Originally posted by Sandman
A. Fight everything.
B. Fight selectively.
C. Fight nothing.
You guys make it sound as if there are only two categories, A and C. The typical "survivalist" is neither.
Precisely.
Being selectively aggressive is being aggressive at the right time in the right place and is really an extension of Situational Awareness. You have to judge multiple E states correctly in an instant and judge multiple planes' intentions friendly and enemy accurately at a glance, knowing intuitively when to press the attack and when to consolidate your E and position to re-evaluate the situation. This is quite the mental workout in a complex multi-plane engagement. If you misjudge any single factor one instant you may be back in the tower the very next instant.
Not to take anything away from the Spit jocks that pick a foe, latch onto his 6 and hammer away until someone is dead all but oblivious to everything else,but that does not require nearly the same degree of continuous mental accuity and vigilance. Certainly it requires some flying skill, good manual dexterity and reflexes.
I'm not judging survivalism vs. any other mode of play. I am just of the opinion that flying just to 'blow stuff up' with no regard for making sure you yourself are not one of the things 'blown up' is far more simple than flying to 'blow stuff up' and also keep from getting yourself 'blown up' in the process.
As a survivalist there is always a precarious balance between living and killing. Fly too safe and you live of course but you do not kill. Succumb to the reckless abandon of blind aggression and you kill but will not live. It's maintaining this equilibrium in a typcial chaotic and dynamically changing MA engagement that makes survivalism an interesting way to approach the game.
Zazen
