Is anybody out there??

[enigma6584]

Back to the ladder. I don't think everyone is on a quest to get to the top of it. I don't even report all my games and have no intention on making a run for the all time points leader. The ladder is just a good way to see how you stack up against other players etc. It is not a true measure of a players skill but it gives you an idea.

Lord Bane (FGM)

As a new member, I can perhaps speak to some of the concerns here regarding new members not challenging on the ladder. Of course I only speak for myself but none-the-less, here is my perspective.

I thought that Lord Bane's post here regarding the ladder was rather spot on with respect to myself. I really don't care to be on the ladder or report any games to the ladder. It is just not my thing. I don't care whether I win or lose a scenario as long as I and my opponant put up a good fight and I get some sense of the history that took place in those battles during WW2. I prefer because of this, historically based scenarios as opposed to quick battle ones for ladder competition. I'm in it for the love of WW2 history and not for the sake of competition.

I have and would play scenarios in which I have a disadvantage because I want to experience through this game what it was like for a Russian infantry commander to command conscript troops against a veteran German infantry battalion. You get my drift here.

Now that is not to take away from any of you who regularly play the ladders. I am just not interested in getting caught up in all of that. I only play (usually 4 games-two CMAK and two CMBB) at any one time and it has been all with new people who as I understand it do not play the ladders as well.

It feels more relaxed as opposed to feeling like you gotta win in order to climb the ladder. Rightly or wrongly, that is the way I feel about it.

I agree that as far as tactical posts go, it really has kind of all been said. POS has the definetive set of tactics threads which answer damn near every question you could have about the game mechanics. As far as tactics go, that is just something you pick up along the way over the course of dozens of games.
Lord Bane (FGM)

This is indeed one of the reasons I like coming here. All those posts by POS and others about the mechanics of the game and how it relates to tactics are absolutely priceless. Going through those archives of tactical material has made me a better player and taught me much in terms of tactics and how they are simulated in this game.

One learns from them and they are fun to read with respect to seeing how others conduct the tactical operations. Frankly, this site does a fantastic job of archiving all that material and making it available for the new players.

The one thing that you didn't mention is the time of the year. I bet it is about 90% of your problem as far as how quiet it is. Winter is closing in, everyone is preparing and gaming time is low. Hunting season, football season, the holidays etc. It is just a slow time for gaming right now. A natural slow down time. I think you will see things pick back up in the next few weeks.

Thats all I have for now.

Lord Bane (FGM)

Absolutely agree. As mentioned before, I have been playing four games total with other guys who don't play the ladder. Even that small number of PBEMs (compared to you guys) can be rather hell to keep up with when you have real life to contend with, other pc gaming interests or just plain need to take a break from the computer for a while. It all works together to determine whether I myself have the time or inclination to play this game competively.

My gaming interests go in phases. I am a big time flight sim fan. That is my number one love when it comes to pc games or simulations. I also love tank simulations and am a big user of Esim's SBPE simulation. I enjoy naval operations as far as simulations go and play several submarine simulations when I am in the mood for that particular genre.

The point of the above paragraph is that all those loves (including this game) take up precious time, precious gaming time which is usually quite finite. There is only so much one can play and so little time to do it. Something has got to give.

Playing in a comptitive ladder or in some tournament, which would put me under some sort of "time pressure," would IMHO just make me feel like I am working as opposed to playing and having fun.