So how do you make the most of that role? How can you help your team obtain the victory they desire? There is no "magic" method, but there are some things you can do.
Checklist:
- Before the Battle:
- Make sure everyone on your team is actively communicating clearly. Ensure they know if you plan to use text or voice communications.
- Determine what setups everyone is using. If you will fight a space battle, know the ships they command. If you will fight a ground battle, know their kits. This will help you determine the best place in your strategies for each team member.
- Ensure everyone is prepared. Does everyone have their ability trays setup, Bridge Officers slotted, plenty of consumables, or anything else you might need?
- Explain some of the basics you expect for your team. Tell each player their expected role, who will call targets, who will watch for needed heals, who is your primary rally point, and anything else the team needs to know.
- During the Battle:
- Upon entering the map, make sure the rest of your team has warped or beamed in. If someone suddenly has a major technical problem, you may need to coordinate with the enemy team to keep teams fair.
- Once everyone is in the map, take your team to a place where you will make your initial stand. From here, either wait for the enemy to engage you, or slowly take the fight toward the enemy position.
- During combat, it is very difficult to stay on top of everything, but your team can help. Find the weakest enemy player, and kill them. While that enemy player respawns, move on to another. Make sure your team informs you if they see the weakest enemy player return to the fight. Then you can kill them again.
- Keep communication flowing. Ask questions. Make decisions. Give orders. Your teammates may forget to inform you when their Alpha Strike or other tactics are available, so be sure to ask often. Call for another team member to get healed if they forget to ask for it themselves.
- After the Battle:
- Congratulate the enemy team on a good fight. Even if the enemy was dishonest and cheating, maintain your sportsmanship.
- Congratulate your own team. They fought hard even if they lost. Do not dismiss their individual contributions, no matter how pitiful. Note: This can be difficult.
- Understand the battle. Success or failure is based on the leadership, strategies, tactics, and individual setups of both teams. What did the enemy do that caused you problems? What did you do to disrupt the enemy? How can you overcome enemy challenges or improve the performance of your team? Keep in mind that:
- The apparent "weakest link" on your team might only appear so because they had poor team support.
- You cannot know the extent of the enemy team's leadership without asking or knowing from experience how their team leader operates.
- It is probably a bad idea to tell your teammates they need to improve unless they explicitly ask. Rather, ask them how they think they performed, and offer improvement suggestions based on their feedback. Likewise, you can ask your team for suggestions that might improve your leadership.
- You did not see everything that happened on the battlefield, so you have to rely on your team to provide the rest of the picture.
- Make any recommended changes, and fight again!
Being the team leader is more than just calling targets. It makes you responsible for the overall functioning of the team before, during, and after the battle.
