The first mission we played went very well from a casualty point - nobody got hit and we completed all the objectives. Unit cohesion was ok, but there was definitely room for improvement.
The second mission went downhill and it seems people would rather just get into a mission rather than discuss the objectives.
Briefing
The whole point of the briefing is to come up with ideas and execute a plan. Input here was minimal and really needs to be increased. People also need to listen to it, rather than plaster silly messages across the screen - "get it here" is funny the first few times, but quickly becomes repetitive and unfunny. It also points out that rather than listen to the briefing, some people prefer to goof around and as an SL, it's a bit disappointing. Due to this and other reasons (me boring the crap out of people), roles were not clearly defined and so confusion resulted at the start of the mission. As SL, I do not expect to have to remember who is doing what, that is up to the individual members. Last night I felt like I didn't have many team orientated players and we really need to work together to ensure less casualties and better mission success.
In game
A few things here that need addressing. When we set up on the hill, people were lying on the hill side that faced the enemy. This is a great way to get yourself killed because you have absolutely no cover. I know we all do it because the AI can be dumb and it's easier to get a clear LOS, but the better option is to perhaps kneel behind the crest of the hill. That way you get good vis, stable platform and you can go prone should fire come your way.
The lack of teamwork on this hill was also apparrent. People we moving up too close, or milling around without seeming to appreciate the plan that we had discussed at the briefing. Because of this, contact was made by the enemy, rather than by us and we lost a casualty - this was totally avoidable. An understanding of good cover, movement and sticking together is what is needed here. It can be done and should be practiced so next time we go out, we kick the enemies backside.
We agreed that respawns would not be in effect - this was ignored by some.
We also learned that we do not fire at a Kamov. It took six casualties to bring that point home.
Joining players were a pain to be honest. No announcement, running off to do there own thing. In future I think we'll just disable the AI and people can wait till the next mission. I could barely believe it when someone joined the server and left because we were playing it "all military and team orientated" and that was offputting.
TG is exactly about that kind of gameplay and we don't do anything else.
We need to move more as a team. Only as a cohesive unit can we hope to achieve our aims. Running off to get the most kills is counterproductive and should not even be in your agenda. Survival and mission objectives are the first two things we should be concentrating on.
Comms use was intermittent. Some where, some weren't but even contact reports were too sparse. It is no good saying you see the enemy. The whole squad needs to know Direction, Range, Size and Type. If they are coming your way is vital as well because we need to know how to react. The guy that calls out the contact can be the only one to see it. In a squad of 10, that means 9 people ar relying on you to provide accurate information.
Cover was pretty good. I did notice a few people covering the flanks and 6 and that is exactly what needs to be done. Too many people want to see what is going on up ahead. If everyone does that and nobody covers six then it's pretty easy to imagine what happens when an enemy squad wonders up behind us. All Round Defence is required at ALL times when operating in unsecure areas where SA is minimal.
When coordinating fire, and if everyone is in the same squad, you can use 0-3 (i think) which sends a "ready to fire message". A simple text can replace that if not in the same squad. TS seems to be the worst way to do it (even though it should be the best)
Conclusion
So it is fairly obvious that there are several points here that need addressing. There were some good points to the mission, but overall these were marred by the bad points. If we are to work effectively as a team, then effort has to be put in to make a change and if John Rambo is your style then you won't fit in here unless you are willing to make a change. 'As long as i'm alright it doesn't matter what happens to the rest' attitude needs to be replaced with 'survival of my team is what I strive for'. High scores are not what I look for in a good player, it's the guy who covers the six who impresses me the most.
I know this AAR is pretty negative but I would have to lie for it to be anything otherwise. What I hope to achieve here is that people can see the holes that need filling and start to make gains in areas where they perhaps feel themselves lacking. But this is up to individuals to address (and the community here will help if asked) otherwise what makes us different from any other pubby server out there.
