Dear Team,

This is my first email of this season containing
important information about squad doctrine & tactical issues.

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Our standard practicing times are 5 to 8pm EST
Try to show up at least 6 pm est...
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Here goes,

The season so far hasn't been a success. Teamwork has been lacking, players have been making
terrible choices in games, plus we've been plagued by lag. Our level of motivation & awareness (to teamwork) surely needs a boost. It seems our pilots are typically favoring solo-styled action instead of intelligent teamwork.. Our capacity for focused, "in the moment" action is
uncertain at best.

Here follows some misc ideas, which are all important. I ask you to read this email at least twice, and think it over. I also thank Jinxi for his support with the written basics of teamwork

Teamwork requires:

I. Will to play together as a TEAM
II. Commitment to support that will
III. Discipline & Adaptability

How to last, persist, endure, stay alert & active within a long game? My approach:

1. Consciously focus on maintaining a high level of alertness, while keeping a strong sense of everything that is going on (x-radar & action on screen in general..)
2. Play, Have fun, Relax.
3. Encourage your teammates.
4. Maintain a positive atmosphere ("we'll win this yet!")

When we play together (4 Externals), we must always 'try'. What's the use of practicing unless it's for emulating a real game performance? Slacking days are over. Care for your own and your teammates lives.

- If you don't feel like playing, don't play. Do something else.

You can, of course mess around and enjoy subspace on your OWN time, but when we are playing as a team and a squad, a different approach is REQUIRED. I want to establish Externals a reputation of a squad that, when praccing or playing games, is dominating & near unstoppable; the team to beat. Right now we are a fun squad to prac & play against, because we do things with a loose approach - we got people flying around doing stupid stuff, being vulnerable to vulches, being easily separated.. It's only our individual skill that allows us to semi-fuck-around and still
do ok. Wake up, semi-fucking-around days are over!!!

When playing together, ruining a prac doesn't just mean that you fucked up, you also fucked up your team, and wasted their time thus doing. HAVE SOME PROFESSIONAL PRIDE. We've all played this game for YEARS. Let's have it show..

Teamplay guidelines:

-Keep looking what the others are doing, all the time.
-Focus on hitting the same target.
-Ideal targets: those already hurt / those that stick their neck out / those that are low on gear/lives.
-Remember that you're not playing alone, but with other people who see, feel & are real somewhere in the world. Enjoy playing with them & getting kills together.
-Teamwork requires a TEAM. STAYING TOGETHER IS ESSENTIAL.

- Stay together
- Kill together
- Cover each other
- React to / with the team
- Wait for mistakes from the enemy and react to them
- Don't try to force kills!!

Refuse yourself the freedom of individual effort (dueling, trying to kill someone who's at 1700 nrg alone..)

The point in shooting bombs & bullets shouldn't be just to drain energy & hurt the enemy. It should be to kill. Try to synch bombs & their targets. Any fire is a lot harder to dodge if it's coming for multiple directions. Crossfires & different angles of attack suggested. However, don't go too far off alone - don't get cut off.

We have to learn to attack the same target. Imagine 4 guys shooting 2 bombs each at one enemy, with a decent scatter pattern. Nearly impossible to evade, if the bombs are equipped with
enough velocity.

About shooting: the goal of every bomb and bullet
should be to HIT.
Take your time in getting the enemy in your sights.
Go closer if you can't hit from afar. A good leagueplayer, I guess, hits with about every 2nd bomb.

If you don't take hits - you can use the time it would have taken to recharge you ship to smart offense.

Even with anti and x-radar on, it's possible to play a game with normal offense, just as long as one avoids engaging 1on1 & taking challenges..

Remember that if you try, care & want to win, you can create miracles. We woke up LATE, but got up in the end.

League game priorities:

Offense:
1. Stay alive.
2. Help your team kill.

Defense:
1. Stay alive.
2. Keep your team alive.


We are ready for this.
Regular season is here.
The situation is good.


My very best wishes to all you heroes,

backpacker