More "real" SMC names please

Jacometti

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One thing that slightly annoys me in our beloved game is the frivolous and non-historical naming of SMC for some nationalities.

The Russian one is probably the worst....all these "Russianised" names of American ASL players.....(a hero called Nixoniev, a leader called Fortov) but there are many other nationalities suffering like this.

I like the idea of folks doing a lot of work on the game to get their own counters, but I would prefer if they were limited to nationalities where such names actually exist and would be complemented by a wide range of real names.

I somehow think it diminishes our game's respect for the men who wore those uniforms and sacrificed their lives in the war, for whatever nation called them to arms.

I am not a person driven by PC at every turn, but I do really enjoy putting Sgt Meier or Captain Turnbull on the map. I do not really like having silly names on my key counters.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

PS: acknowledge that Fortov turns out to be a real Russian name.....but you get my drift. The game is full of totally non-nationality appropriate names.
 
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Cult.44

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I suppose I agree in principle with what Jacommetti is saying but, since I almost never look at the leader names, it's hard to get worked up about it. Nixoniev and Fortov are pretty lame.
 

Jacometti

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Is it at the back-end of some dark mountain valley?

JR
I think no American can ask such question of a person in another part of the world at this juncture in time........

Try again in January 2020, maybe.
 
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von Marwitz

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Basically, I am with Jacko on this.

I prefer realistic names for a given nationality. I can countenance adjusting the names of players/designers for use on counters to a certain extent. Might be ok if it sounds ok and not ridiculous. I do have a look at leader names and if I would find something sounding as stupid as Churchilliov, Rooseveldini or Joe Steeling, I'd not use them.

I somehow think it diminishes our game's respect for the men who wore those uniforms and sacrificed their lives in the war, for whatever nation called them to arms.
On the other hand, I do not believe that a "Rooseveldini" on a 1/2" piece of cardboard is capable of having any effect with regard to respect/disrespect in the above context.

von Marwitz
 

Robin Reeve

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When I name leaders on VASL, I google the first names of their nationality.
There are lists for all of them.
With cardboard, I rarely select leaders which name doesn't match their nationality, but if a leader has the name of a designer and it corresponds with the nationality (e.g. US Sgt Nixon or Axis Minor Martuzas) I don't mind.
 

TopT

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When I name leaders on VASL, I google the first names of their nationality.
There are lists for all of them.
This would work for quite a few I would think.

On the other hand, someone could check with BG and see if he can drum up support for a nationalities production of actual names for each country or I am sure that there is a way to print your own and make the counters/ names that you would like to see. I know people have done this last one with quite a few variants.
 

Jacometti

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Honestly, it's about the last ASL peculiarity that I would even think of worrying about.
We could further discuss the sprocket drive on the Churchill AVRE and how it affects Bog DR in Mud Conditions.....or the penetration of a rare North Korean APDS round.....

I think this is just as relevant, at least. Maybe more.
 

Mister T

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MMP likes to reward their friends with names of SMC counters. That's okay but the production schedule of modules is so that it does not allow a good match between names and nationalities. This is hard to avoid but i agree it is mildly annoying, especially for a company supporting the WWII foundation.

I solve the issue by sending counters to the bin where the mismatch is egregious. Some nationalities have too many leaders anyway.

The only time MMP cared was when they did not name the black SMC. I am sure though we could have found suitable nominees for that set lol.
 

von Marwitz

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When I name leaders on VASL, I google the first names of their nationality.
There are lists for all of them.
With cardboard, I rarely select leaders which name doesn't match their nationality, but if a leader has the name of a designer and it corresponds with the nationality (e.g. US Sgt Nixon or Axis Minor Martuzas) I don't mind.
I handle it the same way.

von Marwitz
 

von Marwitz

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You're just bitter because they haven't named a leader counter after you.

JR
I'd be bitter if they made a 10-3 counter with my name on it.
Everybody knows that somehow these always seem to get hit by the first Sniper...

von Marwitz
 

william.stoppel

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One thing that slightly annoys me in our beloved game is the frivolous and non-historical naming of SMC for some nationalities.

The Russian one is probably the worst....all these "Russianised" names of American ASL players.....(a hero called Nixoniev, a leader called Fortov) but there are many other nationalities suffering like this.

I like the idea of folks doing a lot of work on the game to get their own counters, but I would prefer if they were limited to nationalities where such names actually exist and would be complemented by a wide range of real names.

I somehow think it diminishes our game's respect for the men who wore those uniforms and sacrificed their lives in the war, for whatever nation called them to arms.

I am not a person driven by PC at every turn, but I do really enjoy putting Sgt Meier or Captain Turnbull on the map. I do not really like having silly names on my key counters.

Am I the only one who feels this way?
You are not the only one that finds that practice questionable
 

Jacometti

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You're just bitter because they haven't named a leader counter after you.

JR
so true.....but one day.....one day when all this is over and Donald Trump is no more than a vaguely worn old joke......
 
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