User:22ndmech/sandbox

Introduction

A MMORPG is a huge virtual environment with players from all over the world participating in an exploratory, solitary, or combative sense. Typically these MMORPGs will have order rise out of the chaos in the form of squads. A squad is a group of players that will band together to work towards some ongoing goal, even if that goal is strictly the continuance of the squad itself.

Most MMORPG are combative in some sense. Due to the challenges involved in participating as a group in fast-paced combat with a limited scope of sight (typically 60 degrees vision) and without all the "real life" cues, acting as a unified team can be difficult.

For the purposes of this article a specific MMORPG named World War II Online will be used. As this virtual environment endeavours to create an "immersion" effect and to be as realistic as possible, it is slightly ahead of most other MMORPGs and much of what is documented can be applied to similar virtual environments.

General

Teamspeak

"Teamspeak saves lives"

Infantry training 101

This section provides everything the beginner needs to know about how to operate as an infantryman and as a member of a team. This is the level one document and considered the minimum standard of knowledge to be in the squad. More advanced manuals are forthcoming.

Coverage vs. concealment

The definition of coverage in a combat environment is that it obscures the enemy's view of the target and stops bullets. The definition of concealment is that it obscures the enemy's view of their target, but does not stop bullets. Obviously coverage is preferable. If coverage is not available, concealment is the next best thing.

Coverage and concealment can be used when stationary or when moving if sufficiently available. Generally speaking, proceeding along a longer path that covers or conceals is superior to a shorter path that is in the open.

The importance of concealment

When moving with a team or in a loose attack with many indepenent soldiers rushing to the same objective, if even one soldier makes themselves visible the enemy will train guns on that position with possible disasterous effects for the whole. For more information on how to operate as a team see "Moving as a unit".

Running upright vs. crouched

Tests show that running crouched is approximately 70 to 80% as fast as running upright. However, the virtual environment has many objects the exact height to provide coverage to a crouched runner. The best example is also the most common: the hedge-rows. In open countryside the long hedge lines are there to provide concealment to infantry. These hedges vary in height but are repetitive, and 70% of the hedge will properly conceal a crouched, running infantryman.

In most cases, it is faster to arrive at 70% speed and undetected than to have to make multiple attempts at a 100% upright run. It may also save your life, and the lives of your team mates.

How to avoid unecessary movement

Concealment can take other forms with the overall goal to remain undetected. The most common method of detection is movement. The eye is involuntarily drawn to movement when scanning the horizon, even on quick scans. As such, it is essential to avoid unecessary movement.

When prone, a soldier typically scans their environment for threats and to judge where their allies are. Although this is a good idea to retain situational awareness, the effect to the casual observer is that the soldier is spinning like a helecopter blade with their belt buckle as the axis of rotation. This is a huge amount of movement and very easily seen.

By default, typically the "q" and "e" keys will swivel the soldier's head left and right while keeping the body stationary. This is completely imperceptable by any enemy not already staring right at the soldier. This method has two drawbacks. 1) it does not work well with binoculars, and 2) it moves the head 90-degrees everytime.

By default, typically the "n" key provides the "free look" function. This disengages the head from the weapon and body and allows it to swivel freely. The advantage of this method over the previous method is that the soldier can focus on anything in their 180-degree arc, not just what is directly left and right. Also this allows the user to use binoculars while scanning. The disadvantage is needing to press "n" again to disengage the "free look" and return to the weapon which can be troublesome in emergency situations.

Silhouettes

Players become very familiar with the objects in their virtual environments. Anything out of the ordinary will have a reasonably good chance of detection. The goal of the soldier is to minimize interruption in the flow of the terrain.

For example, the hills and berms have a smooth flow to them. If a soldier is prone and peering over the top of the berm they are outlined or silhouetted and extremely easy to detect. However, remaining undetected and also not gathering intelligence on the enemy is also terrible. The middle ground is to find some way of minimizing the effect of a silhouette. When peering over a berm, try to do so in a place where there is a tree or bush behind to break up the lines and partially obscure the silhouette from point of view of the target.

Marksmanship

Pistol

Never use your pistol.

Moving as a unit

What to do when you don't have specific orders

Maintain your formation as best you can while still finding coverage. Don't spin around looking 360-degrees, others in your formation will be watching those areas and trusting that you are watching yours.

Acknowledgements

Original structure and content created by Landmark of the 22nd Mechanized Infantry Regiment. Contributors please sign below with a short note on what you did as well as a more complete "edit summary" right above the save page button. For example, see below:

Pvtpetey - Reviewed and updated infantry movement section.

Thanks to 3rd Canadian Division for some input on coverage & concealment.