Integrity Issue? You decide: Naming of the PBEM game

[jon_j_rambo]

Hello fellow Forum posters & readers. I would like to address an issue that has come to my attention thru e-mail & within several different Forum threads. For me the answer is simple and a non-issue. But to others (YoHan, IrishGuards, etc.) it is not that simple & I'm unable to communicate the answer.

The Issue: When playing a PBEM game as the Axis (Rambo is Axis) I begin the campaign game. I (Rambo) play my turn; attack Poland, try to hide my subs, etc. After finishing my turn, I (Rambo) am prompted to answer the "Do you wish to save" & obvious have the ability to name the file whatever I want (or take the default). So I name the game & send it in e-mail. Example:

AxisRambo_AlliedSomebodiesName_0939.sav

My opponents sends me a message like: "If you're going to play fair, play right, & play competitively YOU MUST DO IT LIKE THIS:

PleaseSaveLikeThisAlways.sav

I get the message, try to explain some things, and send if back like this:

Axis_Rambo_AlliedSomebodiesName_1015.sav

Then suddenly I'm a cheater BY THE WAY I NAME THE FILES. I try to kindly explain I play alot of PBEMS at the same time (not anymore) & name the file with dates to remember my place. I try to explain that if you want to replay your turn without being detected all you have to do is download the file again from my yahoo.com e-mail. I try to explain that you can "Copy" .sav files anytime you want. I tried to explain I can send files back with whatever name I want. I try to explain if I'm playing 10+ PBEM games at once I can forget who I'm playing & overwrite the current game, etc. I'm not able to explain to YoHan & IrishGuards.

In addition to that; I had problems sending the e-mail file-game-attachments thru yahoo.com & hotmail.com accounts so I used a friends e-mail for awhile that would support the file uploads/downloads. I was called a cheater for that too. A cheater for sending game-files from different e-mail accounts.

Please everybody address this issue so it can be put to bed for YoHan & IrishGuards.

Look forward to the responses. I can't believe I have to address things like this. Now you might know why I'm not getting beat.

Rambo

[ December 30, 2002, 08:46 PM: Message edited by: jon_j_rambo ]

[Kuniworth]

Ok. To avoid a big discussion I post some answers for ya;

Brianthewise; You ****in cheater, you cheat cheat and cheat. So you mean you that you are good a playin but cant save a game. You stink Rambo.

Otto; Post it on my website as saving-info.

Hubert; Ok I have it in the next patch or sc2 if will be out some day / or :confused: or there is no interception bug existing in SC, Ive tried it out

JerseyJohn; *post SIgmund Freud pic* and says; No computers were available during the war

CvM; *post 3 pics* and says; Seems like youre on the defensive now Rambo-boy. Oh btw I still want a fortification in Finland.

Walero; Youre the man Rambo. Give it too them straight. Lets play for 23,4 hours straight this time.

Sven1969; Yes you are the real Rambo, so please stand up please stand up for your thoughts.

Kuniworth; Rambooooo.....I DONT care

[ December 30, 2002, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: Kuniworth ]

[Carl G. E. von Mannerheim]

Seems like youre on the defensive now Rambo-boy. Oh btw I still want a fortification in Finland.

CvM

[Kuniworth]

Moon; Ok Im lockin this one up soon. God damn boys its new years eve soon and Im stuck here with ya all.

/ Martin

[jon_j_rambo]

Kuniworth --- You're way out of line. Please leave me out of any of your Forum posts. Please don't address me. I suggest to the Forum Moderators to put you on Forum Probation of some sorts.

[ December 30, 2002, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: jon_j_rambo ]

[Kuniworth]

Happy new year all of ya

[JerseyJohn]

Same to you, Kuni' and a Happy de-ja vu!

[ December 30, 2002, 08:45 PM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ]

[VictorH]

Shouldn't players decide how they want to save games before the game begins? That would aleviate suspicion.

[Compassion]

At the risk of being serious for a moment... THere is nothing wrong with the way RAmbo saves his turns on the face of it. When playing most other games, I like to demand seperate turn coding just in case something happens (internet corruption, file loss, massive (obvious to both sides) cock up in orders, whatever) so that it's quick and easy to go back a turn and pick the game up.

But on the other hand, SC's save game format seems stable enough that I haven't had a problem AND it's a pain in the butt to have 40 fles for one game since the game load dialog ins't a simple windows dialog but a custom one that forces you to click your way through all files. I would refuse to play like this becasue of the annoyance especially with a half dozen games ging on at times, but as a vehicle for cheating? Please.

This is an aesthetic issue perhaps, but anyone who calls someone a cheater for file numbering is a git... I'm on record for saying that I don't particularly like Rambo, but this is just stupid.

[ December 30, 2002, 09:39 PM: Message edited by: Compassion ]

[Moon]

Kuniworth, this is your first and final warning. I have yet to see a post from you actually contributing something to a discussion. The next post like the ones above will get you banned from this forum.

Martin

[Moon]

JerseyJohn, we allow to post pictures on the forums, but please keep it on topic, otherwise we'll have to disable that feature.

Martin

[JerseyJohn]

Moon

Will do!

[Les the Sarge 9-1b]

Hmmm considering the potential shock to the forums, but I always call a spade a spade (even when I don't like it being a spade myself).

But I tried to read rambo's post in many lights and even with intentional bias, and frankly I can't see what he is doing wrong.

So that means, the other side of the argument must be wrong. Process of elimination.

And I don't think anyone here is going to mistake me as a rambo fan, so if I can't fault him, I can't imagine how anyone else here can (unless the point is just to be annoying).

[BriantheWise]

Copying this quote, by kuniworth, in his post:

Brianthewise; You ****in cheater, you cheat cheat and cheat. So you mean you that you are good a playin but cant save a game. You stink Rambo.

I think this might be falsely attributed to me. I certainly don't recall saying this. If I had said this, I think I would have used better syntax. And if I did say, this, I apologize (because of the poor syntax. smile. Actually, because I think I'm a bit more subtle that this, and I don't recall having ever accused Rambo of cheating. Other things maybe, but not that. Others can).

On the other hand, it's probably not relevant

(People forget but you say, but now what you write).

[Jollyguy]

I absolutely do not think Rambo cheats. I've played him in long TCP sessions, and he is simply a very good Axis player.

There are games where certain individuals take to the game's mechanics like fish to water. Rambo has done this. 1.06 was a significant improvement over 1.05, but there's still an Axis bias, which a very good Axis player can capitalize on. All he's done is studied the game closely.

And all this hoo-haw about file names. Give me a break. We've all sent the wrong file before, or the other guys turn back to him by mistake. When you have a number of PBEM games going, and are swapping and zipping files between TCP and PBEM, it can happen.

IMO, what is needed to beat Rambo is just a little more tinkering with game balance. I don't know if we're going to see a 1.07 patch, or a 2.0 version to SC 1, but IMO the game is close to achieving balance within it's existing structure, but isn't quite there.

Rambo is virtually unbeaten simply because he's figured out the Axis advantages built into the game, and applied them. If those advantages were honed down just a little, you would see him beaten on a regular basis. That's actually why I don't like to play the Axis anymore, because that's not where the challenge is. The challenge is winning as the Allies. If game balance isn't addressed now, then we're just going to have to wait for SC 2.

But I would LOVE to see one more patch to SC 1, because this is a great game that can only get better. And I believe the game balance changes needed are minor compared to the changes made when upgrading from 1.05 to 1.06.

[Kuniworth]

Brian, sorry man didnt mean to insult you. I respect you for your dedication.

[Yohan]

Rambo, you are recasting history (as usual) without telling all of the facts. You kept changing names well after the game started. I know Irish has some of your emails on this, perhaps it is time for him to post them...

[jon_j_rambo]

YoHan --- Then post everything. Put the facts on the Forum.

State the facts.

Share the facts.

Explain the facts.

Produce the facts.

Come on, lets go.

Lets have a trial.

Lets get a jury.

Lets get a judge.

Here I am.

Put me on the spot.

Put me on the witness stand.

Put my e-mail on the Forum, right here.

Explain what changing the name does to a PBEM.

Well into the game? Really, we never got past turn #2! Answer the questions YoHan.

I have beaten 28 different people in SC.

Look forward to your response.

Rambo

[ December 31, 2002, 09:40 AM: Message edited by: jon_j_rambo ]

[zappsweden]

Rambo, now that you are up early, can we start our battle today?

[Les the Sarge 9-1b]

Unsubstantiated comments have zero worth.

Accusing anyone of anything without evidence is essentially slander.

That said, if Rambo is the ultimate Axis player, but refuses to play anything but Axis, then I say this to him, if he is truly great, then he can truly win even against a biased odds.

So let him dispense with always playing Axis.

80-90% of my own Third Reich/A3R experiences are as the Allies. Almost all of my games were the full campaign game.

As a result, I am the most meanest on defense. If your attack is not the most perfect execution of sterling brilliance, you get your battered armies handed to you on a platter and you lose the end game.

But my old regular opponent will agree, I suck as the Axis and he sucks on defense. We trade sides occasionally just to laugh at each other's lame skills in the other chair.

Now if Rambo can get 5 or more players here to publicly claim he whipped their butts as the Alies, he can strut.

But if the consensus is the game is slighted in favour of the Axis, and he merely likes to exploit that detail expertly, then he is really just showing he is unwilling to show he is truely superior (and no one can fault a person for saying that eh).

It's the same with the card game Magic the Gathering. the first year I sucked. I got beaten aaaaaall the time. My collection sucked.

But early on I noticed that the best cards were in fact the Dual Land cards (if you don't know the game forget trying to understand all this).

The game is played by employing mana, and I had the best mana producing cards in great sums.

I never made tournament grade decks though. Mine were always made with several players in mind.

It was obvious that in a tournament my decks were no "scientific enough".

Still, I will be remembered around town as being the last guy you wanted to play. I was able to make obnoxious decks that always seemed to work regardless of what you played against it.

I had mastered one aspect of the game. Not being focused on a specific part of the game.

So Rambo, lets see you spend the next couple of months not playing Axis once, and not getting beat once. Now that would be impressive.

I won't be watching you, but everyone that plays you might have read this challenge. Are you up to it? Your opponents will no doubt be waiting to see what you do.

[ January 01, 2003, 12:02 PM: Message edited by: Les the Sarge 9-1b ]

[Compassion]

Originally posted by Yohan:

Rambo, you are recasting history (as usual) without telling all of the facts. You kept changing names well after the game started. I know Irish has some of your emails on this, perhaps it is time for him to post them...

What do you mean? Changed the name of the files or just the date stamp? Changed his email address? What? None of that sounds nefarious, though if you have never played that way it could be annoying... DId you guys discuss it?

[jon_j_rambo]

ZappSweden --- I'm off to work. It's 8:30 am here. What the heaven (hell) or you doing living way over there?

Les The Sarge --- I play the Allies, check my posts. "Play either side". I have a list of 8-different names who have tried the Germans on me. I'm not listing them to protect the innocent. Lets say I'm not impressed. I don't need it publically made, I don't want people's dirty laundary all over the Forum.

Far as 3R; that game was soooo slanted to the Allies. One bad dice roll as the Germans & you lost. What's a bad roll? The famous 2-1 attack on Warsaw can go down the crapper. Any full-exchange was diaster. The Leningrad roll was a game determinator.

Far as the Magic card game. Never done it, never got into it.

Anyways Sarge, you take the Axis, I'll take the Allies. Why? So I can put you on my "Dead Pool" list.

I will make you a believer.

Major General Rambo

[ December 31, 2002, 10:46 AM: Message edited by: jon_j_rambo ]

[Kuniworth]

Rambo seems like you have to face me soon. Wanna taste the REAL swedish steel someday?

[zappsweden]

Kuniworth, i am also Swedish. Do u want to fight for the Swedish crown against me?

The best thing were if every player had ICQ installed. With ICQ u see which people that are online, so scheduling games will be much easier and quicker. www.icq.com

My ICQ is 22157578.

Any SC player can add me, no probs!

[ December 31, 2002, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: zappsweden ]

[Ellros]

I don't see a problem with turn stamping a save file. Makes it easier to tell if you've got the right file coming or going. I'ver used both methods myself. In CM though I always put the turn number after the game name (ie EllrosVs?05.txt) etc.