Squad Leader Archive

Hey all,

I know most of you don't recognize my name, thats fine w/ me...i scour the sl forums, much in the same way i led groups....quietly, efficiently, and only pointing out areas that need to be addressed when absolutely needed.

I was dishearted to hear that Vem has resigned as our correspondent. He was a fine SL, correspondent, and player. Its sad to know that a person has to put up with so much for something they are voluneering for.

/salute Vem

Getting back to why I am posting this. I have been a SL for several months now, and having lead so many hunting groups for so much time has resulted in me finally realizing that there is no real use for Squad Leader, at least right now. RIght now, I barely use any of my commands, and when i do, it is because i have mistakenly hit one of my sl macros. I know that i hunt w/ a very elite group, aka my guild, and there is hardly any reason at all for me to even us /sysgroup. Not to mention that the other commands we are given are pretty much useless. When i started this game, i knew i wanted to be a SL. I am a natural leader, and although i wavered from that idea, i did finally come back and get MSL. But for what purpose i now ask myself? For commands that don't help the group at all? For a profession that is overlooked time and time again. It was mortifying for me to see people get MSL in only a weekend when they initiated the xp fix for the xp fix. WHen it was tough as nails to get xp, i stuck w/ SL because i thought someday I would become a MSL, and i would be good as gold. Well that day has come and past.

Here i am typing away, while my character has MCH, MSL, and only 6 skill points left to go because of some carbine skills i've picked up. And I am now at the point where besides my creatures, I am pointless for groups. There is no reason to have a SL, or for me to waste my skill points on a profession that for what i can tell does no good. The terrain negotiation has effectively become obsolete w/ the additon of the creature mounts, and the defense mods, do not really help that much. There is no reason to use volley fire, steady aim, boost morale, retreat, or form up. These commands look cool when they make us say something, for their effectiveness is zilch. I am sorry for Vem for leaving and I am saddened that a profession I once thought would be great, has turned out to be nothing more than drivel. Please read these words carefully and look into your heart to see if Squad Leader really is a profession worth spending time on.

Maybe by having most of us drop squad leader, they will actually fix the profession and make something useful from it, we as squad leaders always try to look at the bright side of things, but sometimes we also need to get a slap in the face to see the reality of things as well. The reality, as Vem has posted, in that the devs have no intention of fixing this profession anytime soon. Take heart my words of parting to a profession that i have put a lot of time, energy, and hope into, because i do not walk away easily. As a sqaud leader we must not walk away, but sometimes we HAVE to. If only to get the someone's attention that something is massively wrong with this profession.

Sevatia-ETS HighCommander

Master Creature Handler, former Master Squad Leader

Well put. I am 2 skills away from master, and to be honest, I think that when I Master it, I'm leaving too. {tear in eye}

Like many of you, I too have given up most of the SL skills to focus more on a profession (like doc or CM) that actually can benefit a group. I've kept only a branch of SL to keep my xp capped at its highest point, still holding on to that slim chance that SL will one day be worthwhile.

Unfortunately however, the idea that many of us dropping SL will gain some attention is flawed. There are more SL out there now because of all the holo chasers who drew SL.For everyone ofus who have been dedicated SLs from that beginning to drop it, there are a few others that will be joining because their holo said so.

I still have hope though. I do feel that we may very well be the absolute last priority right now, but even the last thing on the list gets looked at eventually..... right?

I did a test with steadyaim and my guys never missed a shot while steady, neither did they miss a shot while rallied.

Squad leader isn't as easy to see as medic, but its there, watch the combat window, when you rally your troops they wont miss, I put novice riflemen at point blank and apprentice gunfighters at max to test this, and its true, Rally significantly boosts accuracy and ranged defense. Mixed in with the insane 30% ranged D a master squad leader grants and yes we are VERY useful to a group.

Not as useful as we could be because of insane ham costs, and outrageous failure rates, and lacking some more sort of decisive boost. But we are a part of a super group indeed.