JTCS - Viet Nam

[Big Ivan]

A lot of what Dave says is true.

But I will add this, all or most of us JTCS guys were not weaned on the Middle East. Our vision and tunnel vision I might add is based solely through the years on the one and only World War 2!!

Our breath, our eyes, our hearts and our minds are fixated with that war. When you take us out of that history window we get confused, puzzled, anxious and eventually pissed because its not World War II!! Its not the D-Day invasion, its not sweeping tank battles across the Russian steppes, its not running across the Western Desert or slogging through the mountains of Italy.

Think, Think guys, when we were young men growing up with our first board war games it wasn't the Middle East but it was WWII! I think I had 20 board WWII games before I even saw a Middle East war game and that's the freaking truth!!

What I'm trying to say is don't shelve CSME or CS'Nam based on past prejudices. Warfare changed a sh*t load since those days 75+ years ago. CSME is different in its execution but I still love playing around with it. I've made a couple of scenarios with CSME and I do wish I had more time to make more!

As for CS'Nam I feel it will blow your ass away because the War in Vietnam is nothing like WWII or the Arab-Israeli Wars. Battles in 'Nam were not fought with tanks banging away at each other but instead tanks were used in infantry support. Helos ruled they day because he who got there the fastest with the mostest usually prevailed. But lets not forget about "Charlie" he was a devious clever foe!! He would show up for a few minutes, do his damage and then be gone back into the jungle.

If the Dev Team can, and I feel they will, pull off what the war in Vietnam was like, hell I'll by a few copies and give them to the younger generation coming up behind me. Hell I was a teenager and lived through that war almost every night on the family TV. Its part of me, I can't forget it.

 A year or so ago I reached a crossroad with the Campaign Series. I see where its going and I love and embrace it. I also remember where it came from and I still love its past and where it came from. Hence my inner conflict.

But I figure I'm not getting any younger and I have spent so much time with CS, 20 years now, I want to see where it goes. In my mind the possibilities are endless!

Ivan the Big