Opinnion on PBEM Campaign Game

[Imp]

No worries Canada off to kick some proverbial butt now?

[Cross]

I've played quite a few PBEM campaigns.

Many years ago, when I switched from playing against the AI to human opponents, I could never really go back to the AI. Human opponents are just a lot more fun. But I missed the campaigns.

Now with PBEM campaigns...well, it's just the next level of addiction.

PBEM camps are not much different to a series of PBEM battles, where you get to decide or negotiate the circumstances, maps, v-hexes, preferences etc. for each battle. But there's continuity with your core, and you get to know your officers, or hopefully they are around long enough to become familiar.

My only complaint is that the winner is awarded a lot more repair points than the loser (often double). This makes the next battle even easier for the winner, and the campaign can soon become unbalanced.

This unbalance quickly 'snow balls' and has caused a premature end to most of my campaigns.

I actually think the loser should be getting more repair points. He's likely the less experienced player, and he probably has more to repair, so he's the one who needs help if he's going to have a chance at a successful second battle.

To combat this problem, I recommend keeping the turns low (15 to 20, but I may experiment with around 12) which will help keep battalions from being decimated.

Apart from that, you could agree that the winner is not allowed to expand his core. I volunteered to do this, and it helps.

cheers,
Cross

[Imp]

Cross threads have been posted on the repair points balance problem when PBEM Campaigns first came out, you may have been one of the posters.
I did the no expanding core thing but with a few campaigns under my belt now as it stands it makes little diffrence.
If you do not use house rules & one side loses considerably more units the total outcome is decided.
If you win the first battle you will probably be at full strength for the next & so on.
As you are going to take less losses than him once you are a few battles in you just convert your repair points store to aux units & hit him with a huge force, only thought of recently.
A better solution instead of keeping the turns low would be a reduced victory requirment for the game to end early & modifying the repair point allotment in my view.
I actually find trying to withdraw hang on to what you have one of the best facets of PBEM campains as you tend to just go for broke in battles.

[Lt. Ketch]

Originally Posted by Cross

Many years ago, when I switched from playing against the AI to human opponents, I could never really go back to the AI. Human opponents are just a lot more fun. But I missed the campaigns.

Now with PBEM campaigns...well, it's just the next level of addiction.

This is where I am right now. I've made the transition and haven't played verse the AI in months. However, the campaigns are what I miss as well.

I am itching to play a campaign, but unable to buy the CD version yet, so for now, I am forced to fight single battles.

I'll get it sometime soon though, and when I do, you can bet I'll be throwing the gauntlet at a few of my opponents.