In any team-based shooter game, communication is important. All players do it, but not enough do it well. Any gamer can call out where a player is and what they are doing, but it’s the keywords that make a difference. Learning how to communicate effectively will improve everything you do in Fortnite. Knowing where players are and what is going on around you is always important. Conveying this information can be the difference between a win, a loss or a few kills.
Teammates flanking the last enemy from two angles // In game capture by Nicholas Rivera
The most important thing to do in any situation is paint a picture for your team. When you describe anything to a teammate, they need to be able to see the situation without looking at it. Using descriptions with a location, number of teammates, position on the ground, etc. The goal is to make your teammate knows what’s going on without seeing it. This is what painting the picture is.
If someone says “there are guys to your right, close-by” that’s only a piece of the puzzle. Ideally, the callout to your teammate would be something like “two guys north next to gas station, one is up top”. This not only helps your teammate know where to look, but where the enemies are located and how many there are. This makes engaging them very easy since all the hard stuff is done, and execution is all that remains.
The compass on the top center screen of every Fortnite game is not there on accident. The coordinates on the compass show different directions any player can be. Sometimes players are caught up in the action and they need to focus on the situation at hand. The compass allows players to give a quick direction of enemies if their exact location is unknown. It is also very useful if the player doesn’t know all of the details on the enemy squad. If your team starts getting rushed from one side, a simple ” there are guys pushing you southwest” is all you need. Not too much info, but it is enough for teammates to brace themselves from that side. The compass also helps give a very direct location if there are no landmarks nearby. “Two guys 330 by the tree” sounds a lot better than “two guys by that tree over there”.
In game compass // In game capture by Nicholas Rivera
Call-outs are essential if you want to play well. There are plenty of players who play well but communicate very poorly. Solos and duos/squads are two different beasts. In solos, players can enjoy the alone time and kill at their pleasure. In duos/squads, players need to remember to talk and not get tunnel vision. Without call-outs, there will be no backup. This means if a player gets stuck fighting off a team and doesn’t say anything, they will most likely die. Not only is this bad for that player, but for the rest of the team as well. Now your team is stuck a man down because you could not communicate effectively.
Teammates pushing in a 2v1 situation // in game capture by Nicholas Rivera
Call-outs are also important when moving as a team. Knowing where your teammates are at all times is important as it helps decide how to attack the situation. Players who are all close by may want to attack a situation differently than a squad who is spread out. Letting your teammates know what way you are coming into battle helps them know when and where to attack. If a player who wants to flank calls it out, players in front can start shooting creating a distraction. This allows the player on the side to get an easy knockdown, giving them a 2v1 or 4v3 advantage. If there is no callout on this type of play, the enemy squad could notice your team is split, and rush the solo teammate alone, causing a 3v4, putting your team on defense.
Being efficient just comes down to communicating your thought using the least amount of words possible. When players don’t quickly say what they mean to say during callouts, it makes the process way longer. For example, “There are a few players..uh…southwest of here. There are a few guys, wait, one guy on the hill..”. Every squad always has this guy, and it doesn’t help the team at all. Know what you want to call out, say it precise and effective so that there is no confusion. The more talking and chatter in the group, the less focus there is on the game. If players are trying to figure out where the enemies are, there’s a lot less time to capitalize if they are weak or healing. Moving on teams fast and accurate help win fights, making you better and the squad more cohesive.
Feature Image Courtesy of @_NicholasRivera
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