Thread: Squad Leading from the air

How? Why?

Nothing irritates me more than joining a squad and finding the SL in an attack chopper or a jet. I'll usually stick around in that squad for a little while just to see if they are actually attempting at least to lead their squad from that position and 99% of the time the only thing I see is some rather un-teamlike flying around and point-padding. If the rest of the squad was actually LED to specific points and had air cover I would find this at least possibly redeeming. But that is so very rarely the case. What this usually ends up being is chatter in voip between the pilot and gunner (in an attack chopper or bomber) and 4 other people lone-wolfing it up spawning wherever they want because it's impossible to spawn green. But of course it's not "lone wolfing" because they are squadded. Nice way to get around the rules eh? Just the other night I was in a squad and we were trying to hold tv at sharqi. We were repeatedly losing the flag and the four of us that weren't in an attack chopper were doing our best and did actually manage to hold it most of the time... or take it back shortly after losing it. But it would have been so much easier if the attack chopper SL would have been laying down some fire into the flag-room or taking out those trying to take the flag before they even GOT to TV. But no... they were off SOMEWHERE racking up points.

Now... What I find the most disturbing about this... Is that most of the time, these SLs are regs. And the better part of the time they aren't just regs. They are clanned members who should be even more ashamed of themselves for this behavior.

There's some people's squads I just flat out won't join on an air map because I know for a fact where I'm going to find the SL. And there's others that sometimes surprise me when I join and find out the same.

So Kanati's cranky tonight and venting... Vent over. Carry on.

Unoriginal...... I disagree..

In only one case do i think Pilots should be squad leader.... {EDITED}

If the commander wants to give them things to bomb then spot them on the map...... After all it is the commanders job to spot objects of destruction ...

THE COMMANDERS JOB IS NOT TO BABYSIT THE JET PILOTS................

If your flying a jet you should be smart enough to know where the enemy is heading / know where to bomb..

Dont try to feed the bullshit of ........ I think jet fighters should be squad leaders........ If and when that happens, lock your damn squad......

There really should be a sub forum for "What I don't like seeing in BF2".

These threads are just about preaching to the choir.

Originally Posted by Warprosper

THE COMMANDERS JOB IS NOT TO BABYSIT THE JET PILOTS................

If your flying a jet you should be smart enough to know where the enemy is heading / know where to bomb..

The only reason I agree with you is because this is vanilla.

In PR, the maps are MUCH larger than vBF2's, and you don't have a commander to "scan" for you so you know where they are. It's random, especially on the big maps.

Let's say we're on Clean Sweep, of the 8 people that spawn at each asset, only one or two will get in. There is much coordination to be gained from having complete communication with not only your cp/g but the commander as well. In my estimation having the bomber pilot as squadleader is the most beneficial. On a diffuse map like cleansweep, there is no way each flag is going to have a defending force. Speaking directly to the bomber pilot is ideal, so when commanding I can quickly call in an airstrike to an exact location with the fastest/most powerful response of any asset in the game (because you KNOW there's some yahoo like xav getting ready for his squad of six to appear at a remote flag just after my scan has run). Nothing annoys me more than having SPECIFIC orders for an asset but can't get through to them because of a slow-to-report/nonresponsive squadleader. It's much easier to go straight to the horse's mouth (if that's how the expression goes?)...

If I get the bomber you will be damn sure I create a squad (or are waiting for the pilot to create one an invite me if I'm busy flying) so I can have that perfect communication with the commander as well as my gunner. I'm not creating the squad with the intention of filling it up, but to ensure communication with my most basic need - the gunner.

Stop joining squads where the SL is a pilot or where the SL routinely hops into an air asset.

Man up and create your own squad or join one with a SL that isn't flying.

I don't have a problem with a SL that is a pilot.  I think his communication with the Commander is necessary and helpful.  I have a bigger problem with 5 people that decide to squad up with said pilot.  That isn't the pilot's fault.  That is the choice of the 5 other people that decided not to have someone leading them on the ground and providing a spawn point.