A few tips for shot callers

**voLcanasm** · 01-21-12, 05:58 PM

I find the calling easy at times, but very difficult at other times. It depends on the team and respect. So many times you try and call a "standard TPG call" like 3-way split A on cpl_strike, but if the T team has a few people not listening, it fails. Then I find myself going through every part of the call (3 people mid, delay straight in and apartments) and just end up frustrating not myself. It often leads to people not following the call blatantly or mic spamming etc.

So I guess I'm tryin to say your calls have to depend on what your team is capable of. Maybe experiment a few rounds to see their capability, otherwise keep it simple and sweet. If you don't have a team with experience enough to time a good split, I always like the "slow play work a site, hit it at ___" attempt. Once they get some confidence, then you can explain a good split (preferably while most of the team is dead.)

The best thing a new player can do is listen. The most aggravating thing for me as a caller is a player ignoring what you have to say.

**huh?** · 01-21-12, 06:28 PM

If the team can't pull off the tough/tricky calls or people are not following, just keep it simple. Everyone rush A/B. Everyone wait outside A/B and delay til X:XX. 2 ways split instead of 3 ways. Top 3 and bomb hide and everyone else A/B. Spread out and slow play. Unless the admins are on and can help straighten out the players, I rather make calls that keep the whole group together and keep it simple.

**iLLusioN** · 01-22-12, 04:42 AM

Originally Posted by huh?

If the team can't pull off the tough/tricky calls or people are not following, just keep it simple. Everyone rush A/B. Everyone wait outside A/B and delay til X:XX. 2 ways split instead of 3 ways. Top 3 and bomb hide and everyone else A/B. Spread out and slow play. Unless the admins are on and can help straighten out the players, I rather make calls that keep the whole group together and keep it simple.

Very good point. If you are lucky the non-regs will get with the program before the map is over and you can start calling more complex stuff. I don't know how many times I've started calling with a bunch of non regs on T and lost the vast majority of the first ten rounds, only to make a huge comeback/almost comeback in the last half because the new guys suddenly get whats going on.

Something else that I didn't see mentioned below is keeping calm showing some patience when you lose a couple of rounds. If you(the caller) starts getting noticeably frustrated, it will make others frustrated as well. Just show some patience and poise and your team will be better off for it. You are going to lose rounds....you're going to lose maps...you're going to have long streaks of calls without a win...you just have to be patient and keep trying to counter what the other team is doing. Getting frustrated is just going to make it worse.

**Lucid777** · 01-22-12, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Mr_Rager

I realize this can be me. Sorry if I offend anyone. I don't try to micromanage (pretty sure that's directed at Luci) but I know I critique other players a lot during dead time.

Pointing fingers is childish.
I micromanage a lot because i'd rather point out smart ways to play that i think benefit the team before we make it to the action part of the call, ya i might still be calling while were running to the site from T spawn on dust2, but were still a long ways from the site and there is plenty of room to call. Getting sensitive because you don't like that I have additional things to say on the call is ridiculous

BECAUSE:
1. quite frankly not a lot of people play smart, only regulars or even so not all the time [check pit check left of double door flash at this certain point before entering long, smoking off middle when crossing, etc] This all is NOT common sense, however much people like to believe that it is. Because if it was common sense, everyone would be doing it.

2. Not everyone knows the map, there are plenty of players that even sit there and admit how they dont know the map.

3. And to my knowledge everytime I call, micromanaging or not, we most of the time win, and I get a lot of regulars/people on my team saying "i like your calls, good calls"

The only time calling gets to be a problem is IF and ONLY IF you are calling DURING the action of the game[not when people are trying to snipe middle from d2, or whatever, only if someone is still calling as we are in B site or in Long A or up middle, things like that]