Post by Xman on Oct 31, 2007 12:14:50 GMT -5
Okay, here it is 2 days late, my AAR for Ghost Busters.
Let me start by saying that Runaway and I spend a tremendous amount of time planning our operations but ultimately it is the TEAM that executes the plan and there is one true tenet in any competitive endeavor, the plan is ultimately only as good as the team executing it!
You guys executed flawlessly this past weekend. We didn’t just dominate we crushed the opposition. Now keep in mind this was for charity and Jet and BeBop are honorable and worthy opponents (it wouldn’t surprise if on another occasion the shoe is on the other foot), but our tactical control of the field was so complete, that even with over 1000 points in penalties we still won by more than 2000 points. That’s saying something!
Now for some shout outs and props…
First Bam Bam, who I am awarding the XO’s award as the top Squad Leader at the event. Now this does not in anyway diminish the job all the squad leaders did, and all of you did a great job, but I want to recognize Bam Bam because he really stepped up his game… The first thing I look for in a squad leader is the willingness to sacrifice his game for the overall success of the team. As a Squad Leader you need to be able to step back and LEAD your squad. You can’t do that if you are in the thick of the fight or focused on racking up eliminations. Like a point guard, you have to be willing to sacrifice your own scoring average in order to set up the scoring of others. Think of it this way, instead of just one gun your shooting multiple guns at the same time.
I only need point to our esteemed team captain Runaway as an example. He played almost the entire game without a paintball gun. But who can deny the impact he had on the field? How many kills can we trace directly back to Runaway’s positioning of a squad or coordinating of an attack? How many points did he account for jus by being aware of the field, the game, and the battle tempo? I guarantee you without him the game is a lot closer.
Bam Bam displayed these qualities on Sunday He was a presence on the field with the troops, on the radio with command, and with his SP8. The highlight of the day was his leading the second teleportation attack on the Ghost Buster CP. I know that there were others who kicked butt on that attack, but the key to its success wasn’t Bam Bam’s gun it was his coordination on the radio. We executed one of the most difficult battlefield tactics, a simultaneous attack from two separate directions, by units moving without the benefit of physical or line of sight contact! Yes, Recon-1 returned the flag to our base on that mission, but it was Bam Bam’s coordination that opened the door.
Great job Bam Bam you just set the bar a little higher.
What can I say about Hun and Recon-1, a team that has become our closest ally on the battlefield. Let me say this, where ever and whenever Recon-1 fights if we are there we fight by their side… Hun your squad did major damage and delivered a bunch of points. Thanks for the great support you gave us. If Clyde believed in such things there is no doubt you were our Most Valuable Team. We look forward to many more victories standing by your side.
To EPIC Unit, thanks for our second invitation to general one of your games. Despite all the issues that have been discussed on other forums I think you guys rock! Nothing is without blemish, even a Picasso. What sticks out most in my mind about the way you run your games is that (1) you care about the customer and the game experience. (2) You are open to feedback and our willing to consider making changes to improve the game. (3) your communication is excellent. I always felt I knew what was going on, and when we were penalized you guys let us know ASAP and the reasons why. Outstanding! Also the game theme and props were well done and added a lot to the game play. This was certainly one of the most interesting scenario games I have ever played in. Keep up developing your product and it would not surprise me to see you guys up there with Wayne Dollack, Viper and the rest.
Finally to our opponents, Jet, BeBop, and the Rats. I know the day must have been frustrating but at no time did I sense any kind of poor sportsmanship from the top teams out there. I have had the pleasure of playing both with and against all of you and I come away impressed every time. While winning is great and losing is a pain, its ultimately one’s attitude that makes the difference and I have consistently seen only the best out BeBop and the Rats. We look forward to playing with you guys in the future.
Now to the game itself, as I stated above Runaway and I had spent several weeks planning for this game . The strategy we settled on we called SWARM. Our original intent being to fight a guerilla style engagement. The reason for this was (1) we wanted to exercise our comms and squad leaders in preparation for Fulda. (2) Not knowing to what extent the NC Coalition would be in effect we did not want to get into a gun battle with some of the better teams in NC. To this end we had several game objectives.
1. Distribute our forces across the field so we would have a better chance of gaining points for collecting props. This worked great at the beginning of the game as almost immediately we began to collect the ghosts and vials of slime. With our Zuul squads distributed across the field as they were, we were able to immediately search a number of structures even before the first shots were fired. In terms of Ghosts, we collected 29 to the Ghostbusters 12. We also collected at least 6 or 7 vials of the green slime (which the Ghost Busters needed for their Ectoplasm Bombs), and we were able to retrieve all 3 scrolls. We even identified the location of the sacred book but were unable to prevent the Ghost Busters from retrieving it. This was excellent execution of one of our key game objectives.
We were also able to effectively track Ghost Buster movements on the field. Our positioning combine with excellent comms allowed us to have pretty good situational awareness throughout the day except for a few instances where things broke down for a few minutes.
2. We initially designated Recon-1 as our primary quick reaction force. Their mission was to take on any large Ghost Buster pushes and to lead attacks on the Ghost Buster CP. This also worked very well. We generally tried to keep them off the main line of battle. This achieved two goals. One it gave them room to maneuver against the flanks of the Ghost Busters when our Zuul squads could fix them. A perfect example of this was during the final mission when the Ghost Busters had to push our base. The Zuul teams formed two main bodies. One led by Capt David, which established a defensive line to the front of our CP. The other led by Runaway that was moving on our left flank and the Ghost Buster’s rear. Hun positioned Recon-1 just to the rear of our main defensive line (led by Capt Dave). When the attack hit Hun maneuvered Recon-1 onto the Ghost Buster’s left flank (our right) stopping the attack cold. Of course, by that time the Ghost Busters numbers had dwindled. It would have been interesting to see how that maneuver would had turned out had the Ghost Busters been at full strength, or how it would have worked against a full contingent of the NC Coalition or other seasoned teams.
The critical factor though, which will help us at Fulda and future events, was the level of communication between the squad leaders, command element, and Recon-1. It took clear and concise radio communications to get the various squads positioned the way we wanted them. Also, later in the day we ran 2 quick reaction teams, Recon-1 and a group of walk-ons lead by one of our Boxer squad leaders, MGB. (Great job MGB for your first time out in that role!)
However, by mid-morning we recognized that we were not going to be outgunned so we decided to change strategy to the plan we used during Black Hawk Down, which was to defend along a strong defensive line in depth. The only change we made was to go more on the offensive. Which is why we went with 2 quick reaction forces. We felt that we could cut the field off while at the same time keep up offensive pressure. At Black Hawk Down we wanted to stay more on the defensive, but Krisis and the Rats are two very agressive teams. It worked out in the end but in this case our actions were more deliberate.
There are a few things we can improve on.
1. Radio Procedure - As you can see effective comms is a force multiplier. It makes you just that tougher to beat. But we need to get tighter on our radio procedure. I'll post something prior to Fulda Gap. With our UHF radios we have a distinct advantange over many of the teams we will face. Let's maximize that advantage to the fullest.
2. Squad Leader Survival - I have already given a brief description above of what I think a good squad leader looks like. But we need to work on squad leader survival. When a squad leader get's shot-out it leaves a big whole in our picture since his radio leaves with him. Also, squads lose focus, particualrly squads composed of walk-ons. A squad leader remaining in the game is more important than any one elimination he can get. Direct one of your troopers to get the kill. In the end it's the same thing. I'm not saying do like Runaway, and play without your gatt, but understand what the team loses when you leave the game. Squad Leaders are the glue that hold the unit together. We will also be working out a logistics plan for resupply of air and paint.
I’m not going to spend much time discussing the problems at the game since that has been covered in depth on other forums. But I will say this. There was clearly a rogue element present that did not have the right attitude. I’m not sure EPIC or the field owner could have done much more than they did to correct the problems. I felt both were quick to act whenever issues occurred as best they could and I had no problem what so ever with the penalties that were assessed against us. I would have hated to lose that way but had it happened there would have been no argument from me.
Overall I enjoyed the game and I looking forward to the next installment of Ghost Busters versus Freddy Krueger and Gozer.
One last thin, BIG SHOUT OUT to Freddy Krueger! We were never able to get comms to him but he was a big help harassing the Ghost Busters. Thanks!
See yall at Fulda!
Let me start by saying that Runaway and I spend a tremendous amount of time planning our operations but ultimately it is the TEAM that executes the plan and there is one true tenet in any competitive endeavor, the plan is ultimately only as good as the team executing it!
You guys executed flawlessly this past weekend. We didn’t just dominate we crushed the opposition. Now keep in mind this was for charity and Jet and BeBop are honorable and worthy opponents (it wouldn’t surprise if on another occasion the shoe is on the other foot), but our tactical control of the field was so complete, that even with over 1000 points in penalties we still won by more than 2000 points. That’s saying something!
Now for some shout outs and props…
First Bam Bam, who I am awarding the XO’s award as the top Squad Leader at the event. Now this does not in anyway diminish the job all the squad leaders did, and all of you did a great job, but I want to recognize Bam Bam because he really stepped up his game… The first thing I look for in a squad leader is the willingness to sacrifice his game for the overall success of the team. As a Squad Leader you need to be able to step back and LEAD your squad. You can’t do that if you are in the thick of the fight or focused on racking up eliminations. Like a point guard, you have to be willing to sacrifice your own scoring average in order to set up the scoring of others. Think of it this way, instead of just one gun your shooting multiple guns at the same time.
I only need point to our esteemed team captain Runaway as an example. He played almost the entire game without a paintball gun. But who can deny the impact he had on the field? How many kills can we trace directly back to Runaway’s positioning of a squad or coordinating of an attack? How many points did he account for jus by being aware of the field, the game, and the battle tempo? I guarantee you without him the game is a lot closer.
Bam Bam displayed these qualities on Sunday He was a presence on the field with the troops, on the radio with command, and with his SP8. The highlight of the day was his leading the second teleportation attack on the Ghost Buster CP. I know that there were others who kicked butt on that attack, but the key to its success wasn’t Bam Bam’s gun it was his coordination on the radio. We executed one of the most difficult battlefield tactics, a simultaneous attack from two separate directions, by units moving without the benefit of physical or line of sight contact! Yes, Recon-1 returned the flag to our base on that mission, but it was Bam Bam’s coordination that opened the door.
Great job Bam Bam you just set the bar a little higher.
What can I say about Hun and Recon-1, a team that has become our closest ally on the battlefield. Let me say this, where ever and whenever Recon-1 fights if we are there we fight by their side… Hun your squad did major damage and delivered a bunch of points. Thanks for the great support you gave us. If Clyde believed in such things there is no doubt you were our Most Valuable Team. We look forward to many more victories standing by your side.
To EPIC Unit, thanks for our second invitation to general one of your games. Despite all the issues that have been discussed on other forums I think you guys rock! Nothing is without blemish, even a Picasso. What sticks out most in my mind about the way you run your games is that (1) you care about the customer and the game experience. (2) You are open to feedback and our willing to consider making changes to improve the game. (3) your communication is excellent. I always felt I knew what was going on, and when we were penalized you guys let us know ASAP and the reasons why. Outstanding! Also the game theme and props were well done and added a lot to the game play. This was certainly one of the most interesting scenario games I have ever played in. Keep up developing your product and it would not surprise me to see you guys up there with Wayne Dollack, Viper and the rest.
Finally to our opponents, Jet, BeBop, and the Rats. I know the day must have been frustrating but at no time did I sense any kind of poor sportsmanship from the top teams out there. I have had the pleasure of playing both with and against all of you and I come away impressed every time. While winning is great and losing is a pain, its ultimately one’s attitude that makes the difference and I have consistently seen only the best out BeBop and the Rats. We look forward to playing with you guys in the future.
Now to the game itself, as I stated above Runaway and I had spent several weeks planning for this game . The strategy we settled on we called SWARM. Our original intent being to fight a guerilla style engagement. The reason for this was (1) we wanted to exercise our comms and squad leaders in preparation for Fulda. (2) Not knowing to what extent the NC Coalition would be in effect we did not want to get into a gun battle with some of the better teams in NC. To this end we had several game objectives.
1. Distribute our forces across the field so we would have a better chance of gaining points for collecting props. This worked great at the beginning of the game as almost immediately we began to collect the ghosts and vials of slime. With our Zuul squads distributed across the field as they were, we were able to immediately search a number of structures even before the first shots were fired. In terms of Ghosts, we collected 29 to the Ghostbusters 12. We also collected at least 6 or 7 vials of the green slime (which the Ghost Busters needed for their Ectoplasm Bombs), and we were able to retrieve all 3 scrolls. We even identified the location of the sacred book but were unable to prevent the Ghost Busters from retrieving it. This was excellent execution of one of our key game objectives.
We were also able to effectively track Ghost Buster movements on the field. Our positioning combine with excellent comms allowed us to have pretty good situational awareness throughout the day except for a few instances where things broke down for a few minutes.
2. We initially designated Recon-1 as our primary quick reaction force. Their mission was to take on any large Ghost Buster pushes and to lead attacks on the Ghost Buster CP. This also worked very well. We generally tried to keep them off the main line of battle. This achieved two goals. One it gave them room to maneuver against the flanks of the Ghost Busters when our Zuul squads could fix them. A perfect example of this was during the final mission when the Ghost Busters had to push our base. The Zuul teams formed two main bodies. One led by Capt David, which established a defensive line to the front of our CP. The other led by Runaway that was moving on our left flank and the Ghost Buster’s rear. Hun positioned Recon-1 just to the rear of our main defensive line (led by Capt Dave). When the attack hit Hun maneuvered Recon-1 onto the Ghost Buster’s left flank (our right) stopping the attack cold. Of course, by that time the Ghost Busters numbers had dwindled. It would have been interesting to see how that maneuver would had turned out had the Ghost Busters been at full strength, or how it would have worked against a full contingent of the NC Coalition or other seasoned teams.
The critical factor though, which will help us at Fulda and future events, was the level of communication between the squad leaders, command element, and Recon-1. It took clear and concise radio communications to get the various squads positioned the way we wanted them. Also, later in the day we ran 2 quick reaction teams, Recon-1 and a group of walk-ons lead by one of our Boxer squad leaders, MGB. (Great job MGB for your first time out in that role!)
However, by mid-morning we recognized that we were not going to be outgunned so we decided to change strategy to the plan we used during Black Hawk Down, which was to defend along a strong defensive line in depth. The only change we made was to go more on the offensive. Which is why we went with 2 quick reaction forces. We felt that we could cut the field off while at the same time keep up offensive pressure. At Black Hawk Down we wanted to stay more on the defensive, but Krisis and the Rats are two very agressive teams. It worked out in the end but in this case our actions were more deliberate.
There are a few things we can improve on.
1. Radio Procedure - As you can see effective comms is a force multiplier. It makes you just that tougher to beat. But we need to get tighter on our radio procedure. I'll post something prior to Fulda Gap. With our UHF radios we have a distinct advantange over many of the teams we will face. Let's maximize that advantage to the fullest.
2. Squad Leader Survival - I have already given a brief description above of what I think a good squad leader looks like. But we need to work on squad leader survival. When a squad leader get's shot-out it leaves a big whole in our picture since his radio leaves with him. Also, squads lose focus, particualrly squads composed of walk-ons. A squad leader remaining in the game is more important than any one elimination he can get. Direct one of your troopers to get the kill. In the end it's the same thing. I'm not saying do like Runaway, and play without your gatt, but understand what the team loses when you leave the game. Squad Leaders are the glue that hold the unit together. We will also be working out a logistics plan for resupply of air and paint.
I’m not going to spend much time discussing the problems at the game since that has been covered in depth on other forums. But I will say this. There was clearly a rogue element present that did not have the right attitude. I’m not sure EPIC or the field owner could have done much more than they did to correct the problems. I felt both were quick to act whenever issues occurred as best they could and I had no problem what so ever with the penalties that were assessed against us. I would have hated to lose that way but had it happened there would have been no argument from me.
Overall I enjoyed the game and I looking forward to the next installment of Ghost Busters versus Freddy Krueger and Gozer.
One last thin, BIG SHOUT OUT to Freddy Krueger! We were never able to get comms to him but he was a big help harassing the Ghost Busters. Thanks!
See yall at Fulda!
