Scorpio's Guide on How to be a Better Team Player (Borderlands 2)
ONLINE STATUS
If you're ONLINE, that is, playing Borderlands 2, and I have a spot open for co-op, I will probably send you an invite, unless you suck, in which case you're forever alone.
If you do not wish to play with others, set your status for OFFLINE. On the 360, You can do this by pressing the Select button on the main screen and choosing offline. I'm sure the PC/PS3 has something similar. USE IT!
If you're ONLINE all the time, and I send you invites all the time, and you don't respond, I'll be deleting you from my friends list, because, well what's the point of having you there.
LOOTING PROTOCOLS
1. When we come across a gun chest/porta-potty/trunk, we take turns taking it, alphabetically. When it's your turn for a chest, you're entitled to everything in it, to do with as you please. You can keep them all to yourself, sell them, or let the other folks pick over the loot.
2. Loot drops from enemies. When you kill an enemy and they drop loot, the loot stays where it is until the firefight is over and the immediate area is clear of enemies. Then we can go back and pick over the area. Everybody gets to have a look at the loot before anyone picks anything up. If more than one person wants it, you duel for the loot.
* Loot as referred to above applies only to equipable items. Guns, shields, class mods, grenade mods, relics. Ammo, money, and eridium is automatically distributed amongst the squad.
3. Don't be selfish, share. If you have an item that you may not really need but that item may be an upgrade to somebody else in the squad, ask around. When your squadmates are lagging in the weapons department you're only hurting yourself. On that note, use class mods that help the TEAM. It's nice that you're putting out +20% Critical Hit damage on your Sniper Rifle, but it's even nicer when you're equipping a class mod that gives +20% Weapon Accuracy to the ENTIRE TEAM.
COMMUNICATION
Get a mic. If you have one, learn to use it. Communicate! It's fucking annoying playing with people who don't talk.
Some lingos that we use while playing co-op.
Contact! (front, left, right, rear) - Tells your squad you've got enemy contact, because it sucks to engage Badass Psychos when the rest of your squad is still collecting loot far far away from you.
Engaging - You're ready to light things up.
Pushing/Moving - You're ready to move on to the next area/room/building.
Flanking - Let your teammates know you're moving off to the sides of the engagement.
Fallback/Falling Back - You're getting your assess kicked, fall back to consolidate, reload, regroup, rearm. Generally you want to fall back to a choke point where you can slow the enemy down and chuck frags.
Shields Down - Usually means your shields are depleted and you're taking cover/not putting out fire for a bit.
Man Down! - You're down and you need help. If you're close to getting a Second Wind kill and can get back up yourself, don't bother calling Man Down.
Reloading - If you've got a slow reloading weapon let the squad know so they can make up for the slack and make sure they don't run dry.
Frag OUT! - Means you're throwing a grenade at the enemy
Grenade/NADE! - Means an incoming grenade, move your ass. Do not confuse with the above.
Hold / Stand Fast - That means "don't push that red button that releases the hounds of hell on us."
Charlie Mike - Continue Mission
Some mics are crappy and don't pick up the first syllable of a spoken word. One syllable responses won't cut it. Repeat yourself, and often. Yes-yes. No-no-no. Better yet, use the military's solution to this problem by using "Affirmative" and "Negative".