Bad Habits that Weaken Team Strength
Sept 27, 2020 12:59:17 GMT -5
Munki, bahogilok, and 7 more like this
Post by ѻﻭɼﻉ on Sept 27, 2020 12:59:17 GMT -5
UNBALANCED OSCILLATION
This is the tendency for too many teammates gathering at one particular beacon, then oscillating as a group to another beacon.
There are what I consider to be two types of oscillation:
1) Gathering with containment
2) Gathering without containment
The problem of gathering too heavily at a beacon without containment of opponents to that area, is that they can move to take other beacons from your team. When a team is too heavy in one area, they weaken their ability to control territory. The main reason this bad habit proliferates is that too many players are not making an informed decision about their positioning. In a squad on voice comms, this happens mainly because there is not enough verbal exchange about what is happening where and who is going to drop in at a particular location. Whether on comms or not, the crux of the issue is a lack of patient situational awareness.
EXCESSIVE DISPERSAL
A similar bad habit that is the opposite of this gathering without containment is a team spreading too thin. This means dispersing the team out on a map to such an extent that it weakens the strength of clustered focus fire, also making it difficult for teammates to get to each other quick enough to support, often resulting in loss of territory.
HAPHAZARD OSCILLATION & OVER-EXTENSION
A bad habit that is between those two is oscillation between too many zones. If there is not enough containment of the enemy, by over-extending beyond 2 or 3 beacons at the wrong times or being all over the place, it weakens the power of clustered focus fire to guard the zones already acquired by your team.
There is of course the value of tactical uncertainty and distraction, such as the use of a Loki or Nightingale to draw enemies away from priority zones or to cap a key point, but to do this effectively it is important to make informed decisions based on good assessment of the situational needs.
FORM NEW HABITS
The general rule of thumb in my opinion, is to select a couple zones to concentrate your presence on and to keep returning there in waves of support after losing mechs. This does not mean you don’t go help someone in a different zone, but your decision to do so should be based on an awareness that your zones are currently safe enough to do so.
Pause, breathe, assess the priority needs of the situation, then act. Move smartly rather than hastily without considering what may be needed the most. If we continue to oscillate too heavily to one area without containment, spread too thin, or over-extend and move haphazardly, we will continue to lose territory, and teammates will keep being overwhelmed without the support of your firepower.
I am fully aware of the value of tactical uncertainty, so I am not suggesting people avoid taking the enemy by surprise by doing the unexpected when they are distracted. The essence of what I am saying is:
Pause before acting so that you can make informed tactical decisions about your positioning to have the greatest impact.
Not doing so is the main reason teams lose in beacon modes. Being overwhelmed by superior firepower is one thing; being outplayed by the enemy team because you guys lacked the power of clustered focus fire is another. Know the difference.
This is the tendency for too many teammates gathering at one particular beacon, then oscillating as a group to another beacon.
There are what I consider to be two types of oscillation:
1) Gathering with containment
2) Gathering without containment
The problem of gathering too heavily at a beacon without containment of opponents to that area, is that they can move to take other beacons from your team. When a team is too heavy in one area, they weaken their ability to control territory. The main reason this bad habit proliferates is that too many players are not making an informed decision about their positioning. In a squad on voice comms, this happens mainly because there is not enough verbal exchange about what is happening where and who is going to drop in at a particular location. Whether on comms or not, the crux of the issue is a lack of patient situational awareness.
EXCESSIVE DISPERSAL
A similar bad habit that is the opposite of this gathering without containment is a team spreading too thin. This means dispersing the team out on a map to such an extent that it weakens the strength of clustered focus fire, also making it difficult for teammates to get to each other quick enough to support, often resulting in loss of territory.
HAPHAZARD OSCILLATION & OVER-EXTENSION
A bad habit that is between those two is oscillation between too many zones. If there is not enough containment of the enemy, by over-extending beyond 2 or 3 beacons at the wrong times or being all over the place, it weakens the power of clustered focus fire to guard the zones already acquired by your team.
There is of course the value of tactical uncertainty and distraction, such as the use of a Loki or Nightingale to draw enemies away from priority zones or to cap a key point, but to do this effectively it is important to make informed decisions based on good assessment of the situational needs.
FORM NEW HABITS
The general rule of thumb in my opinion, is to select a couple zones to concentrate your presence on and to keep returning there in waves of support after losing mechs. This does not mean you don’t go help someone in a different zone, but your decision to do so should be based on an awareness that your zones are currently safe enough to do so.
Pause, breathe, assess the priority needs of the situation, then act. Move smartly rather than hastily without considering what may be needed the most. If we continue to oscillate too heavily to one area without containment, spread too thin, or over-extend and move haphazardly, we will continue to lose territory, and teammates will keep being overwhelmed without the support of your firepower.
I am fully aware of the value of tactical uncertainty, so I am not suggesting people avoid taking the enemy by surprise by doing the unexpected when they are distracted. The essence of what I am saying is:
Pause before acting so that you can make informed tactical decisions about your positioning to have the greatest impact.
Not doing so is the main reason teams lose in beacon modes. Being overwhelmed by superior firepower is one thing; being outplayed by the enemy team because you guys lacked the power of clustered focus fire is another. Know the difference.
