Dark Age Of Camelot: Everyone Wants to be A Leader!

I've actually been able to enjoy the Battle Grounds again to some degree. What with all my afternoon free time after school, I've decided to take a trip in the mini frontier and test my PvP skills. However, there were some things that I failed to realize as DaoC has become widely popular and has expanded since the Foundations expansion...

Everybody's got to play the leader...

There's no problem with this I assure you, however, after many frustrating days of trying to up my realm points body by body, it never helps knowing that you got some guy or gal trying to lead the parade. Whether it is for the farming, keep take, or even just to scout about, I always seem to be in the mix of doubt and angst when I have to pick the Mids off of me by three or more. And in the end I'm sucking dirt and have to do it all over again. Yeah, that's the spirit of RvR, but not to when they are leading you to your doom. And that's a peeve to me. So, let me explain to you WHY that it is...

One: I understand that Abermenai is the first chance for anyone 15-19 to enjoy and immerse themselves in the thick of RvR. However, considering that half of the people that do go in the BG are new to the concept and really go GAH-GAH over this. Don't get me wrong, I know that the Battle Grounds are a learning tool for the new ones. But I'm not going to feed RPs to the next Mid that wants my head when I know for a fact we don't stand a chance. Over-exuberant behavior and lack of experience is not the two combinations you want in your group. Everyone wants to be the leader and not the follower...

Exuberant Guy: Hey! Let's all go to CK shore! The Mids will come out and we'll take them down! Yah!
Me: No, they won't, not if there are more of us. Stay on the other side of shore or PK, they'll come out eventually.
Exuberant Guy: Nah, let's get a RAM! Anyone can operate it? We'll take CK!
Me: No, we are but 6 here. We can't take CK with just that. And also, we don't have a healer. Let's just wait for them...
Exuberant Guy: Ooh! Keen down by shore! **Runs off to kill the keen and ends up taking everyone with him in mass genocide. In the midst of all this fuss, the Mids come with reinforcements and ream them but good.**

So, as I was saying, there's this and then there's this...

GL1: Let's go to circle the MPK to see if any Mids or Hibs are about.
GL2: No, I say we go to CK and sit on the shore to draw them out.
GL3: I'm taking my group to MB to scout for any loose stragglers.
GL1: Will you guys just listen...
GL2: No, you listen...

And the fight commences on who leads who. This always happens to some extreme and eventually blows over by one of the groups dispersing or the groups just doing whatever and end up getting wiped for not playing as a team. And I'm sitting back up at the APK wondering why I'm even here. This is why I don't normally group with anyone in Abermenai. Because of the constant fussing and bickering, nothing is being accomplished. Only on rare occasion, do you get one that's been around the block a few thousand times. They get in the chat group and realize that it was a mistake to even do that. So, they leave the chat group and go do their own thing, resulting in enemy slaughtering. Half of the people wondering why they can't get kills like that, and trying to get that one person in their group for some love.

Half the time that I'm in the Battle Grounds, I am on my own because I'm better knowing that I don't have to save anyone else's hide for their 'explorative' nature. I just have to worry about me and me alone. I like to group with others, provided that they feel comfortable with the idea of being cautious and knowing when to back down from the CK shore. But I'm not going to sit there and have someone tell me that I need to go in THIS direction because the tornado of Mids is there.

I've got some advice for you young leaders that think that just telling people to go in THAT direction or spout out "KEEN". Don't take it personally, but if you do, I've hit home.

*Be aware that not everyone is going to follow you. Most will want to go do their own thing, but at the same time help support the group. This goes for sneakers. They know how to do their job and pick off people as they run by.*

*Don't be forceful in your commands, otherwise you lost all what little credit that you had. Suggest that you go this way and give a valid reason as to why. You might get more followers that way.*

*If you know for a fact that your realm doesn't have a chance at the CK, then don't even bother spouting "Someone get a RAM, can anyone operate?". Do what you can with the group that you have and make the best of it.*

*If you know that you don't have the experience in leading a group, then don't do it until you know your enemy and the basics of RvR. Don't expect to get it over night, learn from your actions and what you do and did.*

*Don't try to impose your so called 'leadership' skills on anyone. People can and will see through this and will not follow you.*

*Get suggestions from other folks in group about what would be best to do. You'd be happy to know that they would gladly give their input on this. This is how you learn.*

*If you don't succeed, try and try again.*

As for the most part, just be kind and courteous to your fellow realmies when it comes to RvR. They want the RPs and the fun just as much as anyone else. But don't ruin it for them by trying to be a leader when you aren't one. And don't try to suggest things when you know for a fact that there is no way in Hades it will work.