Originally Posted by BaneII

In my experience, the squad has to be 66% TGers to be functional and effective. Anything less and you spend too much time trying to impose order while you are getting whaled on. Add to that the fact that we only have so many proficient squad leaders to go around at TG. There is really no way to get proper leadership all the time unless there is a significant number of veterans playing. So yes, there will certainly be times where things are very unorganized on the server. That's just life.

I just got back so my perspective on this is either irrelevantly out of touch or a valuable outside opinion. But my experience has been exactly like Bane's. Re-read your TG mission statements and what TG is seeking and I think you'll realize there is a big difference between a flock of non-TGers who have learned how to school in the same direction, and a squad truly employing real-world tactics and not jsut engine exploits. Especially since PoE is so armor based, command and control is much more tactically sophisticated.

Secondly, TG players are entitled to a good night gaming as they pursue the TG mission in their own gameplay. They did not subscribe to have the priviledge of being a dedicated SL of a squad of non-TGers. It is ridiculous to suggest long-time TG veterans be mandated to form evangelical missionary squads of the TG gospel to the hethen masses.

I for one as an experienced SL and instructor of non-TGers in TG events think that if we wish to both retain the dwindling base of experienced players in BF2 and foster new growth, we need to cater to both groups. Satisfying TGers with no interest in teaching by having them EXEMPLIFY rather than instruct is our best bet. A TG majority squad shocking and awing those who have never seen it spreads our message much better IMO than a frustrated TG SL leading a disfunctional squad.

Optimally, a patient TG SL could lead several TGers who just want to play into battle with a few new TG players tagging along for what will be the best ride of their online lives. Even if the demographics won't allow everyone to participate in this because of the ratio of TGers to pubs, I find this much preferable to comprimising our standards of play and losing the grandeur of our reputation in half-hearted attempts to teach by those more interested in exemplfying through their gameplay.

Short of this a new mod with a bunch of complicated dynamics is the perfect opportunity for a educational bootcamp if any veteran TGers not committed to a maritime vocation have time to spare. I challenge any TGer who is suggesting to others how to spend their time online to first dedicate their own time to the goal at hand rather than trying to teach half-heartedlywhile they are primarily at play. If you are serious about recruiting and developing pubbie talent, then stop playing around and start working at it. Schedule some open practice time and I gaurantee through even just modest promoting on the forum you will have more students than you can handle. I did.

I cannot believe I am hearing TG vets tell TGers that they cannot achieve the TG vision when they manage to have such good squadmates as to be able to and that they are to cease and dissist such TG behavior. That they must instead dilute it throughout the server to a point that I think we all honestly know will make it nearly imperceptable. On such a course, if am to leave land again, I fear there won't be the same TG as I know it when I return.