If playing games is so important fights shouldn't have been degraded. One can argue that maneuvers now mean more but they surely were always a smaller percentage of the games compared to the fights, that fights now mean less won't change the number of overall games played but lower it.
The rivalry in comparison surely raised the number of played games as there was a reason for one to chose one and not the other side, all games work like that and if any designer would come to the point of making sides irrelevant the game would just decline, so will the club. For a French battling the royal forces is just his life task, but no it's no more...
And it's not only that, I had the "pleasure" of playing maneuvers against Union officers who had no clue how to handle the rebels and they played just awfully and it was a waste of time.
If one argues the number of opponents is now larger because maneuvers mean more one must acknowledge that the quality of gaming will decline with French now playing allies you first will have people not used to the way the various allied armies work, that will be now pleasure to fight Mack in such games over and over again and soon people will cry for an opponent who knows his own troops.
And even if the point comes that they learned how to play the other side, what's the gain of it having an opponent who knows the French & allied side? It's like having a French player in 1940 that is well aware of the capabilities, doctrine, tactical procedures, etc. of the Germans, he won't play like a French general in 1940(who should play like a French general in 1914) but will act very differently. Ever played poker versus someone who knew you cards? Fun isn't it? Only if you are into fun of that kind...
Now, trying to put more meaning into the armies when the main point of having them just vanished is a futile task.
Learning the gamesYou surely can learn from your side, but will finally learn much more if playing regularly against members from the other side. They know there side and you learn your side. This way both keep their individual from their side influenced style of gaming. But now not anymore.
Finding opponents at your skill levelsWorks much better at the Blitz with eh ELO value giving a clue how the one is rated against you. Not sure how the own side in here in any way can help in that direction. Putting maneuvers into the same OBD point range surely doesn't not give more clue about the skill level of one when that one only fights his own side.
Put more meaning into armies- Tournaments are useless for this as these always force considerable concessions regarding rules etc. and most people are not up to it. That means doing div vs div won't likely result in a tournament that is really going anywhere with these low member numbers. Only way is an open tournament to somehow get all members a way to get into it and to make them fight for their side. But even then you are down again to make a lot concessions regarding rules what doesn't suit many in here. How was the last tournaments participation?
Fact is that the Napi engine is just so much more demanding but lacks the necessary optional rules to really play out in a tournament.
- Training is also meaningless with maneuvers no more, as said battling the other side is the best training as it keeps the characteristics of both sides alive. Putting more meaning into it goes only if some acknowledgment is instated like the ACWGC does it.
- AARs are nice but it's already seldom at the ACWGC, these are surely interesting but if that really put any meaning into one side is doubtful.
ConclusionIn the end already to many here cook their own soup, there are people basically putting there own version of the games into closed circles into playing and trying to draw clueless people into it just to find new victims, and at some point there is no community but only small groups left and that is the point were we have to close the kitchen. Bigger clubs than ours have failed(Panzer Campaigns club) and we are not immune to this.
PS
Says a lot if the one who got his way wants to kill the discussion. The damage is there and the fallout has to be handled, and that won't work if members just sit there and agree to such decisions with any proper discussion.