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PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 6:04 am 
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Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:49 am
Posts: 419
Location: USA
Since you touch on the subject, let me use this opportunity to make my first club post and introduce myself. I joined the board a few weeks ago, then lurked and observed, and posted a profile. I am impressed and attracted to the structured community existance around here. Brava. I have owned the 'battleground'-type games for several years, never having played a human, but finally a couple weeks ago I applied for membership in the Union Army half of this club . . . At present I am playing a training game with one of the West Point instructors. Obviously, I'm anxious to complete training and be commssioned, then post to get a lot more human-gaming experience . . . therefore . . .

. . . it gets more than a little frustrating to see people join one day, post a request for opponents the next day, and then the following day get replies re courriers on the way, etc . . . Is that supposed to be allowed? Is "training" required?--or just 'suggested'?

Sincerely,

Nathan Easterwood
[New Union recruit]


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PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 6:31 am 
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Joined: Tue May 22, 2001 8:03 pm
Posts: 2410
Location: USA
Training is required unless approval is granted to bypass it. The approval to bypass it is usually only granted to former club members etc that already have proven that they know how to create and exchange the files and have human opponent experience.

The problem is that there isn't anyone apparently assigned the responsibility to monitor the boards for those who post but aren't members and particularly for those who ask for or accept games but aren't members. I used to unofficially do so when I had General rank but quit doing it when I reverted back to a Lt. Almost everyone responded nicely as they were just eager to join the fun and didn't know the rules yet. I ran across only one that got smartmouthed with me and that was a good indication that he wasn't going to last long in the club anyway if he joined. Although it is the responsibility of all of us to verify that we're playing an actual club member before we even accept a challenge, most members don't check the club Musters for a name that they're not familiar with. They just get surprised when they try to register the game and find out that their opponent doesn't exist on club rolls. In that case, I hope that it was a short scenario that they played or they didn't care about the points anyway.

I've always had the opinion (everybody's got one) that it should be the responsibility of a Cabinet member to provide rule interpretations on the main club board and to monitor it so that only authorized personnel are using the boards and asking for games. If not a Cabinet member then someone should be appointed Sergeant At Arms.

Col Ned Simms
2/VI/AoS
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.


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PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 8:47 am 
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Joined: Wed May 23, 2001 4:59 pm
Posts: 139
Location: USA
I agree. We've always had the occasional history buff or a member of one of our sister clubs drop a line over here now and again and that is fine but for anybody else they ought to be a member of the club which, among other things, is defined by having at least one active game going.

I know when I was an instructor at West Point I had a cadet or two that wanted to start playing "for real" right away. I asked that they finish the training game first and all complied. Usually it was a 12-15 turn thing anyway and I made a point of rapid turnaround. So maybe the delay was a week. Cadet Easterwood's point has merit. Cadets in training games should not be playing any other game until their "commissioning" and are assigned to an army. The instructor can take point here but it ought to be a published policy, if it isn't already.

Our club, as with any club, is enjoyable because we share a common interest with others on a single topic. Our interest is playing ACW games (to differentiate that from general ACW interest) If that interest is diluted by people who really don't want to PLAY but only want to discuss the war or the games, then are we the better for it? I would say no.

Gen. Doug Burke
XX/AoC/USA


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PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 12:27 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2001 8:28 pm
Posts: 19
Location: USA
As a fleet admiral and one time Chairman of an organization covering over thirty fleets in another game I ran into this often. One way to help minimize the confusion is to post a "sticky" thread at the top of these boards titled something like, "New here? Read this first..." with instructions on how to get set up on this forum, links to main Confederate and Union websites with directions to contact their respective training personnel, and an overall explanation of what it is to be "in the club."

Given the ages and maturity levels of most who visit here I believe most "first-timers" would likely have a look at something like that before jumping into a forum conversation.

Also, anyone who posted a thought or question who was <i>not</i> registered here and seeking a commission through training could then be directed to the "sticky thread" in lieu of any other sort of reply, perhaps with a gentle, "Welcome! Please visit the 'New Here?' thread and get settled in so we can enjoy your company!"

Just a few thoughts, for what they are worth...

Capt. Richard Weber
2/3/I ANV
Confederate States of America
"I've heard about God; but I've SEEN General Lee."


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PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 3:40 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 22, 2001 4:46 pm
Posts: 557
Location: Canada
Added the instructions from the general board text and made a sticky here.


Best Regards,

General Pierre D.
CSA Reserve Corps
President, ACWGC


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