Lecturing Newbies

[Nenesse]

When the game loads in and I have anyone on my ship who's below level 4, I like to give a short lecture about how to crew my ship. Sometimes even at level 3, people need to be told basics. The thing is that sometimes people don't like being condescended to this way, and I feel bad when I realize that's what I'm doing.

Does anyone else have a policy of treating their crew like newbies "just to be safe?" What do you think the best policy is?

[Piemanlives]

If I find that my engineer is taking a buff hammer, chem spray, and a mallet I feel that I should at least remind them. My policy is see what happens before ranting about why the howitzer is far better than the field gun etc. etc.

[CapnGingy]

Almost every game when I run gat/mortar I have to tell people to wait until the hull armor is down from the gat to shoot the mortar. Sometimes it works, but most of the time I have to say it over and over and explain why the mortar doesn't do anything unless the hull armor is down, so in my early game I always explain to them when to use the mortar and why, or else I find myself dying with the enemy hull armor down and mortar reloading from shooting while the armor was up. I actually had to explain this as an engineer to a level five pilot when he wouldn't get off my back for not shooting the mortar right off the bat in an engagement.

[-Mad Maverick-]

i 100% of the time tell anyone i have not played with how to crew my ship.   the player's level is irrelevant to me because i have my own way of doing things that even a lvl 13 may not be aware of.

[SaintR.L.]

Sometimes, a very skilled captain can exploit the newb tendencies in all the best ways possible. *cough cough gun arc manipulation cough cough*

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Not worth expending the time and energy to try and explain things when half the time they won't understand anyways till they experience it. So I change my ship to one I'm more confident with keeping alive without their help. Or one they can't screw up. Flamer/Mort Squid is a great example of this. You can't very much screw up a flame thrower and the mortar requires a target in front of it to get angle so they can't sit there on the gun doing nothing. Bout the only thing you need to talk to them about is if one of them takes something like buff, extinguish, chem.

[SaintR.L.]

Not worth expending the time and energy to try and explain things when half the time they won't understand anyways till they experience it. So I change my ship to one I'm more confident with keeping alive without their help. Or one they can't screw up. Flamer/Mort Squid is a great example of this. You can't very much screw up a flame thrower and the mortar requires a target in front of it to get angle so they can't sit there on the gun doing nothing. Bout the only thing you need to talk to them about is if one of them takes something like buff, extinguish, chem.

The moment you mentioned "squid" and "noob" together all I see disaster. What's that? You have hull armor? Nope, no one's on the hull!!! *ship explodes*

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Noobs are fine on squids as long as the pilot doesn't fly stupid with it. If they aren't competent on it then you can simply just avoid combat till you have the advantage. In 2v2s it means letting your ally take the brunt of the assault. Which means your ally will hate you but theres not much you can do. If you engage you'll die faster and it will be a loss either way. If you take another ship and they can't handle it, same result. So in cases where the crew is extremely weak, just needs the pilot to make up for them. Only ship that can do that is the Squid and even then its not good enough.

[obliviondoll]

I'm still a relatively new player myself (haven't hit level 4 in anything yet, but close in all roles).

That said, my usual routine is to ask in the lobby if any of my crew have mics, and to only use voice when someone I'm with is also doing the same. Also, at the beginning of a match, I tend to start with just a quick weapon overview and "any questions, feel free to ask. I don't know what I'm doing."

[Piemanlives]

I'm surprised no one noticed I said:

ranting about why the howitzer is far better than the field gun etc. etc.

[Queso]

I did. Howitzer was OP till they renamed it obviously

[SaintR.L.]

Noobs are fine on squids as long as the pilot doesn't fly stupid with it. If they aren't competent on it then you can simply just avoid combat till you have the advantage. In 2v2s it means letting your ally take the brunt of the assault. Which means your ally will hate you but theres not much you can do. If you engage you'll die faster and it will be a loss either way. If you take another ship and they can't handle it, same result. So in cases where the crew is extremely weak, just needs the pilot to make up for them. Only ship that can do that is the Squid and even then its not good enough.

Bad crew ends poorly regardless of the ship or pilot. The best a pilot can do is minimize the damage.

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Bad crew ends poorly regardless of the ship or pilot. The best a pilot can do is minimize the damage.

Thats exactly what I said.../facepalm

[SaintR.L.]

Bad crew ends poorly regardless of the ship or pilot. The best a pilot can do is minimize the damage.

Thats exactly what I said.../facepalm

Oh, sorry if I didn't understand your meaning while reading your explanation and elaboration.

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Oh, sorry if I didn't understand your meaning while reading your explanation and elaboration.

Np, I'm just used to trolling from your ranks. Nothing personal. Just learn to expect it rather than not. Along with what comes next. Sore ja!