I was reading some posts on the Project Reality forums, hoping to get insight on how I can be a better commander for my team and myself when in-game. I came across this post titled Commanding Isn't that Easy. After reading this, you can understand why the Commander's realm is strategy and has a larger picture then others. The principals here are cross-level in nature and apply to any games that has a commander sort of gameplay likes ours or Project Reality's. While not all commanders in EMPIRES are good or do not command and do what other players tell them too (and that isn't nesscessarily a bad thing), as commander you do have a unique perspective that should be maximized. If you know what your doing, sometimes you will need to give orders and hopefully players will follow them. As long as your experienced, respected, and are good at it - there should be no problems.
Commanding is easy. Drop raxes where they are needed, you learn that by playing long enough to see where other comms drop them, and drop refineries. Also do research, you learn what to research by watching other people do that. Remember to spam targets a lot. If you drop raxes, refs, targets, and do research, you are being a good commander. If you lose while doing that, it's becuase your team sucks. If you need to give people orders your team sucks.
Yea it really is. Being an elite commander is hard, or at least takes alot of experience, but being an acceptable com is easy. Tell your people to go to the 1-2 important locations on the map, research physics, drop forward raxes and refs, give targets. Do that and you are not a fail comm, even if you loose. "strategy", boomtanking, and other stuff is just extra credit. And no, people probly are not going to listen to you, but at least that makes the loss their fault. Only stupid people blame commanders that did their job right.
Being an acceptable commander is easy after you know the maps, you've played for hours, etc. It's like people who say "riding a bike is easy" and then can't understand why someone who's never riden a bike before can't do it.
http://ns.desidius.net/comguide/?page=1 NS Comm Guide. Not just a bunch of NS guidelines but several key tips on commanding in general. Specifically: http://ns.desidius.net/comguide/?page=11 ^ commenting on the role of a comm.
Learning those tasks: simple Doing them all at the same time (or nearly the same time): hard Like any game, learning the basic functions of commanding are easy. However, for a commander to be effective, they usually need to be doing those things simultaneously (like remembering to research while spamming targets, or giving orders while running over enemy infantry). Anyone can jump in the CV and drop a few buildings, but doing so in a way that leads your team to victory is much harder.
We should have commander abilities like C&C Generals. I want to send paratroopers into enemy bases and drop the Mother of All Bombs at when I get enough experience points.:D
Yea, honestly, the first couple times you comm its going to be hard, but people are forgiving enough as long as you know the essentials or at least do as you are told. Try and cycle through the things you need to do in some order, like give targets, then check for refs/raxes/turrets that need building, then check research, then repeat. After comming a few times you will be boomtanking around and whining that the comm has nothing to do YES. Has anyone played that flash game where you are defending a castle and you have to pick up the little stick figures and throw them in the air? I want that.
Yeah the comm really lacks stuff to do, I normally build entire bases by myself just because it's possible and no-one notices that I'm not in the comm vehicle.
Actually, that is a brilliant fucking idea. But it wouldn't work out because the price of someone sneaking into your base is too high.
Commanding is not that hard once you get the basics of it down. Its getting people to spawn backwards that is a real challenge. There is a limit to the amount of work that the commander should be responsible for. Classic example, VF is locked for low rez/people suiciding jeeps, don't expect the com to customize a tank for you if they are trying to run over the enemys in base, researching, havening micromanage people in the field, giving targets, trying not to get walled in, and calling for backup.
Commanding is easy and boring. The only interest commanding holds for me anymore is trying to break the mold with new/edgy strategies or boomtanking.
When I first learnt to command, I found it hella hard, like trying to catch rain before it hit the ground...there's no way you can do all that. If you use a mic it's 200% easier to learn though, and once you're used to it, it's pretty easy...still requires a lot of attention imo, and you have to keep tabs on a lotta things because your team might not be.
Good point, the dumber your team is the smarter you have to be. When commander newbs YOU have to build the radar, explain how to use reflective, teach them that 50 call doesn't hurt buildings, hunt for the scout in base, etc.
