Patience -it's all in the Game

Marquo · 02-25-2008, 05:20 AM,

:soap:

Please forgive this reflection and diatribe. I have been a member of this club since Smolensk was first released eons ago. I have seen heros like Escher and Cap'n'Gown come and go. As a newbie, I challenged each of these icons, and got my ass thoroughly whipped. However, they taught me alot and were very polite and informative. I stuck it out, because one can have fun even losing, and the learning potential of defeat is enormous.

In the past several months I have politely accepted several unsolicited challenges from newbies. These were long campaigns and I was prepared for the long haul. In each case, the challenger simply vanished into cyberspace after what they perceived to be an inauspicious start for them. I consider this to be the height of rudeness. If you challenge an experienced veteran, you may get a good olde fashion ass whipping, but it can be very instructive. Here is a golden piece of advice given to me by Cap'n'Gown:

The most important virtue and asset, crucial to success in these games, is quite simply: "patience;" nothing more, and nothing less.

Please be patient, a 100 - 421 move campaign is not lost in the first 2 - 8 moves; you may feel like it but alot can happen. Do not go off sulking, whining and whimpering like a b$#ch into cyberspace, rather, stick it out like a man for awhile and see what happens; most of all, enjoy the games.

Thanks,

Marquo :)

Landser34 · 02-25-2008, 07:55 AM,

Hi I agree with you Marquo you learn a lot from defeats I know when I started I played Esher and he cleaned my clock but showed me things to help make me a better player but it hasn't helped much as others did .I still get beat more often than I win and I also agree with you that it is very rude to vanish from a game and that you cant lose a campaign in the first few turns .Games are meant to be fun because if they were not I would not have played as many games as I have.

Al · (This post was last modified: 02-25-2008, 08:29 AM by Al.)

I hear ya' Marquo. One of the first things I look at in a scenario is the game length. Players need to pace themselves accordingly.

**Mr Grumpy** · 02-25-2008, 05:01 PM,

I would only take on a large scenario against a established player, although the fact you were let down was in no way your fault you took a huge gamble in accepting these games. :chin:

~~Krak~~ · 02-26-2008, 08:10 AM,

I agree Foul. I only play the campaign games. I simply would not risk the effort and time on anyone but an established player. The risk that they will simply dissappear is too great. This happened to me a fews ago at another site and it put me off playing anyone but my real world buddies for a long time. Thankfully the Blitz has restored my faith.

Hank · (This post was last modified: 02-28-2008, 04:45 AM by Hank.)

I agree with the thread. I don't play campaigns because I know my own limitations. I play middle to small scale scenario's and have never left anyone hanging ... and my dismall record shows I lost many of those games. I sometimes find as much enjoyment in losing a sce that I tried my best to make a good showing as I do winning (which, come to think about it, I'm beginning to forget how it feels to win ... :-)

I will admit to having to bow out of one game several years ago but I notified my opponent (Esher) and did not leave him wondering what the heck happened to his opponent. He claimed the win which is what I expected. The reason I dropped out was out of my control and severe in nature; Esher understood and all was OK.

Just sneaking out of a game is bad. I've never experienced this yet with PzC. I have had opponents disappear in another wargame I play but it seems the Blitz players take their reputations seriously. ... and I'm sure glad.

(I had an extended vacation from PzC's and since I've come back I noticed Esher isn't playing any more. Does anyone know what happened to him? This is a risky question to ask but I want to know out of respect for his abilities.)

**Mr Grumpy** · 02-28-2008, 05:43 AM,

Hank Wrote:I agree with the thread. I don't play campaigns because I know my own limitations. I play middle to small scale scenario's and have never left anyone hanging ... and my dismall record shows I lost many of those games. I sometimes find as much enjoyment in losing a sce that I tried my best to make a good showing as I do winning (which, come to think about it, I'm beginning to forget how it feels to win ... :-)

I will admit to having to bow out of one game several years ago but I notified my opponent (Esher) and did not leave him wondering what the heck happened to his opponent. He claimed the win which is what I expected. The reason I dropped out was out of my control and severe in nature; Esher understood and all was OK.

Just sneaking out of a game is bad. I've never experienced this yet with PzC. I have had opponents disappear in another wargame I play but it seems the Blitz players take their reputations seriously. ... and I'm sure glad.

(I had an extended vacation from PzC's and since I've come back I noticed Esher isn't playing any more. Does anyone know what happened to him? This is a risky question to ask but I want to know out of respect for his abilities.)

Hank,
Nice to read that you take your responsibilities towards your opponent seriously :), i have been let down by opponents a few times since i have been here and it is just about my top pet hate. :mad:

I have absolutely no problem with peoples busy lives getting in the way of games, but i do expect them to inform me if they need to drop a game, it does not take more that a minute to send a email to that effect. :soap: :rolleyes:

Esher dropped out of sight about 18 months ago, we had one "hello" post about six months ago and nothing since, no idea if he is ever coming back. :chin:

Jim · 02-28-2008, 10:07 AM,

I would even go a step farther than Foul. I even understand just plain old getting burned out on the game. It happened to me. Like Hank, I left for a couple years and came back. But, if that happens, sheesh....at least give your opponent the courtesy of letting him know that you need a break from the system and that you won't be able to continue the scenario. But after trying other "historical" games, they all kinda left me flat. All in all, Panzer Campaigns is just a pretty darn good system. Stable, consistent, realistic (as games go), and some of these scenarios are real nail biters.

Zemke · 08-19-2008, 04:49 AM,

Blast from the near past.....this is such a good post, I will "bump" this thread.

Steel God · 08-19-2008, 04:57 AM,

This problem is addressed in our Club Rules, which only goes to show you the problem has been around a long time.

For what it's worth I always have, and always will, encourage people to check out their opponents before they play, and be mindful of the risks of playing unestablished players. Going hand in hand with that, players should make sure they report the games, even abandoned games. I know some folks think it's cheesy to report a CG after some one disappears after 10 turns, but you don't have to report a major victory if your honor is in question, report a draw. The purpose is to get the result up there, especially if you are a veteran like Marquo, so that when others are checking out a player, and they see he has played some vets, the new prospective player may contact the vets and ask for an opinion. It's word of mouth reputations that are worth their weight in gold in a community like this. Know your opponents, and use the tools you are provided to lessen frustrations.