Solving the problem of poor coordination during the match

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TL;DR: A proposed tactical system where an elected Team Commander uses 6 context-adaptive buttons to group players by name and link parallel tasks (e.g., Group A suppresses while Group B assaults). No hard constraints, zero penalties for lone wolves, and unique XP/Silver rewards for support roles (suppression, building). Ends with a cinematic Victory Flag raising.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been thinking about the core coordination problem in Enlisted. Right now, AI soldiers are often too passive, players tend to act as lone wolves, and there is no structured way to combine infantry, armor, and air support into a single, cohesive tactical plan.

I’d like to propose a new system that keeps the game accessible for casual players but adds meaningful, squad-level coordination—without forcing anyone to follow orders blindly.

Note: English is not my native language, so I used an AI assistant to help translate my thoughts clearly. I apologize in advance for any minor phrasing issues!

  1. Core Concept

At the start of each match, an algorithm selects one player as the Team Commander, based on their recent performance or overall experience.

  • The Workflow: The Commander opens the tactical map and creates a plan using a set of adaptive command buttons. They assign specific players to specific tasks by name, manually link dependent orders together, and submit the plan for a quick team vote (15–20 seconds).
  • The Vote: If the majority approves, the plan goes live. If not, the match continues as normal—no penalties, no interruptions.
  • Dynamic, Parallel Tasks: The plan is not a rigid, linear sequence. It consists of parallel group tasks running simultaneously based on the Commander’s logic. For example: Group A clears a building and holds it to provide suppressive fire, while Group B simultaneously assaults the objective.

The Commander links the fire support order to the assault order. The fire support remains active until the assault is “exhausted” (defined as objective capture influence remaining unchanged for approximately 1 minute). There are no hard restrictions or minimum player requirements per group—the Commander simply uses their judgment, picks players by name, and links tasks manually.

  1. The Six Adaptive Command Buttons

To prevent UI clutter and a steep learning curve, there are only six buttons. Their labels and success conditions automatically adapt depending on whether your team is currently attacking or defending:

Button Attacking Team Logic Defending Team Logic Success Condition
1. Assault Marks a capture point for attack. Orders a counter-attack against a breakthrough. Capturing the point / Pushing enemies out of the sector.
2. Defense Marks a flank protection line. Marks the main defensive line. No enemy breakthrough across this line for 2–3 minutes.
3. Clear / Secure Marks a building/area to clear before the main push. Orders a counter-clear of nearby ruins or approaches. No enemies remain within the designated radius for 60–90 seconds.
4. Construction Orders the creation of a Rally Point or cover. Orders the construction of bunkers, sandbags, or MG nests. Structure is built and remains intact for 30–60 seconds with no nearby enemies.
5. Movement Shows the recommended attack route (Arrow). Marks a tactical withdrawal route (Arrow). None (Guidance only, no mandatory path).
6. Fire Support Creates a suppressive fire line on an enemy position. Orders Defensive Barrage fire along an expected approach. Active firing toward the zone while the linked order is live.

Crucial Mechanic for Fire Support: The Commander manually links this to another order (e.g., Assault). The support order stays active until the linked assault exhausts. Those providing suppressive fire receive their rewards even if the overall assault fails—because they did their job.

  1. How Group Assignment Works

The Commander opens the interface, sees the full team roster, selects players by name, and groups them. For example:

  • Group 1 (5 specific players): Clear the building, then hold it and provide Fire Support.
  • Group 2 (4 specific players): Assault the capture point.

The Commander then links Group 1’s Fire Support to Group 2’s Assault. The UI clearly shows Group 1 that their suppression duty is vital to Group 2’s push. There are no artificial player limits; it relies entirely on the Commander’s tactical judgment.

  1. Tanks and Aircraft (Combined Arms)

Vehicles interact with the same six adaptive buttons but utilize role-specific logic. Commanders can assign tankers or pilots by name just like infantry players:

  • Tanks: Assigned to Fire Support or Barrage orders, shelling a marked zone while infantry advances. Alternatively, they can be assigned a Clear or Construction sub-task, such as destroying enemy fortifications (barricades, walls) to clear a path for foot soldiers. Success is granted if the vehicle actively fires into the zone during the linked order’s duration.
  • Aircraft: Participate via two specialized roles: Recon (the pilot flies along a designated line, automatically spotting enemy armor and troop concentrations on the map) or Air Strike (delivering ordnance into a marked zone). To prevent spam and maintain balance, these roles consume a limited support resource per match.
  1. Rewards and Motivation

This system relies entirely on positive reinforcement. There are zero penalties for ignoring a plan. If you want to play as a lone wolf, you can—you just don’t get the extra bonuses.

  • Task Completion Bonus: When a task succeeds, all assigned participants receive a temporary in-match boost (e.g., +10% XP from kills within the plan’s zone for 30 seconds—helpful, but not combat-altering).
  • Support Role Recognition: Players doing the “thankless” work (suppressive fire, barrage, building rally points) receive guaranteed XP and Silver even if the linked main assault fails.
  • Flawless Execution Bonus: If the entire team executes the plan smoothly and wins quickly, everyone gets an increased end-of-match reward multiplier.
  1. Victory Flag Finale (Attackers Only)

If the final tactical plan on the last objective is completed quickly (within 3–5 minutes) and flawlessly (all sub-tasks succeeded), a Victory Flag spawns on the map.

Any player can pick it up. It occupies a weapon slot and slightly reduces movement speed. The player must carry it to a pre-marked flagpole on high ground. Once raised, the match ends with a cinematic, highly rewarding moment visible to all allies.

Note on Balance: The match is technically already won the moment the last point is captured. The flag-raising is a purely decorative, post-victory celebration. To ensure the experience is epic and cinematic, remaining AI and enemy players receive a massive temporary debuff at this point, meaning any parting resistance is purely visual and cannot alter the match outcome. Defenders do not have this mechanic; they win normally by draining the attacker’s tickets.

Why This Fits Enlisted Perfectly:

  1. Authentic Historical Atmosphere: Combined arms coordination, rolling barrages, defensive engineering, and a climactic flag-raising mirror real WWII tactical doctrines.
  2. Reduced Map Chaos: A single unified plan with a voting system prevents competing orders and map clutter. Time-limited markers keep the UI clean.
  3. Fair Rewards for Support Players: Engineers and support gunners finally get the recognition and progression rewards they deserve.
  4. Accessible Depth: The six context-adaptive buttons mean there is no steep learning curve for casual players, yet it offers incredible depth for tactical squads.
  5. Cinematic Conclusion: The Victory Flag provides an emotional, memorable finale to a hard-fought match, replacing the sudden, plain “Mission Accomplished” text screen.

I would love to hear the community’s and developers’ thoughts on this. How do you think this could be tuned or adapted to fit Enlisted’s current mechanics?

Best regards!