Ermmm.... regarding the application of the term "rules" to the gentlemen's agreement in question. Suppose that an SL has placed a command marker on the contested flag (under said agreement). As far as any of his SMs are concerned, any gentlemen's agreement is superseded by TG rules regarding CO/SL orders, correct?

I’ve observed that once the population exceeds six players per side that is typically the point where the agreement is dissolved - unless someone under the agreement forms a new squad to take on the new players and keep the ball rolling. But at that point, it doesn’t bother me since I look at it as the gentlemen’s agreement having fulfilled its purpose - to encourage people to stick around and seed the server in order that more people come and join in.

For my part, where the frustration sets in is when I have someone on my squad who needs to be told a dozen times over VoIP and even text to, "Please get off that flag, we're leaving it for the other team and only fighting over [Flag_X]," and the run in and cap it out anyway. What really turns my crank is when they pipe up and say, "Gee, I didn't know." My response to that would be, "Well, yes you did. I told you a dozen times while you were running over there and I've marked on the map where you ought to be headed in the first place."

While I accept that we get visitors from time to time whose primary language is not English, I have yet to run into such an individual (or at least find someone whose command of English isn’t top notch) while on my watch as SL and playing under low-pop rules like those we are discussing here. You can bet that I've informed my entire squad - frequently - and have a command marker in place. "I didn't know," simply hasn't been a valid excuse in my squad to date and likely never will be.

I realize the thing to do here is to inform new guys of the SOPs to acquaint them of our rules and report those characters who do know them if they persist, and that my post is perhaps a little pedantic. But I thought it's important to point out that following SL orders, particularly those regarding command markers, are in fact fixed house rules irregardless of any prior gentlemen's agreement in place at the time. SMs should look to those for directions right off the bat rather than assuming that there's an enemy flag that needs capping so let’s go cap it, "Solo if I must."