A better way to LFS

[Veteran]

I was thinking it would be cool if not only could you set yourself LFS, but you could declare what kind of squad you wanted to work with so commanders wouldn't draft you for the wrong kind of duty.

These are some of the ones I thought would help commanders know what they're getting before they take the time to send them an invite:

1. Solo
2. I just want to be a vehicle gunner/driver
3. I want to earn BEP as quickly as possible
4. I want to participate in base assaults
5. I want to participate in organized vehicular activities
6. I want to participate in base defense
7. I want to participate in concentrated Support activities
8. I want to work with a team of specialists, i.e. all Combat Engineers
9. I want to participate in an infiltration and sabotage squad

... etc.

Perhaps symbols could be used for the player's overhead display with a legend in some submenu. Players could default to 3 (just like defaulting to LFS) and could set other options to create a string of icons that would let a commander know instantly if he was dealing with someone who would fit in to his squad.

The best way the game could improve would be to offer new tools to allow squads to regroup quickly and recruit with ease. I don't want to ask every player a list of questions before I recruit them, so these icons would make the process much cooler.

[Krinsath]

I disagree with you there PorkFryer.

What he's saying is that there are squads that are geared to one sort of activity that may or may not be what you're looking for.

all squads wanna work as a team and go into battle anyways

"Squad" is a generic term. What if you want to be on a SpecOps squad and the guy who's looking for squad members wants to run an ANT supply convoy? Wouldn't it suck to be invited into a squad of tankers when you're a hardcore grunt or vice versa? What if you want to be on a ground attack squad with your reaver and the squad is formed as a harassing squad of tower cappers to draw away resources?

Originally, there was only one purpose to this game: capture bases. Pre-Lattice (not that all of you remember that far back) it didn't matter where you went, so squads really weren't specialized. Since the Lattice and more so, Facility Link Benefits and Modules, there have evolved a number of roles that don't have to do with base captures. I have seen many Gal/ANT duos flying around the clock resupplying bases. There is now a wide variety of activities that constitute "battle"...and your ideas on what battle is may not be what the squad leader has in mind.

What he's saying is that there should be a method of tracking what players are looking to do what. This will cut down on organization time and the frustration of the players who join the squad early (the hurry up and wait syndrome that, while realistic, is stupid in a game that is pay to play). As it stands, you have to sit and wait while the SL broadcasts in Sanc "LOOKING FOR LIGHTNING DRIVERS" or some such. Some of these players get bored and leave on their own, which simply makes things take longer.

It also allows players to control their experience somewhat. For instance, you know your machine cannot handle the activity where there is a zerg, so you want a squad that's going to be doing small-unit activities. Maybe you're a crack Mag/Van/Prowler gunner, but you'd go to waste as a lib bomber. Or maybe you're the best infiltrator in the known world, so you really don't want to go on missions where every entrance way is going to be packed with enemy soldiers.

Anything that cuts down on the time to make an efficient squad that's unified in its purpose would be a great improvement to PS. I know many SLs are tired of losing squad members because what they want do isn't what the SL had in mind. This would help to alleviate that problem.

[SecondRaven]

Pork get your head out of your ass dude, I like vet�s comment

[gonnagetyou]

I think it's a good idea. When I do join squads it is often hard to find good coordination because you typically have just a bunch of guys with different certs wanting to do different things. Being a squad leader is a lot easier if you build your squad around people with similar certs and motivations. If you do that you'll be way more effective as a group and a lot more organized.

[Majik]

There is a way to specify what type of players you are looking to recruit to a squad based on their certs. You just open the squad tool and use the search option. The players can specify what certs they wish to be recruited based on by using this tool, then the SL just searches for what he needs, gets the names and send them tells inviting them. I doubt, however, that anyone actually uses this squad tool, but it is implemeted in the game.

[Krinsath]

What certs a player has does not reflect their playstyle or what they want to do. I might have Air Support but hate flying over contested bases and just want to be a taxi to and from safe regions (Lodestar or Gal supply).

I may be a sniper, but only have that for defending a base against enemy snipers, not for attacking.

May be a pilot, but not be looking to fly that day.

The proposed system puts the players *intentions* for that session available, not what certs they have. That saves the tells back and forth and people can get in the squad they want faster, which is a good thing as some people don't have half an hour to sit around while the squad gets gathered up and SLs know everyone is on the same page about what they'll be doing in the combat zone. I don't know about the icons thing, but I think this would be a more useful feature for the squad search tool than a listing of certs.

Squads (and that tool) were designed back when there was really only a few playstyles. Now that they are myriad (if you've never been in an open field armor battle, I feel sad for you), these things need to be updated to reflect that.

[Veteran]

Kinsrath,

You've refined my original point with your post. I agree completely.

[sutserikeru]

I like that idea a lot! Being a main SL for my outfit, i need to know wether or not to recruit an "outsider" (non outfit) to my Squad, these symbols would help GREATLY

[GreyFox]

Join a large outfit, and form the type of squad you want out of it.

[dscytherulez]

I like this idea. Although its sometimes hard enough to find a good "general" squad already.