Why does no one ping?

[Bill the Butcher]

I've been using the MG and pinging is essential to our role. We can't provide suppressive fire if we don't know the enemy's general location. And it's not hard to do, it's a middle mouse button click. It's annoying having to repeatedly remind people in voice or chat.

[simmerdown]

i think its cause people dont look at the map. If you dont know the key bind. Map Key Bind is m.

[Bill the Butcher]

Originally posted by datCookie:

People don't ping because communication isn't all that important here in HLL. The suppression system is a shadow of itself but even then, why would you shoot to suppress when it's easier to shoot to kill because of the simple nature of gunplay?

The sad reality is that people don't want or care to communicate, because the game is designed to benefit the solo rambos rather than those who work together as a team. XP and kill counts are all that matter to most players here now.

I thought the MG was more support than direct assault. From what I've seen, suppressive fire can be effective in this game. You can pin an enemy down and it disorients them. Maybe it's not to your liking but I'm new to this. I do agree that communication is often bad.

[Bill the Butcher]

Originally posted by datCookie:

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

I thought the MG was more support than direct assault. From what I've seen, suppressive fire can be effective in this game. You can pin an enemy down and it disorients them. I do agree that communication is often bad.

Normally, yes. Suppressive fire CAN be good for doing all that, but the very nature of the overly simplistic and basic gunplay doesn't require suppression to be utilised the way it would, because hitting the targets is so easy even at distance.

What game do you recommend instead, Post Scriptum?

[Bill the Butcher]

Originally posted by datCookie:

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

What game do you recommend instead, Post Scriptum?

It really depends on what you're looking for in a game. I haven't played Post Scriptum and I really can't recommend any decent up-to-date WW2 shooters. Everyone has their own tastes too. Plenty of people like HLL for what it is. People like myself can't stand it because what we have now is now what it was originally advertised to be.

I'm new to this type of "hardcore" shooter that requires teamwork. I like it so far. It can be frustrating though, dying a lot and not seeing anyone.

[Bill the Butcher]

Originally posted by datCookie:

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

I'm new to this type of "hardcore" shooter that requires teamwork. I like it so far. It can be frustrating though, dying a lot and not seeing anyone.

An issue here is that it's really not hardcore. Yeah you can down players in a single hit and even kill them instantly if you get a headshot, but outside of that, pretty much every gameplay mechanic is poorly designed and don't work well on their own or with each other.

There's a long history and story behind this and why players like myself feel this way.

Honestly, if you enjoy it, play it. I'm certainly not the master of what is and isn't a good game.

I understand. We're on different pages. I'm used to COD and Battlefield so it's a change for me. What shooters do you prefer?

[Bill the Butcher]

Originally posted by datCookie:

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

I understand. We're on different pages. I'm used to COD and Battlefield so it's a change for me. What shooters do you prefer?

I have a background in shooters that goes from some of the more arcade titles like CounterStrike, Battlefield and even Unreal Tournament, to the more realistic/authentic ones like Arma 3 and Squad, with games like Red Orchestra 2 and Insurgency (one, not two) being somewhat in the middle.

My latest authentic shooter has been an Early Access game called Ground Branch, which is a modern tactical shooter that focuses more on intel retrieval and terrorist hunting rather than open gameplay.

HLL, in my eyes, is much closer to Battlefield than it ever intended to be.

I actually have Arma 3 but never played it. If it's still active I might consider trying it.

[Bill the Butcher]

Originally posted by datCookie:

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

I actually have Arma 3 but never played it. If it's still active I might consider trying it.

If you're genuinely interested in it, I'd highly recommend finding a clan that runs "missions" and have plenty of disc space available for the multitude of mods you'd be downloading. Once you're up and running, it's a pretty good time if it's an experience you're interested in

I am interested but I'm a noob and they're all really experienced

[Bill the Butcher]

Originally posted by datCookie:

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

I am interested but I'm a noob and they're all really experienced

We were all noobs once. A good group of people would be welcoming of newcomers and be more than happy to teach you the ropes, especially if it means they get more people involved in operations.

Where do I find them, on Steam?

[Stormfire962]

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

I've been using the MG and pinging is essential to our role. We can't provide suppressive fire if we don't know the enemy's general location. And it's not hard to do, it's a middle mouse button click. It's annoying having to repeatedly remind people in voice or chat.

You may or may not be aware of that pinging is only seen by your squad mates and not everyone else. This is why it's extremely important for squad leaders to place marks on the map and for everyone else to use voice proxy talk using the "V" key which can only be heard by the entire team you are on and not the enemy.

In addition, this game relies heavy on everyone to do the following:

• Commander - airdrop supplies every 2 minutes randomly across the map.
  
• Commander - drive a supply truck to place Garrisons to assist squad leaders.
  
• Commander - always stay off the front lines for your death delays the match.
  
• Squads - every squad must have a Squad Leader at all times.
  
• Squad leaders - learn to place an Outposts as you move throughout the match.
  
• Squad leaders - learn to place Garrisons and keep them active.
  
• Garrisons - every match should have a minimum of 4 active garrisons at all times.
  
• Garrisons - placed in white zones only require 50 supplies - in red zones 100 supplies.
  
• Garrisons - each map sector is 200m x 200m.
  
• Garrisons - never ever place on a road or in an open field unless you have no choice.
  
• Support - always carry 50 supplies, place it only upon request.
  
• Engineers - build as much as possible since it gives good XP.
  
• Engineers - at the start of a match get those resource nodes up ASAP.
  
• Engineers - build defense barricades as much as possible to help your team.
  
• Engineers - build road blocking barricades to slowdown the enemy.
  
• Recon - is more then killing. It's the intel gatherers for your team use it.
  
• Recon - Squad leader place those Garrisons in the red zone whenever possible.
  
• Volunteering whenever possible to help your squad even if you don't like it.
  
• Assist not only your squad mates but everyone else as well.
  
• Verbal communicate on both squad voice talk and voice proxy talk for a win.
  
• If you play Engineer then built as much as possible since it will earn you a lot of XP.
  
• Recon is not just for killing. It's your team life blood for intel.

[kuolleempi]

i'd rather hear and say ''full squad on 170'' rather than ''ENEMY ON MY PING'', like who tf talked? who are you, what's your name, you're not even with us, you're alone behind enemy lines.

:) yes this happened multiple times

[Stryker]

Originally posted by Bill the Butcher:

I've been using the MG and pinging is essential to our role. We can't provide suppressive fire if we don't know the enemy's general location. And it's not hard to do, it's a middle mouse button click. It's annoying having to repeatedly remind people in voice or chat.

DatCookie is a bit jaded. He makes some good points from time to time. I think he's wrong about suppression though. I find myself and my Squads pinned down by good MG fire a lot in this game, and MG's can be pivotal in certain situations and choke points.

I ping constantly. If I see movement, especially multiple soldiers, I don't shoot first. I ping. I also call out directions. You'll find this happens more on some servers over others more frequently. It's true, you're gonna get squads that don't communicate, and it can be frustrating.

-When you first join a Squad, do a mic check. See if the SL is communicating especially. If not, try another Squad.

-Ask for pings and directions. Ask the SL where you are needed on MG. Ask for infantry markers as well. "Hey, could we get an infantry marker?" As annoying as it may be, I think if you find a good squad, they won't mind you asking for this. If not, repeat above.

Believe me man, I've been trying to level up my MG, and I find it absolutely maddening sometimes. I'm just terrible at it sometimes. The moment I let off a burst, I get dinged in the head. I find some success in laying down suppression wherever I see friendly soldiers die. Also, when there's markers and pings up, I'll lay down and fire bursts blindly through hedgerows (if you know the map well and know your shots aren't going to be blocked by hard cover).

[Stryker]

Originally posted by datCookie:

Think I'm wrong about suppression all you wish, Stryker. I can absolutely guarantee you that suppression is near useless when it's just as easy to hit your targets and take them out of the fight instead of risking them shooting back, even while suppressed (thanks to the suppression effect nerf). Most of whatever 'suppression' you're getting is people just being bad and missing shots.

This point is confirmed by your own words "The moment I let off a burst, I get dinged in the head.". What good is a suppression mechanic when the one class that is designed to mow down and suppress targets is so easily taken out? The sheer lacking of gunplay mechanics and appropriate cover (see cover use in RO2) make MGs extremely underpowered.

You're either living long enough to kill your enemies, or being killed quickly yourself.

Just because I'm not good at MG yet, doesn't mean I haven't seen the effects first hand, of good MG placement and that they can suppress when used properly. As I mentioned in my post, when you lock down choke points with an MG, it can be extremely hard to get a shot off on them, especially in those meatgrinder maps and objectives. The problem I face is, when to properly use the MG, when to fire and proper positioning.

MG's become useless when there is a lot of open ground for enemies to flank. You may be able to cover one area, but you are going to get dinged from the area you aren't covering with the MG. In narrow roads such as Carentan, I've seen MG's hold down entire roads and entire flanks and make it horribly frustrating to advance.

I agree, the suppression nerf was a bit too much, but in the same instance, claiming a class should be able to suppress AND mow down people is a tad too much. Me admitting I'm bad, doesn't prove the class is useless or underpowered. I've had moments of success, also something I mentioned.

"Living long enough to kill your enemies or being killed quickly yourself" is pretty much what the game comes down to at a basic level. Giving one class the ultimate power to kill and suppress infinitely over another isn't the answer.

[Mr. Gun]

Suppression works and to say it doesn't bc killing them is just easier, is kinda dumb. It's like saying you know where every enemy is and can accurately shoot every single one of them, making suppressing fire pointless because youre killing everyone.

Sorry but suppressing fire is the backbone to infantry combat. I would argue this point more, but the history of the Infantryman says it all.

[Summerdreams]

Originally posted by GunSlingerClyde:

Suppression works and to say it doesn't bc killing them is just easier, is kinda dumb. It's like saying you know where every enemy is and can accurately shoot every single one of them, making suppressing fire pointless because youre killing everyone.

Sorry but suppressing fire is the backbone to infantry combat. I would argue this point more, but the history of the Infantryman says it all.

I somewhat get what hes saying, hes somewhat right that lifting the fire on someone will IMMEDIATELY (maybe 1 second delayed) will result in the person whos been shot at to aim at the MG and just shoot at it (with killing the MG gunner in most cases).

On the other hand hes just wrong. If you stick your head out of cover while being supressed youre
a) not able to pinpoint the direction someone is shooting at you (without already knowing where the enemy is at)
b) not really able to aim properly if your screen shakes randomly (not sure if it is randomly?)
- at least the chance of getting shot before you can defend yourself is quite high

The issue of playing the MG gunner is not only that people dont expect the MG gunner to be somewhat decent - aka actively supressing the enemy after hes been spotted and playing more defensively instead of rushing forward - and therefore dont tell the MG gunner where to shoot at BUT they often dont push where an MG gunner would make it SOOOO easy to push.

In terms of games you might want to try:
ARMA 3 (as already mentioned)
Squad

DO NOT make the mistake to play post scriptum - theres even less coordination there and even communication is quite much at the same lvl (but at least its much more toxic...). The mechanics are worse than in HLL (by far).
Adressing community of PS: just tried to play with 2 other friends PS after some time. We joined the game and 1 couldnt get his MIC working. THE EXACT FIRST response after i told the squad: "we got some technical issues" has been: "i dont think its technical issues but an excuse [for not using mic" (with an unfriendly voice as well...)

[Vlenzo]

I miss the old days when you had to yell out numbers and directions with your squad or when part of commanders job was marking other squad leaders marks because only the commander could see them all.