"Wild Bill's Rumblings Of War"- A Tournament

[John Kettler]

Treeburst155,

Roger on DARs. Extra work, but given my performance so far in the Invitational, I'll take all the help I can get.

The link "Tourney Standings" doesn't work.

Will be fighting "Tom" in Section II as my first Rumble. We've already begun gameyness

discussions. Besides, he sent me a "we few" note I liked.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Thomas Norton]

I too want to say "thank you" to all the men who went the extra mile to put this tournament together. WB, TB 155, Wine Cape, all the testers, and those who wanted to be a part of this action.

You will be giving us hundreds of hours of terror, and hopefully, some joy as well.

Cry havoc, and let lose the dogs of war.

Tom

[tabpub]

Greetings:

As a "lurker" (this makes my 2nd Post I believe) I was mildly shocked to see my name in "lights" per se. I have responded to my Group 3 opponents and look forward to the beginning of hostilities. The tension is unbearable. This bodes to be an adventure that will be quite memorable.

[Stixx]

I might be missing something here?

I see that i have been accepted in this tournament and i have been recieving E-Mails from various blokes in here but......I haven't recieved any E-Mail etc from Treeburst or WineCape. Has anyone else actually been "Notified" as to whats going on?

Stix

[WineCape]

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

I might be missing something here?

I see that i have been accepted in this tournament and i have been recieving E-Mails from various blokes in here but......I haven't recieved any E-Mail etc from Treeburst or WineCape. Has anyone else actually been "Notified" as to whats going on?

Stix<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

OK, the 24 lucky combatants have been "notified" via a formal letter, signed by the Consulate Generals of each participant's nationality represented here in South Africa.

Regards,

Charl Theron

-------------

A bottle of good wine, like a good act, shines ever in the retrospect.

-- Robert L. Stevenson, Scottish writer (1850 - 1894)

[Wreck]

WineCape (and/or WB, Treeburst):

I got the note regarding the tourney. Being eager to start, I had a question...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>

We expect this tourney to kick-off as soon (probably middle Sept. as soon as Wild Bill have all scenarios polished) as you receive the word from Treeburst, the tourney manager.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I guess I am a bit unclear on how we are actually going to play.

Is there some reason why all the scenarios have to be polished before we can start? Can WB just finish one of them, and we can get busy?

[ 09-04-2001: Message edited by: Wreck ]

[WineCape]

Wreck,

Will Bill is crafting 8 scenarios, and my guess is that most are finished by now. They just need to be properly playtested via Bill's lead testers to make them not completely unbalanced. Each player will be playing a ratio of 4/3 attack/defend or vice versa, or as closely as we can get to these attack/defend ratios for each combatant.

Now the trick is to get each player to ... say attackon a particular map, without later (in another round) defend on that same map, as he will by then know the surprises/force composition of his opponent, thus diminishing any crafty ideas/twists that Wild Bill might have build into the scenarios.

Starting to play with only a few of the 8 scenarios available will be one major headache, as players will be assigned attack/defend duties that will skewer the attack/defend ratio from a possible 4/3 to 7/0!!

Texas Toast was kind enough to lend some brainpower to Treeburst to assign the proper ratio's for each combatant. BUT only if we have all 8 scenario's available to begin with in the first place, naturally.

Short question, long answer.

Regards,

Charl Theron

--------------

Music is a psychological landscape, with all sorts of indefinable things. Wine is the same way. It has tastes that are very hard to define. When I drink a great wine, I get a sense of …. breadth - like a chord sounding and echoing.

-- Michael Tilson Thomas, American symphony conductor

[Treeburst155]

I will inform everyone by email when the tournament officially begins. This email will contain the email addresses of your opponents for your convenience, along with the deadline for completion of your games.

When you have arranged to start a game, one of you must email me for the scenario. I need to know who you are playing in order to choose the right scenario and determine who gets what side. I will then send the scenario to the German player (whether he's attacking or defending) and the Allied briefing to the Allied player (security reasons). This is all done using a chart put together by Texas Toast. No player will see the same scenario twice, no player will attack more than four times, and no player will defend more than four times. Your schedule could be 3 attack/4 defend or 4 attack/3 defend. You may play the Allies or the Axis seven times (unlikely), but your attack/defend duties will be split.

I believe there is just one scenario that has not yet been given Wild Bill's stamp of approval. SuperTed and I are down to the last four turns in that scenario now. There may be others testing it too, but I'm not sure. We will give Wild Bill his completed "Test Sheet" and he will decide. I think the scenario is ready to go. SO, it won't be long now.

If you are using Netscape you will have problems with the links on the tourney standings site. Here is the fix that has been reported to me:

Just checked, it is definitely a Netscape issue. The critical difference seems to be the space inside the links:

IE uses "%20" for the link, while Netscape uses a space " ". Obviously the server does make a difference between them. Copying the correct link with "%20" into a Netscape browser window works too. Marcus

If you still have problems I will keep you updated on the standings via email.

Treeburst155 out.

[Treeburst155]

It appears that even a tournament saved scenario can be run hotseat and the other side's setup zones and initial units viewed. In order to prevent the German players from viewing Allied setup zones and initial units (hotseat)I am going to send the German player (who will always begin the game)a saved game file. The German player will place the file into his SAVED GAME folder and start the PBEM normally with the password I will provide him. He will find himself in the setup phase. ALL briefings will come as separate text files. When I send the German player his secured .cmb file, password, and briefings I will also send the Allied player his briefings and password. This way the German player cannot view the Allied briefings or original setup zones and units. The passwords will be part of the side specific briefings.

I'm able to do this utilizing the method relayed to me by Scot Johnson. There is no way the German player can find out anything about the Allied players stuff without some kind of fancy hacking. Total surprise will be preserved.

[Buckeye]

As one of Wild Bill's testers, I just thought I'd pop in and let all of you know that you're in for a treat. The scenarios that he has devised will challenge your skills at using armor, infantry, and combined arms under a variety of conditions. Great tactical decisions await you, and can swing battles from disaster to triumph or vice versa!

We are finishing up the last one or two scenarios for your fighting pleasure. I just played the most satisfying draw I've ever had in CM, making a tremendous comeback thanks largely to an inexperienced Panther tank commander who in a brazen counterattack accounted for 4 tank kills and over 30 casualties! No more details, because I don't want to deprive you of full FOW. But man, do I look forward to reading your AARs!

[WineCape]

Treeburst,

It will be a good time now for you to start creating some sort of clear E-mail step-by-step instruction set or "form/template" to be mailed off to each Axis/Allied side. Not that you haven't done that already, knowing your diligence!

Details regarding AAR's should also be noted in above e-mail "template/form", i.e. not to post AAR/DAR to this forum to spoil the "wickedness" in WB's scenarios for other combatants.

Gentleman, these 8 battles will be a true battlefield COMMANDER test and also a fair reflection on your ability to "escape" certain situations with your dignity intact.

The winner of this Tourney could rightly bestow the title of "Fieldmarshall of RoW" upon himself. He will certainly have earned this title on the CM:BO battlefield!

Sincerely,

Charl Theron

--------------

Wine is not an imperial deity. It is something to drink, something you put in your mouth and sometime later you expel it. But it's bloody marvellous along the way, isn't it?

-- Len Evans, Australian winery owner

[CombinedArms]

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

As one of Wild Bill's testers, I just thought I'd pop in and let all of you know that you're in for a treat. The scenarios that he has devised will challenge your skills at using armor, infantry, and combined arms under a variety of conditions. Great tactical decisions await you, and can swing battles from disaster to triumph or vice versa!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, guys! I'm on the standby list. So somebody PLEASE drop out of this thing!

Drool...Drool....

So near, and yet so far.

[ 09-05-2001: Message edited by: CombinedArms ]

[Treeburst155]

WineCape,

I will go over every aspect of the tourney in my email to the participants. AAR procedures, starting the game, gamey tactics, etc.. Right now I'm inserting the various passwords into the briefings. All the scenarios have been saved in a secure form at this point. (no briefings, German player will see his setup screen upon opening the file, and Allied password is already in place so the German can't take a peek.)

[Juha Ahoniemi]

Good to know that my paranoia didn't go unnoticed. Thank You guys for reacting and researching efforts! Maybe here is something to learn to CM2?!? This seems to cause a lot of extra work for "tournament masters". Maybe the first turns should contain only typing in passwords, one extra email won't hurt anyone. I hope we see it in CM2.

[SuperTed]

TB155,

Over the last 24 hours, all the emails I have sent to you have bounced back.

[Treeburst155]

My email is now up. Please resend if you've been trying to get through to me.

Treeburst155 out.

[Treeburst155]

Wild Bill's "Rumblings Of War" Tournament is now underway!! All participants have been sent a letter which includes names and addresses of their opponents. If you did not receive your letter let me know. I may have messed up your email address or somefink. You can begin arranging games now. Procedures are spelled out in your letter.

A couple things:

One scenario is not quite finished yet. Wild Bill wants to tweak it a little. If you arrange a game with an opponent that involves this scenario you will have to wait a short while longer to begin that game. There are six others you can start now. Unfortunately you won't know if that scenario is involved until AFTER you arrange a game that is to be played on that map. At which time I would inform you that the scenario you need is not quite finished. It will be well worth the wait however. I've played it.

Those of you in Section I should use the second address for Wade Moore until the 1st of October. I got that address wrong in the

mass mailing of Section I's letters, but it is correct in the body of the letter.

If you have any questions post them to this thread so all can benefit from the answers.

The war has begun!! Good luck to you all!

Treeburst155 out.

[WineCape]

Alea jacta est! Good combat to all - have fun!

Regards,

Charl Theron

---------------

Wine is the one beverage that is fittingly used to accompany the workman's meal, to observe a memorable occasion, to inspire the poet, to minister to the sick, to welcome, to enhance cooking, to make a banquet perfect, to toast beggar or king. No other beverage has had such universal recommendation throughout the ages.

-- Gary Player, South African professional golfer

[Treeburst155]

I went ahead and compiled a list of all the matchups that should NOT be arranged right now due to the unfinished scenario. Here are the games that will need that scenario:

Section One

Warren Miron v Ted Sullivan

Jukka-Pekka v Greg Redeker

Wade Moore v Jon Sowden

Bertram v Scott Johnson

Section Two

Kingfish v P. Svensson

Tom v von Lucke

Stix v John Kettler

Georges v Holien

Section Three

T. Zalewski v J. Ahoniemi

Everette Thiele v Enoch

Chuck Rohde v L. Dickens

A. Gaspari v R. Davidson

EDIT: I thought this would be a good time to list all the people who had a hand in putting this thing together.

Scenario Design: Wild Bill Wilder

Testers: SuperTed, Keith Yeates, Leland Tankersley, Bill Valencia, and their PBEM opponents who played the scenarios with them.

Sponsor and Tourney Applications: Charl Theron (WineCape)

The matchup table: Texas Toast

Security ideas: Scot Johnson

Helpful suggestions: Leland Tankersley

Original idea for the tourney: SuperTed

I've probably forgotten a few who were very helpful to me in one way or another in putting this thing together. There are quite a few working for Wild Bill I may not even know about. I sincerely thank you all.

Treeburst155 out.

[ 09-08-2001: Message edited by: Treeburst155 ]

[John Kettler]

Treeburst155, I got the go code. Executing. Have sent out my first challenge already.

WineCape, thank you for the kind thoughts and good wishes. Excellent sig for someone of your passionate predilections. On multiple counts!

Foes in Section II, good luck! I fully intend to make you rely on that to save you, for this is war the way I like it, instead of cherry picking, min/maxing and even more alien military practices. Next victim!

Wild Bill, Treeburst155, WineCape, SuperTed, Keith Yeates and crew, my thanks and gratitude to all of you whose time, creativity, energy, effort and viniferous contributions have made this memorable gaming experience possible.

Si vis vinum bellum gerere cum auctoritate

(If you want the wine, wage war with authority!) May not be exactly right in Latin, but it's close.

Sincerely,

John Kettler

[ 09-08-2001: Message edited by: John Kettler ]

[ 09-08-2001: Message edited by: John Kettler ]

[Thomas Norton]

"Is that thunder?" "Yes son, the thunder of hell."

Good luck my comrades.

Thanks again to the men that have made my anxiety this weekend jump 100%!

Safety off....

Tom

[CMplayer]

Seven red flares hang over the river...

[Buckeye]

Good luck, gentlemen! I've tested them all, and you're going to enjoy yourselves...well, actually, sometimes you'll curse, sometimes you'll cry, and sometimes you'll rend your garments...but you'll have fun doing it!

I look forward to reading the AARs, and seeing how the scenarios play out for all of you. To the victor goes the spoils...er, wine.

[SuperTed]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who were part of my scenario testing team. They are Texas Toast, Midnight Warrior, and Bane. It is their willingness (and that of the other testers) to forgo an opportunity to play in this tournament that has allowed us to work with Wild Bill to produce some of the finest scenarios you will ever play.

I wish all of the participants luck in their battles and would like to offer one observation. If you win battles in this tournament, you should feel quite proud because you will have earned it.

[von Lucke]

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

Good luck, gentlemen! I've tested them all, and you're going to enjoy yourselves...well, actually, sometimes you'll curse, sometimes you'll cry, and sometimes you'll rend your garments...but you'll have fun doing it!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

What --- more rending of garments? My cleaning bills are high enough already, dammit! To paraphrase somebody famous: "The idea is not to rend your own garments, but to make the other poor SOB's rend their garments!", or something along those lines...