35 year old from Montreal, currently a corporate wageslave in financial services for a bank (which I will keep anonymous). Long-time lurker of this forum.
Bachelor in Political Science, completed all my seminars for a Master's Degree in Strategic Studies ten years ago, but left before doing my final research paper to work full time. I'm aiming to complete that paper this year - my tentative subject would be a comparative survey of the problems encountered by the Germans and the Russians during Operation Barbarossa, and compare how each strove to resolve (or didn't) their respective issues - in 50 to 100 pages.
I've been a wargamer since my teenage years. I discovered strategy games by playing a lot of historical KOEI games on my SNES back then, even owned P.T.O. and Nobunaga's Ambition on cartridge (I own all NA from 11 to 14 for PC in Japanese at home). These days I am into PBEMing WWII wargames; I have three PBEMs of DC:Barbarossa and two PBEMs of WITE right now. I also owned WITP:AE, but never managed to go passed December 31st, 1941. I discovered also John Tiller games (with Smolensk '41 and Campaign : Waterloo, even though I suck bad at the latter).
I have also been involved as a beta tester for Paradox many years ago. I'm also part of the Languish forum, which has quite a few wargamers and history buffs and played some PBEMs at the Blitz forum.
I'm into writing AARs. Don't know why, I'm good at writing a good narrative of a game for other, people even if it means showcasing my abject failures. :D
Greetings!
Hey! Another Canuck! Welcome to Grogheads.
Endfire's in Montreal I believe.
Welcome!
We've got a couple of people in Montreal. Fortunately, they seem to stay there! :))
Welcome, Drakken! As a long time lurker, I'm sure you know of our AAR sub-forum. It appears several of us share your affliction for writing about our losses ;)
Welcome, Drakken! Looking forward to those AARs!
Welcome.
Quote from: Drakken on January 10, 2016, 03:00:14 AM
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I've been a wargamer since my teenage years. I discovered strategy games by playing a lot of historical KOEI games on my SNES back then, even owned P.T.O. and Nobunaga's Ambition on cartridge (I own all NA from 11 to 14 for PC in Japanese at home).
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You sound like my kind of guy. I still have my NES and SNES cartridges of old KOEI games as well including rarities such as Bandit Kings of Ancient China and Gemfire. O0
Welcome aboard. I would love to read your report on the difficulties of Barbarossa as well when it's done.
Welcome to Grogheads, Drakken!
Our Canadian ranks grow! Welcome aboard, Drakken.
Welcome Drakken to the Grogs. Glad to have you with us.
Wow, another fellow Montrealer and a new Groghead! Welcome aboard Drakken.
I got started on the KOEI series on the NES and SNES years ago as well. SSI's Steel Panthers, the Talonsoft series and SSG's Decisive Battles Ardennes Offensive eventually are what got me hooked on the PC platform for Grog stuff years ago.
Welcome, Drakken!
Greetings and good to see another KOEI fan. I still have my NES collection of KOEI titles. The weekends those used to devour...good times. :)
I thank you all for your warm welcome, guys.
My favourite game of all time is Nobunaga's Ambition, Lord of Darkness on the SNES. I even have Yoko Kanno's soundtrack of the game.
My first real wargaming experience was with KOEI's Operation Europe on the SNES, KOEI's take on European front of WWII. At 11-12 yo, barely knowing what a strategy game is, it was the shit. By today standard, this game is a slow drag to play, but still.... I remember plogging through the minefields around Kursk as the Germans , asking myself how the hell I could win that scenario. Now I know, not even the real Germans could answer that one.
And then I discovered P.T.O. The cartridge was around 89.99 $CAN, value at the time, and my stepdad offered it to me for Christmas. Big, heavy SNES cartridge. I would lock myself into my room for hours to play it, day-in, day-out, listening to the Beatles and songs I would tape off radio. With the game came a minimap, which I would use to put my fleet on it and plot my moves. My last real game with it, I was playing the Japanese and by the end of the only ships remaining for the Allies was 10 submarines. I stopped when I conquered Hawaii and was poised to go for San Francisco and Los Angeles :D
P.T.O. 1 and 2 were both great games. Those were the days.
Too bad we can't play a MP game of a KOEI game over SNES.
We can't, right? Right? :smiley6600: