Before you start gaming here at TG, we ask that you read the SOPs and understand how we play. Now you came here looking for the server passwords, so you must a have interest in playing with us. All we ask is you take a few minutes to read the brief information below before getting the server passwords. Please note that since you have seen the SOPs simply to get to the password, we will take it that you basically understand the information. This means that it the areas covered will be enforced by the administration team.
These SOP's cover ArmA1 and ArmA2 - We hope your enjoy you time here!!
NEW PLAYERS
Your first piece of material that you NEED to read is the
TG Primer:
http://www.tacticalgamer.com/tactica...er-primer.html
The Second piece you NEED to read is regarding Player Standards:
http://www.tacticalgamer.com/faq.php...ayer_standards
Thirdly if you have read the previous two threads, you are well on your way to being a great member of
TG and the following will complete your introduction.
In short....
TG ArmA is here for a mature gaming community that enjoys a battlefield sim. This is NOT a "First Person Shooter" per say and thus the only people who will make major decisions for any mission will be; Admins, Commanding Officer of the mission, Squad Leaders and Fireteam Leaders.... There is no "debate", there is listening, doing and learning. You are amongst a group of people of varying ages, with many ex-serving RL Military players, current serving RL Military players and ordinary gamers that just love this genre of game, many of which you will learn a great deal from. There are many different leadership styles, there is no "definitive" correct way, that said, all leaders shall and WILL treat all playes with respect and all players shall play with a mature attitude here at
TG ArmA, be it ArmA1 or ArmA2.
LANGUAGE - Profanity is not something everyone wants to hear. Have some respect for your fellow gamers and refrain from swearing at every opportunity. If you choose to ignore this rule, the admins WILL clean out your mouth with a bar of "KICK" soap! You have been warned!
Here are a few pointers/tips to finding an extremely enjoyable time at the TG servers and in our forum:
*I want - Doesn't get!
*Questioning someones advice as "Governmental, forum Nazi, or running off to someone else to see if they will give you an answer you want to hear" does not garner support for your cause.
*Listen more, speak less, unless leading a mission.
*High standards are expected, if you are not doing a good enough job, you will be told about it.
*Dont be whiner - There is nothing more immature than someone who whines that they are not getting what they want, rather than doing something to help us achieve variety for all players.
*There are many mission styles out there - Just because the server is not playing your personal favourite style of game at that moment means that not everyone needs to hear about it. When missions are selected you may request a mission style then.
*ArmA Admins are some of the most experienced TG members here, who have shown through past endeavors why they were chosen to be admins, listen and learn from them.
*Lonewolves are simply not tolerated here. You will be part of a squad and if the CO decides "No Snipers" there will be NO SNIPERS. However a commander will always listen to a "request" to take a particular role at mission selection.
*Teamkilling - NOT AT TG! Simply not accepted here at TG, anyone doing it will be kicked from the server and banned.
*Deadmen dont talk - If you are dead, enjoy watching teammates battle on, if you become a bird stay AWAY from living players, we enforce a 50m distance for observing wildlife!
*Only take a leadership role, if you know you have the time to see out the mission selected.
*Respect the radio rules established by the CO or Admin on duty...not doing so, will not end well for you.
These are just some of the primary principles by which we play
ArmA at
TG and as result we have developed into some of the most popular servers on the net. Respect these rules and your fellow players and you WILL have a great time and many enjoyable games at
TG ArmA.
If not....there are many other servers to choose from.
Below you will find further information on how we use Radio channels and some of our basic procdures:
SOP (Radio) - Phonetic Alphabet
Below is the information for VON "WHEN" we choose to run it on the ArmA2 servers. Stability is a question mark currently and so we are using TEAMSPEAK as our interim solution for in-game comms
With the introduction of a stable VON (Voice over Network) it has become necessary to outline how radio communications will be conducted.
Voice communications are critical for any mission success with ArmA at TG. That being said, how we use the comms is become ever so important.
To alleviate any confusion prior to an event or before the start of a mission, we will continue to utilize TS (Team Speak) for organization. This will allow for Squad Leaders and Admins to organize and plan the impending mission or conduct an AAR afterwards. While the game is running, TS should be running for Squad Leaders and Team Leaders in case there is a message that must be conveyed to the leaders. Team members are not required to use TS at this point and are encouraged to stay off those channels to allow for other leadership issues.
Now the in-game VON has to be broken down as to who uses what channel. This is a simple break down of who uses what and when. It is important to realize what channel you are in when you go to speak. The default keys to change channels are “<” and “>”, once pressed it will show you what channel you are in. As for the chat itself, the default key is “cap locks”. If for some reason your talk option stays on, double tap the key and it will release the talk option. It is also suggested you change the default key, I do not want to read any typed messages in caps. Internet etiquette suggests you are yelling when you type in all caps, so be aware of it. It also is recommended you find a bind for each channel that you can remember so it makes communications easier.
Channel usage:
Global Chat (White): Admins only. This will not be utilized in game by anyone, minus an administrator for messages that must be conveyed to the entire game. Abuse of this channel will result in being banned from the server.
Side chat (Blue): This is for communication for the Squad Leader to his Team Leaders. Both elements may utilize this channel to conduct movement and contact reports. This channel will get busy with the command elements, so team members are discouraged from jumping on and speaking once the mission has started. Let the leaders talk, you can listen in, but they are in charge.
Group chat (Green): This is your bread and butter channel. This is where the basic team will conduct all of its business. The Team Leader will convey all commands as well as any other communication to their team. You may communicate with other team members only on this channel, but that should be plenty of people to talk to.
Vehicle chat (Yellow): This channel is utilized when you jump into a vehicle. This channel has to be utilized when your team jumps into a vehicle that has members from a different team piloting or riding in it. A good example is most helo pilots are on separate teams, so when a fire team boards a helicopter the only way to tell him where to land will be vehicle chat.
Direct Communication (Purple): Most mission have built in teams and squads. There is the occasional mission that is uploaded that is lacking proper team break downs. This is a good time to use direct chat to communicate with the element you have created and members around you. It is limited in how far you can talk, so you will have to be close to them to communicate. To help better the game, if you run across a mission that does not have teams broken down correctly, please post in the forums the mission name and we will see what we can do about editing the mission to accommodate leadership roles.
Mission Selection/Seagull/Deadman (Group chat): Talk away with other members as much as you want. Avoid jumping on any other channel to avoid who is in what channel.
Now that the channels are broken down, we need to discuss what will be communicated and how over the channels. Listening to dozens of people talk can get confusing at times. So we need to streamline what is conveyed. When you are given a command, there is no need to debate the orders or confuse people anymore. If given a command you will TYPE “
cc”, meaning I understand. This is so much easier than everyone trying to talk over the radio at once.
There are also some key points with voice communication that must be obeyed or you will be removed from the game:
- Phonetic Alphabet. Use this, this is a standardized pronunciation of the alphabet that is easily recognized by all and can streamline any information being passed without confusion. The following link easily lays out how everything is pronounced.
- Singing, yelling, screaming, or swearing. None of it is needed nor do we want to hear it. This has been posted before and will not be tolerated on the TG servers.
- Voice activation. This is annoying in any sense of the word. Disable it and stay away from it so we don’t hear your ambient noises.
- Over-talking. Wait until the person talking is done than communicate. We cannot understand when everyone tries to talk over each other, it comes out garbled. The Team Leader always has priority communicating, let them give their messages first than you can talk.
- Mic Checks. Always perform a microphone check before a mission. This will ensure that you can use VON and people understand what you are saying. Perform a mic check and people will respond based on the loudness and clarity. This is also the time to do a call sign check to your team mates prior to the start of the game.
Signal Strength (Loudness)
1--Faint signals, barely perceptible.
2--Very weak signals.
3--Weak signals.
4--Fair signals.
5--Strong signals.
Readability (Clarity)
1--Unreadable
2--Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable.
3--Readable with considerable difficulty.
4--Readable with practically no difficulty.
5--Perfectly readable.
SOP (Radio) - Phonetic Alphabet
In our virtual Armed Assault world, we currently use Armed Assault's VOIP as our standard method of intrasquad voice communications. The problems we experience with poor quality voice reception, background noise, and distortion are quite similar to the same issues which exist in real world military radio communications. All military units are trained to use the standard NATO Phonetic Alphabet in order to help ensure clear and concise messaging relating to command and control, contact reports, and sitreps. The NATO Phonetic Alphabet was developed in the 1950s to be intelligible (and pronounceable) to all NATO allies in the heat of battle. It replaced other phonetic alphabets such as the US military "Able Baker" alphabet. The NATO Phonetic Alphabet is now widely used in business and telecommunications in Europe and North America.
A - Alpha (AL fah)
B - Bravo (BRAH voh)
C - Charlie (CHAR lee *or* SHAR lee)
D - Delta (DELL tah)
E - Echo (ECK oh)
F - Foxtrot (FOKS trot)
G - Golf (GOLF)
H - Hotel (hoh TELL)
I - India (IN dee ah)
J - Juliett (JEW lee ETT) (NOTE SPELLING: 2 Ts)
K - Kilo (KEY loh)
L - Lima (LEE mah)
M - Mike (MIKE)
N - November (no VEM ber)
O - Oscar (OSS cah)
P - Papa (pah PAH) (NOTE STRESS IS ON THE 2ND SYLLABLE)
Q - Quebec (keh BECK)
R - Romeo (ROW me oh)
S - Sierra (see AIR rah)
T - Tango (TANG go)
U - Uniform (YOU nee form *or* OO nee form)
V - Victor (VIK tah)
W - Whiskey (WISS key)
X - X-ray (ECKS ray)
Y - Yankee (YANG kee)
Z - Zulu (ZOO loo)
0 - Zero
1 - Wun (One)
2 - Two
3 - Tree (Three)
4 - Fower (Four)
5 - Five
6 - Six
7 - Seven
8 - Ait (Eight)
9 - Niner (Nine)
. - decimal (point)
. - (full) stop
Example:
Fire Team Leader says on TeamSpeak or VOIP, "FriedFish, move to Grid Reference Aa39 (spoken over radio net as Alpha Alpha Tree Niner)."
FriedFish responds by hitting a predefined hotkey he's programmed. This results in the Leader seeing on his chat screen the words "FriedFish: cc," which gives him direct confirmation that FriedFish has received and understood his transmission.
After a bit of practice using this technique, it becomes almost second nature and cuts down on many communications errors caused by one player misunderstanding what the other said. We would encourage all players on any Tactical Gamer Armed Assault server to learn the NATO Phonetic Alphabet and utilize this SOP as much as possible.
SOP (Tactics) - Fire Discipline
Fire Discipline in real military units may generally be defined as a set of Rules of Engagement (RoE) primarily designed to deliver optimal weapons fire on the enemy while consuming the least amount of ammunition and minimizing any friendly casualties.
In our virtual world of Armed Assault, one of the most frustrating events is having team members open fire indiscriminately on their own, often without warning. Many times, players fail to think about these actions, as to how they might affect another team member caught out in open ground, or about the possibility of bringing to bear more of the team's firepower simultaneously in order to maximize enemy casualties.
RoE for Fire Discipline can get quite complex, but for purposes of our virtual Armed Assault gaming world, we'll keep it very simple. In essence, there are three "Fire Conditions" which may be set by the Team Leader. They follow the classic stoplight we all see during daily driving.
GREEN (Sometimes called "Engage at Will")
Team members may engage the enemy at will using their own best judgment, as to whether their primary personal weapons, or the addition of other team members' firepower, will have the maximum neutralizing effect on the enemy. If they choose to open fire, it's good form to advise other team members that they are about to open fire and engage the enemy, effectively warning them to seek immediate cover.
YELLOW (May be referred to as "Orange")
Team members may engage the enemy at will ONLY if spotted or fired upon themselves. If they spot enemy forces, they should seek immediate safe cover and send a Contact Report, then await further instructions. However, if they see an opportunistic situation to engage and maximize enemy casualties without jeopardizing the mission goals, they may exercise their own judgment and go GREEN to engage at will. If they choose to open fire, it's good form to advise other team members that they are about to open fire and engage the enemy, effectively warning them to seek immediate cover.
Once friendly fire commences, Fire Condition GREEN automatically takes immediate effect.
RED (Sometimes called "Fire by Command")
Team members are in a "Fire Hold" condition and they DO NOT engage or fire on the enemy without a command order, usually from their Fire Team Leader. If they spot enemy forces, they should seek immediate safe cover and send a Contact Report, then await further instructions. If enemy forces fire in their general direction without seeming to know where friendly forces are deployed (often called Spec Fire), team members DO NOT return fire unless ordered.
Once friendly fire commences, Fire Condition GREEN automatically takes immediate effect.
Note: The overriding principle to all of the above conditions is called COMMON SENSE. In other words, if at any time the personal safety of any team member is jeopardized due to the enemy spotting or firing directly (no Spec Fire) upon the team, you should immediately engage with aggressive suppressing fire. Once the situation calms down, you can send the appropriate Contact Report or AAR indicating current status.
Once reactive friendly fire such as this commences, Fire Condition GREEN automatically takes immediate effect.
After a bit of practice using this technique, it becomes almost second nature and makes it much easier to maintain good fire discipline, which often can make a critical difference to the overall success or failure of the mission. We would encourage all players on any Tactical Gamer Armed Assault server to understand and utilize this Fire Discipline SOP as much as possible.
SOP (Game Play) - Spoiling Mission Replay
Every so often, after playing a mission time and time again, it becomes a temptation as a team leader to advise the team as to where tangos may or may not be. For example, you may know that on a particular mission an ambush will soon occur, and thus you advise your team, "
Charlie, I want you watching 300 meters to the northwest for the tangos who will be spawning there to ambush us."
This habit can ruin surprises for anyone new to the mission and, most importantly, it takes away from the realistic tactics needed in a true combat situation.
SOP (Radio) - In-game TeamSpeak Use and Keybinds
As more Tactical Gamers become involved in our Armed Assault community, our need for more effective in-game communication grows. Currently, Armed Assault's built-in VOIP is unreliable at best and completely nonfunctional at worst. Because of this, we will make use of the various Armed Assault (
ArmA) channels we've created on our TeamSpeak server.
What this means:
1. In any mission with over eight or ten players involved, players should be breaking themselves up into separate TeamSpeak squad or fire team channels. The "1st Squad," "2nd Squad," "3rd Squad," etc. channels should be used for this purpose.
2. You will need a keybind to whisper to all
ArmA Channel Commanders (see below); this will be used for communication between squads or fire teams.
IMPORTANT: When using any whisper you MUST identify yourself before speaking, and identify your intended recipient as well.
3. If you are down and out of the mission, we encourage you to take advantage of the "Seagulls" channel.
Note:
Radio discipline is an important skill to master. Please avoid cluttering up TeamSpeak with non-mission critical chatter.
HERE is a standardized TeamSpeak keybinds template (based on the ShackTac keybinds template) for use with our Armed Assault TeamSpeak channels. It includes the following keybinds:
Feel free to use this keybinds template,
Evil Koala's keybinds template, or make your own. Remember, we WILL expect players to switch TeamSpeak channels as necessary while in-game, so you will need some sort of keybinds template that accomodates our Armed Assault channel hierarchy.
Note: Before importing the TeamSpeak keybinds template provided above,
make sure you save (export) your existing keybinds to a file. This will ensure that you have your default keybinds available and can import them whenever you want them.
Note: As an attachment to this post, you will find a printable reference sheet (Rich Text Format) for our TeamSpeak keybinds template. Please take a minute to print this so you can have it near your keyboard for handy reference.
Note: An application called
TeamSpeak Overlay (TSO) exists that allows you to see who is talking in TeamSpeak while you're in-game. TSO is free and was designed to be used with TeamSpeak. Some users have reported a decrease in framerates in
ArmA while using TSO, so it's recommended that you try the application to see how well it performs on your particular system configuration.
Until such time that ArmA2's VOIP works completely and reliably, we would encourage all players on any Tactical Gamer Armed Assault server to utilize this SOP as much as possible.
NOTE: Our ArmA Servers are passworded and in order to get this password, you MUST be on the TG Teamspeak where you will find the password in the ArmA2 player lounge
So we welcome you to
TG and if you are still reading to the very end of this post, we believe you will be come a regular here at
TG as you will not only fit in and understand what
TG is all about, but most importantly.... you have taken time to read and understand all of the above and therefore you will be very welcome by your peers!
Rgds
The Admin Team
