The world is in a particularly parlous state at the moment because somehow the spirit of fundamentalism has permeated even people who would formerly have been described as liberals. I just don't get this moronic and seemingly ceaseless campaign against CH which seems to be slavishly followed by so many. These people need to face up to the facts that (1) nobody forces them to buy stuff from CH and (2) many other people do buy stuff from CH because they like it. It seems to me that those who cannot live with that must have similar instincts to those of the worst totalitarians that history has thrown up.
I am far from a detractor trying to convince people to NOT buy from CH.... But I can still offer up some sideline-seat philosophy on why some rant to extremes about this:
1. Shoddy quality control. This has got to be the #1 issue I see with Critical Hit. You and I both order the same product on the same date, from the same batch run. Yours will be missing a mapsheet, mine will have the counter perforations cut into the ML #s on the counters from a horrible off-set, and two extra mapsheets, including your missing one. When you get burned enough times in such horrible quality control issues (especially after paying the exorbitant overseas shipping prices from the U.S.), you decide it is important for people to CAVEAT EMPTOR!. I agree it is important that potential customers are aware of an overall lack of quality control at CH as it ships out the door. I won't rant on that, but it is important nonetheless.
2. Got burned by Ray Tapio / ripped off by Ray Tapio in a design or development effort. Plain and simple, this is a personal grudge. I do not pretend to be someone who would deny you a grudge against any business that gave you the raw treatment in a business deal and stole your ideas to run with them without your permission. This is bad behavior that alienates Ray himself from many other ASL players who believe better ethics are a prerequisite of this game system. In my narrow view, the people whose I.P was stolen by Ray have every right to bitch and scream and throw proverbial tantrums online about his bad ethics. As always, however, YMMV here.
3. Sincere desire to see newbies not get "taken to the cleaners". If you have a choice (and you do), of buying MMP's version of BR:T or CH's version of BR:T, both selling at about the same overall cost - (MMP *might* be more by a small sum, but a bit of shopping around can usually find it at the same cost as CH's version) - why encourage newbies to buy a TPP product over an official product? Same thing for Ray's silly "map board" extravaganza. The "I'll move this woods hex there and call it a new map, cut them into half-boards, and sell them for $16.00 each" routine is a sheer waste of a newbie's money when a full ASL map bundle is readily available from MMP. I'm all for buy TPP if it is not available or in the hands of players from MMP sources - but once it is, I'm going to look to better quality control and better support of the companies I prefer to do business with in order to get my ASL products. Again, YMMV would always apply here.
4. The "I'm better at this than you, so do what I say" tirade. I am sure anyone spending enough time on ASL-related online forums can name at least one shining example of this characterization. To me, it's what comes out from behind a ponytail, pure and simple, and I call it that when I see it. But the fact remains that it still occurs, and it has a habit of annoying some aficionados of this game system. If someone enjoys reading such ranting behavior online, however, more power to them.
There may be others, I'll not pontificate all the various permutations that cause this knee-jerk reaction every time someone mentions Ray or CH in an ASL crowd. For me, I suffice to say CH is a minefield with rare gems just under the surface. Step carefully, you'll find ASL goodness in a few of their products - Hell's Bridgehead, Panther Line, Bandenkreig, the DTO scenario Packs, TRBH, Counterattacks, and so on... Step wrong and your wallet gets sent home in a body bag with big pieces missing from its money compartments. so as I noted above - CH shopping = caveat emptor.
KRL, Jon H
