AFS/Read the chat
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Communication with your Commander and Team
Games are lost by poor communication. You have learned how to use the chat box. The quick chats provide some other quick forms of communication. But unless you are paying attention to the chat, team work will be compromised.
The Commanders Chat
When you start playing you are going to be flooded with information. That is why this game can be so intense at times. It does take time to build up what we call "game awareness". The first real skill you need to learn is to always pay attention to chat from the commander, which:
- Has a different sound from when normal players send messages.
- Is in bold face type.
Read The Chat!
There is a voice chat, ~yy, that sends the audio message "Read the chat!". Probably the most common quickchat used and for a good reason! Someone has just entered information that is important to the whole team and wants to make sure the whole team sees it. So do glance up at the chat when you hear this voice chat.
Filter the Chat
Once in game use the Esc key and go to game options. Flip the setting from "do not filter lobby" to "filter lobby chat". This will remove the idle chatter from the people sitting in NOAT (Not On A Team).
Affirmative or Negative?
During the game you will be bombarded with voice commands and orders. It will be overwhelming. The first tip is NOT, repeat NOT to hit the delete key to respond "negative"! All you are doing is flooding the chat channel. The team only expects you to answer with "Affirmative" by hitting the insert key if you can take on the task.
The second tip is to NOT accept EVERY order. Some will be completely inapplicable to you.
Example A player in the middle of a dogfight might broadcast "Attack my target" to the entire team. He is trying to coordinate his wingmen, but you're on the opposite side of the map!
One of the hardest skills to learn in this game is what commands to answer to. It involves understanding what the order is, where it needs to take place and is your current task more important than the request being made. Only with time will you develop this skill.
For now we suggest the following chats be acknowledged. Keep in mind to see if they are in the same sector as you! Otherwise in general ignore them, as it would take you too long to get to that sector where the command was issued. The exception is for nanites for a bomb run. Always support that run.
- "Need Repairs" - This is usually a request for a nanite equipped ship to support a bomb run, in which case it will probably be associated with the voicechats "Need scouts" "Defend bombers". Or it could be from a teammate in another ship needing a quick healing - ignore it if they aren't in the same sector as you.
- "Need pickup" - Look to see if the person issuing the request is in the same sector as you, otherwise ignore it.
- "Go to XXX" - A waypoint given to you by a teammate. Are you scouting with him in the same sector? Acknowledge it! It means he is going one way and wants you to cover explore the other, so you can both cover the sector quickly.
- "Defend Base" - It also can be given as a waypoint to camp an aleph. Unless you are escorting a con get home and defend that base!
Those are just a few of the key ones. With time you will learn to judge which tasks you can do and not do.
Which Wing?
Every session, some Cadet always asks about Wings - for now do not even worry about which wing you are on.
- Command Wing receives messages every time a player orders an AI ship, and red on-screen messages whenever a pilot discovers something important, such as an enemy bomber.
- Charlie, Delta and Echo wings also receive messages every time a player orders an AI ship.
- All other wings only receive regular messages.
If you do wish to change your wing, use the Command wing (It can be changed in F6 during the game or in the team lobby before game launch). The command wing will allow you to see the commanders orders to all of the drones, constructors and miners which helps you understand where you need to head to escort them. But it means far more information flooding in!
