HC Introduction
From Battleground Europe Wiki
HC Introduction
Contents |
What is HC?
HC is a collection of individuals from around the world who share a common hobby. With dedicated players from every inhabited continent, it is truly an international organization. There are many different languages spoken, but the most common language is English. With so many people from around the world, there is going to be lots of conflict. Different ideas, different languages, and different customs make misunderstandings frequent. Know that there are other valid points of view. Be understanding and considerate and you have little difficulty navigating through so many different personalities.
Strategy? We don’t need strategy!
In the ancient times, strategy changed over months of time. In the real WWII, strategy changed over weeks of time. In today’s battlefield, strategy changes over a few days. In WWII Online, strategy changes every few hours.
WWII Online is a dynamic game environment. The game can change radically in a few hours. Any plans made more than twenty-four hours in advance are probably going to have no relevance when it comes time to execute those plans. Long-Term plans simply don’t work because whatever the plan was based on no longer exists after twelve hours or even shorter.
As a HC, you will need to create your own strategy every time you log on. Don’t expect some officer higher in the chain of command to tell you what you need to be doing. You will have to be prepared to figure that out on your own.
HC and the Players – Cat Herding 101
HC officers are "cat herders". Have you ever seen a professional "Cat Herder"? No? Well, that is because it is very difficult to get a bunch of "cats" to do anything. Let's face it, cats are independent, don’t really care what humans think, and don’t respond well to training. This is why dogs are man’s best friend! Dogs have been bred to respond to training and are eager to be friends with their leader/master. Cats, on the other hand, don’t want to be friends with anyone.
Most of the players in our community are very much like cats. They are very independent. They typically don’t care what HC does, as long it doesn’t interfere with their K/D ratio. They know they are supposed to guard the bunker, but without a reason to do otherwise, simply will not do it. Instead they will march out to the field as "Loners" (Loners = players that do not play as part of a team), get blown up/killed in that new Tiger or Sherman 76 that just came into the spawn list, with no regard on how that action impacts the unit they play in, the squad they are with or the direction from the axis officer community. For the most part players will do their own thing, when they want, where they want, and most really don’t care what you have to say about it. Working with "Cats" otherwise defined as typical "players" can be very frustrating at times.
New HC officers are usually shocked on how little control HC has on the game. First, HC can’t order any player around. Second, it has proven difficult to effectively order other HC officers around. Lastly, you, as an focused officer on the field will never think that you have the troops or quality players (players that guard a bunker for instance) that you need to accomplish your goals. This is a typical situation but is not something that cannot be mastered.
The following is what will probably happen on your first try at AO OIC. You will get a MS setup, you will have some friends manning ATGs overlooking the AB, and you’ll have total surprise. You get your .axis/.allied and wait. You wait some more, but only 1 guy shows up, and he is a squady to one of your friends. You scream on the channels for support, how you have the AB locked down, how you have a perfectly positioned MS, and how if you only had a dozen more players this town would fall. Still no one shows up and you start to think “WTF.” You did all the tactical things right, but you didn’t herd the cats to your AO, and so it was all wasted effort.
How to “herd cats” is covered in later chapters. You have to use psychology and understanding to get the players and HC to do what you want. If you only learn one thing by reading this manual, learn this:
You can’t force anyone to do anything. You can only make an option FUN enough, to encourage players and other HC to join your operation.
We are going to see variations of that theme A LOT, so read it again. All the goals you want to accomplish will only occur when you have made FUN your best ally.
HC Mission Statement
To give your side's forces the best opportunities for success and fun.
Notice that I didn't mention "Winning" anywhere in the mission statement. In order to win, you must manuver your flags to give your side the best possible opportunities to beat the oponent. In order to win, you must provide fun for your players or they will log and you will be beaten. If you give your forces good opportunities in a fun environment, you will Win. If you give your forces bad opportunities in a boring environment, you will lose.
FUN + OPPORTUNITIES = Winning
It is NOT the HCs sole responsibility to ensure victory of a campaign. HC works with the players to achieve victory. If a side loses, those HC and players lose. If a side wins, those HC and the players win. Too many times I see this posted, “we lost because of dumb HC, but we win because of our fantastic players.” The HC and the players must work together to win. HC shifts flags into strong and fun positions. The players join HC operations and do what is neccessary to win. If either one does not do their part, both parties lose.
Fun Factor - Why you and everyone else plays WWII
If being in HC or playing WWII is no longer fun, wouldn’t you stop playing?
Everyone, every player, every HC, and you, play to their interest level. Some enjoy attacking and others defending. A minority of players enjoy table guarding or bunker duty, while the majority enjoys the “shoot’em up” aspects of the game. Many like huge epic battles. Others enjoy small operations of fewer than a dozen players on each side.
One of the first things you need to recognize is that what you enjoy is not what another may enjoy. Trying to force someone to do something they don’t enjoy doing only makes WWII no longer fun. When the fun stops, they log off. If you cannot make the game FUN, then all your players will log off and you will lose.
The primary factor that will determine your success in HC is combining the different interests of many players together.
Player Numbers, Fun, and Winning
The single biggest factor that decides campaigns is the amount of players that log into each side and the average dedication level of those players. The side that has more players that are dedicated to support their side will almost always win. While player numbers fluctuate throughout the day, week, and season, the side with the higher player numbers on average has a large advantage over their opponent.
Players log in to have fun. That is the ONLY reason they log in. Many will have different opinions on what fun is. If you want to have a lot of players to lead, you will need to find something fun for each one of them to do. The only thing that players all agree on is that winning is fun. All players like to win and be successful. They want to be apart of well planned winning operations.
"Winning is Contagious" - Bobby Bowden
The most important aspect of being an HC officer is to have fun and promote fun. Fun drives the game. Players log in for fun, put longer hours in because it is fun, and follow orders because it is fun to do so.
(More Fun) => (More players online) => (Winning) => (More Fun)
The more fun you provide, the more players you will have. The more players you have the easier it is to win. It is fun to win, which will give you more players. It is also true in reverse.
(Less Fun) => (Less players online) => (Losing) => (Less Fun)
When players complain about Morale, your side is most likely in the downward spiral of less fun, less players, and losing. The only way to reverse this decline is for your side to create fun operations. You can lose and have fun doing it. Have enough fun losing, and you’ll eventually start to win.
You can only win by keeping the game fun for the player base and other HC. Fun is the only sure method to victory.
If you are arguing with players and other HC you are destroying the fun, EVEN IF YOUR RIGHT. Don’t ruin the fun, don’t argue with players or officers, and don’t make decisions purely on if it’s the “good strategic decision.” If players are having fun, let them fight, even if it may risk losing a town later.
Officers that make the game fun are successful. Officers who argue, complain, or are just unpleasant, get no support and fail. Remember, this is not a real military. Fun drives the player base and the officers that govern them.
A short list of what most players find fun:
1.) Organization – Players like to be lead
2.) Information – Players like to know that there is a plan, and how they can participate in it
3.) Being part of something bigger – Players like to be apart of big operations where they feel that they are a necessary component to the operation
4.) Be apart of battles that “matter” – Players want to feel that their actions in game effected the game in some way, otherwise what is the point of doing it?
Goals of HC
The following is a short list of the goals of HC. They are easy to list but very hard to accomplish. The true test of any officer is the ability to execute on these goals during dire circumstances.
The HC Goal List
1.) Create Fun for the players and other HC
2.) Organize players to create fun and successful operations
3.) To think in both Long-term and Short-term
4.) To put your side into a winning position
5.) Develop your fellow players and officers into community leaders
If you study the list, there is one thing you should notice about the relationship of the items in the list. Numbers 2-5 all support number 1.
Leadership in HC
Want to be a Leader? – All you need to do is VOLUNTEER
While there is a Chain of Command in HC, it really is meaningless. No one can order anyone to do anything. What if I ordered you to do something you didn’t want to do? What would you do? 99% of you would either, log immediately, suddenly go “AFK” in game, or do the order for a short time and quickly find any excuse to do what you wanted to do to begin with. Now the 1% of you remaining are the types who like to follow orders, so you are actually doing something you like to do to begin with.
Because ordering someone around just doesn’t work, HC relies on a volunteer system. If you are not helping out, no one will try to find you and check on what you are doing. If you wish to participate in HC, it is up to you to make your wishes known. It is not Senior HC Leadership’s job to tell you what to do. It is your job to either find something that supports the larger operation or let other HC know that you are available for assignment to tasks that need to be accomplished.
If you want to lead, you have to tell others that is your desire. The game ALWAYS has leadership positions that must be filled. If you want to lead FB busts, let someone know and they will find you FBs that need to be busted to keep the overall HC operation going. If you don’t tell anyone your interests, you cannot participate in HC and you are doing nobody any good. If you want to be apart of HC, you must VOLUNTEER.
Here is a short list of things that always need organizing:
Radio Guarding - Para Missions - FB Busts - Resupply - Tank Columns - MS setup - Town / Target OICs - MAP OIC (overall commander position)
You get to choose your interest level, find something you like to do and help out the larger operation. The Players and fellow HC will thank you for it.
BE PROACTIVE!!!
HC Responsibilies
There are a lot of myths about what HC are responsible for. So let’s clear up some misconceptions early.
Organization - Myth
It is NOT the HCs sole responsibility to organize the players. The players must take that responsibility onto themselves. While HC are regularly involved in the process of organizing AOs and DOs, the players must play apart in that process. Players love to say “HC didn’t organize this right!” Any player can organize a mission. Any player can lead an OIC. The small numbers of active HC cannot organize hundreds of players, the players must help organize themselves.
What HC is Solely Responsible for?
1.) Ensuring supply is in position for the players to have the best possible chance for success.
2.) Planning flag movements to take advantage of opportunities and reduce risk
3.) Thinking both in Short-term and Long-term thinking, so that there is always something fun coupled with the possibility of success going on, now and in the future.
The list is short isn’t it? HC of course do many more things than 1-3. But it is our duty to make sure 1-3 are accomplished each and every minute of the game.
Reputations, Relationships,and Getting the Job Done
Here is a secret about HC. Rank doesn’t matter. Yep, you heard it, rank doesn’t matter. Sure, higher ranking HC “order” lower ranking HC around, but they don’t use the power in their rank. Why can’t they use their higher rank to order others around? Because there is no power in rank, those high ranking HC have the only thing that matters, Reputation and Relationships.
Memorize this:
Reputation is more important than Rank
Relationships are more important than Rank
Relationships are more important than Reputation
First Scenario – You are giving me orders?
You are Map OIC and you order a junior officer to do something in game. That junior officer doesn’t want to do it, so you yell at him. The junior officer then logs off angry within 5 minutes. Did you accomplish anything besides a fight and an officer who doesn’t want to log on when you are on? You can not stop anyone from logging or not answering your PMs. Even if the junior officer does what you order him to do, he’ll likely do a poor job at it.
Second Scenario – Can you help a friend out?
You’re a new officer and your friends with everyone. You ask your higher ranking buddy to help you setup a MS for an AO you want to lead. You ask your friend, the CINC to get some CAP over target, and he is happy to oblige. You ask the Senior Army Commander if he would send his guys to help you out, and because he values your ideas, he asks his guys to transfer to your target. 3 higher ranking officers are now helping you, because they want you to succeed.
Third Scenario – “I am a HC Master General, Here me Roar!!”
You’re the MAP OIC and everyone knows you are the best map guy in the game. But they also know you’re an asshole. They tolerate your existence because you’re the best shot at winning. The player base and officers follow your direction, as long as you are winning. You take a chance screw up big time. Right when you need player and HC help the most, no one responds to your PMs anymore. You are no longer a “Master General,” you are now an asshole who cost us a lot of towns. Reputation will keep other HC and players following your leadership as long as things are going well. Relationships will keep HC and players following your leadership through the good and bad times.
The moral of the story
The moral of the story, if your friendly and prove you know your strategy and tactics, you can easily move players around the map. The hard part is to gain those friendships and earn that reputation. It starts by taking leadership positions. It starts by visiting others in TS. It starts by reading the OKW Forums and posting on important topics. It starts by talking to the player base through chat channels. It can be a slow process, but it is the only way to become an effective general.
Don’t expect to have everyone follow your lead just because you have volunteered for a OIC position. OIC is a title and nothing more. Developing a Reputation and building Relationships is the ONLY way to lead. Trying to use the “power” of a rank or title will leave you very lonely and many losses accredited to your name.
NOTE: The AOC clearly states you must follow orders. The point of this section is not to discredit the hard work put in by ranking officers. It is to only state that leadership can only come from reputation and relationships, not rank.
Burnout – The Common Enemy of ALL HC
One common problem in HC is Burnout. Burnout occurs when the Officer begins to view WWII as a job and not as a fun hobby. When you begin playing because you think it is your DUTY to play, and not for the enjoyment of the game itself, then you are rapidly approaching burnout.
What leads up to HC burnout? First the HC starts playing for insane amounts of time (think shifts of 10+ hours many days of the week). They begin to feel that it is their sole responsibility to keep their side winning (or not losing). They don’t really enjoy the game, it is more like a bad drug habit than a fun activity. They may get a lot of praise in game, but their RL becomes a mess.
The HC will live in self imposed WWII Online misery until one day they snap. HC will write a “I’m so frustrated and quit” post in the forums and disappear for a few weeks. Sometimes they are talked back to HC by friends, other times they disappear for months or years.
Once Burnout begins you need to take a break from the game. Burnout is the number one reason why officers quit. They take too much on, try to change things they have no control over, and get frustrated. After awhile the stress gets too great and they feel they must quit for their own sanity.
If you think your are becoming burnout or others start warning you that you maybe, you need to start taking corrective action EARLY. Don’t think you can “handle” it. A lot of HC say they can, right before they suddenly post the “I Quite” in the forums.
Steps to Avoid Burnout:
1.) Take time off from the game. Just don’t play for a few days in a row.
2.) Limit game time to a few hours a day.
3.) Accept what you can control and what you cannot.
4.) Remember it is not your job to win a campaign it is a team effort, if you think your team is weak, build your team up, don’t try to compensate by playing more and more.
5.) Its just a video game, the world won’t end if you lose. (or so I keep telling myself)
Summary
In summary, HC can be a lot of fun, but never forget the basics.
1.) Everyone plays WWII for fun. Keep it fun, and you’ll have a strong Army
2.) Volunteer for leadership positions
3.) Reputation and Relationships move Armies, not Rank
4.) Keep disagreements polite. Behave professionally. Always support the player base or they won’t support you
