New Player's Guide to Online Etiquette

[l mandrake 9]

Being a fantastic, unique, utterly amazing game, the Arma2 community is understandably awash with new players. This is truly awesome. However, it also brings a few issues with inexperienced players rubbing shoulders with us 'old hacks' online.

So new guys, whenever you join a public server, please observe the following:

ALWAYS:

- Read the mission briefing before you start playing, otherwise you will be running about like a blue-arsed fly getting in everyone's way. Worse, you may waste mission-critical resources, ruining everybody's day.

- Take time to orient yourself on the map immediately after you spawn. Work out who's who, what's where; double-check which team you are actually on by pressing P and also check what the good-guys' uniforms look like ;)

- Apologise if you accidentally kill a team-mate (press / to talk, use < or > to switch to global or side channel, or press + hold caps lock for voice chat).

- Ask permission to board somebody else's vehicle as crew (esp driver or gunner). Some players will gladly let you on board, others prefer to crew vehicles alone and it is not up to you to prevent them from doing so. Remember, respect other players' right to enjoy their game too!

- Reply when you are spoken to on chat/voice comms. It is very bad form to just blank teammates and can really screw up the mission (it's also rude). If you don't understand because you don't speak the language of the server, just reply briefly in your own language; that way you've acknowledged your team-mates and they will understand what the problem is :)

- Say thanks when somebody heals or help you. Goes without saying, it's just good manners.

- Give teammates a lift in your vehicle if they will otherwise be stranded on foot. C'mon, nobody likes a long, long walk to the warzone (we've all been there).

NEVER-EVER-EVER

- 'Test' your weapon by firing near the feet/head of a team-mate. Grrr.

- Move somebody else's vehicle without asking them - especially if they are firing from it. Imagine, they just spent 10 mins manoevering their lovely .50 cal Hummer into the PERFECT spot to cover that enemy-held village, then you jumped in and drove out in front of those 5 T90's hiding around the corner :D

- Refuse to heal/revive a fallen team-mate if you are in a position to do so (i.e. unless it is very likely you will get killed doing so).

- Flood the chat with irrelevant messages, use abusive language against players you don't know very well, or persistently use languages which are not permitted by the server rules.

- Kill/wound team-mates. If you're not sure if they're enemy, hold fire, check map, even ask them via chat! (I'm serious).

- Kill/wound team-mates to steal their vehicles. The height of selfish lameness. You will be banned.

- Kill/wound team-mates who annoyed you by not giving you a lift last time. Maybe they didn't see you or were full, ever think of that? You will be banned.

- Kill/wound team-mates or destroy friendly resources 'as a joke' right before you disconnect. It's SO not funny. Oh, and you will be banned.

That's it, unless people can suggest new stuff to go in the list. Apart from this just go have a real blast online, IMO this is where Arma2 totally outshines every other game ever made. This post is not meant to be at all negative/moany, it's just a common-sense check-list for those of you who maybe haven't played online games before (and for some of you who have ;) ).

Cheers

Mandrake.

Edited August 5, 2009 by Mandrake5

[_pi_ 10]

I do allways say "Hello all" when I do log in.

[walker 0]

Hi Mandrake5

Good Advice maybe add it to the BIS community Wiki ;)

In Multiplayer Hints and Tips section

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Multiplayer_Hints_and_Tips

There is no text in that section yet and this would make a good start. The real avantage of placing it in the BIS community Wiki is that unlike a thread which gets burried under subsequent threads, the knowledge in the wiki remains in the place and gets refined and improved over time.

Kind Regards walker

[Halli~SPARTA~ 0]

Great Info....Lets Add two things.

1. NEVER Jump in chopper or plane to fly without asking.it seems BF2 players aree checking the game out and decide to take off with no team communication and this destroys a well played server. (We make them join Teamspeak or get kicked).

2. NEVER move respawn unit without asking.

Ah how many times have the disrespectful jumped in the LAv and drove into the RED zone.

[moerty-RR- 10]

Great Info....Lets Add two things.

1. NEVER Jump in chopper or plane to fly without asking.it seems BF2 players aree checking the game out and decide to take off with no team communication and this destroys a well played server. (We make them join Teamspeak or get kicked).

2. NEVER move respawn unit without asking.

Ah how many times have the disrespectful jumped in the LAv and drove into the RED zone.

the chopper is a big deal for me, it seems the majority of people who jump into choppers are retarded newbies who either crash into the landscape trying to hit a target with ffars or fly veeerrrryyyy slooowlyyy trying to avoid hitting the landscape only to get killed by tanks or shoulder mounted unguided rockets. another peeve is that that kind of person is not interested in winning the objectives nor helping the team, at least as far as AAS is concerned, they're beyond useless in the air and would better serve everyone if they were at least a target on the ground that the enemy can focus on while the real players maneuver into flanks and take objectives.

[l mandrake 9]

Cheers Walker, have updated the Wiki as suggested.

---------- Post added at 11:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 AM ----------

Halli Sparta - I've also added your points about moving mission-critical stuff without asking.

[Flightster 10]

Let me just add a few things to the list:

DO NOT EVER:

- Fly an aircraft if you have never done so before, or know you are not experienced enough to stay airborne for more than 5minutes

- Use vehicles (air or ground) as your own personal transport

- Take off in a chopper without waiting for others to get in (not personal transport)

- Leave vehicles in the middle of no where

- Place an MHQ in enemy territory

- Use wreck choppers for transport, if there are any on the server you play on, they are a ONE PURPOSE ONLY vehicle

- Fire the gun on an MHQ when you're nearing enemy territory, unless the driver says you can (there's nothing worse than trying to get an MHQ into a good / close / safe spot while an idiot is firing the gun and giving away your position in the process)

- Be disrespectful to the ones in charge of a server.. You are a VISITOR, not an OWNER and what the admin / clan says is what goes (like I said to many people on my clans server, "This is our backyard you're playing in, and you don't piss on another mans lawn)

[Mickd 0]

some for you guys to add if they are not onn the list.

Never-Ever-Ever

- When waiting at the lobby/multiplayer screen do not spam 'START THE GAME NOW!' or other prompts. If the admin is waiting, then they are doing so for a reason. Just be patient.

- At the map screen put markers all over the map such as 'The Cake is Here' etc etc.

- Fire guns of a transport chopper unless you have an actual target. You are always on a covert approach and you firing the guns for no reason is 1) annoying, 2) more importantly it gives away your position

- Take slots with specialist abilities then dont use the feature it affords (e.g Mortar & UAV slots on Charlie Foxtrot Missions)

[Halli~SPARTA~ 0]

cheers walker, have updated the wiki as suggested.

---------- post added at 11:12 am ---------- previous post was at 10:44 am ----------

halli sparta - i've also added your points about moving mission-critical stuff without asking.

cheers.

[loki 1]

very productive thread.

well done on the wiki update.. will be sure to point others in that direction.

:)

[FINALCUT 10]

never take a vehicle and run it out of fuel in the middle of nowhere,most servers have a way to refuel a vehicle and all vehicles have a fuel guage on the screen.there should be fuel trucks at main base on most coop maps.also,if a vehicle is damaged,try to repair it at main base if it will move,dont just leave it out in the woods somewhere,if you cant repair it then shout out for someone to come pick it up in the wreck helicopter,theres almost always someone willing to do this.

[_pi_ 10]

never take a vehicle and run it out of fuel in the middle of nowhere,most servers have a way to refuel a vehicle and all vehicles have a fuel guage on the screen.there should be fuel trucks at main base on most coop maps.also,if a vehicle is damaged,try to repair it at main base if it will move,dont just leave it out in the woods somewhere,if you cant repair it then shout out for someone to come pick it up in the wreck helicopter,theres almost always someone willing to do this.

WOA! I think its hard to run out of fuel in this game (especially knowing you can refill at any fuelstation FOR FREE!!!!)

[--DST-- Anth 10]

NEVER-EVER-EVER

- 'Test' your weapon by firing near the feet/head of a team-mate. Grrr.

- Move somebody else's vehicle without asking them - especially if they are firing from it. Imagine, they just spent 10 mins manoevering their lovely .50 cal Hummer into the PERFECT spot to cover that enemy-held village, then you jumped in and drove out in front of those 5 T90's hiding around the corner :D

- Refuse to heal/revive a fallen team-mate if you are in a position to do so (i.e. unless it is very likely you will get killed doing so).

- Flood the chat with irrelevant messages, use abusive language against players you don't know very well, or persistently use languages which are not permitted by the server rules.

- Kill/wound team-mates. If you're not sure if they're enemy, hold fire, check map, even ask them via chat! (I'm serious).

- Kill/wound team-mates to steal their vehicles. The height of selfish lameness. You will be banned.

- Kill/wound team-mates who annoyed you by not giving you a lift last time. Maybe they didn't see you or were full, ever think of that? You will be banned.

- Kill/wound team-mates or destroy friendly resources 'as a joke' right before you disconnect. It's SO not funny. Oh, and you will be banned.

Now I know how to irritate people in game! Thanks

[Alpha-Kilo 36]

I am fairly new to online gaming and for me this thread and the corresponding biki page are very helpful. Things which might just be common sense to the experienced player can be valuable to new guys. (In my case the thing about asking permission to board a helicopter from the base to the battle zone. Actually I thought that this type of transport was just like taking a bus and who would ask for permission to board a bus?)

Some of the most annoying problems mentioned here are about lacking communication. Since many servers disable the in-game voice chat, communication means Teamspeak (even though I have been "converted" to Mumble). I do believe that it makes sense to encourage people to use TS, but on some websites associated with online gaming the TS details are hidden among clutters of banners, unintelligible links etc or you have to register in order to get the password.

Making the access to communication as easy as possible would surely help reducing some of the most annoying communication problems.

I suggest to start a thread where everybody who has a public server or welcomes guest players can publish his game server details, communication server details, a link to his website and some information such as accepted language(s) and recommended time of day to join (in an international format). Any passwords can be edited into this posting at short notice if and when necessary.

Does this make any sense at all or is a better solution already in place?

[FINALCUT 10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FINALCUT

never take a vehicle and run it out of fuel in the middle of nowhere,most servers have a way to refuel a vehicle and all vehicles have a fuel guage on the screen.there should be fuel trucks at main base on most coop maps.also,if a vehicle is damaged,try to repair it at main base if it will move,dont just leave it out in the woods somewhere,if you cant repair it then shout out for someone to come pick it up in the wreck helicopter,theres almost always someone willing to do this.

WOA! I think its hard to run out of fuel in this game (especially knowing you can refill at any fuelstation FOR FREE!!!!)

you would be surprised by how many people dont know or dont care about fuel trucks.lol.