I dont know who else has seen this but i think it could be helpful
It was on 6A
One of the most common questions people are asked when applying for clans or making a ‘Guns For Hire’ thread is what their ‘kill to death ratio’ (KDR) is, as if this is the premier judge of a player’s worth to a clan.
This is a mindset that should change, as there are many factors that combine to illustrate how useful someone may be, and surprisingly often a gamer that constantly plays to maintain a “high” KDR may not be a desirable recruit for competitive matches.
Variation
For a team to be successful there needs to be a set of roles filled that cover all aspects of a clan war. These roles aren’t necessarily consciously bestowed upon individuals – often they may naturally fall into place due to the individuals’ preferred playing styles. This is where the strength of a team comes from – variation. Similarly to in a natural environment, where survival is bolstered by variation between individuals leading to a buffer against change, variation in the intra-clan playing styles allows a more effective response to the tactics of other clans. The religious members of this community may disagree and declare that a clan’s strength is present due to God’s will alone, but that’s fine I guess… I have mentioned all of this because there is a tendency in newer clans, and some older clans still, to recruit new players mainly based on their KDR. This ultimately leads to a reduction in play style variation, and subsequently a diminished ability to compete strongly in competitive clan battles.
What types of players should be recruited?
As I have harped on about unashamedly thus far, balance is the key. A clan should aim to recruit based on aspects of quality associated with different abilities that they witness in a potential recruit. These aspects should ideally be in a wider spectrum than just the KDR. For example, a player may show potential as what is colloquially known as an “objective whore”, meaning that they are first and foremost in the game to win by charging straight to an objective every time they spawn. To support this type of player it is handy to have a couple of defensive players hang back to cover the objectives from a more “safe” position. Having a player to flank the opposition is always handy, as in games like ‘Call of Duty’ the spawns can often become very one-sided, and a timely run around the flank can help to rectify this issue. Another example of a useful player is one of the more intellectual pedigree who is able to react to situations effectively and devise tactics on the spot. The “caller” may not be the most skilled shooter in the team, but their directions can prove very effective especially in more tactical modes like Search and Destroy.
Using the above player profiles, a sample team for a “Search and Destroy” match may consist of two “objective whores” to transport the bomb directly to the bomb site, two defenders to cover the bomb from a distance, one “caller” to respond to situations encountered, and one flanker to surprise the opposition. These positions are all plastic of course, and people can swap between roles as the need arises. If you consider these examples, the only one that may fit the play style of a typical “KDR whore” is the defender. All of the other roles will naturally position the players closer to the enemy, thus increasing the chance of a death and decreasing the ease of maintaining a “high” KDR. Common recruiting methods can completely ignore these types of gamers, yet the vital role that they play can be easily seen.
Well there you go, a rundown on why KDR isn’t the be all and end all of online gaming. A variety of factors should be considered to make a competitive team such as the example listed earlier. Some people may consider this to be an unnecessary amount of thought and detail just to play a video game, but as most of you would know by now it’s the team building and camaraderie of online gaming that makes it so enjoyable. With that in mind I set you young chaps free, free to spread the reasoning behind a shift towards a new mindset of recruiting.
That being said a good KDR is always handy
