Marianas 44

[vince hughes]

I actually have less problem with the AARs than the rankings and I don't have much problem with the rankings given that you can view the ranking without designer statistics

Talking of ratings without designer's ratings added (as I have them on my log-in). Its a right old battle at the top there. If you have the ratings without Jay's own ratings then Cassino tops them with 3.73 in 200 plays. That is pretty impressive over 200 games.

Kursk South Flank is a mere nidge of 0.02 behind with 3.71 but just 140 plays at present. It'll be a tough ask to keep scoring mainly '4's over the next 60 plays for KSF to catch up. However, if Cass gets played more plays then maybe some '3's will bring that leading score down.

Saipan 44 is a creditable 3rd without Jay's scores. That is 3.60 from 111 plays. It is actually interesting looking at the scenarios without Jay's ratings too. Because he rates them all 4 & 5 it is impossible for the outside person looking in to immediately find a scenario to play and cherry pick which of the scenarios are classics. However, take the designer away from those ratings and then it becomes readily apparent. Scenario 1 "Red Beach" with 4.40 seems that everybody loves it as they do #7 "Throw them into the sea" with the same score. The ones at present that are not living up to 4+ status are #8 "Mopping Up Afetna" and #34 "Fate of Company B". The public rate them at 2.80. Which is still touching nigh on the '3' level for standard fare.

More unbelievable to me is Fall of France 5th with 3.43. Most of my scores in 8 or 9 plays have been around '4's and there is also one I rated 4 but looking back should have given 5. That box-set however has spawned no less than 390 plays on PGHQ and the more plays a game gets, it seems the harder to maintain a higher rating. It is also a whole 0.28 from 3rd place. A quarter of a point with this amount of plays is hard to make up ground and yet I think most people I've spoken to love this set.

Elsenborn Ridge in 4th place and 282 plays shows 3.57, so it IS lagging from the top 3 with a gap of 0.14. But 4th place is still an impressive location for any set in this series and as we all know, it gets no bonus points for being the accepted 'lead-in' package to the series.