the start and middle of a round (depending on the tactical situation). However I always tried to be on top of things at the same time, thus I would maybe move to a certain spot getting ready to deploy X assets or pick up troopers spawning at main but then use X short time to use the CO screen. Back on Karkand 2 I tried a more direct tactical approach; I would start a round as squad leader naming the squad "Pounder Squad" and then take it to a rooftop near the N/S water-obstacle beginning to direct the indirect fire of 4-5 grenadier kits cross the river. After a short while I would ask if anyone in the squad would like to go SL so I could go CO - mostly some would say yes and then I went CO using the Arty (supply crates?) and at the same time stay in close contact with that SL telling him where on the map to pound.

Scandicci and Tartantyco have you thought about trying to play in the Tournament as CO at some point? Think you will experience the game from a new angle so to say if you try it out?

[Copper.8]

When both teams are equal, maybe it is time to check the scoreboard and be ticket conscious. When you seem to have the advantage, whether it be in flags, or good use of assets, excellent leadership from SLs and so on, you should worry about other things.

[Michael_Denmark]

Originally Posted by Copper.8

When both teams are equal, maybe it is time to check the scoreboard and be ticket conscious. When you seem to have the advantage, whether it be in flags, or good use of assets, excellent leadership from SLs and so on, you should worry about other things.

I would agree in a Public play context but not in the Tournament context, cause one fortnight after such a battle situation you will face a new battle versus maybe the very same opponent again.

[Scandicci]

Originally Posted by Michael_Denmark

Scandicci and Tartantyco have you thought about trying to play in the Tournament as CO at some point? Think you will experience the game from a new angle so to say if you try it out?

I have never played in a tournament. I think it would be a great experience. Perhaps this summer after my current group of students go back home. Anyway, I rarely go CO as I said before, and before COing for a tourney I would want to practice a lot on pub servers. On those rare occasions when I command I am merely a switchboard. I try to facilitate comms between squads. IMO the CO that yells, talks too much, and gives a bunch of orders is largely ineffectual in PR.

[Michael_Denmark]

Originally Posted by Scandicci

I have never played in a tournament. I think it would be a great experience. Perhaps this summer after my current group of students go back home. Anyway, I rarely go CO as I said before, and before COing for a tourney I would want to practice a lot on pub servers. On those rare occasions when I command I am merely a switchboard. I try to facilitate comms between squads. IMO the CO that yells, talks too much, and gives a bunch of orders is largely ineffectual in PR.

Yes a lot of CO practice before trying to apply for T-CO sounds like a good idea. If your core style is to be the coordinative CO, the tournament will most probably provide you with new challenges.

[dhimmi]

I have found that watching deaths/kills can reveal the other teams ticket state in a rough manner.
The more assets on the map the harder it is to use those numbers but I have also noticed more people calling out destruction of major assets so it is possible to keep a rough count of them as well.
I think the CO is most important on the Ins/Taliban maps because players tend to focus on the killing of the enemy rather than the destruction of the caches and that can lead to massive ticket loss.
I know as an Ins SL, I have had long firefights at the location of a destroyed cache with the US taking us down 2:1 long after the cache is gone.
But I had a real gung-ho squad one time and we fought the US, a full squad with APC support for at least 5 minutes after the cache was gone, eventually IED'ing the parked and 1 manned APC ( crew was joining the inf ).
Our Ks were horrible compared to the US but since we don't bleed tickets for lives the whole episode was a total loss for the US.

I don't start out giving a lot of orders unless it is the second round with mostly the same people.
Then we have some cohesion and it is worth the effort to give all squads orders because 90% will follow them.
But most times I just coordinate and as the game goes on and people start to trust the CO, then I give more specific orders although I don't think I have ever yelled as CO.
I do type a lot to convey messages I want the whole team to think about but don't want to clog CO or SL channels with.