Principles about Skermishes and Callers

I felt the need to take the time to write this because of my, being a caller, observations to reactions to Clan members during a Skirmish or the aftermath discussions. By in no means am I addressing an individual or seeking to be punitive in this discussion, however, I feel if gone unchecked, it will have a negative impact on the overall moral of the Clan and its members. Although we are here for fun and entertainment, we need to follow some guidelines so as a group we can overcome the other opponents and have fun in the process.

I never really wanted to be a caller but in the absence of individuals willing to, our clan could never get a skirmish underway. So my desire to battle with my fellow clan members in a skirmish outweighed my dislike to be a caller, so thus, a caller I became.

Being a caller is a thankless task, if we win by my strategic deployment I am well revered, if we loose because of my blunder, words can not adequately describe the feeling. A callers "job" is not ONLY to deploy the tanks to engage the enemy in the best situation as possible, believe it or not that is the easy part compared to the "job" of identifying discrepancies in a fellow clan members game play that is in opposition to team play, individual upward skill building, or detrimental practices. Telling someone that he or she is not "playing" their tank properly is not a "fun" thing to do, but left uncheck, leads to larger issues in the future.

Every caller has his or her own style and as an individual we sometimes despise certain callers for more then one reason.

1. Deploying tanks, especially YOURS, to areas that YOU disagree with or seems just plain stupid.
2. Telling YOU how YOU are not playing YOUR tank correctly by not being in the correct position, over extended, or away from the group.
3. Not letting YOU take in the tank that YOU want to use for whatever reason, (too slow, wrong type, gun depression, no pen, etc...).
4. Telling YOU to go here (D5) behind the rock, side scraping, and YOU go to (C4) behind a bush because YOU decided that (C4) was a better spot for YOU, or YOU didn't confirm the initial deployment because maybe the caller made a map click mistake, the click is vague, or YOU missed the exact spot.
5. Being told to "radio silence" during battle.
6. Caller doesn't seem to accept your ideas or concepts during a battle or after the aftermath.

Callers are not the enemy, last time I looked they are on the green side just like all of us. Callers may need to be more understanding in their task at hand and how it effects one another. I would personally ask everyone to, before it becomes an issue, please take the time to talk to the caller in a private chat or private TeamSpeak channel. Please wait till after the run of skirmishes to address your concerns. I would ask it to be private as to not undermine what little shred of ability I have to direct individuals as it is. Please don't leave your concerns unaddressed as I am most likely unaware as to what they are and how I am negatively effecting your "game play". I am aware that we are here for fun and entertainment. Callers need to work towards implementing guidelines in a way that will not so far negatively effect your "fun" but allow us as a group overcome the other opponents. Please help me in this endeavor.


The following paragraphs were written by a clan member of one of the top Clans in World of Tanks, Gorillas (-G-).
Although, in my opinion, we (B0TS) do not require or necessarily follow these principles in full, I believe we could benefit from voluntarily individually adopting them. As a caller, I strive to have everyone following these general principles.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES by (-G-):

Different callers have drastically different methods and styles (as you will see). But a few general principles are almost always in effect.

First, bring your A game. All tanks are expected to have at least 2.5 skills, perfect gear, camo insignias, and the optimal blend of consumables/ammo regardless of expense. If you don’t have the perfect tank, perfect gear, or are lagging you will be benched.

Second, don’t play like a pubstar. Everyone in G has a ~65%+ win rate. Everyone is very good at the game, and is accustomed to carrying, using pubbies as meat, and so on. In clam wars, that attitude has to go. Everyone is equal, and everyone fights as a group, not as a hero. This includes taking hits for your teammates, working together, focusing fire, and pushing as a group. There are some very good players in this game who are terrible at clan wars because hey can’t get over their own stats/selfishness. Don’t be that guy.

Third, tactics are different. In pubs, teams tend to fan out across the map and start to work long range snipes on each front, wearing the team down. In CW, battles are almost always won by a concerted push of a main force with a token defensive/sniping force in reserve. Thus, the skills you practice every day in pubs (picking a good bush, sniping, playing vision games, and so on) don’t help. Really nothing helps other than hours spent in tank companies or 7/42. Its a different style of play.


Please feel free to comment, however, please keep your comments generalized.

Thank you, glhf

Kiptap

Kiptap,

thank you for your post.

I, for one want you to know I think you are doing an excellent job. and I have followed you all over the map in my Cromwell. i am still new to the game and listen to everything around before i make decisions. and if i have a suggestion i will speak up.

the styles i use in pubs are not the same i use in skirmishes, and after running with you i have found the way i play in pubs changing. that is thanks to you and what you have taught me as well as all of the callers.

spent to many years as an NCO not to understand structure and when to listen to orders and when to "improvise" on the orders given.

please do not think you are wasting your time, i for one have found your calling to be instructive and fun

Thank you and all of the callers for the work you all have done for the clan !!!

thank you for the opportunity to learn a new way that improves me and my abilities

Mitch

oh, and if you piss me off, i'll be sure you know

and it will be between you and me

Almost everything you've written Kiptap is dead on true, although as much as following orders is important the player themselves have to be able to think on the fly and adjust to developing situations. I'll use the example you used.

4. Telling YOU to go here (D5) behind the rock, side scraping, and YOU go to (C4) behind a bush because YOU decided that (C4) was a better spot for YOU,

The player may have a very valid reason for the move. eg. from the bush at C4 he may be able to snipe rounds into the back of the main enemy force with complete invisibility and impunity. To me waiting for the order to do so seems like a needless and possibly costly delay.

I do agree that we should be doing our best to follow caller instructions (especially during initial deployment) but the caller has a tank to operate too, so to me we as individuals have a responsibility to do what is in the best interests of the team.

edit: Note that I'm not fingering anyone in particular but pointing out a "real-world" fact. As I deal with this sort of situation in my job (minus the explosives of course). People further up the food chain give orders and I have to carry them out. It's always a case of the balancing what they want vs. what is best in the situation.

Snow wrote:Almost everything you've written Kiptap is dead on true, although as much as following orders is important the player themselves have to be able to think on the fly and adjust to developing situations. I'll use the example you used.

4. Telling YOU to go here (D5) behind the rock, side scraping, and YOU go to (C4) behind a bush because YOU decided that (C4) was a better spot for YOU,

The player may have a very valid reason for the move. eg. from the bush at C4 he may be able to snipe rounds into the back of the main enemy force with complete invisibility and impunity. To me waiting for the order to do so seems like a needless and possibly costly delay.

I do agree that we should be doing our best to follow caller instructions (especially during initial deployment) but the caller has a tank to operate too, so to me we as individuals have a responsibility to do what is in the best interests of the team.

edit: Note that I'm not fingering anyone in particular but pointing out a "real-world" fact. As I deal with this sort of situation in my job (minus the explosives of course). People further up the food chain give orders and I have to carry them out. It's always a case of the balancing what they want vs. what is best in the situation.

I completely understand what you are saying, however, the caller may have a valid point as to why you were deployed "side scraping" i.e. (protected but there to seen and absorb rounds, etc..).  One thing we haven't really trained on or discussed is taking hits for the sake of causing a reloads of the enemy and spreading the health across several tanks  You have a TOG, so you know what I am referring to when I say using the "hit point pool".

My concern is that (D5) becomes (C4), (C4) becomes (B3), (B3) becomes (A2), and now the guy that was deployed to hold down that area in defense is sniping people "great for him" and his armor is NOT in the "hit point pool", bad for the overall health of others.

I have also seen so many clan members running in a wolf pack and then dropping their tank back on a ridge with 100% health and snipe causing the other guys who are brawling it out to get singled out because why?  He is one of the only tanks there in the area to hit thus creating a self imposed focus fire situation for the enemy and his buddy is full health and alone, one less gun, because the snipers tank was not in the "hit point pool".

Anyway I understand what your referring to and tankers need to take advantage of situations.  I think the best thing to do would be, if time allowed during deployment, is to confirm with the call "you want me to hold this corner?", or during "hey kip I think I got shots if I move up!".

There are thousands of "what if's" for each deployment and I am sure the longer we tank together the more irrelevant this post will become.  By no means am I saying there is no discretion as to how to engage the enemy, but we still have guys sitting sideways and shooting out, laying back in the cut and sniping instead of rolling thunder, and the tough one "not angling their tank" while in the open, hence the aftermath discussion and all the defensive responses and such, all of which I hate, BUT, I would be remiss to just tank on, not discuss it, and let it happen time and time again.

I am NOT an expert or Unicum by any means, but I do feel obligated to point out the uncomfortable should I see them, and so should you about my calling if it "sucks" .
 
Thank you for the input, Snow, I do appreciate your response, see ya in battle.

Agreed Kip, there is a point where using discretion becomes ignoring the order. And subtracting yourself from the equation is never a good idea, especially in a wolfpack. Communication is the key but sometimes like you said it isn't possible to confirm before doing (usually cause comms are jammed up with other just as or sometimes more important info).

Actually that is something I'd like to see happen is people start using f5 and f6 (affirmative and negative) instead of keying up just to confirm orders received it'll go a long ways toward clearing comms for vital traffic.

Snow wrote:Actually that is something I'd like to see happen is people start using f5 and f6 (affirmative and negative) instead of keying up just to confirm orders received it'll go a long ways toward clearing comms for vital traffic.

Excellent idea!

Also calling "go to Base" for ours vs. "go to Cap for " theirs.

BullFrogg wrote:Kiptap,

thank you for your post.

I, for one want you to know I think you are doing an excellent job. and I have followed you all over the map in my Cromwell. i am still new to the game and listen to everything around before i make decisions. and if i have a suggestion i will speak up....

please do not think you are wasting your time, i for one have found your calling to be instructive and fun

Thank you and all of the callers for the work you all have done for the clan !!!

I really appreciate your response and seek your input during the match.

Lets tear them up!

I agree with the use of buttons

I will hit the affirmative in order to keep the comms free and hear all of the instructions as I move out

OK, this is informative. I lack the tanks (so far) to participate in most of these battles. However, I try to attend the training rooms when I can and understand what y'all are discussing. I learn stuff about team play, and various techniques. When you're new (comparatively) to team play, you listen if you want to stay alive and contribute. I've been platooning with other clan members who are in the same boat, and we're coming up to the upper levels with the right tanks, prolly within a week or two of each other (at least me, Uther, and Airedale should be). I appreciate criticism -- it will improve my game. That's my goal. Your mileage may vary ...

Well Gnatz if I'm on I'm more than happy to platoon up with you and help you get there or run skirmishes just jump on TS and find me