Les the Sarge 9-1
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Posts posted by Les the Sarge 9-1
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"I really don't think I'll still be interested in this after another Year and a half... That is really really ridicilous."
Hmm, I can't relate to that.
I don't buy games unless they are timeless.
By that I mean, if this game came out today or in 5 years, I would either like it or not like it.
And if I like it, I will buy it.
But I will only buy games if i can buy them, and still like them even if I have had it 5 years.
If HC had no plans to release SC2, it would only mean I would still be playing SC1 5 years from now.
I bought all 4 versions of Heroes of Might and Magic eh. If they had never done anything after the first one, I would still enjoy playing it.
Darned fun game.
But 2, then 3 (with a lot of add ons) and then 4 were always "better" in some way. True the company was shamelessly milking the fans, but the game IS still always improved.
It might have just been cosmetically enhanced, but it was still always better.
And it was my choice whether or not to pay for it after all.
The only danger with doddling on a game, is the risk someone else might see your current creation and say hmm not bad, I can improve on that, and then do it.
Wait to long, and someone steals your thunder.
I have actually seen a few cases where you snooze you lose has happened.
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Hmm considering it sounded like Excel was darned near quoting me, I am naturally supporting his post here on this thread.
During my heyday with Magic the Gathering, I NEVER once built a "tournament" deck.
It ruined the game, it favoured fanatical devotion to the perfect play the perfect opening move the perfect card.
I don't want that in my wargames.
I don't want to go into a game knowing in advance that opening move A is a total must or you are already toast. I don't want to know that opening research B is a completely mandatory requirement or you are dead in X turns.
I want to be a General commanding my nation's forces and being made to rely on my skills of generalship to win the day. I want to need to master the game because the conditions might suddenly shift unexpectedly.
Because in real life, you can't just make absolute choices and get absolute results.
So I sure don't want that in my game.
Random keeps the playing field a lot more even. It also does a lot less harm to play balancing. And who wants to play a game, where the end is already known if you mangle just one key consideration.
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Not really all that surprising actually.
Combine a great game or game announcement, with a group of seriously interested wargamers, and you get this sort of response.
I have seen this exact same response each time Matrix Games announces a new project.
I fully expect the SC2 forum to be quite lively until the game shows up.
We all like SC a great deal, we all know HC has respect for his fans, we all have been given a good glimpse into the evolution of the design we call SC2, and we all know HC is willing to listen to our thoughts.
It all goes towards our being more than happy to discuss the project.
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I have a secret weapon, her name is Margaret
She's a gal I know in the US.
If my only choice is to purchase via online, no sweat, I have my secret weapon.
I will NOT be getting screwed by customs.
Canada Customs can sit on this and rotate
I don't mind paying a reasonable cost for shipping, but I ain't getting double dipped at the border.
I never pay more than a couple of extra bucks for remailing from the US.
I sure ain't waiting a year or so for retail on the shelf for the game.
Sure SC is now on sale for a nice 19 bucks, and no doubt SC2 will "someday" be the same.
Screw some day I say hehe.
You guys might know yer warfare, but sometimes I think you guys forget there are a lot of ways to skin a cat.
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Thanks Moon.
In spite of my grumblings in the past, BF at least is known for wargamers wargames.
I like it like that.
Eggsalad
Figures, you ate all the ham and cheese, swine -
I am for downloadable, as it appears it is the direction niche wargaming should take.
I would rather not spend more than 50 bucks Canadian for anything.
Beyond 50 bucks Canadian, you are risking making me miserable just watching the other guys playing.
If the game is made a downloadable, I will likely be one of the guys tying up bandwidth right from the start.
If it requires shipping from the US, odds are I will be waiting a LOT longer than I wish.
And with everyone playing SC2, I doubt I will get in many games of SC1 online either (which will suck).
As SC is now on sale here in Canada in retail, I am naturally hoping if it can't go downloadable, you at least make a significant push to get it on Canadian shelves the same month it appears in the US.
Come on Hubert, you is a Canuck, you gotta cut us some slack
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There is a big difference between specifically trained for invasion from the sea, or jumping out of perfectly good planes, and merely being spoiled with the pick of new gear.
I don't care how elite or fanatical your unit was in history, if you ain't landing on a beach, or jumping out of planes, then you are only worth a freebie experience bar.
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I don't want a separate counter for artillery, but I would like a new way to simulate artillery assets.
HQs should be able to direct artillery fire assets in some fashion.
Just assuming they are "incorporated" into the ground units is not good enough.
All the ground units are identical.
Artillery should be deployable as a resource in some fashion.
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I agree.
I want something better than pound pound pound pound pound, oh I have a hole now.
I also need a better simulation of breakthrough and exploitation.
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I don't "hate" the younger crowd, but no one can fault us grumpy old guard wargamers sometimes.
Look at all the wargames being made out there, all pretty and 3d and real time, just to seem more "real".
And when you play them, the AI is about as smart as a 6 year old girl (one of these days I am going to get beaten up by a gang of 6 year old girls for always saying that, likely go to jail for enjoying it to much with my luck
).I am not thinking Huberts game is going to be any sort of "sell out" to the cutesy crowd though.
I like playing the Panzer General series, and I am a big fan of Steel Panthers just because I like the visual appeal.
Visual is not the end of the world if it is kept under control.
I have to admit, the tiles took me soo completely off guard though.
I would rather have hexes. Maybe that is just me remembering games that don't have them, seeming to play "weirdly".
I know I have not had an easy time adjusting to SCs no stacking design element.
I am not sure where tiles will be with that design element. But then, until SC2 gets closer to done, I guess that will be less than concrete.
I am hoping to see a demo as well, but I think my sale is more or less in the bag.
I wouldn't even be here if I wasn't already sold.
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"I would suggest that air can not destroy ground units"
I concur. Air is powerful, but you need troops on the ground doing the final mop up in real life. I would like to see Air unable to hurt units past a certain strength level.
I would extend this limit to naval as well.
Want that last 3 steps, do it with ground units or forget it.
I abuse this situation currently myself, but I would rather see it turfed in favour of greater credibility.
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Cheating only cheats the cheater.
Put another way, I find it major cool to be able to sit at my computer and whup and holler when I kick yer butt.
Now if I win because I cheat, I might as well be wanking and patting myself on the back at how good I am at it.
If you play anyone, and it is clear they can do no wrong, sure be suspicious. Because even our great players can't win all the time. The game is supposed to use random chance during resolution of combat effects.
Keep in mind of course, if you play average at best, and don't fully exploit the games mechanics, don't assume your opponent will match that.
An experienced unit, fighting from a decent position, vs a poorly set up defense will cause a lot of harm to the defender.
Play the game against the AI a good bunch. When the AI starts looking kinda dumb, you will know you are getting better.
Watch for the results against the AI, and learn the basics of what you can call "average" conditions.
Because the AI isn't worthless in SC, just not very "imaginative" at all times.
But it is good at showing you what the average response in casualties will be like.
I am a veteran wargamer. I have been playing wargames of this sort long before some of our community were even breathing.
But against human opponents, I have yet so far only taken a single actuall till end of game victory.
And I have been given some serious butt stompings.
I therefore can attest, that if you refuse to read the manual and the SC startegy guide, your game WILL suffer against human players.
I have not played SC to death like a good handful of our crowd though.
To become "legendary" you have to give up sex, eating regular, decent sleep, and interacting with family hehe.
I like the game, but not that much
If you play one of those demons, be assured, you will be up against a person that can seemingly do nothing wrong (aside from getting a proper amount of the things I mentioned above hehe).
The game itself can be "exploited" though, by persons of limited personal pride and a desire to make you think they are great (even if they have to lie to themselves to do it).
The file sent back and forth in PBEM is hardly what I would call a secure process.
Maybe Hubert can address that with something more rugged (outside of my expertise how though).
Better solution is to consult the SC community for submissions of superior players by reputation.
Here is a good starting link.
http://www.battlefront.com/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=003464
Thread is not entirely fresh, but the content is worth checking over if you need opponents of quality.
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Actually let me let the page speak for itself.
Huge and beautifully rendered 120x38 2-D isometric tile map with a true-to-scale recreation of Europe (max custom map size of 256x256)
That says tile if I am not mistaken.
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Looks like tile based to me.
Looks like a Civ grid.
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If you are wondering, we are all likely over here
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Just figures eh, I take the time to format the computer, and no one tells me that SC2 is a hot topic when I make the brief foray back into the realm of wargaming.
I bet you guys ate all the sandwiches at the celebration and left nothing for me as well.
Geeeeeeese.
Looking at the screenies is nice though. I don't mind a bit of expanded eye candy, but I hope SC2 remains firmly a wargamers wargame.
I hope Hubert attaches a decent price tag to this one, he was ripping himself off with SC1.
I mean 25 bucks, give me a break. They ask for twice that for games we all know are garbage.
6 players, I think that one will be nice.
New units, I think that bodes well for SC2 modding.
Heck I guess I could just cut and paste the game page in here, but like we all know whats there :0
If this arrives on schedule, I am a happy guy. I have not reeeeeeally got a lot of items open for consideration (ones I can both afford and justify).
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And that is just for infantry Rambo.
Moving vehicles, now that gets intensive in a big way.
It enters a hex, then it stops, then it starts, then it pivots once, then stops, then pivots again, then starts. Then moves three hexes and engages in a gun duel.
I would actually like to see how a computer AI would deal with me doing all that.
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It already passed the test Sea Monkey hehe, I bought it.
Les the Sarge ain't got time or money for garbage.
I might have bought 2 bad wargames in 25 years. Being picky ensures I don't buy garbage much.
But in the case of HTTR, I was sold after seeing its early incarnation Red Devils via the demo.
I was only unable to act on my desire to own it.
But last week, both me the game and my money all found themselves in the same spot for once hehe.
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"I know newbies aren't attracted to the old games, but you never know, classics never die. I see it as opportunity"
I concur, a classic is a classic for a reason. Games don't become classics if they never had anything to begin with.
And we were all newbies once, and all us "once upon a time newbies" are the ones that made those classics classic after all.
So it is not that a person is young or old, new or grognard that makes a game sell. It's if the game actually has something under the hood that makes it sell.
Strategic Command I think is headed for the classic category in my opinion.
It has that one needed element well in hand. Anyone can learn it, anyone can master it, and you can always enjoy playing it.
How many games in the last couple of years have you bought that "seemed cool" until you had played it a month and somehow managed to get tired of it or it had not lived up entirely to your expectations.
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I remember PC Third Reich, and I remember the flak it got.
I remember PC Squad Leader, and I remember (unfortunately) what happens when a game merely wears the name of the game and not the original design.
Currently Matrix Games is attempting to make PC World in Flames. Maybe it will be a mistake, and maybe not.
I have not actually sat down and learned VASL yet, as I have not felt enough need for it yet (I would rather play ASL face to face still).
Aide de Camp at 40 some bucks is not an easy purchase, but it would allow me to play my game The Longest Day against people online (which would be worth 40 bucks in my opinion).
So the matter is sorta like the debate over do we need 3d cutesy grapgics to make our wargames sexy enough to infuse new blood into the hobby or not.
Me I think games like Highway to the Reich which uses 2d but has better AI routines and uses a credible real time setting has more to offer.
Can board games be made into computer games. Again it depends on what has already been done.
I have The Operational Art of War Century of Warfare edition. Which means almost every board game I have ever bought, can be emulated with this highly capable piece of software. Thus you will find, that most wargames, aside from the name on the box, have already been efficiently made into computer wargames already.
Grand Strategy has not been done yet to anyone's complete satisfaction globally, so that one area is not yet accomplished. Here's hoping cWiF works.
If not, it's time to get back into bufgging Hubert to expand his design into going global.
Actual computer SL would be nice. But until someone actually does it, there will be those of us that insist those that say it's easy, to invest in putting their money where their mouth is.
It isn't within my skill level, and I am stating that clearly right here.
So those that say it will be easy, prove it
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My statement still stands, you make it I will buy it
Me, I know so little about programing as to make it hard to make the infinitesimal nick on the scale hehe.
I only know one thing, of all the wargames out there, nothing compares with the fanatical devotion of an ASL fan hehe.
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Ya know, when I think of all the very NASTY outright UNFRIENDLY posts I have encountered from people I most certaily did NOT wish to ever interact with ever again on othwer forums I frequent, one thing has t be said about Kuni.
Kuni is still Kuni, but I don't recall him ever being nasty or unfriendly.
He might be weird (ok he IS weird), and he might posts all sorts of odd stuff (Ok he DOES), but the fact remains, I have nothing against him.
But this ain't my forum, its BF's.
And considering what the normal content of the General Discussions is like routinely, I can't really see why he was banned.
I can see the mods being rather quick to move any of his threads that ain't all the SC relevant, or end up being just to zany into General Discussions perhaps.
I am fairly serious about keeping my own forum more or less up to certain expectations, but I think the content of General Discussions here presents a valid argument for allowing Kuni to be allowed to contribute.
If Kuni can't return, then it seems odd a lot of the people that frequent BF General Discussions are allowed to remain some days.
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Hmm imagine that, Loblaws actually worth something.
Where I live, Loblaws (if you are talking food), is the yuppie store in town, ie you only go there if you are sufficiently rich that a pretty store is more important than saving money.
It would be interesting to actually have a reason to go into it.
As it currently stands, I live next door to a Valumart, and the prices are better. While Loblaws is on the outside of town, and their prices suck.
Their service sucks as well.
Hey did anyone notice I have nothing nice to say about Loblaws hehe
Figures, you ate all the ham and cheese, swine 
SC looks just like "Clash of Steel"
in Strategic Command 1
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A common and logical error I think being made over and over when comparing grand strategy games covering the second world war, is the second world war basically had a lot of qualities that were just hard to ignore.
Thus, if your game is really any good at all, it follows it will have a lot in common with a lot of other games that were essentially "good".
This is perhaps a good reason why you can often only make so many games of a specific setting, before you just have to grin and bear it and accept that one guy's game might have got there ahead of the other guy's game.
I have SC for instance, but I also have High Command and Clash of Steel.
Fine enough designs, but here's what counts. They don't like my new powerful XP using computer. SC, it runs excellent.
Thus, it is quite immaterial how great those other two games "might" have been. They ain't on the computer any longer.
It's fine if you are the rare individual that is holding on to that aging hardware that still runs archaic wargame designs. But most computer users are more interested in upgrading, not hoarding clunkers.
A quick peek over at Matrix Games reveals that more than one group is busy working on grand strategy as well.
Man I would love to have computer World in Flames. But if Hubert scores second hit with SC2, and then evolves his game to go global, chances are I will pass on CWiF.
You only need one decent game to game something out decently eh.
Gary Grigsby is also doing a global design.
So I can't fathom people giving much interest in yesterdays designs. Especially if you can neither buy it or play it.