What is the problem with being a commander?

[SPOOKS_UK]

Almost every time ive been on TG there is never been a commander, i want to know why nobody takes the responsibility of being the CO its not really all that hard. Find somwhere to hide tell squads what to do, use your artillery after all thats what its there for. Give supplies to people who need it. So if theres no commander please apply you'll probably get more kills from the artillery and the battle is in your control. If nobody is commander you stand less chance of winning so i suggest someone takes up the job and stop being scared of being commander.

[Wyzcrak]

How is it that there's never a commander when you're able to be one if you feel so strongly that one should be a commander whenever he is able?

Are you talking the talk and not walking the walk, or have you played CO so much that you're burned out? If it's the latter, how many times did you have to be CO before you got burned out?

[SPOOKS_UK]

I play as commander whenever there is the space because its not fair on the team if there is no commder and the other team has one. but now its becoming more of a chore than being fun. Id rather be in the battle getting me some kills than having to be commader if you know what i mean

[StupidAwesome]

i try to do it at least once per day, but sometimes i get into such a good squad i dont want to leave.

[TychoCelchuuu]

I'm not a horrid commander or a great commander, but I find it a lot less fun that being a squad leader or a squad member. If I wanted to deal with all that stuff I'd go play a Real Time Strategy game, or Natural Selection.

Plus my mic's broken

[Steeler]

There are only a few maps where I feel confident enough to be CO, and I usually jump in on those when no one else picks it up. But it is a high-pressure job and not as much fun as knifing or grenading people, so I can see why not many like to step up, particularly on their favorite maps.

However, you're right, it has been a problem recently.

[Landorin]

Yeah, to me it's more fun being in a squad or a squad leader.

However, I had a few bad experiences (not personally, I just witnessed them) with a few commanders.
Apparently, some take this game too serious and start raising their voice sometimes (heck, it's just a game!). But that's not the worst.
I've witnessed how some players (even some in my squad) accused the commander of doing nothing and started a mutiny. I was a squad leader, too, at that time and I'd like to get my own picture of the story (and until then I didn't think the commander was doing too bad).
So I asked him on voice what's going on and he didn't know either. I told him that they believe he's not doing anything (one of my squaddies even said he believes the commander is afk - which he was clearly not).
As it turned out, most of his assets was sabotaged.
So I take it that some people believe the commander isn't doing anything when:
a) his assets are gone and apparently believe he just refuses giving UAV or similar support
b) ? good question, I still wonder how someone believes he went afk if he is handing out orders all the time (still can't figure it out... I just tell myself now they just complained without paying attention).


Honestly, I'm not looking forward making this experience as a commander, too.

In addition, rarely half the squads don't follow the orders. As said, that was really rare fortunately but if I see that happens there is no point in being a commander and I resign.

I do plan on playing commander more often in the near future and I do hope it'll be a good experience in the long run.

[Preston85]

I normally command when im eating but at 1am GMT when im on the TG server its a bit late to be eating.

Otherwise theres not enough action as commander to keep me interested, spotting troops, put UAV over troops, drop some supply boxes, blow masses of people up, order squads about...

Only thing I really enjoy when commanding is zooming right in to watch an artillery strike, run ants run!!! MUHAHAHAHA try and hide!!! fly bodies fly!!!

I just like shooting things, thats what im best at so I don't command.

[Phelan Ward]

Originally Posted by Preston85

...Only thing I really enjoy when commanding is zooming right in to watch an artillery strike, run ants run!!! MUHAHAHAHA try and hide!!! fly bodies fly!!!...

I think we should give commanders a large magnifying glass to focus the sun on people.

RUNAWAY!

Whats this, you don't enjoy being charred by a gigantic lens?

If the commander hits someone with it, they burst into flames and run around screaming!

That would bring plenty of peopleinto the commander role.

[munchkin]

Originally Posted by Preston85

Otherwise theres not enough action as commander to keep me interested, spotting troops, put UAV over troops, drop some supply boxes, blow masses of people up, order squads about...

Not much action? Commanding is very high pressure and intesne, and you, as a person, are responsible for your team's loss or win.
Case in point:
Yesterday, on Karkand, the MEC side did not have a commander for 5 minutes at the beginning of the game. As a result, the USMC managed to capture every flag in under 10 minutes. Due to the fact that they had 32 players assaulting one flag, the MEC eventually regained a flag on the east of the river, and from there it became your standard river confrontation. However, MEC came incredibly close to having a score of 0-750.

[TG_Bubba]

Originally Posted by Phelan Ward

I think we should give commanders a large magnifying glass to focus the sun on people.

RUNAWAY!

Whats this, you don't enjoy being charred by a gigantic lens?

If the commander hits someone with it, they burst into flames and run around screaming!

That would bring plenty of peopleinto the commander role.

Or how about tactical nuclear weopon?

[AzrealDarkmoon]

3 games of straight commanding is generally all I do , then I have to do soemthing else the rest of the day and the next. Thats my anti burnout way.

[Preston85]

Originally Posted by munchkin

Not much action? Commanding is very high pressure and intesne, and you, as a person, are responsible for your team's loss or win.

You still didn't describe any action, there is a difference between action and pressure and intensity. I meant action as in combat not looking at a map with blue and red dots moving around.

I don't like pressure, have to much of that in real life so I just like shooting things. I take commanding quiet casually, if I was to feel pressure and panic the team could panic and then things break down. I have a starting plan for the map/team, you then watch what the other teams movement indicates adjusting your plan, be reactive and proactive, give the squads there orders and as much information as I can, its down to them to get the job done.

You are not the only one responsible, a commander can not win a game on his own. (S)He can make it closer but its down to the squads to get the job done, hence down to every individual on the team to perform.

A commander binds it all together and gives them direction, without direction squads can get lost, without good squads a commanders hands are tied.

[Wulfyn]

I think we should give commanders a large magnifying glass to focus the sun on people.

RUNAWAY!

Is that not how the arty works? I got my eye on you...


I think this is another case of where TG is it's own worst enemy - we have so many good CO's here that others are afraid of stepping up because they know they will be compared to them - and unfortunately when you hear stories of squad members thinking a decent CO is afk then you know that their thinking is justified.

Any CO that puts in some effort is one that I will stand by.

[Indyfossil]

Originally Posted by Wulfyn

I think this is another case of where TG is it's own worst enemy - we have so many good CO's here that others are afraid of stepping up because they know they will be compared to them - and unfortunately when you hear stories of squad members thinking a decent CO is afk then you know that their thinking is justified.

Any CO that puts in some effort is one that I will stand by.

This is a problem but also another problem is that squad leaders are used to good CO's so when someone does step in they expect a good CO. So they expect too much out of a new CO.

I have only been playing BF2 a week so far. So I am a new guy. This is really the only place I really play. But I have read almost all the CO's guides and SL guides that are here, but even then you can't get a grasp of commanding until you try it.

So maybe a little help from the senior SL's would really do some new CO's some good. You have to crawl way before you can run.