[2020] Why do ppl hate on gamble?

Gambling is starting an attack without initiative, or "out of turn". Initiative is essentially having a timing advantage in which you will hit, and flinch the enemy first. You can 'get' initiative by starting an attack at the same exact time but with a faster weapon, ripostes, chambers etc. or just by starting an attack first.

If you're dueling (let's say with similar/identical weapons) and your opponent starts a windup, and halfway through that you decide it's a good time to throw an attack, the only possible outcome if both players commit to this attack is that you get hit. Your opponent has the initiative, and with this timing advantage they will hit you first every time. Gambling is ignoring that, and just throwing an attack out and literally "gambling" on the hope that the opponent feints, drags or does something to delay their attack and lose initiative.

It can be frustrating to fight against a gambler, since they just ignore the initiative or natural 'right of way', but once you see an opponent blindly start attacks into your own when you have initiative, all you need to do is accel or simply commit to the attack and you'll force a FTP or land a hit.

Some things that aren't gambling:
- Seeing an attack and matching the type/angle to cause a chamber (this is a chamber attempt)
- If using a significantly faster weapon, starting an attack in between enemy combos/after they start their windup (if you and your weapon are fast enough, you actually have the initiative)

- attacking an enemy who just parried but isn't riposting

yeah i mean initiative isn't always a black-and-white concept, there are a ton of exceptions and little oddities to the concept