30 years and now this!

[flyingcursor]

I realized to my horror that this year marks the 30th anniversary of being a wargamer. What an appropriate time to have aquired a game like CM.

I'm certain there are many of you out there who remember pushing the little cardboard counters around a paper map with a crease that popped up and spilled your carefully placed units onto other hexes. And the pieces that had the little pin-head sized fluff in the corner and caught on other stacks thus knocking them over even more.

Ahhh! Those were not the days.

[aka_tom_w]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by flyingcursor:

I realized to my horror that this year marks the 30th anniversary of being a wargamer. What an appropriate time to have aquired a game like CM.

I'm certain there are many of you out there who remember pushing the little cardboard counters around a paper map with a crease that popped up and spilled your carefully placed units onto other hexes. And the pieces that had the little pin-head sized fluff in the corner and caught on other stacks thus knocking them over even more.

Ahhh! Those were not the days. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There Gone now

This game will BLOW you away!

The VERY best part is you don't know where your enemy's units are. Play full fog of war and get ready for the ride of your life!

-tom w

[Guest Michael emrys]

I remember all too well! I have a copy of GDW's Avalanche that dates from the late '70s. I mention it because it was one of those games with a *very* high counter density. In desperation, one day I took a set of nail clippers and nipped off the the corners of all 1000 or so of the counter set. I even bought a set of magnetic clips to hold stacks upright. [sigh] The things you put up with when you are obsessed...

Michael

[flyingcursor]

Now that's dedication! A friend and I once spent 8 hours setting up the "MONSTER" game The Longest Day. I think it was SSI?

Anyway we were going to actually play the following day but a cat got into the room and knocked over all the upteen thousand pieces. I got rid of the cat and we never had the energy to go through that set up again.

And I am glad those days are gone. They were gone for me when I got "War in Russia" for my Apple II years ago. I haven't pushed a cardboard counter since. The whole point being that the difference between CM and some of the turn based computer war games is like the difference between board wargames and the early computer games.

[Joseph Porta]

Aaaahhhh.....Squad Leader....(sigh)

[Turret Ring]

Been there, done that! Of course it's a lot different now but I still had a great deal of fun back then.

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"Then we shall fight in the shade." (Greek general's comment upon being told that the Persian archers could blot-out the sun with their arrows.)

[Mace]

I've been a wargamer 29 years (hit 30 years in 2001).

Started off with miniatures, but took up boardgaming a few years afterwards.

Who can remember setting up the monster games (eg Drang Nach Osten), playing 2 turns, then putting it away cause it took too long!

Mace

[CaSCa]

I too am a victim of the "Allied Invasion Halted by Cat" gambit in The Longest Day (by Avalon Hill, btw). We had the game set up in my friend's garage and his wife let the cat in on purpose! It seems we were spending too much time at it. He didn't even divorce her.

I remember the good ol' days of inch tall stacks in Squad Leader that fell over while you were trying to remove the hair from the middle, determining los with a rubber band, and arguing about whether rule 24.73.1.C.3a had been superseded or clarified by Rev 4.2.C. I even tried SL by email, ohmygod whattanightmare!

I still like pushing cardboard around occasionally but CMBO is the game I've been waiting for.

[Aussie Smith]

Well I still play miniatures - but hey all board games pale in comparison to "World in Flames". If you want counter overload then it's the game for you - especially if you add all the supplementary expansions - whoo hoo as its not uncommon to have multi-stacks 15 counters high each.

Truly CM is a great game but if I have a gripe with this gaming type (computer) it’s the isolation or singularity of it. Nothing beats getting together with a couple of mates and having a good old get together over a board game like Titan or some-such while consuming some beer and chips etc.

But as visual candy and realistic physics goes the puter will be the wargame platform of choice – its inevitable, unstoppable and in this pushed for time world we live in unavoidable – but for me it will never be as much fun.

Craig

[Oompa-Loompa]

Gotta agree with Craig. Those types of parties were FUN. I miss them too. Nothing made people more angry that accidently spilling some soda (or cigar ash) on the board.

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"Do not needlessly endanger your lives until I give you the signal"

Dwight D. Eisenhower

[CaSCa]

The points about getting together are good, but you can still have that fun. Just buy a hub and some NICs and haul your machine over to your buddy's house for some LanParty action. My friends and I have been doing that every month or two for the past couple of years, sometimes for 3 or 4 days running. We eat like kings, drink like czars, and game like fat drunken king-czars.

Wouldn't be much help with CM at the moment, without the TCP/IP part, but someday soon...oh baby. Now if I can just make my friends quit playing Diablo II...

[This message has been edited by CaSCa (edited 10-03-2000).]

[aka_tom_w]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CaSCa:

The points about getting together are good, but you can still have that fun. Just buy a hub and some NICs and haul your machine over to your buddy's house for some LanParty action. My friends and I have been doing that every month or two for the past couple of years, sometimes for 3 or 4 days running. We eat like kings, drink like czars, and game like fat drunken king-czars.

Wouldn't be much help with CM at the moment, without the TCP/IP part, but someday soon...oh baby. Now if I can just make my friends quit playing Diablo II...

[This message has been edited by CaSCa (edited 10-03-2000).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes Lan play paties are the best

most of us have laptops now and we have been getting together for land parties for about a year now. Myth II and Age of Empires are favourites.

I particularily enjoy that fact that there is no cheating and there are no arguements over rules. Just good clean kick-ass out wit your opponent stratgy fun!

yes the LAN party is fun, there will be more of them when CM posts that long awaiting TCP/IP patch...

that should be fun over Christmas holidays!

-tom w

[The CM Borg]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by flyingcursor:

I realized to my horror that this year marks the 30th anniversary of being a wargamer. What an appropriate time to have aquired a game like CM. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And it has acquired you. Welcome, you have been assimilated.

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Resistance is Futile

[KLilly]

Since we're waxing nostalgic.

I remember the "new" game Blitzkrieg in about 1967. My cat got it also, created huge claw valleys in the Koufax Desert. I personally always played Great Blue.

[pzvg]

Last "horror" I did was a minis game, Nato vs Warsaw Pact, We were playing a Soviet Motor Rifle Division against an American Mech Battalion, At One-to-One Scale! Setup;

3 hours (basketball court) avg time of a turn 1 hour 20 mins. Number of turns played until we couldn't take anymore, 5

To me the worst part about it was everyone played at the end of it, leaving me to collect the minis (they were all mine)

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Pzvg

"Confucious say, it is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt"

[Supertanker]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CaSCa:

The points about getting together are good, but you can still have that fun. Just buy a hub and some NICs and haul your machine over to your buddy's house for some LanParty action. My friends and I have been doing that every month or two for the past couple of years, sometimes for 3 or 4 days running. We eat like kings, drink like czars, and game like fat drunken king-czars.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This gave me such a good laugh, I've decided to drop Madmatt's declaration of love for hamsters and adopt a new sig (see below).

At a gaming convention in 1984, I participated in a HUGE Squad Leader game based on part of the Battle of the Bulge. The guys that created it had researched correct OOBs, and the board was about 40' on a side with 14 height levels. It took all of us (about 25 or 30 players, IIRC) 18 hours to set it up. Another 24 hours or so of play, and the Germans carried the day. I held my sector (thanks to fresh snow hiding most of my positions and a resulting plethora of ambushes), but was ordered to withdraw in order to maintain the line and protect various flanks. It has only been 16 years since then, so I'm still grumpy about it >

(edited because I momentarily forgot how to count - getting old, you know)

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We eat like kings, drink like czars, and game like fat drunken king-czars. - CaSCa

[This message has been edited by Supertanker (edited 10-04-2000).]

[Michlos]

I guess im just a pup around here since I've only played wargames for about 10 years. But then of course.. how could I have played the games before I was born?

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< All gave some, some gave ALL>

Owner of MiNa's CMBO Page

http://www.combat-mission.com

[flyingcursor]

Don't worry Michlos, the obsessive-compulsive disorder Dementia Grognardius is no discriminator of age, race, creed etc.

We all risk becoming fat drunken king-czars.

[dfgardner]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KLilly:

Since we're waxing nostalgic.

I remember the "new" game Blitzkrieg in about 1967. My cat got it also, created huge claw valleys in the Koufax Desert. I personally always played Great Blue.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Brings back memories. I remember spend at least 2 hours setting game up, placing units with my Dad, only to look at each other and say we both bored.

I suspect I'm like many CM players, have several old Avalon Hill board games, copies of old General Magazine....however, I've been assimilated. CM has become all consuming.....rumor has it I have a wife and 3 kids.....however, have not seen them in Order of Battle to any scenario I've played so I'm not sure....my be like CM close air support...something hovering in background!

[Michlos]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by flyingcursor:

Don't worry Michlos, the obsessive-compulsive disorder Dementia Grognardius is no discriminator of age, race, creed etc.

We all risk becoming fat drunken king-czars.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

*sigh* that's reassuring to hear. I though I'd be **** out of luck on that one : )

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< All gave some, some gave ALL>

Owner of MiNa's CMBO Page

http://www.combat-mission.com

[Dervulf]

I just realised it has been 23 years ago that i purchased "Midway". OH NO! i can remember something that happened 23 years ago. AAAAAAARG!

I also remember the days of playing "Vietnam. 1965-1975" with the maps masking taped to the wall high enough so my 2 year old son couldnt reach it and playing from a step ladder.

AW the good (bad) old days

[gaffertape]

Ah, the little 'corner fluff' bits on the counters... We actually found a way around this - take nail clippers to the corners and take off a millimetre or so. I recall that it took hours when we took the clippers to Squad Leader.

EDITING:

D-oh!

Just read the Michael Emrys post which describes the exact same thing... Nice to know that others came up with the same solution.

GAFF

[This message has been edited by gaffertape (edited 10-04-2000).]

[Victor Semensi]

It's my 30th anniversary this year as well. I can remenber the huge disappointment when I bought my first wargame, Blitzkrieg, and found to my horror that it wasn't historical. The next biggest disappointment was watching my best friend's T34's racing back and forth under the noses of my 88's in Panzerblitz. Does anyone remenber the tank craze in the modelling world in the early 70's. The hobby store shelves in the Boston area were floor to ceiling filled with every imaginable version of every German and Allied AFV from WW2. It may have contributed to the fairly good Tiger replicas used in the movie "Kelly's Heroes". Glad to see that there are people my age still gaming after all these years.

Victor

[CaSCa]

I remember the tank craze well. It went so far that Tamiya even had a 1/35th scale model of the "Gulash Kanon" (sp?), or "German Field Kitchen". I believe it even came with a horse (to pull the wagon, not to eat, it was an early war model). I often wondered why the unit wasn't included in CM. It could boost morale or something. What gives?

Supertanker:

I'm flattered. Use with permission.

[scoop88]

You guys are all still wet behind the ears. How about 35 years pushing the cardboard around? My buddy across the street and I started with Gettysburg (AH, of course -- they were the only wargame company back then) in 1965, and quickly bought up every AH game we could. Any of you guys remember the AH games that quickly were discontinued, specifically Fredericksburg, Guadalcanal and 1914, all from 1965 through 1968? I've still got the original 1914 and Battle of the Bulge in the closet. My favorite AH games are The Russian Campaign and Fortress Europa.

I had heard Longest Day was a monster, because it got down to the company level. Another monster is an old SPI game called Battle for Stalngrad by John Hill. Never saw so many counters in my life! SPI also started a series on warfare in Central Europe, circa 1980. The first game was called "Hof Gap, The Nurnberg Pincer," and they produced another one in an issue of "Strategy and Tactics" magazine. The maps were going to link together until by the conclusion of the series you had all of West Germany, and you could fight the Warsaw Pact down to the company level. Had they followed through with the whole series that might have become the biggest board wargame ever. But they never got more than two or three parts of the series finished.

Computer games are so much easier!