Last time updated: 6/21/21 at 9:32 PM (15 minute read)
Introduction:
Squad is a 50vs50 tactical shooter set around present day. The game started off as a mod and became it’s own game. The realease of it was 2015. While the game has some history in regards to it’s time being around it only just recently (about a year ago) left the Beta phase which makes it still very much new.
I’ve started playing around Christmas 2020 and have just recently reached 500 hours of playtime on this game. During those 500 hours I’ve learned a lot about the game and it’s players and would like to share my experience here.
The game requires teamplay and communication in order to go the way you would want it to go but that’s of course not all. Individual skill matters, but so does it matter how the rest of your team works and how you work with them to achieve victory (or at least some enjoyable games). Nothing of that is guaranteed when playing Squad since like already stated it requires teamwork and communication. Sadly this often times doesn’t exist and so you have a shitshow of a game where you are just frustrated at your team for not playing the game correctly hence ruining your match.
Frustration and enjoyment:
If that happens you’ll start to lose fun and passion for it. Most people I suppose wouldn’t want to play a game where they’d constantly are dependent on their team in order to have an alright time in it. This is different for me though. I really enjoy the occasional choas the game has but also the tactical planning and gameplay aspects it offers to those who want to use them. I see this as a challenge. To not only work yourself, but also to work in your Squad – as a Squad in a team composed of different kinds of Squads. Of course not everyone is on the same level. You will have players who have just got their first match – paired up with players who are Veterans playing for years.
All of this makes this game very unique and interesting to me. The variety of things you can do is amazing – especially for a shooter which most of the time tend to be very linear gameplay wise.
I’m not saying that Squad can’t be very linear and boring at times but it really just depends on you and the people you play with. Don’t enjoy the often times grindy and uncoordinated mess found on a lot of public servers? – Join a clan and have custom games! Don’t feel like you Squad leader has a functioning brain? – Be a Squadleader yourself!
This game has it all I feel like and it’s potential is big – especially when considering all the amazing mods that are already out there and playable.
Gameplay:
Now onto the gameplay itself. I’ll try to keep this one short and I won’t go in-depth on everything but I’ll try and touch on the most important aspects in detail.
Before playing an official match there are a couple of things you can do:
You can A: do one of two tutorials the game offers offline for new players
or B: go onto the “Training” section and load up into “Jensens Range” which is a training ground also available offline for testing out different factions with their respective guns and vehicles.
You can obviously also change your settings in the “Settings” Menu – but don’t worry you’ll be able to do that in a live game as well. Something to note though is that when wanting/needing to change your microphone for in-game talk you’ll have to restart your game entirely before this change applies. That was a problem for me a few times since I had changed my mic and forgot to reset it to the new one and was leading a Squad trying to talk to them but they couldn’t hear me so keep that in mind if you find yourself in a similar situation.
Now if you’re ready to play and want to join a live game all you’ll have to do is search for a server in either the “Server Browser” which shows licensed whitelisted servers or the “Custom Browser” which mostly features servers requiring a password to join or host new-ish mods. Once you found a server that you want to join just double-click and for you to load into to the match.
At the start of every round you will have to pick a side. Depending on the map and specific layer of that map you’ll have the option to join either the left or right side team. Teams are auto balanced so you will either have to wait to join the side you want to go or just go to the side that has less players.
Once in the so called “Deployment menu” you can join or create a Squad. When you’re in a Squad you’ll have access to the “Squad chat” which by default is set on “B” for push-to-talk to your other Squadmates. If you’re a Squadleader you’ll also have access to the “Command chat” where you’ll be able to directly communicate with the other Squadleaders. You can either press “G” which is set by default to talk to all of the Squadleaders on your team or you can directly call up any Squadleader by using the corresponding number of their Squad on the numpad. This is helpful to avoid unnecessary clutter in the comms of the other Squadleaders if you just need to talk to a specific Squadleader.
Next up you’ll need to choose a class. Classes and the availability of certain classes depend on the faction you’re playing and the rest of your Squad’s picks of certain classes. There so far is no way to customize nor gain any other advantages when picking classes to the other players so everyone is on the same ground as with what they get. Of course different factions have different strengths and weaknesses in their classes and vehicles but they are generally balanced by counterplay.
Picking the right class depends on your Squads needs so either look for what you think could be helpful to your Squad or just directly ask your Squadleader what he wants you to pick.
Now that you have picked a class you’re ready to spawn in. If your joining in late it’s best to ask your Squadleader where you should spawn or at least spawn in close to your Squadmates. One thing to note is that it’s important to stay close to your Squad all the time unless you’re told to otherwise. When you are all spawning at your Main Base make sure to get in the right vehicle. Check for the vehicle your Squadleader is in and join him unless (again) if your told to do otherwise.
Setting up and establishing your ground is going to be next when at the start of a round. As an Infantry Squad you’re either going to built a HAB (spawnbunker) at a FOB you create and move on from there, place down a rally point, advance to the objective or directly engage the enemy.
When playing in a vehicle you want to either set up on a vantage point to potentially try and ambush other enemy vehicles, push up together with your infantry and try to help them get the objectives or rush the enemy on their side of the map.
These different methods work best when used together under the knowledge of you’re Squads task and the development of the match you’re in. Sometimes it’s good to rush, sometimes it’s good to hold back and wait. Either way you want to have as much communication with the other Squads to to know what you’re dealing with to maximise your success.
During the round you’ll see the match unfold. HABs will go down and radios will be destroyed and new ones will ideally be built. In order to have an enjoyable round these things need to be done by either your team or you if nobody is doing it.
Take action and don’t wait around for your friendlies to endlessly spawn on the same compromised HAB without any other good spawn option. Get some of your teammates to help you built up a backup FOB if necessary. Do what has to be done if you want to ensure a good and enjoyable round for you and your team. Remember, Squad isn’t a game that is meant to be played solo. It’s very nature lies in teamwork and communication so if you don’t have any of that than it’s almost guaranteed to go bad.
Keep on trying to communicate as much as possible with your and the other Squads to ensure that you’ll at least know that you’ve tried. Usually you’ll find some success in doing that, even if most of your team isn’t very communicative since there’ll most times be a couple of guys who know what they’re doing on your team.
