If you join the Game of someone else - a few simple rules

Never forget that you join the game of someone else, it is not your game and it´s a team game.
So here is what you should avoid or should do (from a long time player with over 2000h in game)
- Most basic advice: The rules are not set in stone, but talk to your team before ignoring them.

1. Do not run away right after joining.
   It doesn´t matter why (getting a missed tome, think of yourself as a race car,...), nor does it matter if you´re going back or ahead. The reasons are
   - if you get away you will draw the bots with you (if there are any), leaving the host to fight alone.
   - if you get too far away from the group, the game will start spawning specials to jump you.
   - if you go ahead and trigger a boss, you got to fight it alone.
   - There are points on several maps, where you need the team to be assembled to progress.
   - it is a coop team game!
2. If your character is already carrying a Tome or Grim when you join, do not leave the tome behind or shred the grim to pieces. Someone has put in some effort or done real work to get it and you should handle that with respect.
   Some teams want to collect all tomes and grims or maybe do an achievement. They will most likely tell you when you join.
3. Don´t use up all the healing for yourself. If you need to do so, you probably joined a difficulty you are not skilled enough for yet. If one of your teammates is going down, it´s just as bad as if you are going down. Try to keep the team in good shape.
4. Don´t join Champion or higher difficulties as soon as you can, unless you got the skill, the skill tree and the equipment for it. Nothing is to be gained here for you.
   - You won´t get more experience points
   - you won´t get better weapons faster
   - you´re only dragging your team down
   (the best equipment you can get, is +/- 5 of the best epuipment you already own. Nothing will change that)
   - Speak to your team and ask if they are willing to drag you through at least. Some groups will do it.
5. Don´t use everything you get your hands on right away. Bombs are for bosses or patrols, firebombs are for hordes, potions should be used at the right time by the player who is most effective with it. - this is getting more important the higher the difficulty is.
6. Talk / write to your team, before taking up Grimoirs. Don´t grab just anything you see.
   - if you die, the grim is gone for good. Maybe another player can do a better job (the tanks)
   - not every group is suited to carry 2 Grims on high difficulty, so ask before taking it
   - there is an approved mod called "Sticky Grim" that will make it very hard to rip apart a grim by mistake.
7. There are no "ranged characters" in the game!
   - no, we won´t leave all the ammo for you
   - if you´re useless without ammo, you´re useless all over.
   - everybody has to fight in close combat in addition to shooting
   - Shooting is for specials, monsters and elites for the most part, not for hordes of slaverats.
   - careful what you shoot at when on Champion or above. You might hurt your team badly.
   - Grenades do team damge on champion or above too, don´t nuke your own team.
8. Learn the basics before joining others on high difficulty!
   - know your skill tree
   - know how to block, dodge and push (block-right mouse, dodge-right/left/back and space at the same time)
   - hold down block if reviving a teammate (right mouse button)
   - know how to mark enemies and objects (T)
   - know your weapon and how to make good use of it (every Weapon has a description and the dummies are in the castle for a reason).
   - know the way through the map!
   - do not ask for those things in the heat of combat
   - You can learn all those things fast by playing with bots or playing on a lower difficulty.
9. Don´t carry barrels through the map
   - no use in carrying a barrel for more than 10 yards. Either you need it now or you don´t.
   - some explosive barrels are needed to progress in the map or to open secret passages. Not every barrel is ment to be exploded randomly
   - in 8 out of 10 you will hurt your team with the barrel more than you hurt the enemy
   - if another player is positioning a barrel in a spot, he might know why he did that. Leave it there.
10. Games are ment to be fun!
    - Don´t insult or troll other players, keep fighting and helping instead of typing bs
    - s*it happens, don´t get mad
    - be a teamplayer and help the team in any way you can. You can´t win alone (otherwise what are you doing in my game) so assist your team.
    - adapt to the playstyle of the team, cause (as said right at the start) you´re joining the game of someone else. It is NOT your game unless you are the host.

Last but not least. If a player is not follwoing those simple rules, hold down TAB, rightclick anywhere on the screen to keep it open, click on the "!" mark on the players right. This will kick him instantly if you are the host and no other players are with you. Ohterwise the rest of the players have to vote "Yes" in the same way (just ment for real annoying players). In the same screen you can mute players if they talk "too much or too loud" or playing loud music.

One last tip, as some people struggle with it and endlessly tell other players to take something:
If you want a bot to take any object, even if it is a grim or tome, here is how to do it:
- Look at the objekt and press and hold "T"
- select the bot you want to take it with the curser and press left mouse key
- TURN AWAY AND LOOK TO THE GROUND or simply walk off. If you keep staring at it the bot will take forever to get to you or won´t take it at all. If you don´t look at the object or the bot, he will magically take it, even if far away.
- If you let bots carry tomes and grims, you are free to use potions and bombs (wich bots never do) and healing (wich bots rarely do).

Thank you for paying attention. I hope I could help a little to improve your gaming experience.