Are you a leader?

[Mr. Jay]

It has been beautiful here in PA. I go for a quick drive in the sunny 70s everyday before heading to work. Heading to the beach next month but still unsure whether to go Virginia Beach or Myrtle Beach. Opinions on the topic would be nice.

Had a game yesterday with three randoms on verruckt. One guy clearly had the best resume at 38 rounds and 1000+ kills. But even with his mike on he did not assume leadership or try to organize the team. We ended up dying at 17 when one guy goes down near jug. I was alone near Thompson and went down trying to revive him. The top guy and the third random went opposite directions en route to revive us from the STG. The third random went down and the top guy went down soon after. Prior to that only I had gone down on round 3.

With mike he could have easily organized the rescue and carried the team much further. With the most impressive resume he could have easily assumed leadership and gotten the team to play together. But he chose to play nice and got us to 17.

Leadership does not have to come from thr best player. The best player may enjoy playing by himself in random game. Sometimes a person must rise from the pack to lead, to command, to organize for greater results. I understand people want to play like gentlemen, to have class and lead with charisma. But leadership is the necessary evil in every successful mission. Imagine a general telling his private "go this way if you like, if you don't that's ok". I have had games where I was able to be goofy and caused us the game. I have had games with way that he allowed me to be me and jeopardized the mission.

Are you a leader? In a random game or playing with friends do you allow Jay to be Jay? Or do you spank him and organize the team?

[Undead]

Good topic Jay, as usual.

Guess it depends who I play with. Most of the time I play with friends online, we kinda just coordinate between each others movements accordingly. However, if there's specific things I wanna try, I'll kinda place everyone around a bit to see how well a specific strategy works, and vice versa. I'm pretty flexible, just as long as it's a method that isn't basically suicide.

[Chopper]

When playing with randoms I don't assume leadership unless it's kinda granted to me. Once the first person asks what we are doing I just make my suggestion. Some games they will listen, others they won't. If they listen I will then normally be the leader that game.

I've been doing a lot of 3/4 player challenges recently.

In this things the most important thing is communication, and at different points in the game, depending on circumstances the leader will change.

The term leader in games like this is a bit of a misnomer now. These challenges are done by committee anyway, once the rounds get a to certain level your teamwork really has to go up. Say 2 people are going to be running a really tight circle as a pair. Whoever is infront is the defacto leader. They are just leading the other player around, and it's so important that they make the decision on the best path to take. They then relate this information back to the other player.

Generally in the games I play with my friends, and the people I plan to play with there is never going to be 1 leader. Everyone knows exactly what they are doing, and so it's more about communicating to everyone how your area or role is going.

When things go wrong, the first person it goes wrong for is going to be the leader for a few seconds, as they are the only one who really knows how badly it has gone wrong and therefore what needs to be done.

I livestreamed a Verruckt challenge last night. For anyone who was watching from round 26 up, they will know exactly what I'm talking about. Steve, Seraphim and I made a strategy on the fly, and then implemented it. The communication in this game was amazing.

[STOTTINMAD]

When, I play i don't like the idea of assuming leadership, since I don't see myself as a good leader, although, I do give advice from time to time, and I do cover/revive when people are down. It's just how I play.

would I say I was a leader, maybe, at times, i can get people to decent enough rounds, but i'm not the best.

[Superhands]

Great post Jay.

I wouldn't ever say I assume the role of leader as such. What I will always do without fail though, is make a suggestion and explain why it's a good idea.

For example, game on FIVE last night. As always, I ask we we should move onto the next floor, and before anyone can say no I explain that if we keep the barricade on the stairs closed then there's only 1 window each and a wall gun within reach, perfect for camping in the first 10 rounds. 2 see my reasoning and agree.

The other one asks, "what's your highest round?" to which I reply, "45 co-op, also a world record holder on solo at round 115". "I'm sticking with you then" was his response. So I guess the guy with the best track record can assume leadership, but if someone doesn't wanna go along with my plans, their choice. I'm perfectly happy just going off on my own and doing my own thing.

Then it turns into a game where everyone keeps going down, and FIVE is too dangerous for them to go for revives so that becomes my job, probably just left to me since I have the best track record. I make some really nice revives, but I go down once because a couple of zombs ignored my monkey bomb and trapped me in the elevator with 2 guys I just revived in it, and we all go down. One guy says,"it's over" because there's only one guy with the most downs running the War Room, and sure enough he's right.

[Mr. Jay]

This was written to promote awareness in leadership.

Many games people just "go with the flow" because they want to play nice, even with friends. Playing with way he does a good job of keeping that balance. Even playing with MY friends who I have chemistry with, I ask way for strategy and therefore suggest rest of the team to follow his command. Four people playing separately will not achieve a four player team can achieve. Much like super did, way will nicely suggest what do to to ensure the team plays together.

There are times when its best to spread out. Holding and camping by the double tap trap in verruckt with Thompson I felt a bit overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I asked permission to run by the Thompson which I have done many times and more familiar, and ease the load for the rest of the team. Although I went down right away and cause them to to down trying to revive me. Leadership can also be getting your team to do what they are more comfortable of doing.

I think the leader does not have to be one with the absolute best record. I have played with randoms with lesser pedigree but clearly outperformed others. Sometimes it take just one idea for the team to have a better understanding of the strategy. It could be as easy as "camp in PAP, I run the war room, if I go down Orange lure them up the steps, blue come revive me."

[way2g00d]

A leader is he (or she) that understands the team and works with them to accomplish a task. Preaching and forcing a strategy when the other person is not comfortable doing is just not going to work. You can't force someone to do something unless he understands why we are doing it. Show him that this way is actually less painful than other, no strategy is best or guaranteed.