Originally Posted by draeh

Especially with low player counts, it becomes more important for TG regulars to lead the pubbies. I'm guilty of just jumping in with regulars too. After all, I am here to have a good time. My lack of SL experience usually keeps me from taking the field, but I guess I'll have to get comfortable with it.

The only thing I disagree with you on draeh is your lack of SL experience. You have become a very good SL, IMO, because you have overcome the awkwardness most of us have while learning to do it. You are a solid communicator and everybody stays engaged with what the squad is doing. I openly applaud anybody that tries to step up and take charge, but that also does not mean you should have to do it all the time.

The low server numbers have definitely contributed to a couple of issues here. Very good points have been made by all and awareness is our best asset because under certain circumstances there is no easy fix. Over the last 4 weeks it seems that the average player count on weeknights has been 14-16 players on a map and many nights we never break into the 32 player maps.

Lower player counts contribute to lopsided teams just by the randomness of when certain players joined. After a few rounds we all know there is a frustrating problem and try to fix it but it is tough when everyone is running to one side of the ship or another. For example, a few nights back we had an outstanding battle on Fallen that went to the wire. The map changed, a few people left and all of the sudden we started H2H 14-9 and never really recovered after the auto switch kicked in and it turned into a horrible beating. I can't really fault anyone, it is just one of those low player count things that happens.

Lack of SLs has been tough in low player counts on some nights. Many times squads are not formed until the final seconds before a round or sometimes even after a round starts. I know many of us have taken on the SL role more than usual and have gone back to back to back sometimes so I totally understand the need to lay low once in a while and want to "just play" but I guess I will get over that for now as one of many "keepers of the common" and know this is part of the ebb and flow of player numbers and time of the year. I see many solid new players and some of them are already taking the plunge and trying to SL.

This becomes more complex with lower player counts, time of year, fewer SLs and squad coordination, but raising awareness should simplify it for all of us. At the end of the day, we want this to be the premier place to play and we want all new players to have the same experience that we did that made us want to stay. That responsibility is not always convenient and we will work through it.