Not in a Squad? Then You Are a Complete and Total Moron
There is no loophole for this rule. Read the above header again and learn it like a mantra. When you load up a new round of Bad Company 2, it asks you if you want to join a squad. Press A. Pressing B activates the above header.
What is so important about being in a squad? Couple reasons:
You gain up to three new spawn locations, one for each member of your squad. So, from the respawn screen you see when dead, you tap the stick through your squad-mates and see where they are on the map. Pick a squaddie who happens to be in a good location, like near an objective when assaulting, and you’ll spawn right next to his location.
This is of critical importance! Why would you want to trudge from your base at the spawn zone all the way towards the assaulting location? You need exercise? You like sight-seeing? You enjoy wasting time and not getting anything accomplished? Spawn on a squaddie and you cut out all that middle territory, plus it gets you into the action much faster.
The next reason you want to join a squad is because you get more points. More points mean you level faster, ultimately leading to better equipment. Everything you do within the radius of your squad-mates will be worth extra points, whether it’s killing, repairing, healing, defending, avenging, etc.
Medic!
The Medic class is great when used properly, but I see a lot of players abusing their Revive abilities. Just because you can revive a fallen soldier doesn’t mean you always should. Specifically, when all hell is breaking loose within a small area, then please…do me favor: wipe out the enemy first before you put the defibrillator on someone. Otherwise, I will rise from the dead and just get shot within a second. You got your points for reviving me and I got killed again, thanks for nothing. Worse, you’ll just repeat the same mistake again, leading to the same result.
So please, revive players who have a reasonable expectation of not dying within two seconds,as the dead have no choice in being revived. We can’t hit X to cancel your action so we are at your mercy.
One more word on the Medic class for new players: Place your medkits in areas where your team usually mounts and offense or defense. Look for groups of players clumped together and drop a medkit. You’ll get points every time someone heals within the radius. What you don’t want to do is drop a medkit next to an existing medkit, as you will not get any points. Spread medkits out and don’t compete with other medkits.
I Coulda Sworn We Were On Defense
A new round begins and you’re on defense. Being a good player you are staying relatively close to Points A and B because that’s the entire purpose of the game (on Rush). Low and behold, within a few minutes you feel very lonely. Gazing down at the map you discover the source of your loneliness: your entire team has moved forward, abandoning defense and launching an assault on the enemy spawn zone. This serves no purpose whatsoever and usually leads to a failed round for the following reason:
All it takes is one decent player to flank your lame, out of position defenders and get near their objectives. Once you have been breached, that single combatant can quickly become a squad of 4, thanks to effective use of Squad-Spawning. Now both A & B crates have been lit, sirens are blaring and everyone on defense is a mile away, spawn camping. You’re left alone, facing an onslaught of which you have little chance of squashing. Hence, crates A & B explode because the defensive team was way too aggressive.
When on defense, play defensively. Let the enemy come to you because they have no choice. You hold all the cards at this point. Leaving your position so you can get some cheap kills in No Man’s Land doesn’t serve any valuable purpose and exposes your team to a sudden and abrupt loss, seemingly out of nowhere.
DICE Shares Some Blame
With a game that demands cooperation and team play, DICE could have done a lot more in explaining the basic concepts of the game. In a perfect world, I would have canceled the single-player portion of Bad Company 2 and kept the focus entirely on multiplayer. With the extra space and resources, I would have liked to see a few tutorial levels that cover defense, offense, vehicle management and flight basics. Throw in some AI bots and you have a great foundation for teaching players how to properly play a Battlefield game. Hell, even the Xbox Live Arcade/PSN game Battlefield 1943 has a tutorial.
As it stands now, players are expected to learn under live conditions and this means experienced players are left frustrated by teams choked with newbies, who, through no real fault of their own, just have no real clue until all the aspects eventually crystallize.
Hopefully, articles like this and Part 1 of my multiplayer strategy guide will help make the game more enjoyable for players who care about winning, or at least losing with some modicum of respect.
What is pissing you off about other players in Battlefield Bad Company 2? Let us know in the comments below. Better yet, offer up some helpful advice!
Comments (63)
Thank you very much for this article, you have spoken deeply from my mind! I'll spread this as much as I can .See you on the Battlefield!
Agree 100%!!But just remember... colourblind people cannot join squads as the squad colour and enemy colour look the same ;(
Couldn't agree more about the tutorial sessions. Hell, It'd be nice if you could just start an empty game like you could on BF2 for the PC. That's the only way I learned how to fly on that game. Another thing that bugs the hell out of me is no one using their mic's. I call out an enemy and not so much as one response.
@guardian: agreed... especially since i play on hardcore, it makes this that much worse, with the ability to teamkill. but i'd much rather shoot at a just-spawned teammate and maybe get a teamkill than miss out on an opportunity to prevent a plant on a bomb from the enemy
Noobs who join my squad and then camp way back near the spawn. Your looking to spawn on someone near an objective and all that is left is some retard miles away camping like a retard. And I have no way of kicking him!
[...] of all, I didn't write this I've gotten it from this source -> http://www.infoaddict.com/bad-company-2-when-bad-players-ruin-a-great-game/2 Its most definitely a must read so I'm just going to copy and paste it over. [...]
Good tutorial hope it helps. The game is getting a bit frustrating especially when the game itself does not appear to balance player level and numbers very well. I always join a game of noobs vs lvl 20+ and promptly get stomped. Hopping games to find a nice balanced fun game is getting very tiresome.Oh and another thing that hasn't be mentioned that I have come across is players leveling buildings on top of their own crates ON PURPOSE. Bring in a f'n voting system ffs.
You can start a private match to practice
Anyone have this for ps3? I'm lookin for people to friend with and play. Maybe make a four man squad? I like to communicate and use teamwork so if you are interested let me know. My PSN is RedLogic
I agree with much of what is said in this article. Here are some further points to consider. First, a team that preps together stays together. This is why I mentioned the idea of WAR ROOMS ( a place where a squad could meet online with thier avatars and develop a battle stratagy. Doing so would instil unity and teamwork not to mention give players a clue of what to do. In a WARROOM the squad would be able elect a leader, review satalite maps of target objectives, deleniate individual responsibilities so on and so forth. Second, the chopper controls are too complicated. Third, I am hate it when snipers memorize spawn points!!! I spawn in, take a few steps and I'm dead,. over and over again!!! THIS MAKES ME NOT WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME!!!!! With a well organized team who have the resources to prep for the mission objectives, this game would rock! The way it is now, every matchI've played so far just turns into a chaotic mess!
I too am tired of poor teammates. The game is great when I get in a squad of guys who have a semblance of strategy. Unfortunately this is far and few between. I play on the ps3 and I am looking for a few guys to squad up with. My PSN id is capt_schmo. Hit me up.
great article, right on the money, but at the same time, this is not that bad as to compared to the shit you go through playing Modern Warfare 2. Honestly I havent had so much playing a multiplayer game as I have with battle field, its just awesome, I wish there was more game modes. I do hate when your team gets way too many snipers, but the awesome part is that when you play with a real team against another good team, the game is awesomely balance and exiting.
@RedLogic, I do i'll send you an invitePSN ID: cell989
capt_schmo Ill send you an invite too, looking for a good squad for weekday nights
Anyone looking to play on xbox live feel free to send me an invite. gamertag : MercNALL
[...] More on Page 2 [...]
[...] Bad Company 2 Me parecio un buen articulo, sobretodo para los q no les gusta jugar en squad Bad Company 2: When Bad Players Ruin a Great Game | InfoAddict [...]
Excellent article. Thanks for taking the time to put thought to screen. Strongly agree with the tutorial especially in regards to the flying. In those regards, we all have to begin somewhere, right? Not saying I like it but it's my choice to get in and out fast if necessary.get in those squads folkshappy gaming
When using the chopper, especially the desert conquest map with chopper vs chopper... don't be shy to fly aggressively. If you accidentally drive the chopper into the ground, I'll forgive you more than just hovering in the middle of about fifteen different sources of AA fire until we die.
Bad Company 2 disconnect t-shirt:Seen here: http://gamers-underground.com/attachments/news/6651d1268626162-article-gu-t-shirt-idea-competition-104-jpgPurchasable here: http://www.cafepress.com/GUarmory.436456080
I agree with every one of these tips. It seems that every game i go in, no one ever plays for the objective. If we're attacking, my teammates one game, just sat inside the bomb room waiting for people to pass through (let me remind you they didn't plant the bomb) We ended up losing pretty bad. :( My tip for everyone, GO FOR THE OBJECTIVE!!
I'm one of those guys that killed you while trying to get the hang of the helicopter. Sorry, but that thing's a beast to master. Agree 100 percent about getting a tutorial in there.
Here's my 2 cents, while I'm waiting for Steam to finish d'loading this game fore me: I've played the series since its inception, same probs have plauged it. In general there's never enough teamwork. That being said, look on the bright side, we're all here, reading this and probably the guide he wrote, so we're of like mind. Keep adding each other and spread the word and maybe we can turn the tide. My Steam name is the same, feel free to add me anyone playing on PC, mics only please.
I wish they still had Commanders as they did in BF2, removing them just lessens the whole teamwork experience and capability.
Good article, I especially agree with the call for a tutorial. DICE could release one now as a free download, only thing is it might not reach the people who need it most. What really should have happened was that before you're even ALLOWED to play multiplayer you have to pass a basic training tutorial. I'd say even if this was implemented now, the majority of players would have no problem completing it if it meant no more completely green squadmates. Or maybe players over a certain level could be exempted from it (that said it's amazing how many level >20 players even are unsure of the basics).
XBL: themorningstar1 please feel free to send me an inviteFirstly, thanks for your solid tutorials (I am the noob you're taking about sometimes, lol, but hopefully no more) I'm a gamer and consider myself to be decent at most games. This is my very first battlefield experience and transitioning from a "team deathmatch" mentality to objective based play is fun, new, exciting, and...difficult. Anyways, I will be getting good at this game and I'd like to find some veterans to squad up with for some non-noobish playtime.XBL: themorningstar1 please feel free to send me an invite
Here's one that pisses me off to no end: If I'm an engineer in your tank as a support gunner, and I hop out to repair you, have the balls to hold your ground! I can't tell you how many times some pussy tank driving noob slams on reverse at the first shell or rocket they take, leaving me with a wrench in my hand and my ass showing for any sniper or enemy tank to pick off.
looking for good squad mates to play on XBL add deyterkyerjerb
Hi Jack, I'll translate this post to PORTUGUESE-BR and post it in PS3 brasilian forum. Dont worry, I'll do good adversiment about your site :) Thanks for this great guides.
Thank you sooo much for your guides. I personally, received the game and attempted multiplayer. i failed and decided to play through the single player fully so i can learn how to play the game properly before attempting to play online again. It is difficult and extremely irritating to learn flight controls and stuff in a live game. I wish they would make a couple of tutorials to practice on. Hopefully, i will now play in a more helpful and professional manner as is my intentions. Once again, thanks for your tutorials, they will no doubt help many many newbies such as myself.
Couldn't agree more - great guide, great tips. Looking for a solid squad member with a 163 skill rating or above? Hit me up on Xbox Live - gamertag is Phaunswater
Nice guide..I agree, without proper tutorials this is not going anywhere. Also, some features of the game are too unresistable for newbie players, and even more advanced players. Like sniping, taking the helicopter for a drive, having no clue about what team play is about while being in a squad, base/spawn camping etc..I run my own server, and sometimes I find myself spending hours upon hours kicking and banning base/spawn campers, while making the rules constantly very clear. Some people just don't care about team play or objectives for that matter, and want to do what feels best...at the cost of others.
Not that MHO matters, but... This is why BBC2 is far superior to MW2; Strategy and Teamwork. To all those reforming from their addiction to MW2, pay close attention. BBC2 is a TEAM sport. Don’t go off and hide in some nook and pretend the game is all about your personal kill ratio! I will hunt you down and make you pay! No, I’m not the best shooter by far. Yes, I have made many of the mistakes you mention in your article during my first few days with the game, but alas one does evolve. Thank you for your help and assistance in making this great game even better!
Jack, thank you for providing so many valuable reflections that promise to impove the game experience for all of us. I enjoyed reading Part I, Part II, and "When bad players ruin a great game." I share your frustrations. You definetly know the game; however, you have indicated your lack of knowledge in education by writting "Where The F*&K Did You Get Your Pilot’s License, Phoenix University?" For your information, the University of Phoenix is setting the standard in online and ground-based institutions with regard to scholarship, practice, and leadership among graduates. For example, more disserations are sold from Univesity of Phoenix students than any other university on the planet. The doctoral programs are as robust as they come. I know. I am a doctoral candiate in the Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership program.
Read it all and both parts of the Guide. Great stuff. Little puzzled about all the hate and anger heaped on "newbs," though. I am one, hopefully learning as he goes. But I just don't any leadership or guidance available from any source other than sheer, raw, painful, bloody experience. So, a little tolerance, if not luv, from all you uber super hi-level pros would be really appreciated. At least I'm helping your K/D ratios for the time being.
ok i just started the game and im playing wit lvl 20's -_- i keep seeing this MGN thing for kill cam and i did sum researching apparently once u hit a specific lvl ur bullets get bigger and u kill ppl ezier -_- OMFG i keep gettin pwned by ppl 5 times my lvl wit 4x scope magnum ammo and i cant do shit if all their guns do a quater more dmg than any of my guns shudda made lvl balance like KZ2 lvl 1-4 lvl 5-9 lvl 10-15 lvl 16-21 lvl 22-27 lvl 28+ by lvl 28 u shud have everything unlocked and play wit ppl who understand the game because they have experience and the guns and attachments will b ur choice and game wud run much more smooth
What really gets me, and it happens in every multiplayer game? When everyone drives off in vehicles with no chance of driving and shooting. Come on, pick someone up at least they can get u some free points!!
I quite enjoyed all the articles penned by Jack and certainly share his frustrations. Being an older game, at least I suspect, than most...I play to relax and unwind after work. Nothing pisses me off more than having game after game of noobs suck all the fun out of it.Annoyances I haven't seen mentioned...1) A squad filled will all snipers and me as an engineer. To make it even better, the fucking snipers won't bother to actually locate/shoot the opposing teams snipers and never drop mortars on a lit m-com. If you are going to be a complete selfish douche, at least offer a pittance of help.2) Expanding on Deathst1nk's comment. Wait until you are repaired or we'll never try to repair/help you again. What pisses me off more, when I am the driver of the chopper/tank and move it to safe ground to repair. I hop out, an some asshat hops in and drives off, inevitably getting destroyed within seconds something I had going strong for 5-10 minutes. Show a little common courtesy...3) Lastly, the little signal when you are on defense that looks like an 8 on its side...yeah, that means infinity. Don't be afraid to risk dying to help the team, aide a squad member, or go for the lit m-comm. I promise, you'll pop right back alive if you die until INFINITY!!!Anyone on xbox that has read these articles and owns a mic can feel free to add me as they've demonstrated more willingness to play as a team just for having read this article.Saint322
Hey!absolutely great article, I'm linking to it through my blog straight away...
[...] BFBC2: When Bad Players Ruin a Great Game [...]
[...] in a Squad? Then You Are a Complete and Total Moron Some choice quotes from Bad Company 2: When Bad Players Ruin a Great Game (via) If you are not actively engaged in either defending or assaulting crates or control zones, [...]
I think part of the reason people don't play for the objectives is that the game doesn't reward that style of play. You get 100 points for winning a rush match. Big whoop. This reward needs to be increased. And players should get points for setting a charge that eventually detonates and for disarming a charge. I think that would change behaviors pretty quickly.
I agree 100% with this article. (Even though I don't know how to fly the helicopters:3) If your a good cooperative player and are smarter than a common household sponge please friend me on Xbox. Gamertag: AdubatoM75. Also, how do i start a private match? I want to know how to drive the helicopter without getting yelled at online...
X-Box Private MatchI tried to create a private match myself this weekend only to discover you must have a full 8-people to create the match. Now, if someone knows a way around this, please post an update.Saint322
Quote: "I’m talking to you, the six snipers on the assaulting team, hiding up in the mountains for the entire duration of the round, taking pot shots at defenders who aren’t even busy defending. No team needs 6 snipers. That’s 6 people who will never assault the crate. Add to this a few people in tanks and a few more in a helicopter, and you’re left with only a few poor bastards (usually me) trying to penetrate enemy lines with zero support."In the past 30 years I hardly happen to agree more with someone!!! But I guess the problem must be solved by DICE: Downgrade the damn Sniper overpowered class! No, you dont need take away their toy. But please add to it the actual DOWNSIDES of a real Sniper rifle: It's ough to be useless in close combat situations. All these Snipers around are annoying enough. But what really sucks is when you mangage to sneak up to the lamers corner, start shooting with an MG onto the Sniper from behind. And while you are pumping tons of heavy bullets into his head, the guy - all relaxed - eats up his Pizza, lights a cigarrette, then slowly takes his Sniper rifle, polishes it a bit, then turns around, making a CS-styleyo bunnyhop, while killing you with a single shot close distance. THAT AINT RIGHT, DICE. Please dear programmer-nerds: Take a real M82 in your hands, try out how 'agile' you can actually jump around with those 14 kg of steel in your hand. How long it actually takes to make a 180 degree turn with it and then aim again at a precise point..... .... Then reflect those real physics in the game. That should help a lot against the lamers-problem
dam n00bs that join a game and steal the vehicles then join there buddies on the other team leaving you with jack shit
Well.. they don;t call it Bad Company for nothing, just didnt tell you the bad company is the noob snipers and team switchers who switch immediately to whichever team has the higher probability of winning
" Adjust the controls from the options menu to better suit your style. Hell, just know the controls." if you are just thumbs on a PC or /left hand is nerfed get a game pad and setup to fly..... and practice "it does work' on a server /w no players ...
Hi, i just want to say i enjoyed all ur tutorials lol , and first time played BC i was frustrated in not understanding what the hell is going on and how to play, so i searched online for some explanation and i found ur post , so i just want to say thankx and keep it upeven though iam still new so i need to play alot to understand everything, so bear with us new ppl ok :) lol
Excellent info...thx. I'm a noob, 3 weeks now. Sorry about my sniping!!! Just hanging back and trying to get the hang of it. I now know how wrong I've been...LOL I periodically try the assault, but get my ass kicked quickly. It is frustrating without a tutorial. BF 1943's tutorial helped a lot. I realize I suck right now...I am looking to improve...I know I will quicker now that I found this site with the great tips. I love the team concept...I learn quickly. I would appreciate an invite to join a squad...MLBCHAMPS04 (xbox live) Thanks
Thanks! I thought it was just me who was getting annoyed at the snipers sitting at the back and the pilots who take a heli full into the enemy artillery zone where we all get suicided. I sometimes question "Why am I the only one planting/disarming the charges"?
[...] [...]
Argh thank you, so many people in this game have pissed me off with the things you have mentioned. Particularly medics who insist on constantly reviving you without eliminating the enemies laying fir on your position. 4 deaths in a matter of seconds doesn't do any good to my k/d ratio, not to mention the extra long wait I must endure when you finally let me die. Also the UAV hogs who don't understand that the role of the UAV (and Apache for that matter) is to take out enemy armour. If there is no enemy armour spot enemies for the rest of the team and destroy any collapsible buildings with M-Com's inside. Attacking snipers, need to have the crates in their sites and kill any defenders trying to disarm.
You definitely hit the nail on the head. I just had a scenario last night where I was the only one defending, and all 11 of my teammates ran off to spawn camp. What they don't realize is that they're just gonna get killed once they get within 100 yards of the enemy spawn point.(HINT) If you're defending, you can actually get MORE KILLS if you actually dig in and DEFEND the target.(HINT) If you want to got around shooting and killing, and sniping, DICE was nice enough to give you a game mode. It's called SQUAD DEATHMATCH and DEATHMATCHI'm not saying you can't snipe, I'm just saying, tone it down a bit. "No team needs six snipers."
the point is..... if u really find a squad (in a glorious moment even "team") fighting with u like one organism... working together and helping eachother.... if u really find this winning is way more fun and even losing is not that worse!!!
I agree with this article too, i am one of these noobs that you are talking about. The only thing that sets me apart from the rest of them is that my main focus is on doing the objective. Most people that play bf bc2 are swiching from mw2. in mw2 it is all about team deathmatch. if you look on xbox live or playstaion network or even steam, most peple play team deathmatch. but what pisses me off the most is when i am sniping (the only one on my squad) and then the next thing i know eveyone swiches to recon. i'm there sniping off the dudes with the heavy mg or the self-guided missles and the rest of my team doing nothing. i end up changing my class and loosing. pisses me off sooo much.
Hey nice guide! i read the 2 part strategy guides as well! found it easier to understand the game! I'm a total noob wen it comes to multiplayer and i just couldn't figure out what I had to do!! All i did was hang around n kill a few n die a zillion times till i got pissed that i wasn't contributing anythin! Hopefully I improve now!!
Hey, i hate it when your entire tem is sniper grouped together, if the other tem has these sniper teach them a lesson! It is way easy to just rampage through an enemy sniper camp with an assault class. It is especially easy to do this on Arica Harbor (the first stage peple just camp on "sniper ridge." it is aLso easy to to do this on Port Valdez. If anyone has an xbox 360 version of this game and has a microphone friend request me. My gamertag is my name. ( ITalkCanadianEH. Just refer to me as canadian.
Great comments mate - totally agree with all of them. One thing that ticks me off is when you're accused of hacking because you're having a great game & killing really efficiently. The game has players with a huge variety of skill levels - some new to it & still learning, some in the middle, and some quite good...that's just the reality of multiplayer gaming. So if you're being killed really easily by good players, don't accuse them of hacking - put in the hard yards like the rest of us & PRACTICE!! It's like anything, you need to try hard & practice...simple. No matter how good you get there's always going to be other players out there better than you, and yes it can be frustrating when people nail you with awesome headshots & are extremely hard to kill, but don't let it tick you off too much, and especially don't accuse them of hacking...perhaps ask them nicely for some hints & tips, or at the very least just keep on practicing - a lot of us decent players have been regularly playing FPS games for years & years & don't appreciate being accused of hacking simply cos we kill efficiently.
PS: I have no hatred towards what people refer to as "noobs"....I HATE that term (hence why I didn't use that term in my comment above)...we were all "noobs" at one point. We all gotta learn somewhere, and yes teammates can frustrate me sometimes but I always try to be tolerant knowing that I was once a "noob" who was useless as tits on a bull. So, to all the other decent players out there who bash up on the not so great players - IT'S ONLY A COMPUTER GAME!! Jeez get your priorities in life right, chill out, be tolerant, and instead of showing hate towards them in-game how about we all give them some advice instead, as they may be receptive to it & possibly improve a bit with a bit of guidance/hints. Happy gaming all!
soooo true. im te only one even trying to reach or actually planting the bombs in may games. but that doesnt matter i ALWAYS win such matches on my own lol ; )
Yeah, I agree with this article too. I can't stand MW@, but have had the luck and honor of serving on a few squads that dealt good cohesive death to the enemy. I'm a pretty damn solid engineer at this point and have had plenty of noobs jump in and drive off with a piece of armor that I was repairing after a good ten minute run and watching them trash my beloved tank. Hey dickhead!!! There's a reason I just popped smoke, reversed about a quarter mile back over a ridge and stopped...I'm fixing my damage!! Oh and didn't you check the hp level and it said something like 65? And you "smartly charged into combat with that??? Real frikkin good noob!! Yup, and I learned a while back that I'm an engineer, ground pounder, NOT a pilot!!! But I'm a good door gunner and know that I can repair a helicopter in midflight!!! hit me up on XBL--->>>>> hoomus
"Not in a Squad? Then You Are a Complete and Total Moron" Wrong...."You gain up to three new spawn locations, one for each member of your squad" - You can join a squad and leave again."This is of critical importance! Why would you want to trudge from your base at the spawn zone all the way towards the assaulting location?" - If you're playing the round as a Recon why would you want to give away your position by having squad mates spawn right on top of you and start blasting?"The next reason you want to join a squad is because you get more points." - No arguement with that at all. But sometimes it isn't all about getting points sometimes you just want to play the game.But my point is don't believe everything you read, just cause someone writes it on a website doesn't make it fact, I guarantee you I'm just as good if not better than this player and I disagree with a few things said here but overall its a decent article.