Project Reality Forums

Hi, I'm new to these forums, but I've been playing PR for a few years, and I have an interest in military history and tactic. I'd consider my self an above average squad member. I decided to put this guide in the squad leader section because this is good information for anyone that plays PR to know, and can really help how you lead your squad. I posted a similar version of this in the infantry tactics forum. I've noticed a few problems that NEVER fail to make a squad miserable, give the squad leader a headache, and basicly just turn the game into a walking death simulator.

These problems are things you see ALL THE TIME in public servers, where a squad is trying to work together, but just isnt having any success, even though they are trying their little hearts out.

PROBLEM #1

CORNERS, DOORWAYS, AND ROOM CLEARING

The NUMBER ONE problem squads have, is CQB and/or corners. Infact most SLs and squad mates are so TERRIBLE at it that its almost pathetic. I can describe what happens with most public squads. The squad finds a building it wants to clear out so they can use it for a shooting position... one guy (usually the SL of all people!) RUSHES into the building alone while his squad mates are still 10m away, gets gunned down at the door way, and a building vs open street fight ensues. Usually you're in the street with not much cover and the enemy now has the advantage (height? better cover? defending and aware of you!) Usually this whole thing results in a long walk back from your spawn point, no matter what happens. You CANNOT clear rooms in PR by yourself. Sure sometimes you'll get lucky and land a burst in the head of a single insurgent in a room. You'll probably be BLEEDING after if youre not dead, and then you need to heal which slows down the squad, and there is usually more than one enemy... PR is DESIGNED to have about a 1-1 kill/death ratio unless youre working with a squad. Keep that in mind next time you try and rambo a building by yourself. Keep a buddy on your back!

SOULTION #1

TWO GUYS CLEARING A SINGLE ROOM AT A TIME, AND A MAX OF TWO GUYS AT ANY CORNER SHOOTING.

Why? First of all two guns shooting is ALWAYS better than one in infantry combat. Two targets are harder to hit than one! Also two guys aren't the whole squad!

To clear any room with two men in PR, you both go through the door (after a grenade is thrown, if you can, but whatever) one RIGHT AFTER the other. Then, one steps left and starts moving with whatever wall he comes up against, the other steps right and starts moving along that wall. BOTH of these men are NOT aiming, but shooting from the hip while jogging! Once they each reach their first corner of the room they CROUCH AIM AND SHOOT to finish the enemy off! This is because you cant aim whilst moving fast in PR. Imagine if you were crouched in a corner waiting for some Americans to come into the room, but instead they each go opposite ways, are moving FAST, and are shooting at you. Which one do you aim at first! OH WAIT you're already dead! See how that works? Sure one of the said Americans might catch one in the teeth, but shit happens, right? This is something that is hard to orchestrate with public players, but if enough people know how room clearing works it will become more and more common.

CORNERS! Basicly... let two guys handle a corner. The whole squad doesnt need to be bunched up around one tiny little area trying to make shots at a contact. Figure something else out... but dont cluster around that corner! Keep in the "snake" formation which is mentioned below. DONT BUNCH UP AT ANY CORNER UNLESS ITS TO ENTER AND CLEAR A ROOM. Thats a good rule of thumb.

PROBLEM #2

SQUAD MOVEMENT AND FORMATION

This is A CLOSE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR DECIDING IF YOUR SQUAD WILL MAKE IT THROUGH A FIRE FIGHT OR WIPE OUT! Seriously. I can describe a simple squad by having the leader at the front sprinting away as fast as he can, while everyone trails behind him in a big cluster. We've all seen this hundreds of times everywhere. This is BAD.

Think about what will happen when this squad runs around a corner right into an enemy. The squad leader is first, so he's basicly dead. He didnt check the corner and was running so he was out in the open. Everyone else is right behind him, all moving together in a big mass, not paying attention, so they either go around that corner, and few bursts from an automatic weapon wipes 4/5 soldiers. Or... they ALL hear the shots, they ALL try and shoot around the corner, and they ALL get killed anyways because one guy threw a grenade at them and no one was watching because they are all trying to get the l337 killz.

SOLUTION #2

ALL YOU NEED IS TO HAVE A SQUAD WORKING IN ONE, SIMPLE, EASY FORMATION.

Yes, you heard me. Advanced teamwork oh noes! This is actually very simple. An effective squad in PR only really needs one formation when moving: The column. Yes thats right. Other formations have their uses, but for simplicity and for the sake of sparing the brain cells of newbies and pubs, all you really need is the column.

A squad working in this formation, can be described as a "snake". It winds around buildings, obstacles, and looks like a line of soldiers in your map. The head of the snake (usually the SL) is leading the way (hopefully with caution and awareness) while the man behind him leads the guy behind him, and so on and so forth. Spacing is important, so that the first soldiers to die are the only ones to die, intially. The squad should be stretched out over about 50m in a line, with the head of the line at the enemys positon. This BUYS TIME for the squad to figure out what to do! When shot at STAY WHERE YOU ARE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO MOVE! DON'T RUSH UP TO YOUR FRIENDS BODY LOOKING FOR KILLS! YOU WILL BE SHOT TOO!

This works, because the squad passes by dangerous obstacles (corners, doorways, walls, hills etc) one at a time, due to the nature of how the "snake" moves. This eleminates half the squad RUSHING around a corner or hill unaware only to get gunned down by an AK47. The "snake" makes sure that the first person that is killed at a dangerous obstacle, is more or less the only one to die, giving the squad time to become AWARE and DECIDE what to do about it.

EDIT NOTE: The 'snake' is great for times when using the old two-fire team setup just isnt working for whatever reason. This is a good alternative to fall back on when squad co-ordination is falling apart.

If you're a lowly squad member, and the SL just ain't working for you... just remind guys not to bunch up close together, moving or under fire. This is important. So very important. It may not be a "formation" but you'll notice it gives you a few more critical seconds in a fire fight.


EDIT: Heres some funny and instructional videos. They give you an idea of what CQB looks like. Take note of how they get as many rifles pointing through the entrance while they move in.

room clearing tactics - Google Video

room clearing tactics - Google Video

YouTube - ROOM CLEARING

I hope this helps someones game out!

There is some scattered info in this post that's useful. However a few things makes me boggle.

Why? First of all two guns shooting is ALWAYS better than one in infantry combat. Two targets are harder to hit than one! Also two guys aren't the whole squad!

Why only point 2 rifles in to a room you wish to clear, if you can point 5? (you always leave 1 guy back to cover the rear)

The head of the snake (usually the SL) is leading the way

Isn't he supposed to lead the squad? Who's going to lead if he goes down? A SLs main objective is to lead the squad, not engage in the fight. The second the squad has contact, the SLs main task is to report it to the commander (if there is such) 2nd task is to send a detailed contact report to the commander telling him where the enemy is, how many and the type of enemy (infantry, armor or aircrafts). If there is no commander, he needs to ask the other squads to come help him out.

Proper procedure for the SL at contact would be to use voip to the commander and say "squad 1 contact contact, stand by" find out where the enemy is, what type of enemy and how many. then do either of 2 things. 1) aim at the enemys position. Hold down the Q key and click the left mouse button or 2) hit capslock to bring up your map, find their location on the map, right click and click "contact report" to send the coordinate to the commander. Then use voip again to tell the commander what you see. "Commander this is squad 1 over" (wait for reply) "squad 1, enemy infantry at coordinates, 1 squad over". Commander then confirms.

Now the commander knows where the enemy is, how many and what type it is. At this point the (good) commander would send you assistance.

Think about what will happen when this squad runs around a corner right into an enemy. The squad leader is first, so he's basicly dead.

Doesn't this contradict the above?


Also the first two videos, which are the same, I wouldn't use for reference. In the third movie, those canadians look rather sloppy to me. Perhaps draftees?

In conclusion, this is a decent post with various errors. But all in all you have the basics down.

There are 3 basic formations, that are very easy to execute and rather effective. Divide the sqaud into 2 teams, Alpha and Bravo for example. Sl takes 1 team, and a designated 2nd in command takes the other. Remember to keep 10-100 meters between each team, and 5-10 meters between each squad member. Single column is only for movement in friendly territory. Two columns is for urban warfare, or moving along a road. Line formation is for movement in open areas, although I would try to avoid it. Also try to aim for a line formation whenever you get in contact

i still like the three man teams, first team has two rifleman, one medic
the second team ahs squad leader, medic and a special kit (AR or GL or LAT)

first team moves up ahead and engages enemies while the second team hangs back and only gives covering fire.
This allows two modes of attack on engagement. Either the rear team provides fire on the enemy position while team one sneak up, or the first team pins the enemy while the second team can flank around.
Also if the enemy ambushes you, chances are that they will hit the first team, allowing you to rally further back and engage the enemies from a better position.

I know the SL SHOULDNT go first, but in reality, squad members infront of the SL usually dont know where they're going or what they are doing. Besides, this is a game. There is a limit to how much technical stuff people are going to put up with before they decide its just too much. Sure you could have a perfectly trained organized group of players that stack up in a row of five.... but I doubt many average players feel like dedicating themselves to the game that much.

Thats the problem with these "tactic" forums. WAAYY too impracticale. My methods are easy to use, and easy to teach people on the fly, and are fairly effective.

Go try and rally up a group of pubbys to stack up on an entrance the way you're supposed to in real life. You'll get a big "F-ck you."

redman0123 wrote:I know the SL SHOULDNT go first, but in reality, squad members infront of the SL usually dont know where they're going or what they are doing. Besides, this is a game. There is a limit to how much technical stuff people are going to put up with before they decide its just too much. Sure you could have a perfectly trained organized group of players that stack up in a row of five.... but I doubt many average players feel like dedicating themselves to the game that much.

Thats the problem with these "tactic" forums. WAAYY too impracticale. My methods are easy to use, and easy to teach people on the fly, and are fairly effective.

Go try and rally up a group of pubbys to stack up on an entrance the way you're supposed to in real life. You'll get a big "F-ck you."

LOL
Great guide
If you get to a second round and have most of the same people in the squad, then you can go for line formation etc.

I just want to rant on my pet peeve, spacing.
Redman has it on the dot, DO NOT Bunch up.
A reason not mentioned is that one guy getting seen may not draw a response but if a whole squad is spotted, you are more likely to get people backtracking your trail looking for a RP.

Redman also mentioned corners but that lesson applies at all times.
The whole squad should not all be looking in the same direction.
When you are in a line and fighting, the medic should be covering the rear and staying out of the line of fire.
But whenever you are not moving the squad should be looking 360.

Using the T menu to dropo markers, or even a quick peek into the caplok map can allow you to have other squadmembers take point.
I played Sunday night for several hours in a squad whose language I didn't understand at all( Finnish/Swedish ? ) but the SL and most the members knew what they were doing so I could integrate w/o being able to understand the VIOP.
Of course VIOP is better, but using markers makes it easier to communicate across language barriers and makes your intentions clear.
Short markers, never really more than 100m, and then you hopscotch across the map with the squad intact.

Swedish/Finnish? :S The two are NOTHING alike. ^^
Thats like saying: "they were either speaking German or Chinese, I couldn't tell." XD

no it isn't
I have heard both Chinese and German and can identify them.
To you it may be easy to tell the difference but I don't know even a word in either language so I was guessing based on the fact that one guy had "FIN" after his name.
It could have been Swahili they were speaking for all I know.

Swedish sounds very similar to German. ^_^

Then maybe it was Finnish because I would have guessed Dutch if it sounded like German LOL
But the point wasn't the language they were speaking but that common tactics can be used w/ little or no VIOP comms.

That and the fact that most Europeans know better english than Americans.

Lol, seriously though Euros seem to almost always have a rudimentary understanding of English, at least enough to understand "Go here, shoot that."

Hi,
I have never planned that much mostly i try to go open and finish it up as early as possible

_TeilyN_ wrote:In the third movie, those canadians look rather sloppy to me. Perhaps draftees?

I dont know if it looks sloppy as much as staged for the camera. You'll notice the crowd. They could be learning the techniques or just camera wary.

Mostly the point is to show the way they deploy into the room, not how much it looks like a crack SWAT team.

Firing angles are important. its easy to tell one guy to cover east, another west, and anything more specific put a move marker, stand on the spot, and say "I want that SAW facing that gap (uses marker) and call out your contacts and fire".

I've done it many times with random pubbies. The hardest part is you knowing how to use them. Telling them what without why is easy.

Again for room clearing, its easy enough to say "wait by that door, first guy moves to the left the second to the right and clear the room and hold at the next doorway".

It does also take the luck of having people in your squad who at least have a brain and some interest in tactical play even if theyre not so well versed.

This guide, imho, is the best I've read so far. Seeing as redman takes into account that not everyone is as hardcore as others. Some, sadly, are plain dumb or they think it's counterstrike and they can run and gun everyone that crosses their path. This guide is simple and rather clear.

The one problem I did have, that someone else pointed out, was the SL going first. It's as much a horrible idea as it is a necessity when playing with a group of people you don't know and of varying skill levels. As well, this can be alleviated if the SL is placing new RP's at the shortest interval possible.


Anyways, awesome guide.

P.S. The Canadians in the third video are admittedly not that skilled. I think one of them commented and said as much.