Communication

Leader Duties

The leader's main job is keeping the group organized, and all on the same page. One could lead by example, but people aren't always familiar with tactics and strategy used. So, the leader should always tell their party their intentions -- unless it's perfectly clear. The best way to do this is before the fighting starts, with a quick run down of the strategy and a quick ready check.

The leader should always monitor the overall group health, ask for status reports from those off screen, and even refrain from fighting sometimes in order to keep his or her attention on the group's well being, emergency calls, etc. The leader also needs to be able to quickly make decisions as to the best course of action. Even a fallen leader can help out in tight situations by giving orders from the ground, since he or she is unable to move and attack. This gives them an opportunity to forget about their body and assess the overall situation, and focus on group tactics by giving orders that benefit the group — not raising him or her if it's not in the best interests of the group. If the group has to leave the area, the next highest in command should take over leadership until the leader can be rescued — or chained out.

Tactical Duties

These are tactical duties, that should could be done by the leader or other officer.

1. Before the hunt distribute maps, strategies, etc. to all members of the group. Have a plan that is gone over with in detail once more while gathering to hunt and waiting for latecomers.
2. Be willing to modify plans in the field to compensate for unforeseen problems. Explain them quickly and if possible have alternate plans in the briefing, so less time is wasted deciding what to do. Have a set protocol for dealing with members lost through one way snells, or otherwise missing, disconnected, etc.
3. Tell members of the group to move into appropriate places: IE: healers out of combat zones, fighters to move back, etc.)

Navigator

The navigator should be responsible for all maps and guidance, freeing up the leaders to focus on group survival and goals. (The leaders should already know the directions to some extent.) Also, give advanced directions quickly in case some fall behind or don't hear the direction call. The navigator should announce snell locations when possible, so others can become familiar with the territory.

Scout-Runner

A scout's job is to simply go somewhere, assess the danger, and report back to the group in one piece, or report sunstone, if the scout becomes trapped by an overwhelming number of monsters.

A good scout will be able to travel enough of a snell to see what lies there and come back to the party without being followed, unless the scout goes into the role of a lurer and wants to be followed.

Aside from leading mobs of monsters, the runner also acts as a scout in most situations. They act as a party control and can call out or in depending on the situation.

Lurer Duties

The lurer's job is to go into heavily populated areas and only lead back one or two monsters to the group. They must be good at running and know creature behaviors very well, and know how to lose extra monsters before taking the ones the lurer wants to take back to the group.

When luring creatures back letting people know the number and/or the type of creature returning can be sunstoned if you are luring from another snell or yelling if you are on the same smell. i.e.

• /yell 3
• "/think P 2C 3S incoming"' C=Crimson, P = Pitch Arachnoid, S= Slate arachnoid if your party is hunting in the pitch or slate caves

or even

• /think incoming

This gives you party an idea of how difficult he incoming lure will be, and react appropriately. For instance if the number or difficulty is great, the group may back up to allow more room to fight; while if only one or two things are incoming, they might more closer to intercept the creature(s) sooner.

Group Member Duties

With a good leader you should never have to question or hesitate a call because he or she may know more than you about the situation. This is where your status reports come in. Exiles who refuse to follow directions, don't follow group etiquette or often make stupid moves that endanger the group are liabilities. People who are liabilities become known to group leaders for this behavior quickly and aren't invited on hunts until they learn not to be a liability.

Report status — especially if something changes dramatically. Report things such as dangerous spawns, people going unexpectedly afk, or not moving. Doing so will avoid the party being broken apart with half the people dealing with new threats, while the other half aren't around to help. As a group member you're one more pair of eyes for the leader. Sometimes a leader will make a call that, if s/he knew what you knew they wouldn't make that call. That's why it's your job to report it. If a situation is deteriorating rapidly and you don't have time to tell the leader, you can call out too.

Also, some leaders will call a ready check before moving on to another area to see if everyone is ready. Say "ready" or "wait." Movement toward the next area also constitutes saying "ready" as well.

Criticism of Leadership

Question bad calls after the hunt, suggest better tactics and strategies for the next outing. Speak your mind, so long as it does not hold up the group's progression. After the hunt e-mail the leader on what could have been done better in a constructive manner. The important thing to remember is that, yes the leader will from time to time make mistakes, and the leader is only human (or Thoom, or Zo, or Fen, or short too). And often the leader knows when s/he makes a mistake already. If you don't like the leadership, you can always start a group and make the decisions yourself.