Joe Shaw

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I think Rob is having people on. I don't pay much attention to Canadian history, but I know about Dieppe...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Sadly, I don't think so. Joe

Why thank you, that was very nice. And on behalf of all Americans I would like to thank Mel Gibson who single handedly won the American Revolution by defeating the evil Green Dragoon ... sheesh, Hollywood History. Joe

Hi Ernie, while I haven't tried that scenario, it sounds very much like you've set the game up as a Hotseat game. When you load the scenario again, be sure to choose Single Player (it may be One Player, I'm old and I forget a lot ). If that's not the problem then I don't know what it could be. Joe

Simple, you get the +14 Anger Potion where it's buried by the mail box. You have to go there at least seven times and battle the evil Youesshaypostoffizer but by the time you've gone there 7 times the potion is up to +14. Then the next time he comes by you've got enough anger that he will give you the Blue Package of Eternal Happiness (+45 not including S&H) and you're off to the races. Hope this helps ... you twit. Joe

ALL RIGHT !!! WAHOOOO!!!! Since you didn't post that I felt someone needed to Good for you guy, enjoy it as we all have and you still owe me a PBEM game. Joe

Ah c'mon Jeff, tell me Seriously, if you can check the stats and then tell me later I'd love to know. I didn't think to look at the turret of the Mk IV but I thought he was engaging the M8. Actually, now that I think about it, it could have been either the Stuart or the M8 that hit him, though I think it was the M8. Either way it was pretty neat. Joe

As I said, for all I know it was a random Act of God I looked very carefully, I saw no projectiles that might have been 'fausts, 'shrecks or grenades. If it was arty or mortars they hit on the first shot and the only shot. I don't THINK the Mk IV got him due to the time delay ... the only other possibilty is that there is a "tank" sound contact. I suppose my M8 crew didn't see him and he popped them. But my point is that the FOW in this game makes it so much better than anything I've seen. Joe

So there I was, in the middle of a PBEM battle in the snow. I had a Pz IV facing a Stuart and with an M8 on his flank. Suddenly the M8 scores and knocks the Pz IV out ... HUZZAH! ... but wait, about two seconds later the M8 just ... blows up. And I have no idea where it came from I've looked at the replay over and over again from every possible angle and for all I know the driver could have lit a cigarette and tossed the match into a puddle of gas (he was French, these things are possible). So now I'm tippy toeing around town wondering where the hell the Wrath of God will strike next Is this a great game or what? Joe

All right Kump, I've had it with your incessant whining about CM2 and your precious pre-order. Don't you realize there are children in some God forsaken fourth world country (I don't know, Canada comes to mind pretty quickly) who don't have enough hard drive space? Where the hell is your sense of proportion man? GET A LIFE YOU PATHETIC LOSER IT'S JUST GAME WHY DON'T YOU ACT YOUR AGE IT WILL GET THERE WHEN IT GETS THERE GROW UP! Sorry man, it was just {sniff} just like old times dude. Joe

As I posted earlier, if BTS chooses to change the rules regarding crews it isn't going to affect my play to any measurable degree. Furthermore I applaud their rapid response and efforts to improve the game. I think the solution they came up with is a nice compromise and will allow the players to retain control but will reduce the incidents of un-realistic use. Speaking of that, it occurred to me that one reason we may have so many "last stand" situations is because most of the scenarios we play are set up to be balanced! As a result, both sides are often reduced and the commander is forced to utilize whatever dregs are remaining to keep that last victory location. No doubt those of you who prefer the Operations and those who will be participating in the CMMC will find that their use (or misuse) of crews will have a bearing on their success. Speaking only for myself, I wasn't as concerned that my crews might not be able to "John Wayne" around the battlefield as I was that, by implication, others were telling me that I was doing something wrong or unethical. The term "gamey", after all, is not one that is usually used in a positive context. I took offense at that since the game clearly allowed it. If the change is made as outlined, it will fit my style (such as it is) just fine. Joe

Yes Trey, I'd like to see it as well. jshaw@sisna.com

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that, I usually just do the old copy and past routine to a text editor but that's a bit cumbersome. I guess my question would be why I get different results? With most of the PBEM games I have going I get the text file as an attachment and not as an embedded portion of the email. Oddly when I look at the files I send in my "sent" file the text is embedded there too. I'm using a PC with Netscape, not sure of the version, sorry. I wonder if it's something in my mail settings that could be causing that? The second PBEM issue I have is a larger one. I just received a setup from a Mac user that I can't open at all. It comes across as a Mac text binary file or something. When I tried to open it in Word the header line says "(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)". He tells me he has no problems with other games he's playing though I don't know if they all have Macs too. I tried searching for the answer but there were so many different options and since I know next to nothing about Macs I was pretty much up in the air. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Joe

Just as an FYI from the flip side of the coin guys. I had a couple of buddies in Canada ship me a CD they had burned with some massive racing replays from Grand Prix Legends. It took FOREVER, as in weeks, to get to Utah from Canada in both cases. I blame the RCMP Joe

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>First off lighten up. You appear to be the ONLY one here with a chip on his shoulder.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Well frankly Scott I was thinking the same thing about you. Your arguments came across to me as loaded with attitude and dripping with sarcasm. If I misjudged you, well it wouldn't be the first time. I'm glad that we agree on many points, again I didn't get that impression from your previous posts. And as I mentioned earlier, it all has to do with perception. It was my perception of your arguments that you were essentially saying that "gamey" tactics were the equivilant of cheating. I'm glad to see that you didn't intend that and that my perception was incorrect. No I don't expect you to provide a bibliography, I just don't care for it when someone (anyone) starts making claims that aren't backed up by hard evidence. It's awfully easy to say "everyone knows ..." and then go from there. It's much harder to prove it. And I certainly have no evidence the other way, I'm not claiming I do. Finally, it was never my intent to provide a solution, only a suggestion about how to handle the issue until a solution is found, if indeed one is ever needed. So I'll be happy to lose my attitude and knock the chip off my shoulder ... it's getting in the way when I aim anyway. Joe

Kump ... Yup Joe

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>The TacAI could handle this (are we playing the same game? )<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Golly Scott, maybe that's it, maybe I've been playing Shogun ... nope it's CM all right, I just checked. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Do you guys REALLY think the same person that coded the AI in CM can't handle this little (simple) behavior???<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The issue at hand isn't whether or not the AI can handle it, the issue at hand is that it isn't handling it RIGHT NOW and what do we do about it? Since BTS has not yet changed the code I feel no obligation to follow YOUR "house" rules ... especially in my own house. Now in the future, with a patch that accomodates these changes, then fine. In the meantime, as I said, let's show a little forbearance if someone does something that the game allows, even if we personally disagree with it. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> And, yes I do say using bailed out crews to guard prisoners IS gamey. Did it happen in 10% of the battles in the ETO? NO.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Really? And what is your source for that? Anecdotal information? Or do you have hard evidence of what happened to bailed out crews? If you do then I would suggest you share it with BTS so they can improve the game, otherwise ... it's just your opinion of what happened. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Does it happen in 90% of the battles in CM? Yes. That is gamey IMO, no doubt about it you are "freeing' up units that you would otherwise have to use to guard prisoners.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Does what happen in 90% of the battles in CM? Crews bail out, they are usually shocked for a period of time. After that they are in BAD shape for the rest of the game and if they are eleminated it results in a points penalty. As to "no doubt about it", I refer you to previous phrase in which you stated that it was gamey IN YOUR OPINION. There is a difference between an something that is an opinion and something that is beyond doubt. BTS, in their wisdom, left the crews on the board and capable of accepting orders. I'm willing to live with that. If I choose to limit the orders I give them, that's my right, it's not your right to tell me what I can and can't do if the game allows it. Look, I don't necessarily disagree with you that the game allows certain things to happen that might not have happened in real life. That's because it is ... A GAME! It's not real life, thank God. And there is no way that any game can perfectly reproduce real life. I don't necessarily disagree that BTS might be able to apply a patch that would "cure" these supposed evils. I DO disagree when you, in essence, state that I and others are cheating by doing something that the game allows and that we feel is perfectly logical. Let's make a logical extension here, you have a mortar crew that runs out of ammunition. Do they have to run away? How about a rifle squad with one guy and low ammo, surely he's even LESS effective at combat than a crew? Where do you draw the line? Honestly, I don't really care what the game ends up doing, crews can stay or leave and it will affect my play hardly at all. I do care when someone accuses me of something that I don't think is justified and that's the tone this "debate" has taken. Joe

Actually Rob I do know what's going on but you're quite correct, it's none of my business ... which is the risk you take when you post to public board like this. So you may consider me ... butted Joe

Which would be why you're hassling Matt about screenshots? You at least have the demo version, right? Take some shots from that until Matt has the time. And actually Fionn, it might be rather amusing when Matt DOES respond to his request Joe

What's even worse is hearing those engines and frantically changing camera views till you can spot the shadow ... then the wait ... THEN THE BOMBS! Actually though it was MG/Cannon fire into my Panther's deck that got me. Pretty awesome, damn all Jabos. Joe

Apparently Crocky got it yesterday. Sorry I don't have URL for the post but it was posted yesterday. Joe

The real problem here is one of perception. In some people's minds one thing is "gamey" in another's mind it's not only acceptable but logical. I'm playing a guy now who prefers to view the battlefield only from his side of the map. Does that make me an unfair player if I chose to look back at my lines from the enemy side? I don't think so and neither does he, he hasn't put any restrictions on me but simply plays the game the way he wants. Until or unless the game is modified to change the way in which crews are used, may I suggest a bit of forbearance? Don't automatically assume that an opponent is trying to "gamey" or take unfair advantage just because they don't conform to your idea of how the game should be played. While I intend to refrain from using crews as combat units, I see no reason I couldn't use them to guard prisoners or keep watch on an open flank. Furthermore I'm certainly not going to have my bailed out HT crews trek through that open wheatfield to the rear when I've got a perfectly good house they can hide in (forget about it Arien, I'm not giving you any free targets). Am I being "gamey"? Perhaps, but that is, as I've said, a matter of perception. Joe

I too am an "old timer" and was primarily involved with SL rather than ASL. But for me it was almost more trouble than it was worth because of the damned rules you had to memorize. I especially recall getting a copy of "GI, Anvil of Victory" (you think that was bad, the one on the early war was "Crescendo of Doom") in which they tried to cut down the size of the manual by using ... abbreviations! So not only did you have to remember scores of rules about Personal Portage Points (i.e. how much a man or team can carry) but you had to remember that it was that they were referring to when they used ... P.P.P. CM is the answer to my prayers, I can play the game and let the damn computer remember the rules. Joe

Good deal Kump, hey ... you'll have it for the weekend Joe

And we can find this outstanding scenario ...? Joe

Hmmm, you know I don't think I've ever tried, good question. Joe