Everytime an MC makes a poor decision because they don't want to be a "murderer" I hope that they'll die and that the story will refocus on someone that doesn't suck so much.

It's interesting to me that my comment is getting down voted, but it's based on my personal experience going through it. As I've been to Basic, Airborne School, RIP, Pre Ranger, Ranger School, as well as being a combat veteran. Yet your post here is being up-voted, but it's still not technically accurate, and just based on what you've imagined it to be like. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be surprised, since we are on a fiction sub. And, it's a pretty common misconception for people to think Basic Training/Boot camp is more than it actually is.

I mean, sure, Basic is difficult because you're away from your family and lose all your freedom. It's a major departure from normal life. You have to come to terms with the fact that you have no more control. And, you're stuck spending 24/7 with a bunch of assholes you'd never hangout with in real life, and somehow you've got to all work together. It has it's challenges, but it's really about learning. Understanding how the military works, respect the rank, learn how to be a part of a team. Much of the time is spent doing Drill and Ceremony (marching around, twirling a rifle). Nobody is combat effective after basic training, I don't care what they say. You'll know how to shoot a target, field strip a rifle, etc, but it's not turning you into Rambo. Nobody is pushing you to the brink in Basic unless you're just completely mentally unsuited for being in the military. It's a similar type of thing with college, where people get homesick and just can't deal with the dorm life.

Combat Effectiveness, happens, hopefully at your unit, where they train you to perform within the unit. Every unit is different, they have different missions, SOPs, etc. Pushing someone till they break doesn't teach someone to be combat effective. Training till the tasks become second nature does. You practice like you're in combat, so when you're in combat, it feels like practice.

Even Ranger School, which is a leadership school is hard because it's just technically difficult. You're graded on giving op orders and leading a bunch of shitbags who don't want to perform while they aren't being graded. So you get stuck in a nightmare of recycling and having to start over, because the instructors fail you.

/r/litrpg Thread Parent