How to Command and look good

[Not_walker]

Oh no, I've been selected as Commander!? What do I do!?!
Don't panic. I've created this list to serve as a foundation of support for your commanding efforts to insure a "flawless" commanding experience for both yourself and your marines with a list of things to do.

1. Brief on a timely manner

-No one likes a commander that takes thirty minutes to get dressed. Try to have briefing done by AT least 12:20. Not every marine needs to be there, just the squad leaders.

2. Make sure there is always an LO at the desk, or if they are being dickheadssleeping, assign marines yourself.

3. Assign each squad to a DUTY.

-Don't just say "go out there and kill". Try to have a scout party, an engineering party, a dock party, and whatever else you can think as a good objective.

4. Assign an FOB that isn't a damned deathtrap.

5. If you're not on the dock getting reports, you should be on the bridge.

-Leave the research and doctoring to researchers and doctors.

6. Turn on all squad channels on your headset

-It may be chaotic, but soon it will make sense and you will be able to unleash coordinated fury.

7. If someone is being a dick, brig them

- Don't hold "public" executions, you're only wasting everyone's time and you may even end up responsible for mass suicides.

[mdom]

I agree with all of this. Excellent post.

Especially this:

6. Turn on all squad channels on your headset

I remember the first time I was Commander I started getting frustrated because Alpha wasn't responding. I then realized I was a dumbass.

What always bothers me when I am playing commander is that there is not much to do. I try to check in with my squads, but I wish there was something I could be doing in terms of ordering supplies or creating a status system for marines to be able to brief themselves when they wake up out of cryo mid round.

[razerwing]

I'm not sure about #6, to be honest. I feel like that's a tad cheap. The reason you have squad leaders in the first place is so that you don't have to command each individual squad. Sure, it keeps you updated, but it defeats the purpose of the Squad Leaders having a direct contact link with all the command staff if you have all the squad channels tuned in.

If you want someone to monitor squads for you, assign an LO to monitor each squad, and then have that LO report for that squad. The commander can be a suspenseful, incredibly tense, and possibly game-changing role if you play it right, and all of these things make it fun for most.

[mdom]

I'm not sure about #6, to be honest. I feel like that's a tad cheap. The reason you have squad leaders in the first place is so that you don't have to command each individual squad. Sure, it keeps you updated, but it defeats the purpose of the Squad Leaders having a direct contact link with all the command staff if you have all the squad channels tuned in.

If you want someone to monitor squads for you, assign an LO to monitor each squad, and then have that LO report for that squad. The commander can be a suspenseful, incredibly tense, and possibly game-changing role if you play it right, and all of these things make it fun for most.

I just remember in the movie Aliens the commander was listening to each marines feed. I do recognize that this game is not just a reenactment of the movies by any means.

[speedybst]

The other thing i do when i'm commander (granted, its been a few months) is to assign an LO to monitor a squad, and collect useful data from the teams, as well as set up care packages for the marines, to be sent via the shuttles.

[Not_walker]

I'm not going to disagree, It's just better to be informed on all marine activities. I never said you had to micromanage each squad, but if the SL gets captured (it will happen) you need to be ready and able to step forward quickly to either assign new command, or give out orders quickly.

[Ghostdex]

You cant forget the execllent breifing where you tell the marines their incompetent fools.

[Not_walker]

You cant forget the execllent breifing where you tell the marines their incompetent fools.

I thought they banned you! ADMINS, HELP!