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Spookster

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Posts posted by Spookster

    Scenario Balance Indication List (CMBB)

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Neat, but...

    You've created a circular self-selection problem in rating your games. As it stands now, people tend to play games that are "Balanced", and stay away from the "Imbalanced" ones, even though most the imbalanced ones (many of which are my favorites)do NOT have a big enough sample size to make a determination on their relative fairness.

    Another problem, and I've found to be a big one: Maximizing balance does not always maximize enjoyment. It is a huge component, but I've played PBEM games with good balance that were not necessarily better than an "imbalanced" one, like: "Message from Geotz", which has a ton of drama, intensity and charm.

    You know all this, I'm sure. And, of course, you are interest in measuring the best head to head scenarios for your player rankings. How about this?:

    Allow players to play all the scenarios, even the so-called imbalanced ones. Win or lose, nothing is recorded until that scenario has a significant sample (which I assume your stats guy can determine). Then, previous games can be compared against a meaningful average. Wins and losses can be determined relative to other games.

    That way, players can play a greater diversity of scenarios and be less afraid of "imbalance" issues.

    Just my 2 cents.

    -Spookster

    p.s. BTW: Great job with your site. If I ever played as much as I did in the BO days, I'd join.

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    A Prayer Needed...

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    This is what I like to hear/read. Thanks for the updates, Panther.

    -Mike

    Originally posted by Panther Commander:

    This is the latest news about Matt...

    Hi

    Just wanted to let you know that Matt's condition has improved enough

    in the

    last 10 days to allow him to be moved from the ICU to a regular room.

    (Yeah!!!!) The Doctors are greatly pleased that Matthew has regain some

    strength and some movement and his breathing and heart beat are back

    close

    to normal. We are still not out of the woods but this is a step in the

    right

    direction as Matts radiation treatment will be able to continue. So far

    he

    has had 14 of 31 treatments so he is almost half way. He is starting to

    loose his hair but considering he was suppose to loose his hair but

    didn't

    with the chemo and that didn't work we are taking this as a good sign.

    However we won't know how effective the radiation is until after it is

    done.

    We would like to thank everyone for thier support , prayers and visits.

    This

    has really helped bring up Matt's spirits. We are hoping and praying

    that

    God will give us a Christmas miracle :)

    Tom, Wendy, Micheal, Matthew, and Nicholas

    Keep those prayers coming.

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    A Prayer Needed...

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Steve,

    Just called the Ronald McDonald House. Left a $100 donation to the facility. (Apparently, Wayne Gretzky is a big Calgary Ronald McDonald fan. So I am in good company.)

    Talked to a Ronald McDonald associate, who told me, "Matthew's doing pretty well."

    Good news.

    The associate offered to connect me to the room, but since I've never met the Grace family, I said it was enough to tell them that the "CM Community has them in their thoughts."

    Somehow, I think "Warmonger" is the least fitting name for Tom..."Good Father" should be his moniker.

    Peace,

    Mike

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    Send in the Marines

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Originally posted by Maj West:

    CM Pacific would provide an entirely new perspective of WWII tactical combat. It is a shame that the developers have no interest in the Pacific theater, and the entire other half of the Second World War...

    Maj West,

    I think there are many interested parties to a CM:Pacific, but are there enough to make it financially worth-while for BF to produce such a game? Personally, I have no interest in the Pacific Theatre, mainly because I have an Armor bias and Armor is what CM models well. (Those "stacks" of infantry running around are not my cup of tea.)

    If BF were to produce a PT game with a new engine, I'd consider buying it; otherwise, nope.

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    HSG-Homecoming

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    I may be getting a little senile, but I'd like someone to confirm/debunk my thoughts on the following scenario at the depot:

    HSG-Homecoming

    Please, for interest of objectivity, do not read my review. I'm interested in your views of the quality of the scenario AND the challenge of the scenario (too hard, hard, fine, easy, too easy) vs. AI - specifically, Germans vs. AI.

    It should not take you very long to play, and I promise it will NOT be a waste of time.

    Just curious as to whether I'm going mad. Thanks.

    -Mike

    p.s. Post reviews at SD...thanks.

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    Reviewing the Scenario Depot

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Ponyi Express Review

    CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!

    Ranking 10.

    Played: Germans.

    Verdict: Minor Loss.

    Upside:

    1. Sweeping vista, with enough cover for an approach. The dry/wet river bed is a nice touch. I think if it were a true river, I'd have been sunk (worse than Minor Loss.) Your choice of 85mm on the hill worked well (too well), but, like you wrote, I'd have rather had the heavy guns.

    2. Elephants! This is a scenario where both the strengths and weaknesses of these beasts are well measured. I lost five of them. 2 to flank shots, 3 to close encounters.

    3. Plenty of Artillery (and smoke). Many scenarios forget the King of War. What element of war killed more people in World War II?

    4. Little things, like in the set up, you lined everything up, nice and neat, for ease of deployment. When units came from reserve, they were not in LOS of the enemy...etc.

    5. Finally, I really liked the way this scenario merged history with the CM engine. Too many times, I've seen historical scenarios fail because the engine cannot "recreate" the situation. For example, my pet peeve is city scenarios...they just don't seem to work. Troops bundled in packs of 12 or 9 or 8 are great as a proxy for infantry in a broad scenario, but in the city, hand to hand fighting, door to door, window to window, just cannot be captured with the CM engine. (I have long ago given up on urban Stalingrad scenarios for just this reason.)

    Downside:

    1. I'm of the opinion that such grand scenarios need more time, 100+ turns. Let the players decide when to stop. [This is almost always my bias. I know this is how designers like to balance game play, but I prefer that the unit balance, and topography balance do the job.] I could be wrong on this one, especially for marketing reasons - players like them shorter, than longer.

    Minor:

    2. A few uneven stretches of map. For example, the train tracks on the German left flank are a bit wobbly. A touch here, a touch there.

    Poor loser:

    3. I wanted better German intelligence. I know, I know, this was not always given in war, but DAMN, it sucks losing an elephant at 1000+ meters to some dumb AA Gun.

    Lastly, what really sucks for this scenario is that NOBODY has reviewed it at the SD, which probably means that not enough people have PLAYED it, which is a complete shame.

    I'm done singing your praises. I look forward to playing one of your other scenarios and trashing it in a bitter, egotistical review that serves only to make me look more intelligent.

    Otherwise, cheers.

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    Reviewing the Scenario Depot

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Originally posted by Patrocles:

    And I also thanks Spookster for reviewing (quite critically and harshly! :( ) my battle "Assault Guns Forward!" I hope to revise the battle in the near future after a few more reviews (HINT HINT to other CMBB players to review battle)

    You must be one of the best CMBB players on the scene because of your victory. Other players of this battle haven't had it so easy. I stated the better player should take the German side and you took the Russian! I shudder to think there is someone playing with even better skills than you (but he seems to have left his tactical-skill hat at the door in your battle! smile.gif )

    Do you have battles at The Scenario Depot? In your spare time you need to create battles. Since you review many many battles you must show us, and not just tell us, how it needs to be done.

    Pat,

    I am sorry to be so harsh. I did not mean to imply that your scenario was a waste; in fact, it has some great elements. I really enjoy "Germans-desperately-holding-the-line" scenarios, as these situations were all too common, especially post '42.

    What you should glean from my comments is that your best has yet to come! I mean to push you forward, not hold you back. As an example, I just played Jeff Weatherspoon's epic "Ponyi Express" PBEM. (Sorry Jeff, have not reviewed it yet.) These types of scenarios are breath- taking, all immersive extravaganzas. They really put you there...every move is important. Load this one up. Put it in the editor...look at the map...look at the units...play it solo. This, to me (MY bias), is the essential scenario, it has it all: history (you'll know the reason the why the ELEPHANT needed MGs), freedom of movement, tanks, infantry, artillery...) From what I've seen of your scenario, you are capable of such gems.

    You wonder what are my "qualifications" to rate scenarios. First, and most important, I am a player. Back in the day of CB:BO I played in many ladders, tournaments...etc...I was a "gamer", if you will. Now I play casually, mostly PBEM scenarios, sometimes head-to-head online.

    Second, and far less importantly, I have designed a few large PBEM games - five to be exact. Three have been well received, one (my first) was a disaster and one languishes at the SD for lack of PR (a BO battle created a few days before BB came out.)

    I leave you with this note: What I wrote is just my opinion. I think people, through reading my reviews, know my preferences. I appreciate all who contribute to the SD, bad or good, and I don't mean to belittle anyone's work.

    Just to let you know, the "bad" scenario I submitted to SD, I let sit - made no changes, nothing. Instead, I went to work on my next scenario "Terror by the Rhone" (BO) and got it right.

    Cheers.

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    Reviewing the Scenario Depot

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Originally posted by Jack Carr:

    Thanks for giving "Defending the Dead" a try. I'll try and spice up the briefing a bit. I know what you mean about the AI's inability to handle it's most valuable asset.

    I replayed it last night and experienced a similar situation. The best I have gotten on this scenario is a Draw. I give far better than I get but am unable to achieve a victory in the time alotted. Curious to find out how you achieved a Major Victory. E-mail me off list and tell me your strategy if you get a chance.

    Thanks again for reviewing my scenario.

    To everyone,

    I'm done reviewing for a while. Have to move on with life. Sorry if I offended you with my remarks. Just stating my opinion. Keep up the good work.

    Jack,

    Sorry I did not submit the review until today. I played alot in December, took some notes, and filed them all at once. I must say, the key to a fantastic scenario is creating atmosphere, and "Defending the Dead" does just that. My bias is toward a combined arms (INF&ART&ARM) scenario, but your scen was enjoyable.

    The way I won?

    SPOILER BELOW!

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    The whole Russian LEFT flank was left largely undefended (one MG and the HQ elements in the hut.) The T34 decided to take a stroll to the church with a few turns remaining.

    I left 40% of my units at the church to engage the enemy (including my MGs and 50mms.) I think this pressure drew units away from the rear?

    Best of luck with your next design.

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    CMAK Imminent - can we fix the Scenario Depot Rating System Beforehand?

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Originally posted by Flammenwerfer:

    [QB]

    Spookster

    "I apologize for the snippiness. I meant to say, incorrect IMHO. smile.gif Though I stand by what I said."

    Apology accepted.

    "How do we define A 'quality' reviewer? One that gives high scores for the battles you like or writes eloquent remarks, or writes a review every weekend. You say one that is more dedicated..Trolls are very dedicated, with a complex system you'll get the very motivated from both sides of the spectrum. Let's avoid this can of worms and just say that all reviews and opinions are valid."

    By quality, I mean someone who takes the time to respond in a thoughtful fashion (be he an idiot or Einstein.) Surely, you agree that a review that uses specifics is more useful than a "gosh, I liked it, but you suck" review?

    A more complex system (all things being equal) requires more dedication. Using extremes, how many people do you suppose would review scenarios at the SD IF they were required to write a 5 page essay? And...if one person did so for each scenario, would it be worth it?

    "I agree with you that we need to increase the number of reviews made at the SD. I dont think a 5 point scale vs a 7 or even 9 point scale will increase the number of reviews, as you assert."

    Here, I may agree with you. If we had a sample of potential reviewers that approached infinity, I'd disagree. At the margin, a five point scale's simplicity may attract more reviews. But if we are talking about a few dozen possible reviewers a month, if that, it may not matter. But I honestly don't know.

    As far as the 1-10 scale adding more variation for the reviewer, I agree that in a perfect world it does, but in reality, people limit themselves to 6-10, as I do.

    Will they limit themselves to 3-5 in a 1-5 scale? If they do, then a change from the 1-10 scale is not necessary.

    I just don't know. So do should we make a change?

    0

    CMAK Imminent - can we fix the Scenario Depot Rating System Beforehand?

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Originally posted by Flammenwerfer:

    I agree the lower end of the spectrum is not very important, discriminating between the abysmal and the poor is not the issue, what is important is determing what is simply good from what is great.

    A 5 point system, in effect is a 3 point system and will lump everything together. Keep in mind a scenarios 'score' is an aggregate of several reviews.

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> The important point is not the quality of the review system, it is the quality of the reviewer.

    Wrong. The quality of the reviewer cannot be controlled for, our task is the system. </font>
    0

    CMAK Imminent - can we fix the Scenario Depot Rating System Beforehand?

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Originally posted by Flammenwerfer:

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Berlichtingen:

    I still maintain that anything larger than a five point scale is unnessessary fluff

    Would you please elaborate. A broader scale provides more discrimination and the ability to assess differences.

    What provides more information- Do you like? Yes or No Vs. Like Very Much, Like Somewhat, Do Not Like). </font>

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    Reviewing the Scenario Depot

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Originally posted by Panther Commander:

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Spookster:

    Fellas,

    Secondly, since I have a few days before I have to get back to work (give up on CM for a while, sigh), I want some suggestions on which other scenarios I should review to get them over the required THREE reviews. I cannot promise I will like the scenarios, but I do promise to review them with complete honesty. So if you have a scenario that you think is outstanding but languishing at the SD, post it here.

    Thanks.

    Outstanding idea. I applaud you. Are you looking for vs AI or H2H as well? More people should review. Do one a week, one every other week, one a month, whatever just do ONE!!!

    The CMAK section is beginning to fill up with scenarios that are looking for reviews I believe that only Welcome to Africa has the required 3 at the moment.

    Panther Commander </font>

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    Reviewing the Scenario Depot

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Fellas,

    I've had the time to review of a couple of Andreas' scenarios. I especially enjoyed his "The Drama Begins" player v. AI scenario just posted at the SD. Since I believe this scenario is destined for greatness, I wanted to invite any who are willing to give it a taste and write a review. (p.s. This not a plug for a friend...I do not know Andreas, but I do like his work.)

    Secondly, since I have a few days before I have to get back to work (give up on CM for a while, sigh), I want some suggestions on which other scenarios I should review to get them over the required THREE reviews. I cannot promise I will like the scenarios, but I do promise to review them with complete honesty. So if you have a scenario that you think is outstanding but languishing at the SD, post it here.

    Thanks.

    0

    Diminishing Returns

    in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk

    Posted

    Given: Battlefront has created an incredible gaming system that has entralled me to the point of addiction over the past three years.

    Problem: The N.Africa and Italian Theater seems like BO lite, especially compared to East Front.

    Situation: No motivation to design for AK.

    Secret Wish: BB was created last. The Russian Front was the decisive theatre in WWII - hell, it may have been the most decisive war in history. I wish all the new features in AK (those dust trails are most excellent) were used in BB.

    I hate to say it, but AK "feels"...less, somehow, like being hit with a 20 mm shell after being hammered with an 88.

    Does this make any sense?

    The real question: Is this the beginning of the end for the CM craze? Or just for me?

    Flame away...

    Sincerely, Mike

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