3 vs. 50

[JusticeZero]

Someone tossed this video up where I could see it, and I thought it might be an interesting topic to look over. This is a video of a match of three expert fencers versus fifty newbies. Actually turns out to be a pretty fair match.

http://io9.com/something-weird-happens-when-three-master-fencers-battl-1570551641/+rtgonzalez

[sensei8]

Thank you for sharing the video!

At first I hadn't given the 3 a snowball's change in winning because of the large amount the 3 had to face. But, then I started to think that they might beat the 50 because they were not rushing the 3 as a mass but instead, the 50 went at the 3 one at a time.

"The crowd, being a crowd, does not initially do what it should, which is rush the experts and take them out right away with little regard for individual survival. But pretty much every person fights for themselves. And instead of getting easier for the Musketeers near the end, it gets more difficult. The few remaining crowd members start working together more effectively."~ from same video

It's that "individual survival", imho, that racks up the kill ratio amongst the 50. The instinct that's built in us to survive hinders the will to rush into the fray haphazardly because they might not survive. That thought should be respected because survival speaks loud and clear in everyone's heart; life is precious. Should I or shouldn't I. Either way, doubt over shadows possibilities.

However, this is a test, and not a real life situation where many have gone into a fray before without being concerned with ones own life; the needs of the many, out weigh the needs of the few, or the one. In the hopes that one of the 50 can foil the 3, and if that happens, then entering into the fight is a forgone conclusion that they won't have to meander over, and they'll still have saved face without having endured an injure, or worse.

As the numbers dwindled down, multiple rushes of more than 1 started to emerge. It's like the remaining of the 50 were tired, and they were tired of the 3 picking them off one by one at will. The remaining started to wear the 3 down, thus the 3, one by one, started making those little costly mistakes that the small numbers were capitalizing. The last of the 3's body language shouted that loudly because he just couldn't believe what happened to him; mistakes, no matter how big or small, they still end any altercation.

Strength in numbers! Yes! The 3, even though a small number, were more productive and proactive, mixed in with some guile, they were a small force to be reckoned with. Right from the start, the 50 should've rushed the 3 with determination, and forgoing all concerns for individual safety. Easier said than done, imho. Having 50 is a intimidating number, but it's not that large or a number nor is it intimidating when the 50 are acting as a 1 for the sake of individual survival.

The 3 fencing masters could, and did, easily dispatch of 1 opponent at a time, and the fencing masters had time on their hand as the 50 came at them 1 at a time.

Btw, great topic Justice!!

[andym]

This really is fascinating. Need to watch a few times to really get the depth of the events.

[Drew]

Ignoring the obvious weirdness of the rules, anyone else think it's odd all three "masters" fight lefty?

[bushido_man96]

Ignoring the obvious weirdness of the rules, anyone else think it's odd all three "masters" fight lefty?

Didn't notice that. What were the rules here?

[Drew]

Well the objective was to pop the balloon on your opponent's chests. So backstabbing/facestabbing/arm/leg/butt/footstabbing didn't count. I think it said on the page that no grappling was allowed either which makes the whole thing kind of moot from a non-game perspective. At plenty of points during the exercise they turned their backs while in range to protect their balloons.

[JFawkes]

Yeah, the balloon thing limits the real-life applicability of this. IRL, the thing for them to do would have been to stick together and find a chokepoint so they can't be surrounded; retreating up the stairs might have been a good bet. But the balloons meant that being surrounded isn't actually a death sentence like it should be.

The part about crowd psychology is extremely interesting though. I'd add that the bigger group needs more time to communicate and plan, so the smaller group benefits from keeping the tempo of combat fast so that can't happen.