whine and SF games by non-SF players was Re: (DS): Systems per Class

On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 05:55:36 -0700 (PDT) John Atkinson
> <johnmatkinson@yahoo.com> writes:
<snip>

at that
> location until they are shot dead. But artillery

Dern if I know. They are historical gamers almost 100% but I've seen
their level of play.  The one plays mostly pre-WW2 when I have seen him
at local cons and weekly game days very competently. I THINK he ran some WW2
armor fairly competently in a game that was at another table at a con. I also
know he seems very knowledgable about Nappies both history
and game rules - including one set used in an on-going campaign (hit
1815
and start over) by one of our GMs (it's the only 25 mm rules/nappies I
play regularly) and manages to regularly keep from getting destroyed (unlike
me who is dangerous with infantry to the enemy and dangerous to
himself and others on his own side if given cavalry - although just once
I would like to better then outnumbered 2.5 to one and outclassed * and
minimally adequate with Arty.) He generally holds his own or better.
Maybe it's the pre-armor thing that limits his play in DS 2.

The other guy is generally competent in major eras (WW2 land - skirmish
through regimental micro armor, ACW, WW2 naval, Nappies) of historical
games - Ahem, he would have done better recently if some one (red glow)
hadn't run over his line of DDs with the Yamato. Dratted 4 turn delay between
writing and executing orders. He is well read in historical matters from 1939
through today from our conversations. Maybe it's the SF thing that throws him
for a loop. I don't know.

Yet, for example, in a DS 2 game these two played in which I ran several years
ago at a local con a total of two (repeat two) markers of Arty ammo
was used by one side (on board arty) -  both counter battery  - and 1 by
the other (off board) in the game. Too busy fighting the tanks (HVC and HEL)
and Walkers IIRC. It was an intro game (I think both were dragooned by the con
staff to avoid canceling my fourth game in two years...) which confirmed early
on what John and others had said about HELs among other things. After that it
seemed to set a tradition of arriving at a
position with point value, getting damaged and/or immobilized vehicles
on the feature and the fight would focus on supporting that unit. I have
decided I need to develop a scenario where terrain features have nothing to do
with points or winning perhaps. Or find some experienced modern micro armor SF
players...

Gracias, Glenn

* one Nappies battle saw me with 1 unit of poor quality Hussars, average
quality light cavalry and battered unit of medium Dragoons versus two
units of lights (one bigger then my whole force - a unit of light
lancers which I initially flanked and drove off board for three turns when
they returned with a grudge to settle,) a unit of good quality Dragoons and
two units of average Heavies in one game - Did I mention they had horse
artillery and I didn't? and that I had a late arriving grenadier Battalion on
my open (left flank) to coordinate with (who promptly went into square when
the cavalry came over the ridge on turn one and were in arty grapeshot range
by turn three)?

Rant: The joys of campaign games... Fortunately it was Central Europe. You
should see what I get in the Peninsula scenarios when I can be relied upon to
run the Spanish (Class E (A = good E=worst) lancers and three
small units class  D/E Militia, one carbine armed, ordered to "empty an
armory - in a church, get the wagons off the map, and hold a stream to
delay pursuit" - the stream was between the armory and the Bonapartists
of course and the exit was on the opposite side of the board from the
stream) versus a slightly larger group of C and D Franco-allied Infantry
and two unit of class D Cavalry in one game.) I just play in the scenarios so
I can blame the overall position on the campaign players... <grin> although I
am not sure I would do any better then they have done.

Yeah, i know where to find sympathy in the dictionary... and I keep coming
back for this abuse <grin> because it's 'fun'!