User:Neon Knight/BUCaptureTeamworkInPubs

Originally posted in the old Capture website, at capture.beyondunreal.com, now defunct. I had a copy in my backups.

Here's a riddle for you, everybody wants it, few know what it is, and fewer still know how to achieve it with complete strangers. What is it? Money? Orgies? Ability to sing on tune? No, no, and no! The thing I'm talking is teamwork. With the ability to use voice communication, this concept has spawned a sub-game with UT2004: Do It My Way! The object of this game is to scream and holler so loudly and persistently that all the lone rangers on your team will stop waiting for the Raptor to spawn and follow you. Where? To Victory, of course! From the looks of most servers, no one has been able to scream loud enough to succeed at this game, and so today I will try to point out some alternative methods for you to achieve victory on any Public Server.

When I get annoyed, I get cranky, and when I get upset, and when I'm upset, I cry, and when I cry, I can't see the screen, and when I can't see the screen, I don't play very well. Being last on the scoreboard is not going to compel those unruly players into cooperating with you any more then your screaming does. You can't join a server and be number one, and so it is wise to try to help other players in their endeavors when you first join a server to try and build their trust in you. No one likes someone who barges in and tries to run the show right off the bat. If you wait five minutes before you start spewing out the commands, maybe they'll listen to you, the respected teammate, whereas they'll ignore Private "Green as the Grass" Gumshoe.

So you've earned some respect, and the guy you were following has died...It is now your chance to take some leadership on the battlefield. However, now is not the time to abandon your previous objective in favor of what you think needs to be done. Be sure to finish whatever you were doing when your old leader perished. After you successfully complete it, feel free to move on to whatever goal you have in that sturdy block of wood of yours.

The world we live in is not a utopia, and it will never be one. Because of this sad fact, you have to come to terms with that fact that your team will not work like a clan that's been playing together for three years. Accept it and move on. Once you realize that not everyone is there to win, you'll be able to get more achieved with the players that do care. Instead of spamming "WE NEED DEFENSE" fifteen times, you need to realize that if they don't react after the first two messages, they are either dead and you need to call 911, or they just don't care and will probably never care; In fact, they are probably laughing at you for trying to accomplish an impossible endeavor. When you find a player that wants to be free as the wind, just ignore him and focus on your other teammates. The ability to ignore block someone out of your Voice Communication is perfect for these instances.

When you find a few players that want to work with you, be sure to not become the leader from hell. Whenever you call out an order, try and achieve that objective yourself with the help of whoever wants to help. It's no fair for you to be out flying around in a Raptor while you are spamming Defend the base, god dammit you n00bs!!. Remember that you have to follow your own orders before anyone else will.

Be sure to make sure that a vehicle’s seats are completely filled with bodies before you drive off to the battlefield. It will make conquering the objective easier, and let you both live longer. It's a great team building exercise and helps you earn respect in your teammates’ eyes. Never get in a large vehicle and drive off until you are sure no one else wants a ride. It's inconsiderate, and shows just how selfish you are. Remember, the more the merrier.

Teamwork is a great thing, and surprisingly enough, pubs are a great place to build your skills with it. The constant turn-over rate of players gives just about every player the chance to lead as well as the chance to follow another. If you apply these lessons to your pub experience, you'll have your randomly assigned team doing synchronous maneuvers like the Blue Angels as you lead the team to victory.