SeaMonkey

"The Germans got headcracked by British Air & Naval forces" Right you are Rambonehead. Oh how those Desert Rats strutted with their chest out in North Africa.......Poor AK got their asses handed to them plenty of times. I just can't figure out why it took so long?

The weather.....Ah yes...will it be a random selection or will we be able to select historical? Severe conditions should be possible and the selection of the player to go in those conditions should have its consequences. For the French timeline for surrender, the weather should probably be the greatest contributer that dictates an early or late capitulation. But as I said before...capitulation...none the less.

Guys, you have got to think outside the mechanics that were SC1, SC2 is very different, especially the operational combat tactics. I'll just mention.....attack then move. Now for the real campaign. There is no way we can simulate the surprise success that the Blitzkrieg doctrine achieved, because we are the beneficiaries of hindsight. You must remember that in the Polish campaign of 1939 the details of the actions were not widely dissimenated. The Germans had the clues and many of them were sure they had it close to right, but still lacked the confidence to prosecute their conclusions. Was the Polish collapse a fluke? It must have haunted many of their thoughts. Some, like Rommel, Guderian, Manstein, etc had suspicions and were recklessly ready to pursue the full benefits of Blitzkrieg, but I'm sure they even had their doubts. Knowing what we know of the historical unfolding of the French campaign, the glaring truth is that the French and UK expeditionary force did not have a chance, for many reasons. Could they have done better, probably. But France was lost and the game should play that way, which explains Blashy's appropriate actions, not the only possibility, but understandable. [ November 07, 2005, 08:45 PM: Message edited by: SeaMonkey ]

Dang it Rambo...you need to take something for your memory....or lay off the brewskies. I told you about this a long time ago, there are a number of your fellow TCPers playing this game, like Avatar and DH. Now the on line play is a beta that is open to the public for download if you register as a tester. Get the game, learn it, play it, and come back here and post your ideas prompted from its best features.

Come on JJR, have you forgot your history, it was a cakewalk for the Germans in France. Blashy, it might also be thought provoking to allow a greater amount of "green" reinforcements added per turn. You have one elite per turn, maybe a two green option per turn. Come to think of it, this should be tied to the game turn length in weeks. One week turns = veteran/green, 1/2 strength point additions. Two week turns 2/4, 3 weeks = 3/6, 4 weeks = 4/8.

Liam, what's the deal, haven't you tried WaW? It isn't SC, but the next best thing. Plenty of competitive folks out there and the TCIP beta is there for on line play.

I know everyone is chomping at the bit to get their hands on SC2, me too! But let us be patient, this will be a fantastic game and it will require some more tweaking after release.....is there any doubt? A complicated game system with a friendly user interface is a rare commodity in our wargaming world. I am sure, based upon the SC legacy, is what SC2 will also accomplish. Therefor I wish to make this commitment to the developers of SC2, primarily HC, secondly his assistants, and thirdly this community. It does not matter when SC2 becomes available for retail purchase, I will be patient and attentative to its development. I will loyally follow its forum and interject my ideas when appropriate and always be optimistic in its evolution. That does not mean that I will follow blindly, but with wisdom and humility when faced with features that I do not necessarily agree with. I will lobby for change with rational and reason, and without belligerence, respecting all opinions. So I say to you...foremost Hubert Cater...SC2 is your child...we are the godparents. Take your time with its creation. Get it right,... well as close as possible. Make it flexible, able to bend with the winds of change, but sturdy enough to stand against the maelstrom of negativity. The success of a masterpiece is not measured in the time it takes to create but in the infinity of its appeal.

I like that one elite reinforcement a turn limitation. As I remember, Blashy, there are two types of reinforcements, green replacements, which deduct experience when incorporated into the unit, and veterans, which don't cost experience, right? Are there any limitations on green replacements? And could you, once again, explain the cost comparisons of the two replacement types and possibly any restraints a player would suffer, other than SC1 features, when applying reinforcements/replacements to units. Thanks for a great job, that's inclusive to all the beta testers.

Hey Blashy...nice AAR. Please show us an example of the reinforcement feature. Also do you not have any units that may qualify for over-strengthening, one with experience? Perhaps if that corps that stuck it nose into the Paris area had been 11 strength, you may not have lost him. Is that the island of Crete I see just north of Tobruk with a port? I'm assuming that it has the potential to be active with an airbase and a naval contingent. Would naval repairs be elligible at the Crete port?

OK guys, I'm going to make a little suggestion based on the way WaW build queue works, and I believe it is more realistic. Once you have decided to purchase a unit and say that unit costs 120 MPPs and three turns to build, the game engine should automatically deduct 40 MPPs per turn from your accumulated MPP pool. Now any time in that build period the player should be able to enter the build queue and say right click on the unit, highlighting it red, which delays the unit and returns the 40 MPPs for that turn back to your MPP pool. A left click returns the unit for normal production in the queue and automatically deducts the 40 MPPs. Secondly, another right click on the unit, after it is highlighted as delayed(red) production a popup should occur, "You wish to disband this unit", with a yes or no selection the player makes the decision. If the player chooses to disband an "in production" unit a certain percentage of the invested MPPs to that point should then be returned to the MPP pool. Easy and realistic, not to mention the build strategy implications. [ November 06, 2005, 07:55 AM: Message edited by: SeaMonkey ]

Thanks Bill, If it is appropriate and there is time, how does a player review the status of the units he has placed in the build queue?

And Blashy, can you post a screenshot of the build qeue? Also in the "set name" entry box, I assume this is where we can change the name to our preference?

Blashy, first thanks for the AAR. About HQ attachments. If you manually attach 6 units will those units stay attached from turn to turn or do you have to manually reattach at the beginning of a new turn? If on auto assist, I assume the auto attached units do so as per SC1 default criteria? If not what is the priority path for auto attachment? Can you detail the build queu function. Assuming you save up MPPs turn to turn until the unit completes the queu, my understanding from your comments are that they appear as completed but have to go through some kind of training program before deployment is allowed (ie. the second delay)? Do they appear on map after the 1st delay but are frozen? Is the 2nd delay period the same for all units, assuming the first queu is different for each type of unit? [ November 05, 2005, 11:59 AM: Message edited by: SeaMonkey ]

You can count on it HR. And I also vote for HR, as his game with Terif was a true classic, in the mold of Clay vs Liston. Challenger against Champion, well done HR.

Hey Blashy....no big deal, but could you provide us with a time line. Like in game date vs turn number, perhaps some weather comments also. Thanks

CT...great that you have been touched, by the hand that JJR referred to once as See Monkey Spank. Hope you didn't receive any gooey substance. Right you are JJ, could never hold a candle to Liam's depth of insight. I denote a jovial return of perspective here. No doubt due to SC2's imminent release. How fitting that it should be in the holiday season. "The happy wars are near"....Roger Daltry, the Who, from "Baba Oreilly". [ November 03, 2005, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: SeaMonkey ]

Gentlemen...Gentlemen....surely most of you realize that this community is/has been all about Beta testing. Its the same as life, some contributions are more important than others, some go unrecognized but none the less are significant contributions. Some contribute more with a lesser impact if taken solely, but as a conglomerate acutely important. It is trivial to examine how we got here and where we're going in a negative environment,we already know we will succeed, the past is our legacy. So let us wait until the game is out and we will raise it to a higher standard, just as before, all in our own way, but successfully together. Now the really important thing is that we'll all have a great time doing it, and we will learn and evolve to something better...... Well maybe everyone.... except Kuni

Thanks JJ, I'll be over later to play.

JJ, as much as I enjoy your posting, I need something with a little more substance to occupy me until SC2 comes out...(like life's not enough).....So when do we get "The Judas Goat"?

The Tactics II game I remember was the simple introductory version to wargaming that SPI used to include with their games, right? Or was that AH? And wasn't it just an operational type land forces only game? Now just thinking out loud here, I remember a red vs blue game called "Blitzkrieg", from one of those publishers. Had a bunch of weak neutral nations separating the two main constituents. Anyone? Anyway, wouldn't it be a bit more appealing to create, using the SC2 editor, a game with more of a naval orientation, based on the former "Blitzkrieg" platform? There could be all kinds of orientations to multi-player formats, sort of like Risk, everyone on their own for world dominance, with a bit of diplomacy thrown in for good taste. Each nation could be oriented to a specific armed forces doctrine. One being naval dominated, another air, perhaps a fast reaction highly mobile small but elite force, one with just a large semi-obsolete land army(unmechanized), and then one fully motorized, etc., etc. Perhaps this custom campaign would become the quintessential platform for a players' ladder since it could be fully balanced and designed from the ground up. Hmmmm!! Upon further contemplation, I believe we already have that.....wasn't it called WW2? [ October 26, 2005, 11:47 AM: Message edited by: SeaMonkey ]

Wasn't this about superchargers and the introduction of HF Alkylation processed hydrocarbons delivering the high performance? Oh yeah I guess I should mention the tetraethyl lead compounds for octane enhancement. Still use these products today for race fuel.

Let's imagine that the controlling players decide to let the AIs battle it out in the CMBB tactical realm........Possible? If possible, could said players decide at any moment that they could jump in and self control the tactics to a certain comfort level and then beg off to the AI again? Now to go a bit further. Let's say that each player in the tactical mode have decided to play out the CMBB battle, but with a limited amount of interaction......say maybe three turns each. When your out of your interactive options, the AI has the floor until conclusion. Anything like this possible to speed up gameplay? It would also be nice if the speed of the tactical battle was variable, dependent upon the players' agreeable selection. What I really would like to wish for is a gamescale on the order of HttR operational aspects, but with the CM graphics engine for the tactical battle resolutions. Perhaps we could have the strategic SC scale, then optionally down to the HttR operational scale for maneuvering the battle area and finally having the disputed hex/tile ownership resolved by player controlled interactive AIs at the CMBB tactical level. [ October 17, 2005, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: SeaMonkey ]

Interesting......but I must bring out one important oversight. What's guarding the Eastern approaches to the Russian Empire? Do you think Japan is going to sit idely by while USSR wages war in Western Europe. I think not! There are some nice fat resources that Japan desperately needs in the Eastern USSR provinces. It could be a great scenario, but I need some explanation for keeping Japan and USA out of the fracas.

Have you no faith, Stendhal? I am appalled at your seemingly shortsightedness and display of narrow minded philosophy. Some of the best wargames of all time have been different formats other than hexagonal base. I'll mention "Highway to the Reich", a grid based game of unparalleled innovation, the most realistic game of the wargaming genre around. I to bought 3 SCs and I will buy at least that many SC2s and hand them out to my friends and relatives. You can't imagine the interaction that a seemingly insignificant creation as a wargame can achieve in this so called civilized world. So you won't contribute....heh!! Again another member of my specie disappoints....is there no end to this negativity?

Rambo, have you forgot? This is exactly what we have all have been asking for.......yeh you too! Remember all the requests we have posted over the past....what 3 years at least. Well no one, not even HC, the best strategic wargaming designer of all time could fulfill all the requests.....not even God himself could achieve such a monumental task. So he(HC) did the next best thing....he created the all powerful editor. Don't worry, you can submit all your scenario requests to me and I will create the ultimate JJR campaign....with Patton as the most supreme HQ, if that's what you want. So see, as God intended it, you are free to choose. But since it seems you are a little lacking in the design department......imagine that, our very own Rambo...Lacking...see miracles never cease to exist ; I will volunteer my designing skills to assist you. All in the name of Brotherly love. Now ask yourself....."do you feel better" Here's a happy face for you Now go to your special place knowing that you are not alone. If you do "the right thing" you will be rewarded .