PBeM inspiration

I was talking to a friend about Scott Field's PBeM game First Contact, First
Blood, and he said one of the funnest aspects was not knowing what the enemy
were capable of at the start of the game, and seeing it unfold over the
ensuing turns.

Are people generally interested in battles where the two sides are unfamiliar
with the enemy technology? To alesser extent, I've seen this in Allan
Goodall's Age of Iridium, but it was an aside to the battle, not the main
thrust of the scenario.