From: rjones@itchy.dsd.es.com (Ray Jones - Perp)
Subject: How to create a good At Large Team (was: NEW NETREK LEAGUE)
Organization: Design Systems Division, Evans & Sutherland, SLC, UT
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 05:34:53 GMT

(This was going to be "why we don't need a separate leauge", but it turned
into "what makes a good at large team".  Take it all with a grain of salt.)

I don't think a separate league is necessary.  The League has only been
around two seasons, and At Large teams are just learning what it takes to
make a good team tick.  It seems like I'm always citing 12AM as an example,
but that's because it's a good one.  There was no magic incantation
involved.  For any group planning on setting up an At Large team, this is
what it takes.

1 - Choose a captain, and FOLLOW HIS ORDERS.  That's in caps because it's
important.  The captain is the one who has to control the team.  If he
doesn't, it won't have any control at all.  Without a focus, you're just 8
ships.  With a focus, you are a team.  The captain should be able to
provide that focus.  A good captain for an at large team should have a good
grasp of strategy, should be able to anticipate the enemy's actions, and
should be *very* noisy when in the game.  When I started as captain for
12AM, I was mediocre in the first two, and not very good at all in the
last.  I worked on the former by playing a lot and paying attention when I
did.  I SC bombed, I ogged, I planet scummed.  A captain should know about
each of the roles, so he can choose what the team should do to help each
one.  As for being noisy, well... that just comes with time.  Now, when I
play, I'm usually the loudest on the team.

2 - Talk more than normal.  Tell the team when you are going to take/bomb
such-and-such a planet, or ogg so-and-so.  Duplication of effort is *bad*.
Send lots of Distress calls.  Every time you pick up, at least, and also
when you are hurt and don't want to give away a kill, or want to pick up
but are being ogged.

3 - Get a mailing list, and discuss strategy.  Be prepared to be truthful,
even though it may be negative, particularly if you are captain.  Talk
about the teams you are going to play, and what you think you'll need to do
to win against them.  Build up strategies for bombing, for escorting, for
breaking LPSes, for ogging.  Especially bombing.

4 - Get a few code words that are easy to type, but that allow you to
communicate quickly.  BLUE <planet> - I need help at planet (to take, to
hold, to defend, etc.) RED - don't kill anyone, I'm going for their Home
planet or near their home. And so on.  The addition of just one word can
make the difference.  If you just say <planet> they might not understand.
If you type out "I need help at <>..." you're typing too much.

5 - Practice practice practice!  12AM played somewhere around 10 games
*before* their first real game.  By the time we started, we'd all slipped
into our roles, and we knew who would do what.  Playing together is the
most important thing you can do, I think.  

This is what I think was important in 12AM's success.  It is, of course,
all my opinion.  Your mileage may vary.  The point is, we were an at large
team, but we were able to compete on the level of the INL.  At Large-ness
is not as much a handicap as everyone seems to make out.  I prefer to play
with at large players now, because they are far better at team play than
players who are used to coordinating by word-of-mouth.  

In any case, do with it what you will.

--
                                          rjones@dsd.es.com
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA