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A few comments on this article: http://www.sirlin.net/Features/feature_PlayToWinPart1.htm
I agree with alot of what was written there. But I lean more towards FrogBoy's comments. The article seems to dismiss the entire "fun" idea as a crutch of the scrub. But I think the "win at any cost" crowd would be best paired with another "win at any cost" player. And the "I just want to have some fun" crowd should be paired with another "I just want to have some fun" player. It is often not much fun for either side when these two crowds cross paths. Not sure what the best solution would be. But one of the current methods of IRC arranged games that are password protected seems like a good idea to me. It's not very fun when these elite players host random games to stomp a bunch of casual fun players though(perhaps these games should include a disclaimer: I am lord of sins, enter at your peril .
That being said, I don't like people whining about one strat or another. If you are trying to be competitive at this game(or any game), you have the wrong attitude. If your strategy is inferior to your opponents, learn how to counter it. Don't cry for unit caps and the like.
Just to relate a story from my own personal experience. Back in the day, I joined my first online game of doom2. I played numerous games against my brother, but was not at the same level as these online players I was up against. The favorite(and to a large extend only) weapon used at the time was the double barrel shotgun. These 1-d players where experts at dancing around you and pelting you with the awesome close range firepower of the double barrel. I tried to match what they were doing but could not compete with these seasoned players on their home terf. So I tried using a different weapon, the BFG. My opponent was fragged over and over again to the point where he called the BFG "cheap" and asked me to stop using it. Fine, I didn't want to upset the guy so I switched to the plasma gun. Same thing, fragged him over and over. Now all energy weapons were "cheap" so I needed to pick a non-energy weapon. This guy was getting annoying, but I decided to switch to the rocket launcher. More frags, more calls of cheapness. Next up was the chaingun. After losing to me against every single weapon except a double barrel, he got frustrated and left. Don't be afraid of a 1-d player whos pet strategy overpowered you the first few times you met it. Odds are they won't be able to compete at a real level once you learn how to stop their pet strat.
"Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change"
Milton Friedman
A popular phrase we use in Europe, 'Americans the most entertained and least informed'. Average Americans know more about Britney Bears and American Idol than they do about the constitution and how the current political system (oligarchy) works. A system that 'assumes' that some people are smarter than others and should lead is the definition of oligarchy. Change come from the bottom, not the top. You can't be ignorant and free. If Americans are dumb enough to vote another Bush clone like John Mc Insane into power, god help US because it'll become the most hated country in the world without many Allies left. People dont hate US because they are 'free' but because it's a country infested by hypocrisy, ignorance, corporate greed and imperialism. Wake up or US will be left behind as the country go into the worst economic depression since 1933. In latin America alone there are a very real revolution going on that are related to US corporate imperialism and economic hitmens.
So what happen? Why are Americans so dumb to what goes on in the world?
Contrary to polular belief in US the news media has worse coverage than ever before and really makes you dumb not smarter. The US news media are so pathetic that Americans now has to seek outside US to get fair news coverage. In US the right to use public airwaves was mandated to provide news coverage even at an economic loss. This law ended in 1987, which permitted corporate media cut back their news divisions and their responsibility to serve public interest.
Goodbye to investigative journalism and fair reporting. Hello to misinformation and cheap entertainment. Misinformation undermines democracy and why you need a good news media and investigative journalism. News should be news, free and independent from corporate or other special interest groups. Not 'Disney News' or 'Rupert Murdoch News'. Today journalists in the corporate news media face a dilemma because they can't both serve corporate interest and public interest at the same time.
I strongly encourage every American to stop using corporate news media until major media reforms are in the place and start seeking independent news outside US and re-educate yourself. If not, it'll be your children that will pay the price for your ignorance. Are you ready for economic collapse? Americans are less prepared than the Soviets were. It's only a matter of time before Americans will see the true horrors of hyper-inflation. Like the shock doctrine, I guess sometimes bad things need to happen before monetary reforms can occur.
A small reading list to get started. In US, http://www.democracynow.org with Amy Goodman has alot of news coverage that you'll never see in the corporate media. I garanteen if any American start using independent news media it'll open your eyes but be prepared for one hell of a journey. It's a horror story. But the truth will set Americans free in the end and restore the republic to be ruled by the people once again and not another oligarchy/global elite. This is a class war, the sooner Americans realize this and start fighting back the safer you and future generations will be.
Documentary:
[url="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-466210540567002553"]Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve[/url]
[url="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5232639329002339531&q=Fiat+Empire&ei=2fB4SPHiOpKuiwKrzezwDw"]Fiat Empire[/url]
[url="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279"]Money As Debt [/url]
http://www.themoneymasters.com/
http://www.naomiklein.org (the shock doctrine)
Investigative journalism:
[url="http://www.webofdebt.com/"]Web Of Debt[/url] (monetary policy)
http://www.johnpilger.com (one of the best investigate journalist in europe)
http://www.gregpalast.com/ (BBC journalist)
http://www.helenthomas.org/
http://www.democracynow.org
http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net/
http://www.democracynow.org/2004/11/9/confessions_of_an_economic_hit_man (confessions of an Economic Hit Man)
