☠My Textmanding Shorthand☠ (and some guide) - Free

You got 2 wonderful things to take advantage of whenever you make a squad: 1. the squad message 2. the lfg systemIf you are relying on textmanding for ANY part of your command I suggest you try using the shorthand I have prepared below:

i.e.

1. Squad Broadcast message:

☠ Welcome to Werewolf Battalion ☠

» otp = On tag please
» st = stack on green marker» emp = empower» re = retreat» 1..2...3 = push when I type 3

☑ Green marker = rally here☑ Yellow marker = fight to this area

i.e.

2. lfg message:

☠ Werewolf Battalion ☠ - Home bl (10/50) - ALL are encouraged to join, and contribute in whatever way they see fit.

I've tried alot of shorthand to try to take textmanding to the next level in an easy to understand and follow way. This is by far the best system I've come up with so far, and I'm actually quite happy with it and the results its proven. Changes you can make immediately: take out the "welcome to werewolf..." and put your own welcome message. Or replace the title completely with your ts information (you won't have enough space to make a title then). Basically just copy and paste what I have provided above into your squad message and lfg, and make any little changes you want. Every good commander uses at least a little textmanding if they want to communicate with the people not in their TS, I suggest you all at least "try" something like this....you can even elect a textmander lieutenant to do it for you if needed. You should be using symbols when you command, so having a legend for what they mean is always beneficial to every player as well. Getting all those greens on board is to your benefit as much as their own.

Basically someone enters the squad and they see the squad message first thing. You will also want to refresh the squad message during your command every so often so they can easily re-read it. Typically right before you moveout from the keep again, or right before an impending fight, or right after a break. You have to change the message to do this, so typically press the space bar to make a space then repost....then next time delete your space and repost. Formatting is very important with the squad message, so be sure to keep the spacing so its easy to read. There should be a line break at the very start of the message before any text is read (using enter), and then at the very end of the last phrase (yellow marker here ..)...this allows the message to stand out from any other text postings.

You should bind your keys so the green marker and yellow marker (or whatever colours u want) are easily placeable. As it states above you use the green marker quite liberally to direct where you want people to "be" both 'in general' and in a stacking situation. So for example if you are going to attack a tower with cats you'd place the green marker in the general area where the cats are going up. After the cats are up you could place the marker by the gate....telling them to stack around that area if not on the cats. Likewise you could move the marker behind or infront or to the side of the cats indicating to defend the area. Its also used in conjunction with the 'ST = stack' command to get people to stack up when necessary.

The yellow marker is for while your incombat and expecting combat. If you are pushing an enemy zerg or fighting, you might place the yellow marker on a bunch of downs to indicate you want everyone to push forward and bomb the position. Likewise, once people get to the area, it serves as a indicator to not stray too far from it. Basically it means to fight to the area marked and continue fighting around said area marked until told otherwise. It can be useful when limiting how far you want your group to chase or push an enemy as well. You would use it in conjunction with the green marker in a myriad of ways. FOr example the situation above with catapulting a wall....you might place the green marker by the cats and then the yellow marker by the entrance by the gate, indicating to people to fight and kill anyone trying to get in. Yellow marker in defensive battles, like defending bay, can be used to indicate where you want the killzone to be.....if you have ac running it gives everyone a clear target to aim all of their aoe and whatever at.

Don't overuse the green/yellow symbols. People don't need to be led around by a carrot the whole time....or rather they don't like it when you do. When navigating difficult terrain its useful to use all 8 ground markers to mark out your route for your tail to follow (like in desert bl). But dont spam the green marker constantly as you move around the map....keep it for combat and sieges and the stuff you have to actually pay attention for.

most of the shorthand is general use stuff. So for example you can use it with squad broadcasts quite easily. If you have an incoming enemy, you might broadcast "otp" indicating everyone to find their way back to your tag and move with you. OTP and ST are by far the most used. EMP is probably the least used tbh, since most people do it automatically when you stack....and mobility is usually prized over getting pubs/pugs to stack and empower in a timely manner.

Other things you want to use as a commander alongside all this:-squad broadcasts: use these to get peoples attention and wake them up, try not to overspam it and dont use capitals very often.-ready checks: if you going on break or changing maps, use this after you get back so everyone has a good idea when you are gonna move out.-symbol markers: use these to mark enemies, then your whole squad can monitor them so long as they are in minimap range-always mark wall/gate openings: Use your other coloured ground markers to mark where the outer/inner of a keep or whatever is open.-map markers: you should always mark what your next attack target it, if defending mark what you are defending, if rallying mark where to rally-do votes:**i.e. squad broadcast: Ok lets do a vote/squad: 4 options

1. hit hills
2. hit bay
3. try for nwt
4. other**then people just type a number based on what they want to do. These are useful to keep people united. Easiest way to get people interested in something is to give them a say in how things work. Typically you want the last option to always be "other" that way you know whether your vote/options are any good to begin with.. you can call yes/no votes, or use ready checks for binary votes like that. Whether to change bl.....whether to defend.....whether to attack.....basically whatever, u can call a vote for it. Don't use them too often obviously, you are the one commanding. Votes are good options when you are faced with differing opinions or controversial situations where you yourself can't decide what is the best route to go next. Like maybe you have to decide whether to defend a paper hills you just took or head North.....or whether to regroup with anyone who died, back at spawn, and then try for bay or nwt.

Another useful thing to do is, upon changing maps, place the green marker in the middle of the starting zone and tell people to "st when ready". So when people are ready they will naturally stack on the marker and you can move from there quite easily. The marker already means stack, but adding that extra functionality of "sell your stuff and do what u need to quickly then stack" is fairly easily understood.....to the point where you don't even have to type or say "st when rdy"

Advanced:-setup a third symbol type in the squad message for portals☑ Red marker = portal hereIf you have a dedicated mesmer in ts or who knows what they are doing independently then you can mark then with a red marker and give them lieutenant and have them mark portal openings/exits so all your pubs easily know what is gonna happen.

Also you can obviously sub in other shorthand where needed. Your limited to the number I have in the example tho. But you can sub out emp for stab for example if you want.Formatting is horrible and layout of this is horrible, I know....i'll mbe fix it later.

Also since this has become a bit of a rant I'lll continue in that fashion:-provide food for your squad as much as possible. even cheap lvl 75 stuff that costs 20copper to make...is fine.-don't command if you don't have siege.....this should go without saying. Your inventory needs to be prepped before you start commanding......idk how you can spend 300g on a tag and not a single gold on any siege. Speaking of which you want to carry basics of everything, superiors of everything, and some guild of cats and rams. Or if money is no factor you should just carry guild versions of everything......or if money is somewhat a factor settle for superior and guild versions of everything. The one exception is your gonna want basic shield gens, since they dont share cooldowns with superior/guild. Oh and when I said everything I meant everything......trebs.....shield gens...ballista....everything. You should also carry teh tricks and traps.-also you should get used to waypointing alot. the most effective way to command, on most maps, is to port to your main keep to resupply with 25 whenever possible/viable. Learnt that from sea of sorrows to be honest....always loot your main ebg keep for supply (unless its being attacked) and push outwards. Similarly when map changing, loot the keeps from other bl that have 25 supply.....then port and change maps so everyone is fully supplied as soon as you waypoint in. Keep your squad well suppplied at all times, gives you alot more combat options. If away from your home corner/turf for an extended period....thats fine, but you should always look for an excuse to port back to your keep to resupply. Preventing the enemy from amassing to counter you, and from guessing where you are is also important for winning fights and maintaining morale. Plus on every bl there are wayyy tooo many people who waste time trying to figure out where you are going next......to the extent where their entire corner could be running around searching for you while you have ported, resupplied with 25, and already made it to the other enemy corner. You should avoid waiting for your enemy as much as possible, depending on your situation it could be impossible or folly not to wait but stay moving and proactive as much as possible.