[dheil1970]

My hope is to have a sub forum created for the purpose of Generals and XOs or other command positions to have a place to discuss topics or issues related to leadership and command of Scenario and Big games.

Would a sub forum like this be useful?

[Desperado_Ghost]

Having been XO at some smaller scenarios, yes I would find this useful.

[dheil1970]

http://www.thinktankpaintball.com/ar...ll_command.php

This is a great article for anyone in a command position. I am sure it has been out there awhile, but felt it was worth posting here.

[njhusker]

I would be happy to participate and contribute when needed.

[shady123]

Everyone of us are different. We all have our own ways of generaling games. My way is to introduce myself to every player on my side so that they know who I am and they can see how dedicated I am to the game. I also feel that the way I general is the reason why i have made some good friends this past year and have had teams follow me to other events.

[Mephysteaux]

Having a subforum dedicated to this might not be a bad idea. I know the first time I XOed a game, I walked in without much of an idea of what to do. Luckily, my team only wound up having a dozen people on it, and my commander didn't expect too much of me.

Potential downfalls I see:
1) The subforum might not get that much traffic. While it is a subject that has a lot of intricacies, the number of people who do it at any given time can be kind of narrow.
2) Successful commanders might not want to share their secrets, and unsuccessful commanders might not want to expose their lack of knowledge.

One thing that might work is having a general Command subforum, that would not only relate to generals and XOs, but also to lower-level leaders (team captains, company commanders, etc), scenario writers and directors, maybe even refs.

[ace0007]

this would also be useful for any feed back from maybe some experienced players who could offer some things but yet to really have a command role, myself included.

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by shady123

Everyone of us are different. We all have our own ways of generaling games. My way is to introduce myself to every player on my side so that they know who I am and they can see how dedicated I am to the game. I also feel that the way I general is the reason why i have made some good friends this past year and have had teams follow me to other events.

I really value creating the friendships and connections with the players just as much as anything else I can do. I want to discuss this aspect further because there are several aspects like attracting players to naturally follow you like you mentioned.

One issue that deserves attention is how to create those connections with 100+ walk on players just before the big game/scenario starts. How do you create those connections in such a short time? I recruited some guys I have played with in the past to help "meet and greet", help get rec players set up in their staging area and answer any questions on behalf of Command.

This worked for a little while, because people were still getting registered while the opening briefing was going on.....we never got to the entire group.

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by Mephysteaux

Having a subforum dedicated to this might not be a bad idea. I know the first time I XOed a game, I walked in without much of an idea of what to do. Luckily, my team only wound up having a dozen people on it, and my commander didn't expect too much of me.

Potential downfalls I see:
1) The subforum might not get that much traffic. While it is a subject that has a lot of intricacies, the number of people who do it at any given time can be kind of narrow.
2) Successful commanders might not want to share their secrets, and unsuccessful commanders might not want to expose their lack of knowledge.

One thing that might work is having a general Command subforum, that would not only relate to generals and XOs, but also to lower-level leaders (team captains, company commanders, etc), scenario writers and directors, maybe even refs.

1. I am not personally concerned about the lack of traffic just as long as those who hold leadership positions know they can come to this proposed sub forum to give and get feedback, ask questions and provide their perspective.

2. I understand your reasoning, but I think successful commanders don't have to give away their secrets, but provide their experience. In regards to those who have less experience, i believe they would greatly benefit from others who mutually respect those who lead. No question is a dumb question... I have led the Allied Forces in two large Scenarios and feel that I have something to offer, but also know I have a lot to learn.....i'm 0-2

I believe this could be a sub-forum for anyone who is involved in leadership. This is something where we all can learn from each other.

[ace0007]

The one time I got thrown into a command game last year was I did the same thing. it was a little easier for me, but I made sure i tried to meet every player fighting for me and spend time with the teams and groups the night before just socializing. It also give you a feel of what that player or team wants to do and helps with the organizing. It also helps if you have decent or good NCO style players under you. They can give you feed back and help direct traffic to where it needs to, allowing you to focus on other things.

[bruno v]

One of The most important thing's is comms. having a radio man with command is really important.

[shady123]

Originally Posted by dheil1970

I really value creating the friendships and connections with the players just as much as anything else I can do. I want to discuss this aspect further because there are several aspects like attracting players to naturally follow you like you mentioned.

One issue that deserves attention is how to create those connections with 100+ walk on players just before the big game/scenario starts. How do you create those connections in such a short time? I recruited some guys I have played with in the past to help "meet and greet", help get rec players set up in their staging area and answer any questions on behalf of Command.

This worked for a little while, because people were still getting registered while the opening briefing was going on.....we never got to the entire group.

What I usually do is personally set myself up the night before the game so that i have plenty of time to get organized and able to meet the players on my side. Depending on the size of the event it is hard to meet every single one but I do try my best to take the time to talk.


Other things i like to do is lead from the front and to stay on the field 95% of the time. People lose moral when they see their leader in the back doing nothing or seeing them in the parking lot half the game. Doesn't even matter if your worth points or not you should be in the front instead of hiding in the back barking orders out. You always have to show the players respect and thank them for doing their jobs correctly.

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by shady123

Other things i like to do is lead from the front and to stay on the field 95% of the time. People lose moral when they see their leader in the back doing nothing or seeing them in the parking lot half the game. Doesn't even matter if your worth points or not you should be in the front instead of hiding in the back barking orders out.

I am glad you brought this topic up. I see both sides to this issue. I totally agree that they need to see you lead. In my mind it isn't always where you are located but what you do in that location.

I see the value in leading just off the insertion point for two reasons-

1. Not paying attention to attrition and men reinserting can become problematic for the entire team. I see my role as informing them of the field situation (at least what I know at the time) once they come off the field and to gather intel from them on the area they just left. I am then more aware of field conditions from players who I do not have direct coms with. I am able to give them some direction once they go back on the field. If they walk on the field not really knowing where to go does not make them very effective, specially if there is a hot spot that needs more people.

2. I use a dry erasable map of the entire field. I collect information an put it on this map. #'s of people in locations and areas of control. I am then able to call in missions to on field command or mission based teams.

One thing to clarify, the way the scenario is laid out and how the scenario master runs the game dictates several of the aspects of how my command operates.

I go on the field in the beginning round and fight along side the guys. I also go on the field for the "final battle" This is a White River Paintball thing.

I tell the men I am here to help them succeed and so I see myself more of a supporting role.....with that said, I learned from my last event, I do need to be on the field a little more, but there has to be a balance.

I would like to hear thoughts on my perspective.

[Mephysteaux]

Having commanded a few games (XOed 4 times, generaled once), I have to say that what I've found so far to be the keys to success:

1 - Networking/recruiting is probably the most important thing you can do. Get friendly with other teams you meet on field and online. Your friends are most likely to support you, and lesser-known teams, even if they don't know you personally, will often play for you out of gratitude just because you thought enough of them to ask. Get as much info as you can on these teams, including contact info, how many people they have, any special skills or equipment, etc. This is one of the reasons having teams is better than having walk ons, not just because of the skill they possess, but the knowledge you can possess about how to best employ those skills. Once you get to the field, introduce yourself to people, because a personal touch goes a long way. Remember, it's your players who win the game for you.

2 - Know the game. Familiarize yourself with the map and its objectives, any missions you are given before game day, the rules, especially regarding roles. The less time you need to spend on field learning about a situation, the more time you can spend resolving it. If you have any questions, before or during the game, ask the game director.

3 - Communication is key. Having a radio network is best, communicating via cell phone also works. Once the game begins, your main job is to know what's going on, and to act based on that knowledge. That said, have players to be your eyes on field, players to be your voice on the field, and players to be your hands on field. Make sure that information flows freely, so everyone is on the same page.

4 - Let people know what you expect from them. If people lack direction, they won't do what you think is important, they'll either do what they think is important (based on their narrower knowledge of the situation), or won't do anything.

5 - Organize. Having systems in place like maps, clear chains of command, and having plans A, B and C ready to go give you something to refer to when you feel a situation is about to be out of control.

6 - Think outside the box. Some of the more successful moves I've seen have been the result of a commander doing something his opponent didn't think of doing.

These are pretty general statements. Implementing them can be a bit more intricate, and I'll admit that I still haven't gotten all of this down to a point where I'm totally satisfied with my own abilities. Every game I've commanded, I can think of at least one time I didn't follow one of these guidelines, and often I've paid for it. Having some guidelines, and having experienced some ways in which they were and were not followed, can make commanding a lot more intuitive.

As for leading from the front, especially in large scenarios, I don't think that's the commander's place. You can appoint subordinate leaders to do that for you, but from my experience, that really limits your knowledge and influence of the game to what you can see with your own eyes. As valiant as being on the front lines is, you're a lot less useful there.

[DELuxemoDEL]

I like the idea of this thread. After a recent arse whoopin handed to us(DHeils XO here) I looked around online and didnt really find a usable resource that I hadnt found before or learned the hard way on the field. I have played paintball and large games for years, but only recently have tried the upper echelon of leadership. One of the biggest frustrations I have found is trying to encourage walk ons to play a little more on the aggresive side. Any suggestions or tried and true remedies for this minor inconvenience?

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by Mephysteaux

Having commanded a few games (XOed 4 times, generaled once), I have to say that what I've found so far to be the keys to success:

1 - Networking/recruiting is probably the most important thing you can do. Get friendly with other teams you meet on field and online. Your friends are most likely to support you, and lesser-known teams, even if they don't know you personally, will often play for you out of gratitude just because you thought enough of them to ask. Get as much info as you can on these teams, including contact info, how many people they have, any special skills or equipment, etc. This is one of the reasons having teams is better than having walk ons, not just because of the skill they possess, but the knowledge you can possess about how to best employ those skills. Once you get to the field, introduce yourself to people, because a personal touch goes a long way. Remember, it's your players who win the game for you.

2 - Know the game. Familiarize yourself with the map and its objectives, any missions you are given before game day, the rules, especially regarding roles. The less time you need to spend on field learning about a situation, the more time you can spend resolving it. If you have any questions, before or during the game, ask the game director.

3 - Communication is key. Having a radio network is best, communicating via cell phone also works. Once the game begins, your main job is to know what's going on, and to act based on that knowledge. That said, have players to be your eyes on field, players to be your voice on the field, and players to be your hands on field. Make sure that information flows freely, so everyone is on the same page.

4 - Let people know what you expect from them. If people lack direction, they won't do what you think is important, they'll either do what they think is important (based on their narrower knowledge of the situation), or won't do anything.

5 - Organize. Having systems in place like maps, clear chains of command, and having plans A, B and C ready to go give you something to refer to when you feel a situation is about to be out of control.

6 - Think outside the box. Some of the more successful moves I've seen have been the result of a commander doing something his opponent didn't think of doing.

These are pretty general statements. Implementing them can be a bit more intricate, and I'll admit that I still haven't gotten all of this down to a point where I'm totally satisfied with my own abilities. Every game I've commanded, I can think of at least one time I didn't follow one of these guidelines, and often I've paid for it. Having some guidelines, and having experienced some ways in which they were and were not followed, can make commanding a lot more intuitive.

As for leading from the front, especially in large scenarios, I don't think that's the commander's place. You can appoint subordinate leaders to do that for you, but from my experience, that really limits your knowledge and influence of the game to what you can see with your own eyes. As valiant as being on the front lines is, you're a lot less useful there.

This is all really good stuff. I am going to re-read this post, and pull some topics out to discuss. Great job!

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by DELuxemoDEL

I like the idea of this thread. After a recent arse whoopin handed to us(DHeils XO here) I looked around online and didnt really find a usable resource that I hadnt found before or learned the hard way on the field. I have played paintball and large games for years, but only recently have tried the upper echelon of leadership. One of the biggest frustrations I have found is trying to encourage walk ons to play a little more on the aggresive side. Any suggestions or tried and true remedies for this minor inconvenience?

I would love to get input on this as well. Del and I were scratching our heads as to how to inspire and direct rec players and avoiding yelling at them to "move up!" Very common phrase through out a scenario game dominated by walk on players. I don't like yelling at people who pay well over $100 sometimes $200 to have fun for themselves. But, there has to be some kind of balance.

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by bruno v

One of The most important thing's is comms. having a radio man with command is really important.

Having a RTO and Intel officer who manages the map would be SWEET!!!!

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by Mephysteaux

As for leading from the front, especially in large scenarios, I don't think that's the commander's place. You can appoint subordinate leaders to do that for you, but from my experience, that really limits your knowledge and influence of the game to what you can see with your own eyes. As valiant as being on the front lines is, you're a lot less useful there.

I 100% agree! There is also a time and place to be on the field to inspire the troops. Again as I mentioned in an earlier post, there has to be a balance, specially for this position.

I feel like being in the position of General, your role is more of big picture planning and leaving troop leadership to "field commanders" where the XO has direct control over. Again, there is the issue of effective communication between General and XO on and off the field.

[dheil1970]

Originally Posted by ace0007

...I made sure i tried to meet every player fighting for me and spend time with the teams and groups the night before just socializing. It also give you a feel of what that player or team wants to do and helps with the organizing. It also helps if you have decent or good NCO style players under you. They can give you feed back and help direct traffic to where it needs to, allowing you to focus on other things.

I am seeing a trend already from these kind of posts. It goes back to the time spent building the connections and relationships with those under your command for the next couple of days. The more you know of the guys you will lead "could" end up being a factor in a win for your team.

Again, going back to a later post of mine, how do you effectively make those kind of connections with 100+ players in such a short amount of time?

[Grazi]

I've been and XO and General for numerous games and I would gladly help out. I like the idea of a sub-section being created as well.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!