Old Question - New Group

[Kool Kat]

Gents:

I first started into PC war gaming when I purchased an Atari ST computer that plugged into a TV and used 5 1/4 inch floppy disks, back in the late 1970's. I remember playing a couple of WW2 games that dealt with battles in Europe and North Africa. The scale was division size units. Rudimentary graphics and audio, to be sure! Combat was simulated on screen by the divisions "vibrating" and "hitting" each unit with an accompanying audio noise that sounded like someone was striking sheet metal with a hammer! The louder the noise, the more successful was the combat result!

I remember the European battle game depicted the Normandy Invasion (D-Day) and also featured a couple "what if" scenarios. The alternate history scenario I found the most interesting, was one that had Rommel parking an entire SS armored division next to the Normandy landing beaches and watching the Allied invasion get stalled in its tracks.

Ah, the good old days?

I also "dusted off" this thread I posted back in June 2010... since it too addresses Ed's question he poses in this thread.


June 3, 2010

Gents:

I've read a few posts that have dismissed CS as a "mere game" and expressing bewilderment at why a player would be passionate about it.

On the surface, it is hard to explain the attraction for a 12 year old game engine with dated 2D graphics… non-stereo sound… and minimal system operating requirements… only 128MB RAM and 1.5GB free space on the hard disk drive!

There has to be more to it – right?

For me, who has always been interested in WWII military history… and combined arms… it was a “natural” progression from my early war game years of pushing cardboard counter stacks around in Avalon Hill’s Panzerblitz and Panzer Leader board games.

I “discovered” East Front 2 (under the Talonsoft brand) about 10 years ago while browsing the shelves of a local computer software store. I remember how bewildered I was on all the different units, capabilities, and intimidated by the 240 page game manual. In those early years, I played the AI exclusively. I got pretty good at tactics... or so I thought until I discovered the Blitz in 2006, joined and then tried my first H2H play! I got "killed" by my human opponent. Moves and tactics that worked wonderfully against the AI failed miserably against a "live" opponent. Playing against a human opponent, I had to "unlearn" nearly everything that worked well when playing against the AI. But, over time, I worked through it, It took a few more “painful” years of losing a bunch of PBeM matches… before the light bulb went off in my head… and I finally “got it.”

So, for me, I play CS for fun, and relaxation… being able to “explore” a historical era in a unique manner… through the mechanics of a game. But, it really is the fellowship and friends I have met and made over the years as a Blitz member that have made this game “special” for me. If it were not for the other players I have had the privilege to know and play against… I would have left this war game hobby years ago.

So… yes, CS is a “game” … but so much more then a “mere” game!

Play on!