Your gaming partners: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Do you prefer to play new opponents or old friends?

  • I usually play against people I already know.

    Votes: 27 32.1%
  • I'm always seeking out fresh opponents.

    Votes: 9 10.7%
  • I have no preference that I'm aware of.

    Votes: 48 57.1%

  • Total voters
    84

Dr Zaius

Chief Defender of the Faith
Joined
May 1, 2001
Messages
8,902
Reaction score
408
Location
The Forbidden Zone
First name
Don
Country
llUnited States
Something I have noticed running WHQ over the years is that players seem to adopt certain habits which they routinely follow when selecting opponents. Specifically, one of the things that I have noticed is that people seem to find a small number of opponents they enjoy playing and then stick with them. While they will occasionally play new people, they usually tend to stick to playing people that they already know.

I guess the reasons for this vary from player to player. Some players tend to do this because wargaming is a very social hobby in some respects and they like to be around people that have wargaming tastes similar to their own. It makes selecting battles and so forth a lot simpler.

On the other hand, there does seem to be a particular type of wargame who thrives by playing against a steady stream of new opponents. Which type are you and why?
 

Roy

Living in Brownbackistan
Joined
Oct 1, 2003
Messages
1,347
Reaction score
643
Location
Wichita
Country
llUnited States
Where I get opponents don't mean squat to me. I'll play anyone. Looking at my play list:

Adam Lunney, lives in Australia. We have been playing for a number of years pretty constantly. Have even talked on the phone, but never actually met.

Jason Wert, lives in PA. We have played off and on for a while, actually got through the first 12 Annual scens while trying to play them all in a row!

Kenn Monte, BobH, Kimmo, Fabio, Mark Greenman, Mark Warren are all first time opponents for me, although I have known and conversed with Greenman since VASL first hit the Web.

I have only had a bad experience online a couple of times.

FTF I will play anyone. There are a few at tournaments that I try to look up every year, but then I also want to test my lack of playing skills against all comers too. :D
 
Last edited:

Pitman

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
14,104
Reaction score
2,371
Location
Columbus, OH
Country
llUnited States
Locally, all we Central Ohio players play each other fairly frequently (Hi, Kenn; you need to come over and try out my game room). I know some people who tend to play one person exclusively, but most of us are fairly gregarious. For a fair while, I gamed against Jeff Seiken quite a bit, but he kind of got burnt out and I only can get a game against him once in a while now (which is a shame). Another regular opponent, Ron Bonear, is on hiatus while getting an MA.


On the travel/tournament scene, I would say that I play a wide variety of people. While I always enjoy playing a cool ASLer again, I enjoy meeting new people, too (as I get older, I get more hermit-like, so ASL is actually something that keeps me meeting new people).

This last ASLOK, by far the majority of my opponents were people I had not played before, for example.

One thing that is cool is that I get a fair number of people who seek me out to play me. I think that's because of the visibility of the Desperation Morale website; it can't be my winning online personality, that's for sure. :)
 

Aries

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2002
Messages
4,187
Reaction score
5
Location
Earth
Country
llCanada
I will play anyone.

I have learned that I learn more by playing whoever will sit down and play against me.

No one knows everything.

But I shy away from people that will study insignificant moves indefinitely.

Eventually it drives a person nuts heheh.
 

sgtono

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2003
Messages
911
Reaction score
2
Location
Portland, OR
Country
llUnited States
Really can't vote on this one as I have certain players I play all the time but seems like every two weeks or so I am playing somebody new. And I enjoy both. No category in this poll for that.

Keith
 

Legion

Member
Joined
May 3, 2004
Messages
1,427
Reaction score
8
Location
Picton (NSW)
Country
llAustralia
While i chose the 'regular partners' i have discovered that VASL and WarfareHQ have allowed me to expand and play others. This is invaluable to test my rules understanding and to be exposed to other's tactics.

Playing the same opponent saves a lot of effort and stress, you get used to each other time-table and idiosyncracies - but the style of play can just as easily get compromised by this familiarity.

I also think it is the responsibilty of any ASL player with experience to play newbies...
 

alanp

Philosopher of ASL
Joined
Sep 27, 2003
Messages
2,998
Reaction score
93
Location
Alki Point
Country
llUnited States
Everyone I've "met" via VASL has been fun and I'd play them again. My regular ftf opponent is overseas til next year, but we're both looking forward to starting up again. He's a regular because our schedules mesh well and he's able to come over and play even though I've got two kids - ages 3 and 6 - which tend to break our concentration from time to time :D

Can't imagine ever turning anyone down - if I'm not already booked up - as you can always learn something new. And this is a fun game. . .
 

cujo8-1

The Earl of Burgundy
Joined
Jul 7, 2004
Messages
1,565
Reaction score
31
Location
ThunderDome
Country
llUnited States
I play the same people over and over because THEY ARE THE ONLY OPPONENTS I HAVE IN THE LOCAL AREA!

Otherwise, I travel to the occasional tournament to play someone different.

What a life!
 

asloser

The Head Tuomo of the Finnish ASL Community
Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
1,047
Reaction score
1,593
Location
Klaukkala-Finland
Country
llFinland
Don Maddox said:
On the other hand, there does seem to be a particular type of wargame who thrives by playing against a steady stream of new opponents. Which type are you and why?
I fall into this category. It is because the more different styles of ASL play you play against the better your own play becomes. And I also enjoy meeting new poeple quite a lot.
 

Pitman

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
14,104
Reaction score
2,371
Location
Columbus, OH
Country
llUnited States
One thing I particularly enjoy is the opportunity to play people from other countries. I have really enjoyed meeting ASLers from other nations. There are many other ASLers from other countries whom I know, thanks to the Internet, and would love to have the opportunity to meet in person.
 

LaPalice

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2002
Messages
393
Reaction score
0
Location
France
Country
llFrance
I have a tendency to play only with people of my wargame club in Toulouse, South West of France. Sometime there is a newbie who comes to discover wargame, and we initiate him into ASL.
I only played two games with VASL. I should restart to play with it, to meet people from other countries.
Otherwise I have no problem to play with people I didn't know before the game with them.

LaPalice.
 

joshkalman

Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Messages
35
Reaction score
2
Location
Israel
Country
llIsrael
pitman said:
One thing I particularly enjoy is the opportunity to play people from other countries. I have really enjoyed meeting ASLers from other nations. There are many other ASLers from other countries whom I know, thanks to the Internet, and would love to have the opportunity to meet in person.
We in Israel are a very small group of players (presently three) and would relish the opportunity to play any visitors passing through.

I try to attend a European tournament once a year to expand my ASL horizons. The tournaments have done wonders for my rule knowledge and Squad Leader social life. Not so great for my ego through.

Anyway, yes, I like to meet (and hopefully defeat) new players.

--Josh
 

Sgt. Przybylo

Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
153
Reaction score
2
Location
Detroit
Country
llUnited States
I'll play anyone. I might even make a game of it. I have a group of people that I game with regularly, unfortunately very few of them appreciate ASL. VASL has been a way to play against new folks. (Honus, I swear I'll be a better match next time)
 

AdrianE

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2003
Messages
913
Reaction score
268
Location
Ottawa, Ontario
Country
llCanada
I used to play a lot of PBeM and I would find opponents by asking on the ASLML. I'd play anybody.

Now my playings consist mostly of going to local tournaments. I play whoever I'm assigned to play. There are a couple of guys who will usually give me a very good game so I look forward to playing them.

However we are working on getting an ASL club set up, so I'll play whoever shows up.

Basically I'm not so flush with time and ready opponents that I can afford to be either of Don's two choices.
 

Jack Dionne

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
933
Reaction score
3
Location
Winnipeg, Canada
Country
llCanada
Too Bad

joshkalman said:
We in Israel are a very small group of players (presently three) and would relish the opportunity to play any visitors passing through.

I try to attend a European tournament once a year to expand my ASL horizons. The tournaments have done wonders for my rule knowledge and Squad Leader social life. Not so great for my ego through.

Anyway, yes, I like to meet (and hopefully defeat) new players.

--Josh
Josh
Are you in Northern Israel? The reason I am asking is because I just got done a 7 month tour in Golan. I would of loved to play ASL on my tour. Too late and too bad, darn.
 

The Purist

Elder Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
2,917
Reaction score
1,480
Location
In my castle by the sea, Trochu, AB
First name
Gerry
Country
llCanada
"I would of loved to play ASL on my tour. Too late and too bad, darn."

Jack, I hear ya. I was in Israel two winters ago (Jerusalem) and now I find out about ASL'ers.

Oi Vey!!! :D
 
Top