The Loss Of Squad Spirit
All squads currently feel very culturally similar. They do the same things before drop and don’t stick together on the ground. Squad coherency is generally low.
The biggest cause is that squadmates don’t hang out together. They go immediately from general-pop cryo to a multi-squad chow and prep(briefly passing through the equipment vendors), then to a gen-pop req line, and finally general briefing.
The identity of each squad is diluted by combined prep time. How can Charlie RP if Delta is throwing knives at each other 2 tiles away? How can new players figure out the plan if briefing is a meme fest of bored experienced players?
Mixing all squads erases their squad spirit/identity, and players who enjoy similar features of the game (RP, engineering, teaching new players, unga dunga goofing off) can’t gravitate to each other as easily.
A Solution
Keep squads apart before drop. Squad bunk rooms, squad chows, squad prep, and even replacing briefing with SQUAD BRIEFING.
The latter could be done by having an early SL-only briefing in CIC - giving them plenty of time to confirm the plan and brainstorm tactics while the marines are prepping. Then, at normal briefing time, the SLs would brief their squad with what they discussed.
- Delta briefing might just be “Drop LZ1 and head to hydro”, while marines have a pushup contest.
- Meanwhile in the Alpha briefing room, the SL would have time to say that hydro is northwest, and they should stick to him if they don’t know where to go.
- Bravo can plan their fob exquisitely, and Charlie can have a proper Charlie Breakfast.
Strategic Benefits
Currently marines tend to do the same thing every round because the XO/CO has about 2 minutes to explain his plan and spends it all flashing marines and explaining that there’s been a distress call on the colony; meanwhile marines are either stuck in req or high tossing each other into the command podium.
If SLs had an early, command-only briefing, the XO/CO could give a more complicated plan without LRP interruptions, and each squad SL would only have to impart 1/4 the words onto their mentally damaged charges. They would also have time to change the plan, for example if the XO seemed new and had a bad plan, it could be tweaked to be functional early on. Whereas currently, a particularly quirky XO plan means marines completely ignore him and follow the Standard Gameplan.
How can SLs be briefed early enough for this to work?
Put their quarters by the CIC. Give them more loadout points so they buy gear with them instead of spending them all on AP mags and waiting in the req line. Put a suite for them to be briefed in where the old briefing room was, so they don’t have to walk so far. There are many possibilities.
Squad Revival
Imagine Ungas and Roleplayers alike being able to enjoy their pre-drop as they like without annoying each other. Squads sticking together on the battlefield as a team. Genuine rivalries and competition between squads, tactics actually being used. It’s all possible with Squad Briefings.
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bonus picture: drop pods in cm?? (real)