Welcome to my first attempt of making a playerguide.
This is directed towards everybody who likes to lead as well as participate in smaller as well as larger groups.
First, let me start out by saying that there is no right or wrong here and the following guide is my own personal interpretation of the optimal way of leading or being a member of a group in SWG.
While everybody might not agree with this playstyle, I encourage you all to seek out the playstyle you like, because what it all comes down to is getting the best experience possible out of the game. Joining a group that either is too serious/not serious enough when you personally seek the opposite won't make it fun for you whatsoever.
So while reading this, please keep in mind that this is my take on explaning how a serious group could function, and not in any way meant to come down on those who don't appreciate this gamestyle. So if you don't agree, please refrain yourself from making unnessecary posts in the thread, but instead just acknowledge that this is one way of going about it.
For the purpose of this guide, I'm going to focus on making a well-functioning group for Hunting Expeditions(HE). Many of the issues brought up by the guide will have alot of reference to chain of command and keeping a proper structure and dynamic of the group which I believe is one of the key-ingrediences for having a well-oiled fighting machine.
First some general guidelines. These are extremely important and a vital part of the success of the HE.
NEVER ATTACK ANYTHING WITHOUT CLEARANCE
The group leader should (unless he have given someone else the responsibility) always be the one that directs and controls the combat.
If you as a group member engange in combat by your own initiative it will and can have several affects which in several cases will lower the strength of the group.
1) You have directed your attention elsewhere and will therefor not be able to keep full focus on the group.
2) Should the group unfortunately be attacked as a result of an aggro mob from fx. an unlucky spawn, then you wont be available to assist.
3) If the creature you attacked is among the larger creatures and everybody wasn't ready to engage, it can result in deaths / incaps.
These are just a few of the possible scenario's by un-timed combat. So remember. Do not attack anything unless it's a good-2-go.
KNOW YOUR POSITION & PROFESSION
This is not only profession wise but also location wise when moving.
As for the location, watch it when your moving around. The golden nr. here is 64m. The group leader might have send you and a few others out to take a flanking role, and this is precisely one of the times where you should be extra careful. Don't run around randomly. Stick with the group or the position your supposed to be in.
Profession wise... remember what you can do and should do.
For scouts and combat. Remember to use traps if you can. They can stun/slow movement etc. on the creature you may be fighting and greatly benefit the group. And as for movement, remember to use /maskscent if you have Exploration III. This again lowers the chance that the group will get jumped. As well as combat and traps.
For marksman and combat. Remember in close combat and in danger that you can use Warning Shot to temporarily get the creature of your back and thereby buying yourself time for a possible heal from a medic.
For brawlers and combat. Remember to try and taunt and direct attention to yourself instead of ranged combateers who don't have the same defense ability as yourself.
For people that have medic skills. Remember that a heal can save lives. Remember to set up hotkeys for heal as well as cycling through group members as that will easen as well as speed up the process of healing.
DO NOT RUN WHEN YOU GET ATTACKED
A very vital and important thing to remember. Several people have a tendency to panic a little when they get attacked by one of the larger creatures and then start running around. Doing so will result in a few things.
1) The second you start running, the rest of the group will have a harder time aiming and hitting the enemy. Thereby slowing the process of killing it.
2) If there are close range/melee fighters in the group, they wont be able to do damage to the enemy.
3) If there are medics in the group, they won't be able to heal you in most cases.
Take use of the communication protocol there should be in place (look under the group leading section). If there are experienced marksmen in the group, they will also be able to use Warning Shot to drive the creature away.
So remember this... always stand still when you get attacked.
FOR GROUP LEADERS:
When forming a group, you first need to think about what the purpose of the group should be (Exploration, Hunting, PvP) and build your group according to purpose and size.
When you have gathered your group members. Always make sure you make it clear what your group consists of profession wise. Combateers (Ranged, Melee), Scouts, Medics and so on. This will provide you with a overall look of what you need to take into consideration when heading out. We'll get back to this later.
CLARIFY COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL
Here there are specifically two things to keep in mind.
1) How to initiate combat.
2) Distress call if attacked.
Make sure you from the beginning clarify these two things. It is highly important that you time your attack since it will result in a much better damage potential in a short amount of time.
How you will time it is entirely up to you and could even vary from enemy to enemy. Going up larger creatures a proper timed attack is more important than towards a smaller creature naturally since the risk is lower. Could be anything from "Ready, GO!", to something like "3, 2, 1, FIRE!".
Agreeing upon a proper distress call for group members should also be established. When running, people will be spread out and it won't always be possible to keep an eye on everybody. At least not if your leading a larger group. Therefor, think of a good way people could give notice if they are being attacked so available fighting powers can be directed towards the one under attack.
One I like to use during my own group leadings is "UA". Simple and short for "Under Attack".
MOVEMENT
Remember to consider movement tactics of the group. Remember, the group is never stronger than it's weakest spot so think about possible weaknesses that might open up during movement. Don't split people up of each section of the group can't handle themself or if the rest of the group isn't close enough to assist in possible problems.
Remember to walk carefully and take use of possible counter measures or skills that may make movement easier. (Conceal, Mask Scent etc.)
LOOT PROCEDURE / EXP SHARING
Everybody should get a fair share in the HE. This goes both for loot and EXP.
Make sure the same people don't always run up and harvest the corpse because they are closest to the mob.
Make sure take initiative to even out the experience points from combat. Ranged people normally get a great deal more experience than melee people since combat mostly is initiated from range. One way I personally take use of to even this out, is by letting melee fighter alone do the lairs.
Make sure there is a clearing about who sets up camps.
Make sure there is a clearing about who heals people in camps. (Let full medics do this instead of people that only are part medics. Part medics is ok in combat since it can save lives)
BASIC COMBAT TACTICS
Depending on the size of the group, there is several ways to go about this. Could be one big group, or even two or three squads.
One thing that you always should remember is to spread out the group before starting combat. If it's possible to draw a triangle between the groupmembers and the enemy, your basically good to go. Triangular combat will buy you seconds since the creature will be confused and uncertain of who to charge, so the more spread out... the better (Tho never far enough to bring yourself in danger).
When the people get into position, also make sure that no group member never is too far away than they have all group members without shooting range. That way you will be able to shoot at the enemy no matter where it charges. Again, watch where you move to get into position. You don't wanna get another enemy aggro at you.
Melee fighters always stay in the middle of the triangle with your group so you will have an easier time reaching the target depending on where it charges.
The same goes for medics. Stay at an optimal position where you will be able to move in the same direction the enemy does because that is more likely where the healing will be nessacary (given the fact that it doesn't use ranged attacks).
Remember these things as well as the issues mentioned in the 'KNOW YOUR POSITION & PROFESSION' section.
FOR GROUP MEMBERS:
How do you be a good group member. Well naturally first of all you should seek out groups that have a playstyle you enjoy. Like I mentioned in the top of this rather long post, do not join a group that have a playstyle like this if you know in the beginning your going to hate it. There is a limit to how much compromise you should do to get experience. Besides, for a group of people that all love one way of playstyle and then having a group member that has another will create a bad atmosphere if it's reflected in the behaviour.
There isn't much to add specifically in this section if you have read the above. Understanding and approving of those issues will certainly already put you well on the way of accompaning a serious group that uses this playstyle, but let me summarize two very important issues anyway just.
MOVEMENT
Don't run randomly around. Stick with the group or the position you have been given. Failure to do so can not only get yourself killed but also create unnessecary hassle for the rest of the group.
LOOTING
Don't constantly hawk all the loot just because your the fastest to the stop. It is disrespect and will give you a bad reputation and make the rest of the group members annoyed.
SHOW RESPECT AND BE SERIOUS
Listen carefully to your groupleader, because he's the one who's supposed to run the group. If what he does and say just seems too whacked, then there can be two issues. He's incompetent or the way he wants to run the group just doesn't comply with you. For that there is two ways to solve that problem for you.
1) Leave the group and find another. (One with a better leader or one with a playstyle you like)
2) Help and educate the group leader. He might be taking leadership for the first time because he wants to learn that as well. Come with constructive ideas and opinions. Offer your input but do so in a proper fashion
Remember to go into the group with the proper attitude. Don't disrespect the group leader. Don't disrespect the group members. Doing so will again create a bad atmosphere and only ruin it for the rest, and you don't wanna do that unless your a downright moron.
I guess there isn't really much else to be said. I hope you enjoyed the reading.
All constructive feedback and comments are highly appreciated, and please excuse me for any typoes or grammars that might appear in this text as english isn't my first language.
Signed, Yours Humbly
- Raam Kx'Thorath
Member of The Crescent Order
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