it's Les

I like the idea of random options merely because it makes the game unlikely to get to "perfect strategy" oriented. I would go so far as to say random events might be of more use to us than any sort of politics expansion. Generally speaking, I am happy with declare war or not declare war choices within the confines of this game. What always made Advanced Third Reich potentially unpredictable, was you never knew what option chit your opponent had.

It's all in the details. What difficulty settng were you using? And as with what Terif said, are you sure your units were capable of the missions you gave them? In my first plays of the game way back when, I suffered a great deal from simply not paying attention to the details in the lower left of the screen.

This thread sure went weird since I saw the first two posts Hmm Rambo, the phrase is "the proof of the pudding is in the taste". But on the matter of beta testing, I have maybe offered once (offered to play test a board game). Everything else, I was actually asked first. But in all honesty, I would probably support asking Rambo to acid test the new game. When he's not being "peculiar", he is very definitely driven, and that actually has some value in play testing (my opinion of course). During the beta test for MC-SE I was getting in battles in like under 30 minutes complete with reports typed up. Most of the team was excellent ferreting out statistical details problems, but I think I probably played it faster more often than some. You have to be an all day every day sort of guy to be any use as a beta tester. I think Rambo at least qualifies there.

Partially agree with you Sea Monkey. Historically the Germans had all the cards on day one, and they enjoyed a lot of stomping as a result. Any game that models history worth a darn, will inevitably do just that. The thing is, if you mangle your starting position and bungle your opening turns, yep, by 1941 you are looking at "why bother" syndrome. But that is what bugs me. We have a lot of people that actually WON'T willingly consider the standard post 41 campaigns as "interesting" due to the player not being able to beat the tar out of history in an ahistorical fashion first. The "I can do it better" attitude is not uncommon in a lot of grand strategy designs. The best wargames I have ever played, rarely were based off of a 39 optimum starting position. My most lopsided win was actually as the British in Malaya. My opponent must have made all the most impossibly bad moves possible too. The game based British "victory" off of how well you performed while losing. I actually feated the Japanese force though hehe. In the 39 Campaign, the German playing user has basically woefully unprepared allies and minors to pound on. That's the way it actually was. By 41 though, you better have you act properly in order.

I have to agree with Bill101 here. It's a common failing in alot of wargames both board game and computer options where a player memorises the "perfect opening moves". They have the game down to an absolute science, but if the game diverts from the ideal, they often flounder or even worse drop out saying the game is lost. It's not ideally nice to play games like that as the punching bag allies though. I have yet to play a good WW2 grand stratgy game where the allies get to be anything but a target. Strong SC character requires the player be MORE than willing to play the whole game, each and every campaign. When a German player can claim to be able to fold spindle and mutilate his opponent in every campaign, then they are indeed a master. Anyone can play Germany between 39 and 40.

I never thought my name could give that much amusement For those interested (an if you read this I guess it's to late ain't it if you weren't). my AOL name is itsstillLeslie and my Yahoo name is itsLeslieheretoo Somehow they just seem more fun than claiming to be a famous Nazi butcher by name or something otherwise not so first impression friendly (never been able to perceive what motivates some persons choices admittedly)

I am not a master, I have never claimed to be a master. I am in the SC Strategy Guide credits though, and I have no idea how that happened. I have not designed any campaigns, but that's mostly because I enjoy the vanilla install of the game enough. I have championed the game abroad and defended the art of real wargames vs idiotic poorly thought out concepts of what is supposedly a true wargame. But that just doesn't make me a SC master. I never quote specific historical data at length and I don't compile long lists of data, but I can tell you when a design has missed the mark. I really have no idea why people get so annoyed when I leave, and so annoyed when I return I don't even know why people care what I say hehe.

Kuni, don't worry about what happens to this thread. I know what you said in your emails, and if it hadn't been good enough to convince me, then this thread wouldn't exist either. I have been called famous by some. I have been called legendary by some. I was once called a god by a wargamer. All of it is of course embarassing when they say it in public. Because I have never claimed it of myself. I just get blamed. And no one can say I am being arrogant by reporting OTHER people's comments. I have people on the internet that have sent me gifts in the mail they were so impressed with my contributions. Flattering as it is, but it doesn't make me arrogant mentioning it inspite of how it annoys those that number themselves among those that don't care for me. Kuni, you are a wild card the way I am a grumpy old grognard. If you can dig my being grumpy, then I can try to give you a measure of loney behaviour. Sirocco, the ones that "don't like me" are easy to spot. You get no further than I do trying to alter them. My only thought to add right now, is I want a better description of this "made man" notion. Because I want to know exactly what it is that is being claimed.

Rumors of my retirement are exaggerated eh. It's my interest that's at risk. If the forum can offer the new gamer (yes some have not played SC to death believe it or not), something better that lunatic banter from just a few guys, then it might actually go a ways to supporting the game. Put yourselves in the shoes of a person only just finding the game. They walk in here, and the forums look like a mad house. It won't give them a lot of reason to stick around till SC2 arrives. And I have yet to meet a large sum of atypical forum users that use either the search function or read anything much past page 1. So what sits on page one, is essentially the games first impression.

You summed up the scene rather well Liam. I was a bit into playing online for a bit there. then all the buzz about secuity. Right now, I would likely rather just hack about hotseat mode solo and wait till SC2 gets here.

I have been given two entirely civil requests (via email) from Kuni, to consider. And while something insides me says proceed with extreme caution, I try to judge by what I have available to judge. And on the merits of the two emails alone, I will consider it Kuni. I don't mind being seen as grumpy. But I am a wargamer when I am on a wargaming forum. Lately you guys at BF (not just the SC fans, but the whole community), have been making the entire forum into one great big off topic asylum. Boggles me why the owners let it go so far some days. But that is THEIR businsess. You guys need to do it better than the other guy if you want to be seen as better than the other guy. Now, prove to me whether this was a good idea to post this or not guys.

Hmm if I was Moon would I even care about this thread....possibly not. Then, who on this thread is actually being slanderous technically? Well I think that much is obvious. Will I report the comments directed at me? Nah, there would have to be a point. But you guys just go on being as you wish. At the very least, you are likely doing more damage to yourselves than I could myself. Generally speaking, people can read, and they will likely draw whatever conclusions they wish. Will it hurt the game? probably not. Will it hurt your reputations? Well that depends on whether the damage matters. John you gave me House of Games, you were quite explicit. Now if you wish to after the fact say you did not, then I feel no regret saying you sir are a liar. Having been found guilty of dishonesty, I have to let you know, all you have said has to be held suspect. Kuni you WERE banned, I should know, I am the one that banned you. You can deny that if you wish, but it really doesn't matter to me. Gee can you feel the love? For any reading this unfortunate spectacle, remember, SC is indeed a good game, and you don't necessarily require any of us here to enjoy it.

For those that don't know, I was once upon a time Butch, yes I was Butch. I told John I had no intention of being a mod if I had to be a mod as well as be me simultaneously. After two very unfortunate stints of being a mod, both cases proving I sucked at being a mod, I decided the only way I would be a mod was as someone else. Now in the fullness of time, John "gave" me House of Games. Yes you heard me, he "gave" me the forum. Now if I was indeed the nasty backstabber, naturally I would have just arbitrarily deleted the forum eh. But John axed my interest in his forums by threatening me with Invision. At that point, I really did npot think I could logically see myself participating on his forums. Remember, if I am not liked, I am not liked eh. No magical effect transpires just because I am on a new forum. So I said my good byes to ALL of John's creations. Including House of Games which was MY forum John, you did give it to me after all. So I posted a sign saying forum for sale. It was the limit of my interest in it at that time. John spun it into a nasty back stabbing, when really, all I did was post the forum was in need of management, because Butch was moving on. John, none of your forums have ever belonged to any other than the person(s) that created them. All the warm fuzzies won't alter that. Even when you appear to sincerely give them away. John I am NOT embarassing myself. Everyone already knows it's Les is Les, the same Les everyone has already known for several years. I am not sure though, that your name is doing any better. Please email BF if you are unable to handle how I am willing to talk about all the things you have assumed were safely deleted. I have not defamed your character, merely held a strong light up to it. Being banned here won't kill me. I am fortunate to not be dependent on just one forum. I don't have any specific beef with any specific member here any more than they have a beef with me.

What can I say John. Accept for a brief moment in time, during the summer, when I finally got tired of the crap being directed towards Les the Sarge, I have always been me consistently. I bear YOU know ill will John, but if a friend screws me over in one thread, they don't become a friend later in another. If that person speak ill of me on one forum, I don't assume them to be a better person on another. So considering all you have said about the Peng group, and all that I know that some of them have done and said, that you can actually sit there and insist on calling them friends, regardless, makes me wonder, how is it you measure a friendship in the first place? I have seen what you have said of people at one location, only to not uphold that view at another. I don't know what you wish to call that sort of behaviour, but consistent it isn't John. Kuni is the only person to ever get "banned" from my forum. His an idiot, and he can't seem to avoid being one. I asked him to refrain from a behaviour at my site, he refused flat out refused. Thus I banned him. Yes I talk about other forums on other forums. it might annoy some, but like I don't really care. People can just accept the responsibility of what they say regardless of where they say it, and they can just live with their publicly uttered remarks. I was fabbergasted when you actually posted that if I didn't delete your account from my forum, you would actually get Invision to do it by force. That was quite the statement John. And for those interested, it's still there too. I am sorry for forcing you to accept that some people occasionally expect a person to mean what they say when they say it. But there it is. I think you are seeing why Dorosh calls me dangerous though. I am A. not really liimited by only having Battlefront to hang out at. and B. not afraid to tell ANYONE what I think. What is unfortunate, is a lot of what you claim of Mountain Man (yes I am not afraid to say his name), remains unknowable to me and unprovable due to the constant creation deletion process that has dogged your forums as well as CTs. Mountain Man is grumpy, that much I know. But I have no evidence have not seen anything to which would deserve your response. I do though, have a copy of the entirely vicious post you posted to him. Yes I have a copy of that post John. I have not shown it to Mountain Man, and I am not planning on showing it to him. I am just glad he never saw it. You can't claim the high ground John when I possess proof you are no better than those you complain of. I DO possess proof of the actions of your enigmatic Peng friends/not friends though. I DO know the full measure of certain persons (whom hide behind multiple IDs but hide who they really are about as well as I do on forums where I don't go by Les. How you can call them friend is a mystery to me, but not important. After the way you forcibly removed yourself from my forum, I am unable to determine how you decide what a fiend is John. I posted quite a lot of very long very heartfelt posts on your forums. You certainly know how I think. But those forums are also deleted. So a lot of good the effort was. In the end John, I am YOUR history. How you deal with it is up to you.

Everyone already knew all that John. But it isn't just a small group John and unlikely just a few people you had trouble with on your own forum. I realise you might not have much interest in other sites, but the trouble is, not experiencing other forums, only hurts you. You likely will be totally unprepared to maybe enjoy the next game that is similar to SC, only because you won't even know it exists. As for playing wargames before I was born, nice sounding comment, but that misses a small detail, when you remove table top miniatures from the assessment, my birth predates commercial wargaming. So unless you meant your playing of chess, that comment achieved little in the end. I am not interested in the Peng group, hell Dorosh considers me dangerous, I am not his friend. I am just no friend to stupidity is all. As for ushering you out of the place, not in my power, nor even my desire. This is "just Battlefront" to me. After they release SC2, I might not have a lot of use for the place, or I might stick around. Either way, I am active on other forums. Some more than others. I discuss more than just wargames, but I am also more than a wargamer. Thing is though, if I was only interested in history, and only devoted to history, I could find much better venues than a wargame company's forum. Historychannel.com is just one example of where knowledge of a wide range of topics, military included, is required in order to have a decent discussion. Now granted, Historychannel has it's own troubles with miscreants, opinioned idiots and poorly educated nutcases. It comes with being on the interent and open to all of humanity, the good and the bad. Yes I said my farewells in the past, I meant them at the time as well. But then again, freedom is about being able to chose ain't it. I might have gotten banned in the past and then I would not be here in the first place too of course. In the end though, this is a SC forum, sitting on a Battlefront forum which is according to the actions of the owners about their way of doing it because that's the way they want it. You have forums, we all know that of course (although why you have not repaired the broken links in your sig escapes me). I was part of them for a time. They were what they were. You were always free to make them be whatever they were. That they have become what they are, or will be, has always been something that YOU bear full responsibility. Thus, it is really no one else's fault in the final analysis. It was unfortunate how you chose to leave from mine. But then you made your choice, and it was indeed yours to make. You might not like my pointing that all out John. But then again, you claim to be significantly older, the burden then is for you to behave even more wise as well. If you want to camp in here and complain about Dorosh and his evil crew, you are going to have to accept it might look a little juvenile in some cases. Not to mention, you seem willing to be part of your own little crew. We have the Peng group, and we have the Kuni crusaders. I think both groups look silly. And some days I would like to lock the lot of you up with Mad Cow's Steakhouse and show you whiners what smack looks like.

John you are a self proclaimed "non wargamer". So the question before you is, why are you even here fretting over a handful of fanatical "actual wargamers" and their lousy online social skills? Battlefront, every square inch of it, is a wargamer forum, through and through. It's really just what it is, and not at all anything else. Some parts are rather obsessed with themselves, and some (Politics) rather outright socially hostile. I could suggest a few places you might like if you are looking for a bit less "wargamer type" hassle. Then again, I have a friend with a gardening forum, and those ladies can get right in your face over flowers eh

The game is easy as well as hard, simple to learn and easy to get into. Against a practiced human you are toast. The AI will give you a run for your money for more than a few games (but it can be beaten). For a good source of mods support, I suggest here. http://www.ww2n.com/schq/

Kuni, are you the only person unable to tell that Dave is Immer?

Well after playing HoI (yes quit freaking out I played it ok), the only mistake a person will be capable of making in the field of grand strategy for the near future, is buying HoI2. And if you don't like that remark, tough friggin luck. I saw HoI for what it is long ago, but now I have proof. The game is garbage. WaW and SC will be just fine together as long as both are decent games. Now we have seen SC and thus we are aware of what SC2 can be. WaW though, it will have to put i n it's time on people's computers like all games have to.

SC chat will be dull as dull gets until after HC grants us his next boon in the form of SC2. I mean we have generally speaking said it all. When SC2 arrives though, then it will be as it was before... BF General? what's that? No one will have the time to give a darn about people that don't like the game. I can only suggest, if you want the game to be great, go preach it to the world outside of this forum when you are not here on this forum. Places Les says things positive of SC. My place of course Dave's Universe Matrix Games Warfare HQ Because, you don't preach to the converted eh, you preach to those that have not heard (heck I am surprised you are not in their face on aother forums Rambo ) Saying SC is a good game anywhere on the BF forums is kinda like saying the obvious for the most part.

Guys, SC is just one game on a vast thing called the Internet. Now if you want to be like the insular CMers and think the world is Battlefront and nothing else, then I guess you are just going to have to accept those guys dominate your "world" (that beng Battlefront). Battlefront can sell other games, but no one is under any illusions, Battlefront in CM and some "other games".

Hehe I have a 500mz system on the floor here eh. I usually use it as a foot rest I have my SPWW2 and SPMBT games loaded in it with a 98SE OS. Come on guys, if Les's footrest computer is better than yours, it is definitely time to treat yourself to some new parts hehe.

Or put a more in a more in your face way, you can likely run the game on a system you couldn't sell for love of money hehe. "a 500 MHz system with 128 MB of RAM and a 16 MB video card" That generally speaking, decribes a paperweight

Required display is 1024x768. That might be what is causing your trouble Retributar

I have been following Vics game more or less since he started it off (more or less). It is a nice simple little program, and I actually think it might amuse the average wargamer. It gets a vote of confidence from me at least. Nice job on the game Vic.