\documentclass[a4paper]{article}

\input{../preamble.tex}

% Metadata
\title{Triple Trouble Commanding Guide}
\author{Peter Parker IV \& others}
\date{2019-07-15 \color{gray}r0}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

\input{../legals.tex}

\begin{abstract}
  This guide should give you an introduction of how commanding Triple Trouble works.
  Furthermore, it can be used as a reference text if you need to look up some information related to the event or being a commander.

  This guide is written from the perspective of a TTT\footnote{\textcolor{red}{Triple} \textcolor{yellow}{Trouble} \textcolor{blue}{Team}(speak), see \url{https://gw2ttt.com}} commander, but of course, a lot of information is generally applicable to the event and not limited to a specific team.
\end{abstract}

\newpage
\tableofcontents
\newpage

\section{Introduction}

If you are reading this guide, you have probably already joined the event as a \enquote{normal} participant and you are interested in learning more about the behind-the-scenes actions, or you are even thinking about trying to command yourself.
This guide should explain some of the commander mechanics to you, and also act as a reference point regarding the mechanics which are involved.

Some parts of this guide apply to Guild Wars 2 in general, some of them apply to Triple Trouble generally, and some of them apply to TTT specifically.
As such, depending on your background and intentions, not everything that is said here will hold true for you.

Generally speaking, your job as a commander consists of the following parts, which will be explained in greater detail below:

\begin{itemize}
  \item
    \emph{Organizing}:
    As a commander, it is your job to set up a squad, advertise it, get people into it and make sure that you have the minimum amount of people for your head and that you have all the special roles that you need.

  \item
    \emph{Explaining}:
    Since we cannot assume that everyone who joins us knows about the event already or how the mechanics work, we start the event by doing a so-called \enquote{dry-run}, which consists of the commander walking the squad through the event in the in-game chat and/or on TeamSpeak.
    Depending on the available time, those dry-runs can be very short and concise, but they can also be detailed and venturing into more general Guild Wars 2 combat mechanics (explaining boons, might stacking, \textellipsis).

  \item
    \emph{Leading}:
    During the actual event, you are responsible for leading the squad.
    It is on you to make the relevant calls, such as running kegs on Cobalt, killing the Abomination on Amber, filling Colors on Crimson, etc.

  \item
    \emph{Coordinating}:
    Since coordination is key for this event, it is your job to stay in touch with the other commanders and keep them updated about the state of your wurm head.
    Conversely, you should be aware of the state of the other two heads.
\end{itemize}

Depending on the team/community that you run wurms with, there can be some other organizational tasks such as keeping track of runs in a spreadsheet, or giving/receiving feedback with other commanders.


\section{General (Squad) Mechanics}

This section should give you an overview over some general game and squad mechanics that are applicable for more than just Triple Trouble.

The wiki also has a good overview over a lot of squad mechanics, see \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Squad}{the \emph{Squad} article}.
If you already know how squads are working in Guild Wars 2, or if you prefer to read the wiki article about it, feel free to skip this section.


\subsection{Tagging Up}

The ability to tag up is an account-wide upgrade that you can purchase for 300 Gold and 250 Badges of Honor by buying either the \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Commander%27s_Compendium}{Commander's Compendium} or the \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Catmander%27s_Compendium}{Catmander's Compendium}.
Depending on which compendium you bought, you will have access to either the normal tags, or the catmander tags.
You can also buy both for a combined price of 450 Gold, giving you access to both types of tags.

Note that there is no functional difference between the normal tag and the catmander tag.
Only the icon above your head and on the minimap will be different.
As such, you are free to decide for yourself which type of tag you prefer.

Once you have bought the upgrade, you will be able to create squads by clicking the \enquote{party button} in the left side of the screen (default shortcut: P).
By clicking \enquote{Create Squad}, you will activate the tag and open a squad.
You can deactivate your tag again (\enquote{tag down}) by leaving the squad.
Note that the tag and the squad are closely intertwined:
It is not possible to show the tag without having a squad, and creating a squad will always activate your tag.

Once you have created a squad, you can use the party UI to change a few squad settings.

\begin{itemize}
  \item
    \emph{Raid Mode}:
    This option will limit the squad members to 10 and allow you to enter raid instances with your squad.
    For open world events, such as Triple Trouble, you want to leave this option \emph{off}.

  \item
    \emph{Lock All Subgroups}:
    If you enable this option, players will not be able to move themselves between different subsquads anymore.
    For open world events, it doesn't matter too much - the majority of players will stay in subsquad 1 anyway.
    You can use this option if you notice some people moving around a lot without reason.

  \item
    \emph{Allow Members to Send Invites}
    This option will allow other players to invite their friends into the squad.

  \item
    \emph{Allow uninvited players to join?}
    Here you can select if you want other players to be able to join the squad without being invited.
    For open world squads, you generally want this as \enquote{Yes, anyone can join}.
\end{itemize}

Additionally, you are able to select your tag color or switch between tag types here.


\subsection{Subsquad Management}

Each squad can be subdivided into up to 15 \enquote{subsquads}.
For Triple Trouble, subsquads are mostly used to have the special roles (such as eggblockers or husk handlers) in their own group, so that it's easier to see them at a glance.
Additionally, if you use the party chat while in a squad, it will only send the message to your current subsquad - this allows blockers to coordinate without affecting the rest of the zerg.
If you want to message the whole squad, you can use the squad chat (\texttt{/squad} or \texttt{/d}).


\subsection{Markers}

If you are the commander or a lieutenant in a squad, you can place location and object markers.
There are eight markers available:

\newcommand{\markerimg}[1]{\parbox[c]{2em}{\includegraphics[width=2em]{images/mrk-#1.png}}}
\begin{tabular}{cccc}
  \textbf{Icon} & \textbf{Name} & \textbf{Color} & \textbf{Number} \\ \hline
  \markerimg{arrow} & Arrow & lime & 1 \\
  \markerimg{circle} & Circle & purple & 2 \\
  \markerimg{heart} & Heart & red & 3 \\
  \markerimg{square} & Square & blue & 4 \\
  \markerimg{star} & Star & green & 5 \\
  \markerimg{spiral} & Spiral & cyan & 6 \\
  \markerimg{triangle} & Triangle & magenta & 7 \\
  \markerimg{x} & X & yellow & 8 \\
\end{tabular}
\let\markerimg\undefined

By default, you can set a location marker by hovering with your mouse over the location that you want to mark, and then pressing \texttt{Alt + NUMBER}.
You can remove a location marker by hovering over the marked location and pressing \texttt{Alt + NUMBER} again.
Of course, you can re-bind each single marker to a different key in the options.

You can set object markers by selecting an object (such as a player) and then pressing \texttt{Alt + Shift + NUMBER}.
Unlike location markers, object markers will move with their object, and the marker will always be hovering over the object.
You can use the same symbol for a location and an object without unsetting the other one, e.g. you can mark a location with Arrow without losing the object marker Arrow.


\subsection{Squad Broadcasts}

Squad broadcasts are a special way to communicate in squads, in addition to the normal squad chat.
A squad broadcast is a text that will appear in big letters in the middle of every squad member's screen.

\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{images/squad-broadcast-example.png}
  \caption{Example of a squad broadcast.}
\end{figure}

You can create a broadcast by typing the text in the small textbox above the squad UI.
Alternatively, you can use the shortcut \texttt{Shift + Enter} to quickly place your cursor into the broadcast textbox.

\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{images/squad-broadcast-textbox.png}
  \caption{The textbox for squad broadcasts.}
\end{figure}

Note that some in-game messages are also done in the same style as squad broadcasts.
For example, when all extractors are filled at Crimson, a \enquote{broadcast} will announce the burn phase.


\section{Organization}

As a commander, you are not just responsible for being there throughout the event.
There are some additional tasks that you have to do in order to ensure a smooth run.
For this part, we will assume that you have three commanders ready.

First of all, you should find a map.
All the groups and communities that organize Triple Trouble on a regular basis use the \emph{IP Coordination Spreadsheet} in order to not clash with each other.
If you organize a run, make sure that you are on a map that is not yet claimed, and make sure that you claim the map for your group.

In order to find out on which IP you are on, you can use the \texttt{/ip} in-game command.
This will give you back a bunch of numbers separated by a dot, and a \texttt{:0} at the end.
This IP allows you to identify the map instance that you are on.
Normally, the last part before the colon is enough to uniquely identify the map, which is why we only care about that - it is easier to keep one number in mind than 4.

\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{images/ip-output.png}
  \caption{IP output. In this example, \emph{98} would be the relevant number.}
\end{figure}

Make sure to divide the wurm heads between the commanders, so that each commander has a head assigned.
There are no set rules on how to decide, so communicate if you have specific preferences!
As for TTT, keep in mind that trainees have the first pick over fulltags.

Once all commanders are ready and on the correct map, you can tag up by creating your squad.
Usually, the commanders will spread out a bit - the Cobalt squad to the north of \emph{Firthside Vigil Waypoint}, the Amber squad to the east and the Crimson squad to the south.
Make sure that you are not standing right below the waypoint, otherwise your tag will not be visible on the (mini) map.

Now that your squads are open, it is time to get people joining in.
You can advertise your squad on the LFG tool, usually in the \emph{Open World} $\rightarrow$ \emph{World Bosses} category.
You can use the map and say chat to advertise the run to people already on the map and get them to join one of the squads.
And if you are on TeamSpeak or Discord, you can post your \enquote{sqjoin} there, so people can use it to join your squad.

While you are waiting for people to join, make sure that you have the special roles (egg blockers and husk handlers) that you need, and ensure that people in your squad are actually on the correct map as well.

Note that this part should be done about 30 minutes before the event starts.
The later you open your squads and the LFG, the harder it is to get people for the event.
The longer you have to wait for people, the less time you have for explanations and the dry run!


\section{Explanations \& The Dry-Run}

Since we cannot assume that everybody who joins us knows how the event works, we do a small explanation before it starts.
This dry run should contain the most basic knowledge that is needed in order to succeed the event.
The extent of your dry run depends on the time that you have available - if you tag up late, or you are still waiting for people, then a shorter dry run might be needed.
Usually, we try to have around 15 minutes available, by starting the dry run 15 minutes before the \enquote{official} spawn time.

To make your explanations a bit more interesting and turn them into an actual \enquote{dry run}, you can take your squad to your respective arena and walk them through the mechanics.
You can use markers to mark important spots, such as the extractors on Crimson, the keg spots on Cobalt or the stacking spot on Amber.

If you are commanding on TeamSpeak in addition to the in-game chat, make sure that you still post the important information there.
Depending on the amount of listeners on TeamSpeak, you will reach a lot more people that way.
If you have a hard time typing and talking simultaneously, it can be useful to prepare a document with a typed out dry run which you can then just copy and paste into the game.


\section{The Escorts}

The escorts are the pre-event before the actual fight against the wurm heads start.
Three Asuras will start walking from \emph{Firthside Vigil Waypoint} to their respective arenas - Xutt will walk to Cobalt, Yipp will walk to Crimson and Zepp will walk to Amber.
The main thing that you have to watch out for are the \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Great_Jungle_Wurm_Egg}{\emph{Great Jungle Wurm Eggs}}.
If the eggs will not be destroyed in time, they will hatch into \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Great_Jungle_Wurm_Larva}{\emph{Great Jungle Wurm Larvae}}.
If eggs will hatch, focus on clearing the remaining eggs first - remember that eggs can always produce more larvae, but larvae will not produce any more eggs.
You can use projectile reflection or destruction skills to block the larvae's attacks.

Generally, you want to move the whole squad forwards to the next egg location, while only leaving one person behind to \enquote{escort} the NPC.
This single person is enough to get rid of any stray mobs, while the zerg can focus on clearing the eggs as soon as possible.
When the eggs spawn, they will be invulnerable, however they will turn vulnerable once the NPC is close by, which happens fairly fast on Cobalt and Amber.

On each path, there will be a single \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Champion_Partially_Digested_Husk}{\emph{husk}} appearing.
Keep in mind that husks have a very high toughness, so you cannot hurt them by using power damage.
Usually the husk is not a problem with a zerg, as you will have enough conditions getting applied, but it can be worth reminding people about using their condition skills.
This husk is the only mob throughout the whole event that will drop some loot!
None of the other husks, larvae or Veteran Jungle Wurms will drop anything.

Additionally, each escort has its specific achievement - \emph{Wurm Bait} for Amber, \emph{Wurm Phytotoxin Enthusiast} for Crimson and \emph{Wurm Kleptomaniac} for Cobalt.


\subsection{The Amber Escort - Crusader Zepp}

\emph{Crusader Zepp} is the Asura that will investigate the Amber wurm head.
He will start walking east towards \emph{Mentecki Pass}, passing through the cave.
Inside the cave, you will encounter some batches of eggs, veteran wurms and finally the husk just before exiting the cave again.
Make sure that you don't move on too early from the first set of eggs, as you will have some wurms popping up!

The escort achievement \emph{Wurm Bait} will happen just before taking a left turn.
You will see a \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Plague_Carrier_Abomination}{\emph{Plague Carrier Abomination}}.
Once you kill it, it will leave behind a white AoE field - stand inside it to get the achievement!

\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{images/escort-amber-path.png}
  \caption{Path of the Amber NPC.}
\end{figure}

Keep in mind that the \emph{Bogside Camp Waypoint} will be contested throughout the whole event.
Therefore, it's good to let people get the \emph{Whisperwill Waypoint} a bit further to the south.


\subsection{The Crimson Escort - Crusader Yipp}

\emph{Crusader Yipp} is the Asura that will investigate the Crimson wurm head.
He will start walking south towards \emph{Challdar Gorges}, making a turn left after passing the arch just south of \emph{Firthside Vigil Waypoint}.
This is also where the first batch of eggs will be.

As for the \emph{Wurm Phytotoxin Enthusiast} achievement, it will be after the second set of eggs.
There will be a red phytotoxin cloud coming through the passage which connects \emph{Wraithwalker Woods} and \emph{Challdar Gorges}.
You can wait at the top of the hill for the cloud to become stationary, which makes it easier to run through.
Afterwards, an \emph{Elite Jungle Wurm} will pop up next to the cloud, so make sure to kill it before you move on.

The husk on the Crimson escort will be behind the \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Cave-in_Debris}{\emph{Cave-in Debris}}, which you have to destroy in order to proceed with the escort.

\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{images/escort-crimson-path.png}
  \caption{Path of the Crimson NPC.}
\end{figure}

The special thing about the Crimson escort is the potential extra loot that you can get.
If you walk up the hill south-west and to the cave, you may find either a \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Kill_the_crazed_champion_canyon_spider_queen}{\emph{Spider Queen}} or an \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Kill_the_giant_blood_ooze}{\emph{Ooze}}, which can give you some extra champion loot bags.
Additionally, there is a rich platinum vein inside the cave, just after turning right.


\subsection{The Cobalt Escort - Crusader Xutt}

The Cobalt head has the longest escort, and it's the one that usually finishes last.
\emph{Xutt} will walk all the way from \emph{Firthside Vigil Waypoint} over \emph{Sanguine Bay} and \emph{Dredgehat Isle} to \emph{Jelako Cliffrise}.
In addition, Cobalt usually has the most eggs hatching, which means it can be worth taking some reflect skills with you.
When escorting Cobalt, the correct order of destroying eggs is important to prevent most of them from hatching.

The \emph{Wurm Kleptomaniac} achievement will appear on the \emph{Dredgehat Isle}.
A dead pirate NPC will spawn, which you have to revive and then take the \emph{Bottle of Rum} next to it.
Note that the pirate will spawn when the NPC is on the island, so if you run ahead, you might not see it at first.

Make sure that the water between \emph{Dredgehat Isle} and the next batch of eggs is clean, i.e. there are no mobs in there.
The NPC might get stalled otherwise by fighting those mobs.
The husk will appear after the final batch of eggs.

\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{images/escort-cobalt-path.png}
  \caption{Path of the Cobalt NPC.}
\end{figure}

When walking the last miles to the Cobalt arena, make sure that the NPC doesn't get stuck on any stray mobs on the beach, especially if the squad uses mounts to run ahead.
You can also tell people to unlock \emph{Jelako Waypoint}, as it is the closest waypoint to the Cobalt wurm head.

\end{document}
