WARCOMMS / DEV HUB
Get your clan connected.
Setup help for server admins. A quick guide for players. References for people building alongside WarComms.
Use your existing Discord account. You don’t need to create a bot or own a War Dogs game server.
START HERE · SERVER ADMINS
Set up your Discord server
- Add WarComms.
Choose Add bot to server on the home page and complete Discord’s installation screen. Then use Sign in with Discord to open your server on the website. Sign-in and bot installation are separate actions.
- Choose who can use WarComms.
Open Server settings and select allowed Discord roles if access should be restricted. Leave the list empty to allow all server members.
- Create your first session.
Press Create session in the lobby. Name the session, set squad names and sizes, and choose Manual staging or Fill staging. Commander mode is the default. In Squad leader mode there is no commander; you start as the first squad leader and all squad leaders can manage the session.
- Bring your players in.
Players sign into WarComms and join your session. Open the session’s staging channel in Discord. They can choose squads themselves. Assign squad leaders from the session roster when you’re ready.
FROM STAGING TO SQUAD COMMS
How it works
Choose Commander mode or Squad leader mode. Voice in Discord, controls in WarComms.
ONE TEAM. LAYERED COMMS.
Watch your session take shape
Create a named session first. WarComms builds its category and staging channel, then players join that staging.
- 01
Create or join a session
Sign in and create or join a session. WarComms creates its named category and staging channel. Use Open session staging to join that voice channel in Discord.
- 02
Pick your squad
Join an active session, then press Join squad on the squad you want. WarComms moves your voice with you. Fill staging sessions can assign you automatically.
- 03
Bring leaders together
In Commander mode, commanders use Gather leaders, and leaders can call the commander. In Squad leader mode, squad leaders can call another leader individually or bring one into their own squad. Only the assigned commander can gather all leaders or call everyone. End the call to return everyone to their saved voice channels.
Screenshots show the real controls. Available buttons depend on your session role. Squads default to push-to-talk. Squad leaders and session managers can switch their squads to open comms. Keep WarComms open for voice announcements.
LOOK DOWN. TAP. TALK.
Your phone or tablet is your comms panel.
Open the same session on your second screen. Keep Discord voice on your gaming device. The same workspace keeps calls and your selected squad in view, with staging and the war log one tap away.
Interactive illustration using the real touch controls. No Discord actions or audio are sent. Try a call, return players, or switch to Member and join a squad. Tablet and desktop offer the full workspace. On phones, server managers can open Server settings from Session tools.
SERVER REFERENCE
What WarComms manages
| Setting | How it works |
|---|---|
| Staging areas | Each area uses its own voice channel and session list. Names and existing Discord categories stay in place. Finish an area’s sessions before replacing or removing its channel. |
| Session categories | Each session gets its own category and the squad channels you requested. Commander mode also creates a commander channel above the squads. Squad leader mode has no commander channel; a shared squad leader comms channel is created for briefings when needed. The category uses the session name and includes its own staging channel. A private briefing channel is created when needed, separate from the commander’s home channel. |
| Squad leader mode | Every squad leader can manage squads and end the session. Call another leader individually, visit a squad, or bring a leader into your own squad channel. Gathering all leaders and calling everyone require an assigned commander; server management access does not grant these call powers. Return players sends them to their saved previous channels. Ordinary squad members cannot start or end leader calls. Both modes close automatically after 180 seconds without enrolled players in session voice. |
| Automatic leadership handoff | Server settings can enable automatic replacements when a commander or squad leader leaves. By default, the highest Discord role wins, with longest time in the session as the tiebreaker. You can instead prioritize session tenure, with Discord rank breaking ties. Voice disconnects have a configurable grace period, defaulting to 10 seconds; reconnecting in time keeps leadership. Choosing “Hand over & leave” hands over immediately. Replacements must be connected to the session’s voice channels and allowed to use WarComms. Squad leaders are replaced from their own squad; a leader taking command needs an eligible replacement if squad members remain. If nobody qualifies, leadership stays assigned until someone is available. Returning after a completed handoff does not reclaim leadership. Discord server roles are unchanged. |
| Access roles | Members need any one of the Discord roles selected in Server settings. With none selected, all server members can use WarComms. Owners, administrators, and members with Manage Server retain configuration access. Choosing allowed roles does not assign those roles or grant management permissions. New session categories use the selected roles; existing channels keep their permissions and people already in voice are not disconnected. |
| Quick calls and requests | On phones, expand Session calls for large controls. Commanders can gather leaders, call everyone, or select a squad to call its leader or members. Squad leaders can call their commander, their own squad or another leader individually. Commanders and leaders can visit another squad without moving its members. Ordinary members, including server managers without a leadership role in the session, cannot start calls. Members request orders from their own squad leader; leaders request orders from the commander. In Squad leader mode, Request a plan notifies the other leaders. Requests appear in the war log, pulse the squad card and notify the recipients without moving anyone. Each player can send one request every 30 seconds. Push-to-talk changes the selected squad’s channel requirement, not your microphone setting; only leaders and session managers can change it. |
| Manual staging | Members choose squads or the commander assigns them. Choose 1–10 members per squad, including the leader. |
| Fill staging | Players who join the website session are automatically assigned to available squads. Choose a required fill size; the bot creates more squads as needed, up to five in one session. When all five are full, players wait in staging until a place is available or a squad is enlarged. |
| Session limits | WarComms is free, with up to two active sessions per server, 50 participants including the commander per session, and five squads of up to 10 members each. Commander-mode sessions have one commander channel; each session has its own staging channel. A player belongs to one active session at a time. Discord’s own channel and server limits still apply. |
| War log | Each session gets a read-only Discord text log. The website shows recent assignments, moves, calls and requests for orders. Its temporary log clears at session completion or bot restart. The Discord log stays after the session category is removed, keeping its access permissions; server administrators manage its retention. Log delivery is batched and can have gaps during outages. |
| Ending and cleanup | After 180 seconds with no enrolled players in session voice, the session closes. Ending normally returns eligible players to its staging area. Empty managed session channels are removed. Occupied staging stays until everyone leaves, then it and the empty category are removed. Discord war logs stay in the persistent WarComms category alongside the guide; session categories contain voice channels only. |
| Voice and map access | Staging, commander and briefing channels require push-to-talk. Squad leaders and session managers can toggle push-to-talk per squad; off allows Discord Voice Activity without changing personal input settings. New session categories use the server’s allowed WarComms roles at creation. Later role-setting edits do not automatically update existing channel permissions. |
Bot permissions
WarComms needs View Channels, Connect, Speak, Use Voice Activity, Move Members, Manage Channels, and Manage Roles. The bot uses these to create channels, enforce push-to-talk, and route connected players. The persistent read-only guide also needs Send Messages, Embed Links, and Read Message History. War Logs also needs Create Private Threads, Send Messages in Threads, and Manage Threads. Sessions get private threads which archive after ending. It does not need Administrator.
Use Voice Activity is retained by the bot so it can manage the push-to-talk permission. Squads default to push-to-talk but can allow open comms; Discord administrators retain Discord’s permission bypass.
QUICK FIXES
If something isn’t working
I can’t find my server or server settings.
Check that you signed in with the right Discord account and belong to the server. Installing WarComms and editing its server settings require appropriate server management permissions. If prompted, reconnect Discord so WarComms can list your servers.
I’m in staging, but I haven’t joined a squad.
Being in voice does not enroll you. Join an active session on the website, then use Join squad. In Fill staging mode, assignment starts when you join that website session.
A player isn’t moving.
Join a Discord voice channel first—the bot cannot connect your microphone for you. Check the staging-area access, the bot’s permissions, and whether the squad is full. Use Reconnect voice or Join squad to retry a failed move.
I can’t hear announcements.
Open the Blurbs control near the top of the page, or in the session header, and choose Enable audio. Check that your browser tab isn’t muted and keep WarComms open. The waveform animates while a Blurb plays. Spoken announcements explain upcoming moves; completed moves don’t play an extra confirmation.