Teamwork for Dummies
by Black Lightning and Samhain
From: fprefect@ambrosiasw.spamproof.com (Matt Slot)
Subject: Teamwork for Dummies
Date: 26 Sep 1997 00:59:03 GMT
Hey you... DUMMY... yeah you!
Remember that game where your ally quit in a huff after messaging some
obscenities about you, your mother, and a description of what your LGM
was doing the night before? Maybe it's a hint that you NEED TO WORK ON
YOUR TEAMWORK?!?!?!?!
*deep breath*
OK, I'm better now.
Here is a short list of commonly agreed upon tactics and strategies
from the dawn of bolo time. Read them, print them, post them on the
wall next to your computer. The next time you get allied with a much
better player -- use them or make sure you have some asbestos camoflage.
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Start Squares:
-
The "random" start algorithm avoids corners that have
pills (esp. enemy pills) when possible. The reason you start on
the far side of the map from the pillwar is that its usually the
only "unspiked" corner. While its good to keep a pill in your
corner to defend it -- it may be worthwhile to leave one unspiked
so that you (or your enemies) come up there.
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Decoying:
-
After the box is dead, the shooter holds the shot and the
decoy picks up the box. The decoy does not drive in front of the
shooter.
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Disruption:
-
Don't drive into the middle of your ally's take. Hide behind
a wall and decoy, wait, or go around -- but don't run in too close
or you'll disrupt him. This is especially important when your ally
is attempting a double-take, because killing one box too quickly may
leave another damaged but pissed.
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Pill Wars:
-
Don't kill your pillbox if you can't build it (no trees, no
builder). Don't run in too close while someone's shooting it, don't
use a pill to block while you shoot another -- or its just a gift.
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Go Away:
-
On a conventional map divided into quarters, you should each
maintain your own corner. First, you may disrupt your ally, and
second you are leaving a whole corner open for spiking or capture.
Sometimes you end up swapping corners for a while -- just make sure
that someone is always watching the "back" side.
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Carrying:
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If you are carrying pills -- plant them. A good player can
kill another tank quickly (vulturing, spikes, mines, etc). A
planted pillbox is much better than one carried.
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Can't Plant:
-
If you are carrying 2 or more pills, with no builder, then
don't risk them. Stay on your bases, near some boxes. Keep fueled
(with a few mines), and if you *have* to do something, then poke
at a few enemy boxes on the line or kill a base. Run away at the
first sign of trouble.
-
No LGM:
-
Do something useful. Rape bases, kill tanks, take a few potshots
at nearby pills, decoy (but be ready to defend your own corner).
You can even shoot an enemy who's setting up or performing a take,
just enough to discourage him or ruin his angle. Even better, draw
attention away from your ally (lots of shots and mines on the far
side of the map) so he can work.
-
Rushing In:
-
You've gotten a lucky break and started to rush the enemy
side -- don't go too fast. Make sure that you capture the bases and
clean up along the way. Hard and fast is good while enemy is off
balance, but a good player can make a rapid turnaround from a weakly
spiked base.
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Falling Back:
-
When the tide turns and you are down to 3-5 pills, its
time to pull back. Find a corner (and some buffer space), and pull
your pills back into defensive position. Its time to stop base
raping, and to start patrolling your corner. Don't make risky builds,
keep enough ammo and armor handy to quickly defuse a spike.
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Enemy Spikes:
-
When you are down to a single corner, be ready for the
enemy to spike you hard and fast. When they pick up 2-3 pills,
they're likely to come in from 2 directions -- fuel up and start
patrolling. Now is not the time to die or get distracted.
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Pill View:
-
Pill View is your friend. Check it quickly whenever you
fuel. Watch the indicators for a batch of pills dying, and then
find them. Watch for your ally to drive by with pursuit so that
you can protect him.
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Spinning Tanks:
-
Don't say kill me... sit next to your ally and spin
a few times. If he can kill you, he will -- if he doesn't kill
you after about 2 or 3 rotations, then he doesn't have his LGM
or can't commit to them. There are times when its best to NOT
trade up. Be wary of vultures.
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3-5 Seconds:
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If you are waiting for your ally to join in on a decoy
or other tactic, only wait for a short bit. Often, your ally may
not have enough ammo or is on the way to another crisis. Trying
to generate some teamwork shouldn't take more than 3-5 secs -- if
it doesnt happen, go on your way.
Matt
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Reality: Matt Slot, Bitwise Operator *
* E-Mail: fprefect@ambrosiasw.com *
* Web: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/~fprefect/ *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From: fprefect@ambrosiasw.spamproof.com (Matt Slot)
Subject: Teamwork and tactical expectations
Date: 14 Oct 1997 00:46:14 GMT
[Here are some excerpts from the old Bolo mailing list -- I only saved
a few articles, but they had some good but arguable content.]
I'd like to suggest some teamwork groundrules at the tactical level, based
on problems, gripes, or just observations. Granted, many are "patently
obvious", and many people on this list regularly practice a few... this is
an *explicit* guide to these common sense issues. These are the
expectations I have in my ally, and he should expect the same of me.
Decoying
- The decoy picks up the pillbox. The shooter waits to kill the rebuild.
- Decoy is a command. "dec" or just "d" are abbreviations. Multiple
pills are specified by "decoy for 2" or just "dd".
- The shooter can indicate he is ready by firing one or two shots near
the pill. The decoy indicates he is ready by spinning in place or sitting
still in place for 3-5 secs.
- The decoy can use trees, or just driving in circles, as quick substitutes
for walls or pills, however this may result in damage to the shooter.
- The decoy should try to avoid completely killing a pillbox, and/or
"piss off" a nearby green pillbox by firing or turning hard so that
it gets hit. A few angry boxes (even rather damaged ones) keep the
enemy from running in.
- If the decoy or the shooter fail to get in position fast enough, or if
the shooter is under incidental fire that fouls his aim, the "decoy"
should be stopped. Often one person decides to try to get in place
while the other backs off, and then one or both tanks die in the
flubbed attempt. If one tanks backs off (or isn't in place), *both*
should fall back and regroup before retrying.
Running Interference
- If your ally is picking up a pillbox or escaping with some, then decoy
the nearby pills or run in the path of approaching tanks. Even taking
2 or 3 shots of incidental fire or slowing down defenders can help an
ally escape who may be running low on armor.
- A tank can enter a defender's corner and suicide him 1x1 or distract
him long enough. His ally can follow ~10 squares (3-5 secs) behind
with a spike and full load of ammo to grab the 2 corner bases, even
if he has to "finish off" the weakened enemy. In a 2x2 or 3x3, this
can be a rather quick way to spike and seal off a whole corner.
- When a corner is spiked, hopefully your ally has killed the builder,
at the cost of some armor. A tank with 75% armor and some ammo can
remove it -- as long as his ally can distract or chase off the "guard".
(Of course, watch for the follow-up spike or base-rape in the other
corner.)
Supporting Pill War
- As you run toward a front to support your ally, shoot 3-4 shots into
a pill that is *near* but not *in* your allies gun sights.
- Don't make a rebuild to the clearly dead box right in front of your
ally. Get into range and wait a sec to see who has his aim there, so
you don't send your builder into certain death.
Misc
- The tank who is carrying a pillbox has refueling priority -- let him
some some shields/ammo first.
- If you have no LGM, do things that require ammo -- base rape the corner
that was just spiked, or suicide an enemy who is carrying pills.
- A tank who does *not* want to pick up the pillbox after a kill (maybe he
doesn't have a LGM) should sit nearby and turn his back to it. If the
ally doesn't come and pick it up in 3-5 secs, or at the first sign of
an enemy, just turn and pick it up.
I know there are exceptions to these rules, and that most tactics can be
screwed up by bad timing, incidental fire, or a suicidal enemy. Use the
3-5 second rule... that period is enough lead time to recognize or initiate
an action. If you or your ally can't setup or respond in that timeframe,
regroup or focus elsewhere. If you can provide cover for your ally for that
long, he can begin a maneuver or make an escape.
Matt
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Reality: Matt Slot, Bitwise Operator *
* E-Mail: fprefect@ambrosiasw.com *
* Web: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/~fprefect/ *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From: Samhain / Michael Masushige
Subject: Re: Teamwork and tactical expectations
Date: 14 Oct 1997 00:48:34 GMT
I'd like to expand on some of BL's points, which BTW were right on.
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Decoying (defending against)
-
Most of the time, you will lose your pill because it's a double team. My
main strength in 3x3 games is in drawing and beating them, though. But, how
do I accomplish this? In a standard dec, one player hides behind blocks
while the other shoots. The shooter is the only real threat at this point,
so shooting him off-line will be your best bet. In doing that, the pill is
no longer taking damage, the decoying blocks are destroyed (providing rubble
to make a future dec harder to do), and can possibly kill the dec'ing tank
and/or shooter. Whatever isn't killed, you can finish off.
If you come across a dec in progress from the opposite end of the red
tanks, you can set up to swoop in and pick up the pill and drop it out of
range, or watch the timing of the shooter and rebuild. This is less
favorable as it invokes more risk, but, still better than losing the pill.
If you come across the dec'er first, and cannot get to the shooter
quickly enough, kill the dec'ing tank. You can kill a tank pretty quickly,
usually. Once the decoyer dies, the shooter takes damage. That damage gives
you the advantage when you decide to kill the shooter (which allows you to
rebuild the pill or pick it up).
If you don't have ammo, you're best bet is to try and pick up the pill
and plant it safely. It's also possible to push the tank off-line physically
and send a rebuild. While not likely to succeed, you can place your tank in
front of the shooter, giving the pill extra time to shoot out the decoyer's
blocks.
Other tactics involve pissing off pills in close range of the targetted
pill. It's very important that you don't lose your man in these
confrontations, though. Since, if you do, you'll probably lose that area.
And once you lose that area, your man will be an easy target when he drops.
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Running Interference
-
This is really really important. BL's points span beyond running
interference as they also encompass the duties of a blocker/tackler. If
someone is chasing your ally, go after that guy and kill him. Since he's not
aiming at you, you'll have an easy time of killing him, and probably not
suffer any damage.
My personal style is to go for the tank kill as much as possible. There
are a number of techniques used to dogfight. If anyone has any interest in
discussing them, start the thread.
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Supporting Pill War
-
Keep the pills hot. If you get a chance, go for the tank kills and let
your ally know when the line is undefended. Teamwork is essential to winning
the pill war.
- Misc
-
The tank who is carrying a pillbox has refueling priority -- let him
some some shields/ammo first.
Also, if a tank is waiting on you to refuel, don't fuel up all the way.
Fill up enough to kill a pillbox. If you plan on suiciding, just get enough
to do what you need to do.
If you die and come back in your ally's area, assess the situation. If
he's working off one or two really low bases, just make it back to your
area. I can't count the number of times I was harvesting a couple bases in
a remote area so I could kill a pill or base when an ally appeared, sucked up
all my resources and closed my window of opportunity.
Samhain
