Tip 23 - Work with me here

URL: http://half-life.morat.net/tfc/guides/

So. You are now the god of all gods. You play TF - and you know what you are doing.

Moreover, you know what your entire team should be doing.

So how do you make it happen?

Well - first of all, don't get discouraged. Your team might not be talking to you right now - but that doesn't mean that they won't in a moment or two.

Secondly, be calm and nice about it. Ask questions, don't accuse. Saying 'Hi all - offence or defence?' when you join and seeing if anyone responds is better than asking 'does anyone here comms?' saying 'DEFENCE!' is less helpful than 'Defence, what assist do you need?'

Thirdly. Your team are NOT faceless. The bunch of 'Player' you see today, is probably NOT the same bunch you saw yesterday. So if it seems annoying that they didn't remmeber what you taught them - this is probably why.

Fourthly - it only takes a couple of commsing players to demonstrate how much of a difference it makes. Try again whenever someone new joins the team.

Fifth - just because they don't respond, doesn't mean they aren't listening. Keep informing them of things they need to know. Most people have a 'thanks' or 'acknowledged' bind, but not all - and those who don't might be too busy dealing with your info to tell you they listened.


Now - your team is likely VERY predictable. Your teamates will move forward as far as they can before hitting resistance.

They will copy successfull strategies.

You can use these to encourage your team to go where you want it to. If you are a fast attack, and start doing well, you will start to see more fast attack. This is good, right up until the enemy has your flag.

So once you see another person joining you on offence, then is the time to move onto defence and cover for them.

This fighting against your team is bad, but sometimes has to be done.

Now - once your team is starting to appreciate that they are winning, you can start to issue requests for help.

Try and make it seem like you are in trouble, and that they would be magnaminou nd great and all things good by doing as you want.

You might WANT to say "You **ing idiot, stay in the flag room on guard!" but that would get no responce, or flamed. Better owuld be something like "I am in the flagroom, and need someone skilled to help me down here"

Always make your every command a SUGGESTION.

Unfortunately, there are SOME things you cannot suggest or do anything about. You can say "PLEASE less snipers" but it won't happen - asking for them by NME works better "xxxxx (sniper) could you come and help yyyyy guard over here? There's more enemies" might get more of a responce.

You an also say "Suggest you try HITTING the enemy" - but equally sadly it won't happen.

Try to make the best usage of such players that you can - regardles sof ability, the enemy will have to slow down and kill them. And ther enemy can't tell a newbie red dot from anybody else's.

Yes, you will often have to write off teammates as effectively not being on your team. It happens. Don't worry - it has probably happened to the enemy as well.


So - you've got some communication going. USE it. Use it use it use it. SHOW your team how much of a difference it makes. THANK them for every scrap of information they give you. Don't give them more information than they can use - but do give them enough that they are always acting on it.

If possible, direct your informtaion precisely "Sammy - nme medic heading your way" takes longer to send, but is more likely to be noticed and acted upon than 'incoming medic'

The ROUTE an enemy is taking is important too. It may be obvious to YOU that it means that they are heading in via the top route - but maybe not to your team. If oyu can, tell them.

Show them how timed attacks improve your chances. Show them how you can cover for each other - they will soon start doing it themselves.

Be trusted. Try to be a paragon of fair play. Don't do 'cheap' things - try to avoid getting in your teammates way. The more they like you, the more they take notice of you.

Even the teams. It's generally good for the game, and gets the message to twice as many teammates.

Answer questions. Even the really stupid ones. If the answer is long, then direct them to a website. You got through to them deeply enough for themk to ask questions - keep them at it. The more they know things, the more they play the game and eventually tell others. The less you tell them, the more chance they become llamas.

Dealing with llamas.

It will happen. You're telling your team - and some idiot shouts "Shut up - no one cares about your faggy problems"

Rule 1. Do NOT respond. Sticks and stones and all that. Try to imagine them as the garry larson kid, with his forehead pressed against the screen, desperately trying to convince the world that he's just big boned, and similarly suffers from 'swollen brain' syndrome. Because he probably is. Do NOT let them wind you up.

Rule 2. If they give incorrect information, or are putting the rest of your team off, politely correct them, give the right information, but do NOT attack them in any way, or call them a lier. I give good ofdds your teammates will listen to you rather than the bleating any day.

Rule 3. If he attacks someone else - THEN you may jump in. Defend others - let others defend you. *request* that they stop. Give them the correct information about the game.

Rule 4. Let them bring it upon themselves. Sooner or later they will cross the line. They will use racist slurs, or excessive message spam, or whatever. And then you can get them kicked by an admin.

Rule 5. Llama admins. Ask everyone else to come with you when you leave. And leave.

Rule 6. If you have rcon, never admit to it. Have the server be the big bad voice of the admin. Pretend to be friendly towards it, or to just be an innocent bystander who is thankful for it. Don't let people realise the admin is there, and they will be fearful when it isn't. Also, you'll not be swamped by requests to do daft stuff like change gravity.

Related note, get an IRC log bot for your rcon - monitor the logs, and maybe set something up that will alert you to trouble on the server even if you AREN'T there.

There's nothing more scary than a responce to 'help admin' for a llama...


Remember - the behavoiur of EVERYONE on a server is your fault. Teach them to play well, and they will play well.

Don't teach them, and you'll lose control.

i