So I published my guide titled "How to be Successful in a Regiment" to Steam the other evening (I was writing it while in the middle of a Linebattle you know!). So I decided that since people have had a pretty positive response to it there, I'd post it here as well. Anyway, enjoy. I would reccomened visiting the original to favorite it if you like it, and to see the images that I have within the guide that help illustrate some points.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=128554436# Chapter 1 - Picking a Regiment
When you have stepped into the world of Napoleonic Wars, you have stepped into a world of clans known as "Regiments". These regiments are composed of guys and gals who are passionate about both the period of the Napoleonic Wars and the game itself. The leaders of Regiments dedicate time, and often times money to maintain their regiments. Many regiments decide to join an army so they can participate in Linebattle events. However, these regiments are not limited to just Napoleonic Wars and often times play other games as a group.
Picking a regiment is no small task, as there are many to choose from, each with their own background, history, Faction, and unit type. The first step is to choose one that fits you. You must take into account Regiment size and what unit they are generally during events. There are four primary unit types. Line Infantry, Skirmisher, Cavalry, and Artillery.
Line Infantry regiments tend to be bigger than their counterparts. They generally have between 10-35 active members. Skirmisher regiments are in the ballpark of 5-9 members. Artillery is generally a little larger than Skirmisher with about 15 members, to be divided up between Artillery Guard and the Artillery men themselves. Artillery guards are a handful of men who are tasked with defending the artillery operators and cannons themselves. Finally, Cavalry units are also around 15 members.
However, there are "Super Regiments" of sorts who have a base unit type of Line Infantry and have detachments for Cavalry, Skirmishers, and Artillery. These regiments are very large and average from 35-50 men. They tend to run large servers that are generally always populated.
The factions are Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia, and France.
Once you take these factors into consideration, I would recommend visiting these two boards to find a regiment that you feel fits what you are looking for.
https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/index.php?board=21.0
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/board,283.0.html
Once you have chosen a Regiment, you will need to download the voice chat program Teamspeak which allows you to hang out with the members of the regiment and to hear orders during events. This is the most commonly used program for regiments within the Napoleonic Wars community. Most regiments do not require that you use, or own a microphone (though I strongly recommend it!) but you do need to hear orders somehow.
http://www.teamspeak.com/?page=downloadsChapter 2 - Getting to know the Commands
Once you have chosen a regiment and have joined you will be required to know your basic commands for your chosen regiment type. Here I will cover Line Infantry, as that is what I have the most experience for. If you have more experience in the other types of regiments, and have a list of commands, I would gladly like to put them on this guide.
Basic Line Infantry commands
PTS/Permission to Speak - This is used by Rankers (anyone who is not an officer or entertainment at that moment) to signal that they have something important to saying while PTS is active. Some things may include a spotted enemy regiment, or that you have to go AFK, things of that nature. Different regiments have different rules regarding PTS and it is best to learn what they are for the regiment you chose.
Forward/Forward March/March - Your order to move forward, you wait until the man in front of you has moved before you start moving. You only need to press down the W key on your keyboard. Do not cut corners while moving, move exactly where the man in front of you turns.
Left Face/Left Turn - Your order to move your character's body to the left quickly, should be done quickly and neatly.
Right Face/ Right Turn - Your order to move your character's body to the right quickly, should be done quickly and neatly.
About Face/About Turn - Turn quickly to the side opposite of you.
Halt/Stop - Stop pressing down W to bring your character to a halt.
Line into File/Company into File - The line behind the leader starts forming ranks to either the left or right of the leader, depending on which side was specified.
Company on Me/Regiment on Me - Form a file behind the officer.
Into Double Rank/Form Double Rank - One by one, from the back of the file, a second rank is formed and filled in until both files are equal.
Left Incline - Move to a 45 degree angle to the left while marching. Remember to only do this where the man in front of you does.
Right Incline - Move to a 45 degree angle to the right while marching. Remember to only do this where the man in front of you does.
Left Wheel - Move to a 90 degree angle to the left while marching. Remember to only do this where the man in front of you does.
Right Wheel - Move to a 90 degree angle to the right while marching. Remember to only do this where the man in front of you does.
Left Wheel Post - The man on the extreme left of the line turns to a 45 degree angle to his left, and holds his musket up. The men to his right then for the line to his right. Before you move you must wait for the man to your left to move
Right Wheel Post - The man on the extreme right of the line turns to a 45 degree angle to his right, and holds his musket up. The men to his left then form the line up to his left. Before you move you must wait for the man to your right to move.
Present Arms - Hold down the left mouse button to level your gun and start aiming.
Shoulder Arms - Click the right mouse button to be stop aiming your gun.
Gun Salute - Hold down the left mouse button and aim your gun in the air 45 degrees.
Fire - Release the left mouse button to fire your weapon. Reload right away!
Quick Fire - Depending on the side specified to start, each man fires successively after the man that was assigned to fire before him. Reload right away!
Ripple Fire - Similar to Quick Fire, except at a slower pace. Reload right away!
Platoon Firing - Applicable only in double ranks or more, going from the side the officer specifies each rank will fire. So starting from the right the officer would say "Platoon firing from right to left, FIRE!" and the first rank on the right would fire. Then he would say fire again and the rank to their left would fire on, until all ranks have fired.
Charge - The regiment stops firing, and enters melee mode and runs at the enemy to kill them in melee.Chapter 3 - Regimental Etiquette
Regiment Etiquette can be described as having respect for your fellow regimental members, members of other regiments, and being respectful to public players. So basically, it is to not make you, your regiment, or your team look bad.
Some basic rules to remember
*Be nice, don't be a bully
*Apologize if you teamkill
*Do not hog the artillery on public matches
*Do not troll other regiments or players of other regiments
*Do not impersonate members of other regiments, or other regiments
*Do be respectful of your officers during official events (Linebattles, trainings, promotion ceremonies etc...)
*Do follow regimental rules
If you follow those seven basic steps you can keep your regiment's image up, along with yours. Your risk of being banned will greatly be decreased, and it will be much easier to make friends within the community.
I added the note about artillery on public matches because many times I have seen players fight over the artillery during a public game. They eventually resort to teamkilling because they felt they had more right to use it. This makes you look bad, and if you are part of a regiment it can lead to making your regiment have a bad reputation.
Make sure to learn the rules that your regiment enforces, both during events and while just hanging out. Many of these rules are similar to the ones I posted, as everyone does not want their regiment to have a bad rap.
I can't stress these points enough, it is a community of people who share a common interest and many times it feels as if we are a shattered sheet of ice, if you follow these rules it will fix that, at least a little bit. You will feel more welcome, both within your regiment, and the community as a whole.Chapter 4 - Conclusion
In conclusion, if you follow the rules outlined in this guide, I can almost guarantee that you will have a successful regimental career. Having fun, making memories, and kicking butt with your friends. That is what Napoleonic Wars is all about, and having a good time in a regiment only builds upon that.
Remember that at the end of the day that it is still a game, and you joined a regiment to have fun. Don't take everything as seriously as a job interview, but have a level of formality. Alwaysremember that other regiments are just like you. Guys or girls looking to play a game about the Napoleonic Wars together, with a group of people they enjoy playing with.
I hope that if you are adamant about joining a regiment that after reading this that you have decided to find one you will enjoy.
Former 8th Captain Matt Novosad
