With the big WvW updates looming, the Scrying Pool sets its sights on the commander and squads.

Currently, there is almost no mini-map functionality. While the three icons will show at the edges of the mini-map when they are off-screen, commanders have to open the world map to select between the default personal waypoint and the three extra commander icons. Clicking into the mini-map will only allow placing the personal waypoint. Another map feature that would make squads useful is showing all the squad members as dots on the map. This feature is currently available with normal parties, and having this as part of squads would make the need for being in both parties and squads irrelevant. With dots on the map being the only party feature missing from squads, having map dots with squads would allow squads to replace the party system and UI space where players can either be in a party or squad but not both.

The last current feature ties into what is probably the biggest feature missing from squads. The chat command is the only way to compile a list of players in the current squad. Not only is this command only available to the current commander, using it will spam the commander's chat by listing each party member on a separate line in the chat window. Trying to form squads for my guild's bounty mission involved constantly spamming myself to query who had joined my squad (in case you didn't know, squads work in PvE).

Not only would a UI element be helpful to commanders in freeing them from constantly typing in this command and getting the spam, it could also be visible to squad members who currently have no way to see who else is in the squad. Having members not able to see a squad list also creates the problem that they don't realize they are kicked from the squad when they switch characters, something that doesn't happen when switching characters in normal parties.

Speaking of joining and kicking of members, commanders currently have no control of who is in their squad. After opening up the squad anyone can join it and commanders have no ability to kick members other than disbanding the squad and kicking everyone. Not only do commanders have no ability to kick players from the squad, they also can’t invite players to the squad. The only way for players to join a squad is for the members to join themselves by right clicking the Commander's icon or avatar picture or by typing in /squadjoin [Commander Name]. Not having the ability to invite players makes forming multiple squads to tackle guild missions much more difficult than it needs to be. So giving commanders the ability to invite and kick players as well as giving some privacy setting for players joining such as closed (can't join themselves), open (can join themselves, as it is currently) and by confirmation where an accept/decline option pops up similar to how the party system works.

Something that is needed for commander is a newbie guide. Using the commander book does nothing. Finding out how to start a squad the first time took a lot of searching before locating it hidden under the party creation menu. Then finding out how to create the new map icons and learning the two special commander chat commands involved going to the wiki to see what all a commander can do.

ArenaNet’s statement that it is making improvements to “the commander system as a whole” not only creates the idea of making improvements to the commander's features, but also in how commander is actually obtained. Currently, obtaining commander involves buying the Commander's Compendium for 100g and using it. That's it.

While commander and squad can be used in PvE, it is still largely considered to be a WvW feature where commanders lead their server’s masses. Since launch, one complaint about commander has been that being a commander puts people in a leadership position when it is very possible they have never even played WvW before. Even now the blue icon has become more of a status of money icon than a position of command.

So how would we get Commander? ->