Your ASL opponent-related Pet Peeves

[alanp]

Yeah, over-reacting to the dice - good and bad - is poor sportsmanship.

I hope all my PBeM opponents take any comments regarding the dice with a grain of salt! The taunts and dancing around are meant in pure fun

as for American dialects: we're (im)famous for saying "really?" after every statement of fact. [Canadian: "Eh, I woke up this morning and had some back-bacon, eh" American: "Really?"]

I didn't know what "LOL" even stood for until three months ago; 'hehehe' is much preferable.

 

[PZchala]

pet peeve

I hate when your opponent goes overboard in expresses his empathy with your suffering as he's beating you. Sure, take your success in a sporting manner, but don't insult me by acting guilty about winning. There are a lot worse things in life, so I think I can handle losing to the likes of you!

 

[Sgt. Przybylo]

Move counters, roll dice, REmove counters

I am a firm believer in the old saying " no plan survives contact with the enemy". In the case of ASL, the plan doesn't survive contact with the dice either. There's nothing in this game that a series of "snake eyes" can't cure (or ruin, if you are on the receiving end).

So it doesn't make sense to take forever trying to find the "perfect" move. Playing well and maximizing your chances are one thing, taking an hour to move 6 squads is entirely another.

 

[AdrianE]

Well, I am the one who brought up the "passing gas"

Think about it for a minute:

The average gamer is overweight and middle aged with a bad dietary history You take someone like that, sit them down for several hours and feed them junk food and/or fast food. Then give them pop and/or beer to drink.

Just what do you think is the natural result of this digestive mayhem?

 

[OFR Gunny]

1.Spitting a wad of snuff into a CLEAR bottle while I am contemplating my shot. Need I go into further detail what this resembles?

2. Oft repeated here. No humor players.

3. Players who believe their own press releases on their superior ASL ability. So much so that they move your uni.. err, counters for you. Regardless of phase.

4. Sons who try to encourage their fathers after beating them 5 straight games. "Gee, Dad, if you would have popped smoke I only would have flamed 3 of your StuG's with my AT Gun"

And I love this game ....why?

OFR Gunny Doug out

 

[rdw5150]

2. Oft repeated here. No humor players.


This one surprises me. Not that its listed, but, that it happens.

I love to get together, have a few beers, play some ASL and swap war stories and have fun. OK I even "role play" MCs, tanks, explosions, machien guns if the beer gets the better of me.

Peace

Roger

 

[OFR Gunny]

no humour, post 2 and 6. and seen at winter offensive 04

 

[cjsloki]

Pet Peeves

Hi,
I think rude comments and no humor should be top on the list.

 

[OFR Gunny]

sorry Roger,

Tired and didn't understand your post until I read it 3 times.
Working on the proper rasberry lip speed for a MG42 imitation

 

[R.S. Barker]

So without starting an entire new thread to ask this, and keeping in mind I've never played FtF, it seems that the general consensus is that ASLers fall into specific categories:

Rule Mongers:
Those that live, breathe and die on the actual rule as written, and if your wrong they repeat chapter/verse/subsection to you.

Average ASLer:
If a rule isn't strictly adhered to, they don't go ballistic searching the rule book for it - instead agreeing to play on for the pure enjoyment once a common medium is achieved.

Win or Die:
Win at all costs or die trying, and generally forget that its a game - self-explanatory

Newbie:
self-explanatory

Would the above be a fair breakdown of the typical ASL crowd ?

Am I missing any category ?

***

Personally I'd much prefer to just play the scenario and enjoy it win or lose. The rules are there just to guide you, not be set in stone like the ten commandments.

Just my opinion mind you, 8)

 

[PZchala]

If you figure that 99% are "average", then it might be fair, I guess. "Rules Mongerer's" and "win-at-all-cost" types are certainly in the minority.

What's an "average" ASLer? To me, he knows the rules fairly well, but will probably concede a rules point to his opponent's argument, with a "Yes, I think your right, that sounds familiar". The point being, that two "average" players sitting down to a game are both bringing different areas of rules expertise to the table. The willingness to recognize the other guys rules know-how, does away with the "win-at-all-cost" type.
But, the "average" ASLer wants nothing more than to win the game, though fair and square. Even the "play for fun" guys will admit that it's a lot more fun when you win!

 

[Roy]

If you figure that 99% are "average", then it might be fair, I guess. "Rules Mongerer's" and "win-at-all-cost" types are certainly in the minority.

What's an "average" ASLer? To me, he knows the rules fairly well, but will probably concede a rules point to his opponent's argument, with a "Yes, I think your right, that sounds familiar". The point being, that two "average" players sitting down to a game are both bringing different areas of rules expertise to the table. The willingness to recognize the other guys rules know-how, does away with the "win-at-all-cost" type.
But, the "average" ASLer wants nothing more than to win the game, though fair and square. Even the "play for fun" guys will admit that it's a lot more fun when you win!

I agree all the way down. That's why it's so frustrating to get one of the small minority of a-holes. You sit there wondering, what did I do to deserve this?

 

[Gunner Scott]

What's an "average" ASLer? To me, he knows the rules fairly well, but will probably concede a rules point to his opponent's argument, with a "Yes, I think your right, that sounds familiar". The point being, that two "average" players sitting down to a game are both bringing different areas of rules expertise to the table. The willingness to recognize the other guys rules know-how, does away with the "win-at-all-cost" type.
But, the "average" ASLer wants nothing more than to win the game, though fair and square. Even the "play for fun" guys will admit that it's a lot more fun when you win!

Yup, I'm one of those easy going types who play to have fun, too see how many hero's I can get, how many squads I can battle harden, how many prisoners my SS can kill and so on. Now if its D&D, thats whole different story, I love killing characters off! I'm the most rules intensive DM around and I enjoy it!

Scott

 

[jimfer]

Grrrrrr

Playing an opponent who from the very first move agonizes over every hex of movement while trying to convince himself that it will be ok. I understand pondering at a crucial part but every half squad from the beginning?!!
otherwise not much bothers me........Jimfer

 

[Matt Book]

Pet Peeves

Worse Pet Peeves:
1: Opponents who put your counters in their mouths while comtemplating. I hate seing my guys get frenched while being lining on the lips of an opponent. Please dont give my men foreplay.
2: Worst thing I have ever seen: Holst and I were at ASLOK this year and saw a guy with a hand down the back of his pants digging for gold. That's wrong man....... Worse, he then pulled his hand out to shake other peoples hands. :shock: Please don't fist yourself while playing......I don't have HAZ MAT uniforms for my counters.

 

[RobZagnut]

Found another pet peeve from a game this Friday. Two guys the week before announced that RbF 1 Aggrvation at Agrigento (HoB) was completely unbalanced in favor of the U.S. So, for the next Friday I set up a defense as the Italians. My opponent split up his 4 MGs (two -1 leaders) onto four different hill hexes and tried to attack around the hill from two sides with only one leader. He drew a red chit on his first OBA draw, then drew a second red when he setup his AR next to a ?, the red chit went back in the pile for later use. His attack went poorly when his scattered MGs couldn't affect my MMG or two ART Guns. On turn two he completely gives up and starts running his 666 squads in front of my 9-2 leader taking 4-4 shots and taking 6-2 and 2-2 shots from my 346s. Predictable results. The game was over in two turns in about two hours. He was completely discouraged and didn't want to play any more, so here I was finished at 9:00 p.m. and the two other guys continued to play at my house until 1:30 a.m. while I twiddled my thumbs.

What a waste of a Friday night.

To throw in the towel on turn 2 of a 7 turn game is highly irritating. His OBA could have helped out the next turn, his HMGs could have got rof, my 346s don't exactly come back real fast when they break, etc. Take it under consideration that there is another guy across from you who is playing a game, because it is fun. Don't turn it into a pout fest.

 

[Jay White]

VASL pet peeve (since i have no FTF opponents...)

starting a game with someone that doesn't get finished.

grrr!

(this doesn't apply to any of my current opponents, so dont worry)

 

[PZchala]

The game was over in two turns in about two hours. He was completely discouraged and didn't want to play any more, so here I was finished at 9:00 p.m. and the two other guys continued to play at my house until 1:30 a.m. while I twiddled my thumbs.

Yes, this is very disappointing. Every player owes the other their best game, especially considering the amount of time and effort that can go into prepping to play a scenario a week in advance.

I've had people bag out hours before game time, in such a situation. That's a letdown, but is better than having your time wasted by a half-hearted effort.

 

[PZchala]

VASL pet peeve (since i have no FTF opponents...)

starting a game with someone that doesn't get finished

This is one of mine, as well. However, it is not necessarily your opponents "fault". Many things can happen to keep a game from completion, be it PC failure, college, work, family, other interests.

I am not always the fastest in turning around a game, but I do not give up on a game. Ever. I have a file with a few incompleted games saved. In the last two months, two opponents checked back in with game turns to continue games I had not figured on being completed. One of these is a game of J63 that has gone on for over two years. That may seem like someone you would not want to play again, but it is in fact the kind of player that will get an offer of another game upon completion of this one. I highly value opponents who will stick with it as long as it takes.

 

[ON TOP ASL]

=To throw in the towel on turn 2 of a 7 turn game is highly irritating. His OBA could have helped out the next turn, his HMGs could have got rof, my 346s don't exactly come back real fast when they break, etc. Take it under consideration that there is another guy across from you who is playing a game, because it is fun.

Another example, a ASL-friend of mine tended to give up early and instead seeking another instant re-play of scenario's.
This happened a couple of times and were somewhat irritating, after a thoughtful set up of mine he could try a daring assault, which if succeded would positioning me very badly. On the other hand if it fails he would give up and directly ask for a re-match. It felt as if I was there only to be runned over by an very optimistic attacker. Also when setting up for next game, I felt I had to make small readjustments to my original set-up, which sometimes made the defending position weaker.
Well my opponent do not quit as soon as possible these days and the scenarios become more fun and he also wins a lot more.

Remember, do not give up in ASL, it's amazing how often things turn even in small scenarios. Also if scenarios end to early, I sometimes feel I haven't played them!