Greetings to the board from a new member currently in training at the world-renowned academy of military science, VMI, under the guidance of its commanding officer, General Nick Kunz.
I've requested to join this club, not just for fellowship in these trying times, but to expedite my learnings in the ways of fighting agin the invaders from the nawth. Frightfully, I was once an invader myself, having been born in that hellhole they call Joisey. Since migrating to Virginia in the spring of my tenth year, I have lived in the Old Dominion for 50 of my 65 years. Currently abiding atop Lee's Hill in Fredericksburg, I've passed most of my time in a small town in the southwest part of the state, Blacksburg. Hence, my enlistment with the New River Greys.
I've fought for many years on the boards and on the PC, but never been much of one for playing by email, or other such methods. And, other than a brief exposure to Gettysburg '77 and AH's Chancellorsville, nearly all of my fighting has been in the period of the war aginst the Axis powers. Therefore, I come knowing but only a little of the tactics of interest here (and my tussle aginst Gen. Kunz shows it
).I have never gamed the Napoleonic or Ancient periods, so the style of warfare presented by the ACW is new to me. I believe I may have owned BG Gettysburg several computers ago, but never gained much traction with it. Living as near as I do to many of the battlefields has reignited my interest in the Civil War, so I thought I'd give these games another shot.
I've owned HPS CG and Sharpsburg for some time (recently purchasing Chancellorsville and Shenandoah), but only played the :Getting Started" scenarios until a fortnight ago. Wearying of the multitude of WW II and Modern wars that burden my PC, I attempted the historical battle at Gettysburg with the AI as my opponent. I have, over the years played many of the John Tiller games and found the AI a quite incompetent adversary, but none as disdainfully so as in this scrimmage. I tired of the "fight" by 1320 when this was the situation in front of Gettysburg:
The remainder of the yankee forces are still well south of the Round Tops. Buford's mule herders have been dispatched and Doubleday's troops (aside from Rowsey) appear to be laundering those foul uniforms in Marsh Creek by the side of Emmitsburg Road.
Infrequently, I've played an associate via the internets, but his time has been limited of late. Having no other options for a reasonable challenge, I resolved to find some like-minded gamers, opting for the ultimate confrontation: I'd join a confederation of competitors in an enterprise of which I know little. I've been a member of The Blitz for many years, but I soured on ladder competition many years ago, due primarily to the "win-at-all-costs" attitudes of several of the players I'd encountered.
So, I find myself here seeking knowledge and fellowship; I hope to meet several of y'all on the field of battle. I cannot at this time promise much competition, but favorably feel that I might furnish more than the artificial intelligence. My games are listed above, with plans to purchase the Overland campaign once the first of the month passes. My limited knowledge of the period halts at the foot of Cloyd's Mountain (not far from the family home). Perhaps this interest will venture west as my "schooling" progresses.
