Initiative - what is it?

[Michael_Denmark]

Inspired by the answers in the thread about how to create a victorious PR team, a question suddenly popped up on my inner screen.

Initiative, sweet progressive word. But what is it?

What is initiative on the PR battlefield?

Before asking you, a short description of the word as I view it.

To me initiative is to start something up that somehow will influence the opposing team.

So, initiative can be to attack, to defend, to retreat, or to initiate/process/complete -all or some of these three methods combined. Examples deployed:

The attack: influencing the enemy due to as minimum, its focus on momentum into the enemy positions, into the enemy units and into the enemy logistics.

The defense: influencing the enemy due to as minimum, its own ability to reject enemy attacks and movements.

The retreat: influencing the enemy due to as minimum, its ability to bring ones own team out of harms way and form there being able to continue to fight another place on the map.

However, often in PR and in fact in many military circles, initiative is still today only perceived as the attack, where troops are commanded to move into the position of the enemy. Thus, not up to the position, but into it.

So now you. What is initiative to you.

Will you take the initiative and deploy your answer in this thread?

Is it initiative in it self, if you don't deploy your answer in the thread?

What is initiative?

[joethepro36]

Initiative in PR is the ability to take up a leadership/important position instantly and begin to play in the battle on your terms.

For me at least if the squadleader leaves I tell the squad I'll take command. If we don't have a defender then my squad defends. No attackers? We attack! Initiative is very important in a squad, a squad should not be based on an organic system where every part has it's distinct role to play. Every person should be able to take up varying positions to accomadate the squads needs. If you have a medic down you need someone to temp medic, having the best shooters in PR which lack medic skills or the initiative to act in a crisis situation will get you killed over and over.

[cyberzomby]

To me, and I thought this was the official meaning of the word: Initiative is if you dictate the battle to the enemy. If you sit still and dont do anything you dont have the initiative. That does not mean that attacking head on will give you initiative. Who ever wins the battle had the initiative because they dictated the battle to the enemy.

I think I'll agree on JoethePro's answer on what Initiative is in PR.

[[R-CON]Wicca]

Real life is to not wait and sit around to be bombed. Its taking the first move like a Strategy game, you start the momentum. Where you go what you do.

In PR, if you decide to Defend, then you leave the enemy with alot more options, since you wont attack.

Like Clauzwitz said, If you have the choices between Defensive, offensive or a combination of the two, always go with the two latter. (either a Offensive operation, or a combination)

When i Squadlead in PR, and i see a flag noone is defending, i either get ther, spam chat, or spam SL radio.

Initative is also making choices, cause if your not ordering anything, your team aint doing squat.

I think iniative is overated, most grunts have it in them to react to hostile situations. Leadership iniative, ie making sure your engaging your enemy where it hurts the most, is a rareity, i think most people are so bottled up into the whole "FLAG ATTACK!" Mindset that it just throws the real life scenarios out the window.

[L4gi]

I dont wait for a chance to show up, I make that chance. Thats what initiative is.

[Michael_Denmark]

Thanks to those few so far, who has taken the direct initiative and deployed their opinions/conclusions.

With your permission I have taken the initiative to deploy a few questions. I hope you will follow up on them, due to the (IMO) importance of such a discussion in PR, as the game it still is today.

I dont wait for a chance to show up, I make that chance. Thats what initiative is.

So defense is not a chance?

Real life is to not wait and sit around to be bombed. Its taking the first move like a Strategy game, you start the momentum. Where you go what you do.

Sorry that I am so defensive mined in PR as I in fact am, but is defense, sitting around, not a type of momentum in it self?

Initiative is if you dictate the battle to the enemy

Agreed. However, dictating the battle to the enemy covers a whole array of methods. Some tactical, some psycological.

Initiative in PR is the ability to take up a leadership/important position instantly and begin to play in the battle on your terms.

I agree with the exception of taking the leader-position instantly. I?m simply not sure, since initiative, just might can be indirectly deployed as well?

***

Mike

[dtacs]

Originally Posted by L4gi

I dont wait for a chance to show up, I make that chance. Thats what initiative is.

/Thread

[goguapsy]

Originally Posted by L4gi

I dont wait for a chance to show up, I make that chance. Thats what initiative is.

Agreed, but I would just add you make that chance without necessarily being ordered to do so, if you are a SL for example (or in some cases, SM).

[MaxBooZe]

Originally Posted by Michael_Denmark

So defense is not a chance?

I quote a brilliant tactician:

The best defense is a good offense

[CallousDisregard]

I think initiative is thinking for yourself and acting on those thoughts.
Sometimes a boring defense is just what the team needs because other SL can check the map, see that the flag is defended and that gives them the freedom to take the initiative on the attack, knowing the rear is secure.
There are times that taking the initiative is harmful to the team, such as when I decide to take the initiative and leave the defense to leapfrog to the next flag before the currently contested flag has turned.
Initiative w/o intelligence is simply gambling.