NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION
REVISIONS BY VILE
FORMATTING BY .k.L
Table of Contents
I. Mindset
II. Communications
III. Yin & Yang
IV. Teammate Relations
I. Mindset
You need to understand that a team is a system; it is comprised of many different elements that all work together.
Every action you take affects the rest of the system, because of this
you need to calculate your actions solely based on what is best for the team as a whole.
You need to see yourself as a servant to the team.
Those who do not have this mindset play selfishly;
they don't comm,
off-class the entire game,
say "fuck it, let's just push" when there is 0 advantage,
attempt to take on improbable 1v2s,
say "lol im bored" and switch to a pick class when a pick isn't needed
and bomb the enemy medic when generating an uber advantage is not needed...
all for the sake of impulse and shiny frags. If someone is playing selfishly, they're shooting the team in the foot.
When one element of the system isn't working towards the same goal as all the other elements, it is useless. Don't be useless.
NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION
REVISIONS BY VILE
FORMATTING BY .k.L
Table of Contents
I. Mindset
II. Communications
III. Yin & Yang
IV. Teammate Relations
I. Mindset
You need to understand that a team is a system; it is comprised of many different elements that all work together.
Every action you take affects the rest of the system, because of this
you need to calculate your actions solely based on what is best for the team as a whole.
You need to see yourself as a servant to the team.
Those who do not have this mindset play selfishly;
they don't comm,
off-class the entire game,
say "fuck it, let's just push" when there is 0 advantage,
attempt to take on improbable 1v2s,
say "lol im bored" and switch to a pick class when a pick isn't needed
and bomb the enemy medic when generating an uber advantage is not needed...
all for the sake of impulse and shiny frags. If someone is playing selfishly, they're shooting the team in the foot.
When one element of the system isn't working towards the same goal as all the other elements, it is useless. Don't be useless.
II. Communications
I cannot stress how important comms are. They are so fucking important and it seems some people think they can get by with just frags and "ah fuck im down" and "oh my god that guy is so lit".
TF2 is a fast paced game and there's no mini-map like in CS so you need to literally comm everything.
Every time you comm you plant a marker in all of your teammates heads letting them know what's up. Your teammates will make better decisions based on these comms.
If you don't comm enough you are literally blinding your teammates, keeping information from them that will help them make better decisions.
Why would someone do that?
Got a speech impediment? Stop being so insecure, your teammates don't give a fuck.
Can't talk and aim at the same time? Change your PTT key or learn to aim and shoot at the same time.
Too shy? Man up.
There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be comming.
Essentially you want your team to know what you know, if you know something that your team doesn't then you're doing it wrong.
Here's a basic list of what you should be comming in no particular order:
predictions (i think they're in house, watch out)
intentions (i'm gonna try to get behind them)
positions (they're playing way back on their crates, i'm playing point)
health, damage (soldier's 70 in house, demo took a pill)
actions (i'm jumping spire)
your target (i'm on the medic)
Most importantly, whether you can or cannot do a certain job (bomb the medic, watch an area, etc.).
For example, if you are roaming and you cannot bomb the medic during a push.
You need to let your teammates know so that someone else can do the job whether it is the demo or pocket.
If you cannot fight because of low health or bad positioning, you need to let your teammates know so that they don't get outnumbered.
The most important part of communication is to let your teammates know whether you can support them or not.
Do you need to heal up? Tell your teammates you are lit and can't fight.
If you need to comm something critical, like a scout backcap, you need to comm with urgency(yell) or repeat the comm 3 or 4 times or else it may fall on deaf ears.
Comms shouldn't be clogged up if you keep your comms concise. Instead of saying "watch out there's a scout at mid with 40 health" just say "scout 40hp at mid".
II. Communications
I cannot stress how important comms are. They are so fucking important and it seems some people think they can get by with just frags and "ah fuck im down" and "oh my god that guy is so lit".
TF2 is a fast paced game and there's no mini-map like in CS so you need to literally comm everything.
Every time you comm you plant a marker in all of your teammates heads letting them know what's up. Your teammates will make better decisions based on these comms.
If you don't comm enough you are literally blinding your teammates, keeping information from them that will help them make better decisions.
Why would someone do that?
Got a speech impediment? Stop being so insecure, your teammates don't give a fuck.
Can't talk and aim at the same time? Change your PTT key or learn to aim and shoot at the same time.
Too shy? Man up.
There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be comming.
Essentially you want your team to know what you know, if you know something that your team doesn't then you're doing it wrong.
Here's a basic list of what you should be comming in no particular order:
predictions (i think they're in house, watch out)
intentions (i'm gonna try to get behind them)
positions (they're playing way back on their crates, i'm playing point)
health, damage (soldier's 70 in house, demo took a pill)
actions (i'm jumping spire)
your target (i'm on the medic)
Most importantly, whether you can or cannot do a certain job (bomb the medic, watch an area, etc.).
For example, if you are roaming and you cannot bomb the medic during a push.
You need to let your teammates know so that someone else can do the job whether it is the demo or pocket.
If you cannot fight because of low health or bad positioning, you need to let your teammates know so that they don't get outnumbered.
The most important part of communication is to let your teammates know whether you can support them or not.
Do you need to heal up? Tell your teammates you are lit and can't fight.
If you need to comm something critical, like a scout backcap, you need to comm with urgency(yell) or repeat the comm 3 or 4 times or else it may fall on deaf ears.
Comms shouldn't be clogged up if you keep your comms concise. Instead of saying "watch out there's a scout at mid with 40 health" just say "scout 40hp at mid".
Now let's talk about useless comms. Don't comm anything that's irrelevant.
Here's some examples on what not to say:
"whaaaaat how is he still alive"
"wow hooli is carrying these guys so hard"
"*DEAD* what the fuck who does that?"
"wow that guy is so shit" and so on and so forth.
Instead, during downtime(team wipe or in between rounds) let your team know what's the problem and suggest a solution.
If it won't help your team then they don't need to know. All you would be doing is cluttering comms.
I've rang for teams who have full blown irrelevant conversations during rollouts. Disgusting.
Another thing that teams do is dwell on the past. If you've ever played with me you often hear me say "play in the now".
Sometimes undesirable things happen and you need to learn to acknowledge, accept, and move on.
The past doesn't exist, the only thing that exists and the only thing that will exist is now.
You need to comm what is relevant now, at this very moment.
I've played with people who whine and try to justify them dropping uber 10 minutes ago and I'm sure you have too.
Sure you need to talk about mistakes but save it for when games aren't live.
Ragers not only clog comms but they also disrupt team morale. They have no place in competitive TF2.
"But hooli, sometimes things don't go my way!"
Acknowledge, accept, and move on. You have to understand that when you rage at something you're actually deciding to get angry.
Nothing externally controls your emotions by default but we are conditioned to feel a certain way when certain things happen.
So next time your jimmies are rustled, realize what's happening, stop yourself and don't rage. EZ.
Your team should have a main caller that the team follows above everyone else.
Lower level teams should not counter call the main caller even if you know you're right,
if the main caller never makes any mistakes they will never be good. Don't get mad at bad calls, just learn from it and move on.
When you get to a higher level of TF2 people generally know the game better and counter calls need to be considered
because your teammates may know something that you do not.
Remember that what you say or don't say will influence the maincaller's calls.
If you don't tell anyone that you can't support them in a fight, they will not realize this and make a bad call.
A good maincaller can only be a good maincaller if his team gives him information.
Now let's talk about useless comms. Don't comm anything that's irrelevant.
Here's some examples on what not to say:
"whaaaaat how is he still alive"
"wow hooli is carrying these guys so hard"
"*DEAD* what the fuck who does that?"
"wow that guy is so shit" and so on and so forth.
Instead, during downtime(team wipe or in between rounds) let your team know what's the problem and suggest a solution.
If it won't help your team then they don't need to know. All you would be doing is cluttering comms.
I've rang for teams who have full blown irrelevant conversations during rollouts. Disgusting.
Another thing that teams do is dwell on the past. If you've ever played with me you often hear me say "play in the now".
Sometimes undesirable things happen and you need to learn to acknowledge, accept, and move on.
The past doesn't exist, the only thing that exists and the only thing that will exist is now.
You need to comm what is relevant now, at this very moment.
I've played with people who whine and try to justify them dropping uber 10 minutes ago and I'm sure you have too.
Sure you need to talk about mistakes but save it for when games aren't live.
Ragers not only clog comms but they also disrupt team morale. They have no place in competitive TF2.
"But hooli, sometimes things don't go my way!"
Acknowledge, accept, and move on. You have to understand that when you rage at something you're actually deciding to get angry.
Nothing externally controls your emotions by default but we are conditioned to feel a certain way when certain things happen.
So next time your jimmies are rustled, realize what's happening, stop yourself and don't rage. EZ.
Your team should have a main caller that the team follows above everyone else.
Lower level teams should not counter call the main caller even if you know you're right,
if the main caller never makes any mistakes they will never be good. Don't get mad at bad calls, just learn from it and move on.
When you get to a higher level of TF2 people generally know the game better and counter calls need to be considered
because your teammates may know something that you do not.
Remember that what you say or don't say will influence the maincaller's calls.
If you don't tell anyone that you can't support them in a fight, they will not realize this and make a bad call.
A good maincaller can only be a good maincaller if his team gives him information.
III. Yin & Yang
You have to understand balance and how it plays it's part in TF2.
You have yin; the soft, passive, feminine and supporting principle of the universe.
Much like the nourishing and life giving breasts of a women(that is why females are physiologically inclined to play medic).
And then you have yang, the hard, aggressive, masculine and offensive principle of the universe.
These principles exist within everything in our universe.
Night and day, 0 and 1, cold and hot, etc... When you're playing tf2 you there needs to be a balance among your team for things to work properly.
Teams need to understand this and each player needs to easily switch between yin and yang mode.
"But hooli! How do I know what mode I should be in?"
I can't answer that, everything is situational and you have to gauge each situation yourself.
Here are some examples:
your team is pushing through a choke getting ready to pounce on the enemy combo(yang).
What do you do? Take a moment to watch corners and flanks to ensure your medic isn't forced prematurely(yin).
Inversely, if you see your teammate watching behind and waiting for that flanking roamer(yin) you need to adapt a yang play-style and push forward.
Your team is holding mid with an uber disadvantage.
You setup traps, get buffs, get in position and await the enemie's push(yin).
They pop uber and forcefully enter mid trying to get any picks(yang).
Your team pulls back and waits until the tide clears and the other team starts to settle down(yin).
Now it's your turn to push aggresivey with uber(yang) and try to get something done.
Pushing in TF2 is just like dancing.
These of course are very vague examples, you need to use your comms, skills and intelligence to make the right decision for every situation.
III. Yin & Yang
You have to understand balance and how it plays it's part in TF2.
You have yin; the soft, passive, feminine and supporting principle of the universe.
Much like the nourishing and life giving breasts of a women(that is why females are physiologically inclined to play medic).
And then you have yang, the hard, aggressive, masculine and offensive principle of the universe.
These principles exist within everything in our universe.
Night and day, 0 and 1, cold and hot, etc... When you're playing tf2 you there needs to be a balance among your team for things to work properly.
Teams need to understand this and each player needs to easily switch between yin and yang mode.
"But hooli! How do I know what mode I should be in?"
I can't answer that, everything is situational and you have to gauge each situation yourself.
Here are some examples:
your team is pushing through a choke getting ready to pounce on the enemy combo(yang).
What do you do? Take a moment to watch corners and flanks to ensure your medic isn't forced prematurely(yin).
Inversely, if you see your teammate watching behind and waiting for that flanking roamer(yin) you need to adapt a yang play-style and push forward.
Your team is holding mid with an uber disadvantage.
You setup traps, get buffs, get in position and await the enemie's push(yin).
They pop uber and forcefully enter mid trying to get any picks(yang).
Your team pulls back and waits until the tide clears and the other team starts to settle down(yin).
Now it's your turn to push aggresivey with uber(yang) and try to get something done.
Pushing in TF2 is just like dancing.
These of course are very vague examples, you need to use your comms, skills and intelligence to make the right decision for every situation.
IV. Teammate Relations
You want to be real with your teammates. If you don't bring up whatever is on your mind then the problem will remain and there is nothing to be done.
If you think your teammate needs to do something different, let him know outside of scrims and matches and talk things out.
That's how problems are solved.
Don't want to hurt their feelings? That isn't your responsibility.
You need to be genuine with your teammates or else there will be a lot of tension among the team.
Use positive reinforcement to encourage your teammates to play better rather than insulting them when they goof.
Instead comment on whenever they get a nice frag or pull off an awesome play.
Your relationship will grow and they will like you more.
It's important to let them know what they did wrong later on but don't rub it in their face, just make sure they understand.
It also helps if your team has similar interests and actively hang out/play games with each other.
Keep your team morale high. Have you ever play a game where everyone barely comms and you slowly get rolled to last everytime?
That usually means the team has lost the will to win. When that happens you stop comming, you stop trying and make bad decisions.
Attitudes are contagious, just try your best to keep a positive attitude and keep your comms up and your team will mirror you.
Also don't rage. Fuck ragers.
------------------------------------------------------
If you've mastered these elements you've earned the hooli team cohesion seal of approval and may be eligible to join my s13 roster, stay tuned....
IV. Teammate Relations
You want to be real with your teammates. If you don't bring up whatever is on your mind then the problem will remain and there is nothing to be done.
If you think your teammate needs to do something different, let him know outside of scrims and matches and talk things out.
That's how problems are solved.
Don't want to hurt their feelings? That isn't your responsibility.
You need to be genuine with your teammates or else there will be a lot of tension among the team.
Use positive reinforcement to encourage your teammates to play better rather than insulting them when they goof.
Instead comment on whenever they get a nice frag or pull off an awesome play.
Your relationship will grow and they will like you more.
It's important to let them know what they did wrong later on but don't rub it in their face, just make sure they understand.
It also helps if your team has similar interests and actively hang out/play games with each other.
Keep your team morale high. Have you ever play a game where everyone barely comms and you slowly get rolled to last everytime?
That usually means the team has lost the will to win. When that happens you stop comming, you stop trying and make bad decisions.
Attitudes are contagious, just try your best to keep a positive attitude and keep your comms up and your team will mirror you.
Also don't rage. Fuck ragers.
------------------------------------------------------
If you've mastered these elements you've earned the hooli team cohesion seal of approval and may be eligible to join my s13 roster, stay tuned....
BUT HOOLI.
Great guide for new and old players.
BUT HOOLI.
Great guide for new and old players.
this is nice! thanks for putting it together. :)
this is nice! thanks for putting it together. :)
nice fucking write up man, everyone should read this
nice fucking write up man, everyone should read this
Great guide.
I think it'd be a good idea to record Mumble during some scrims or PUGs where communication is poor/exemplary, mostly because the people who need this the most don't even realize how they sound. Perhaps hearing something bad and good would help more than reading it.
Plus it'd just be priceless.
Great guide.
I think it'd be a good idea to record Mumble during some scrims or PUGs where communication is poor/exemplary, mostly because the people who need this the most don't even realize how they sound. Perhaps hearing something bad and good would help more than reading it.
Plus it'd just be priceless.
Really great guide. I think the Yin & Yang is really great and important.
Really great guide. I think the Yin & Yang is really great and important.
TwinqeI think it'd be a good idea to record Mumble during some scrims or PUGs where communication is poor/exemplary
Exemplary.
EXEMPLARY.
[quote=Twinqe]I think it'd be a good idea to record Mumble during some scrims or PUGs where communication is poor/exemplary[/quote]
[url=www.crackclan.com/tf2files/comms/mAdmirable.mp3]Exemplary.[/url]
[url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=UItqkgid-zQ]EXEMPLARY.[/url]
Everyone in the game should be reading at least the comms section.
Everyone in the game should be reading at least the comms section.
that's how our team got better eventually, is we recorded mumble, then listened to it, and realized how much shit, random, unnecessary stuff we were saying
that's how our team got better eventually, is we recorded mumble, then listened to it, and realized how much shit, random, unnecessary stuff we were saying
AloSecEveryone in the game should be reading everything this man said.
fixed
[quote=AloSec]Everyone in the game should be reading everything this man said.[/quote]
fixed
I think this have been in the collective minds of most competitive tf2ers, but it's never been written down in such simple words. nice.
a bit sexist tho
I think this have been in the collective minds of most competitive tf2ers, but it's never been written down in such simple words. nice.
a bit sexist tho
alfunksoI think this have been in the collective minds of most competitive tf2ers, but it's never been written down in such simple words. nice.
a bit sexist tho
this may be true but a lot of people still don't do it consistently.
[quote=alfunkso]I think this have been in the collective minds of most competitive tf2ers, but it's never been written down in such simple words. nice.
a bit sexist tho[/quote]
this may be true but a lot of people still don't do it consistently.
alfunksoa bit sexist tho
Man up, doe.
[quote=alfunkso]
a bit sexist tho[/quote]
Man up, doe.
Good advice, but
hooli If you don't comm enough you are literally blinding your teammates
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH
I know I complained about this last time you posted this, but it still bugs the shit out of me.
I will give you my drably olive, non-vintage Carouser's Capotain if you replace both instances of the word "literally" with the word "practically"
Good advice, but
[quote=hooli] If you don't comm enough you are literally blinding your teammates[/quote]
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH
I know I complained about this last time you posted this, but it still bugs the shit out of me.
I will give you my drably olive, non-vintage Carouser's Capotain if you replace both instances of the word "literally" with the word "practically"
ClandestinePzif you replace both instances of the word "literally" with the word "practically"
Just think of it as using the word 'literally' in a figurative way. Then everyone is happy
[quote=ClandestinePz]if you replace both instances of the word "literally" with the word "practically"[/quote]
Just think of it as using the word 'literally' in a figurative way. Then everyone is happy
Blind
2.
unwilling or unable to perceive or understand
Blind
2.
unwilling or unable to perceive or understand
I liked it but real talk you tried too hard to be funny at certain parts.
alfunksoa bit sexist tho
It did manage to frighten the PC Police, though, so good job regardless.
I liked it but real talk you tried too hard to be funny at certain parts.
[quote=alfunkso]a bit sexist tho[/quote]
It did manage to frighten the PC Police, though, so good job regardless.
My open team treated your old one from natf2 like the bible. Now this is even better, so what does that make it ?
My open team treated your old one from natf2 like the bible. Now this is even better, so what does that make it ?
NoonaMy open team treated your old one from natf2 like the bible. Now this is even better, so what does that make it ?
science.
[quote=Noona]My open team treated your old one from natf2 like the bible. Now this is even better, so what does that make it ?[/quote]
science.
The_comm_bible
Good read.
vileNoonaMy open team treated your old one from natf2 like the bible. Now this is even better, so what does that make it ?
science.
boom
--
great read though. my biggest concern when I ring for friends teams is that they never talk about the match afterwards. Someones always frustrated and everyone just peaces out. I don't really have anything at stake but it's still frustrating to watch a team fail before they even begin
[quote=vile][quote=Noona]My open team treated your old one from natf2 like the bible. Now this is even better, so what does that make it ?[/quote]
science.[/quote]
boom
--
great read though. my biggest concern when I ring for friends teams is that they never talk about the match afterwards. Someones always frustrated and everyone just peaces out. I don't really have anything at stake but it's still frustrating to watch a team fail before they even begin
Updated the comms section with some notes about concise and urgent comms.
Updated the comms section with some notes about concise and urgent comms.
please remember to still have fun people :d
please remember to still have fun people :d