There are many problems with the current Play To Lose system in my problem. Either not enough people understand it and think they're superman in an RP fight, or people do understand it and play to lose and then they get ICly penalized later for it, and it actually makes you not want to play to lose like you're supposed to anymore.
I understand that it may be appropriate to ICly reprimand a unit if they get attacked and play to lose based on their experience and rank, but when that IC reprimand seems more like a serious OOC and IC thing, it makes you feel like you were wrong for doing it.
I'll give an example without giving any names or other information. A unit is alone patrolling the plaza. A citizen yells for the officer, showing he needs help or is in need of something. That unit approaches the citizen and asks him what he needs. Two other citizens come up from behind the unit and wait. The citizen asking for help signals to the other citizens to jump that unit.
Ok let's look at this situation. Let's say this unit is an 04, which is just one rank above a recruit. He's being surprised, and unexpectantly jumped by 3 citizens. Since he's an 04, he's not going to be super experienced in dealing with this sort of thing and he isn't expecting it, which means the citizens would logically have an advantage due to their number and the fact that they were able to surprise him. So let's continue with this scenario.
The unit is surprised by the attack and doesn't expect it. He is quickly grabbed but is able to get a swing off at one citizen in the face, which immobilizes him for a brief time. The other two are trying to hold his legs and punch him in the spine and stomach and face. Due to the unit's kevlar, the body punches would be somewhat ineffective as would the face punches due to his facemask, but he would still feel them and would still be immobilized somewhat by the citizens trying to pull on his legs and grab his arms and stunstick. The unit quickly speaks into his radio and calls for assistance when he realizes he's been attacked and needs assistance. Let's say the other unit available to respond is an 01, who should be trained to immediately respond to call for help from another unit, but for some reason it takes him a few minutes longer than usual to respond. So long in fact, that this unit being attacked has to actually stop the RP for a moment in LOOC to make sure the 01 isn't afk over the radio. The 01 never responds over the radio and eventually shows up to the scene, where the RP is then continued. The citizens are dealt with and the 04 is able to get back on his feet and help. The 04 is later talked down to and reprimanded by the 01 for being jumped by three citizens, being told he should be capable of handling it ICly.
Ok so let's look at this. The 01 ICly should know that an 04 isn't ICly capable of fighting off and killing 3 citizens at the same time after they jump him, and IF he were to do that, it wouldn't be playing to lose and the citizens would likely complain about how a unit couldn't logically defeat 3 citizens after they jumped him. But why does that 01 have to talk down the 04 ICly to the point that the 04 now thinks he needs to just start pulling his pistol and blowing people away no matter what the situation is, just avoid another "mess up" when he gets attacked by a citizen or group of citizens? Shouldn't the 01 use his IC knowledge and logic and common sense that the 04 couldn't possibly be able to handle 3 citizens jumping him and surprising him and instead of saying something like "You need to learn to handle yourself, I should have left you there to fend for yourself, I'll be making sure you get more combat training soon, etc." Yes, you can say "Well its just IC, don't take it seriously", but the problem here is, is I don't think the 01 should say something like that knowing the 04 can't ICly handle such a situation on his own when he correctly plays to lose. Because now, the 04 may think, "Well next time, I'll be sure to pull my pistol first, and a lot faster. This won't happen to me again."
My point is, is when a lower ranking, inexperienced unit finds themselves in such a situation, higher ranking units who speak to them about it need to take into account their IC capabilities, and the fact that they need to play to lose, not talk down to them like they made a big mistake by not being superman and killing everyone attacking them with their laser eyes.
Garry's Mod
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