Thread: Be Helpful Instead Of Kicking.

Originally Posted by Morganan

That may be correct, but it isnt what this community was built around. This community was built around people wanting a more tactical experience, even if that came at the expense of winning.

Crombo brought up a name from the past, Corridon, who was absolutely one of the best sl's/sm's this server has ever seen, but it would take him half a clip to hit the broadside of a barn if he was inside of it. Under your definition he wasn't effective and shouldnt have been in a squad, yet any old-timer around here who played with/against him will speak of him with the utmost respect. There is more to this community then being an effective "killer".

Food for thought

Wow. ++++++Rep.

Morganan hit the nail right on the head. If all you care about is winning and/or your K/D ratio, perhaps you ought to re-read the primer and try and capture the real spirit of TG.

The example about Coridon is absolutely on par as well. I can remember being in his squads and having a "who can kill the least amount of people using the most ammo" competition, because just like him, I couldnt (and still cant) hit the broadside of a barn with a full clip. Hell, half the time I can empty a clip into someone at point blank range, have them turn around and blast me with one bullet. But I have other advantages to offer than pinpoint gun precision.

However, those other assets that I provide, as with Coridon's second-to-none leadership skills, came with time and learning. Had I been presented with a bunch of people with a "if you dont have uber-twitch reflexes and know every aspect of the game to a T, then I dont want you in my squad" attitudes, I would have kissed TG goodbye and never looked back. Trust me, I did it with a lot of other servers before finding a home here.

But that wasnt the case. The first time I played PR came after playing BF2 for about...oh, 2 rounds. I didnt know half of the controls, much less any of the advancements that PR brought with it. Being a typical gamer, I set in with a "screw the instruction manual" mindset and hopped in head first. Luckily, I was greeted by people who were willing to be patient and help mold me into a player that people WANTED in their squads. These people didnt necessarily care about winning. They didnt care about K/D ratios. Sure, having those things are nice, but we were there to have FUN. I've carried that with me. I can have just as much fun getting thoroughly routed by another team as I can winning by any margin.

Take yesterday on barracuda, for example. I was in a squad with 4 other TG players and one random player who I'd never seen before. We spent all freaking round getting pounded by airstrikes from choppers. We spent all round fending off attacks from three directions. None of us had a very good score. But you know what, we had fun. At the end of the round, the non-tagged player (who had been asking a lot of questions about gameplay and was obviously quite new to PR) asked us where he could find the website and how he could join TG. Now, take the negative attitude I spoke of earlier and apply it to the same situation. Do you think the guy would have been interested in joining TG if he had just been booted from a squad because he wasnt "pro"?

So no, I dont find that having more effective people in my squad works better. I think fostering better relationships with new players turns them into better players, thus increasing the effectiveness of any team as a whole over time. But its a neverending process which requires patience and the ability to lead effectively.

Thats another issue here: leading effectively. Leading effectively is more than just tactics and planning. It's more than just getting to a flag, killing the whole enemy force and coming out victorious. It's also about analyzing your squads strengths and weaknesses and applying appropriate measures to work with them. As I said, I'm horrible with a gun, so who in their right mind is going to stick me on point with a rifle and expect me to do anything more than take the first bullet? But I am a damn good medic. So a smart leader is going to figure this out and assign me a role based on that information. Take the opposite scenario: you have someone like wickens, who can kill anything that moves almost effortlessly. Are you going to assign him a role that is going to utilize that, or are you going to have him building assets the whole time? The same logic applies to ANY scenario with ANY player. A good leader knows this and can turn the worst shot in the world into someone who is effective at a certain role.

So I retract my previous statement, I do find that having effective people in my squads works better. But you know what, turning even the most green player into an effective player is no hill for a climber. And THAT is what TG is all about.

As far as axis's sentiment about gaining perspective on the universe while sitting on the can, if you dont get it, you're not old enough (or you've never spent any quality time there). The term "epiphany toilet" didnt come from nowhere.