Fair Play?

[Copper]

What???

Albeit, I understand Digger's frustration, but MM has already taken it upon himself to show judgement and good gaming intuition to offer to not record the game before asking the honest questions he did.

How the hell did I get pulled into this.. I have never played Montana Mud before...

On this topic: It is a little gamey, and whilst I don't like it I agree with Huib that in many cases it is more a result of poor scenario design than poor play. Some scenarios just lack replayability.

I have had this happen to me before where my reinforcements have been massacred as they showed up. It is hard to take but I have just resigned and moved on to another.

Other times I have learnt from this and I just didn't bother bringing my reinforcements on the map, I was still able to salvage something out of the game, with what I had left, knowing that my opponent had tied up a number of his forces covering my entry point. By not bringing them on I kept him guessing as to when they would show up.

Plus If you delay their entry for several turns, you may have a whole bunch show up at once and the ambushers become the ambushed.

My point is there are ways of dealing with every situation. You need to be a little flexible as everyone has different gaming styles. That is why it is important to discuss ROE's BEFORE the game. Otherwise you have no right to be offended by anything your opponent does. Roll with the punches, treat it as a challenge and adapt to the new situation.

Matt ~Digger

Sorry Matt... Desert Rat and Digger both start with "D"... that's sometimes too much for my feeble mind to process.

Cheers!

Leto

[McIvan]

Having foreknowledge of a scenario and covering off reinforcement hexes that, in reality, your forces would have no way of knowing about, seems a bit over the top to me. t is especially so to drop artillery on the hexes timed for the arrival of reinforcements.

But then again....what are you supposed to do? Pretend to ignore the fact that a bunch of enemy vehicles are about to arrive at a particular point and just let them savage your flanks? Have your artillery just standing around while a regiment of enemy turns up unannounced?

What I really think is that, after having looked at a scenario and seen that you will end up in that dilemma, you should decide that this is not a scenario that can be properly played with both sides having inspected it. Choose something else, I would recommend.

Some scenarios simply cannot be played anything other than "blind", and that's all there is to it.

[Desert rat]

Guys...I am totally embarrassed about the whole thing...I just thought we had it sorted by email and when I saw Montana's post on the mb I got angry as I tend to shoot first and ask questions later.Plus I wrongly thought you were accusing me of h/t over running which made my blood boil.

I was prepared to carry on the scenario as I was expecting a loss anyway, as I said in my email, its just that I was hoping for a chance of a draw. I could not sit back and let people deride me for being a poor sport, but the scenario design played with prior knowledge just wasnt the right scenario in that instance.

Montana ...I apologise for telling you where to put the game, but I was quite interested in some of the posts supporting your play so maybe my style does not fit with a lot of players here so at least I know some people I should not play against.

I think McIvans post was the most helpful/intelligent post of the lot and summed up the situation well.

[Montana Grizz]

I've played scenario's wherein I thought that moving some units to flank my opponent or perhaps get behind him was a tactic worth serious consideration only to come upon a host of unloaded transports my opponent thought were hidden or discover that my group of tanks happen to be sitting on a hex when my opponents reinforcements arrived.

What am I to do at this point? Do I take advantage of my good fortune or withdraw without firing?

The strategy/tactic Montana Mud used in that particular scenario was totally legitimate. He could have moved those units in a flanking effort without knowledge of his opponents reinforcement location.

In this case, he forewarned his opponent and did not claim that he just happened upon the reinforcement hexes.

At a certain point in time, all of use will have played most of the scenario's and therefore be aware of our opponents initial strength and his reinforcement locations. Are we therefore restricted in what we are allowed to do?

I just started a game with Relayer. I picked the scenario. He told me he would play it, but that he had played it before (an honorable thing for him to do and something I believe all of my opponents have done).

I told him that I would look at the initial set up for both sides so as to even the playing field somewhat. Now, what ever happens, I have no problem with.

I am familiar with the scenario that began this string. The flank attack takes 8-9 turns to set up and any spotting units would allow for a shift of forces to contend with this attack. The offended party has the superior tanks and a good field of fire.

Who among us has not been surprised by an attack? Every time I lose a game, I say, "I should or shouldn't have done this or that"!

If, on the otherhand, it is impossible to protect a reinforcement hex and still have the opportunity to draw or win, then the scenario is certainly at fault, not the participants.

Pat

[Montana Mud]