(01-04-2022, 08:48 AM)plloyd1010 Wrote: (01-04-2022, 06:18 AM)Blackcloud6 Wrote: Now that VASSAL play is getting PGers together, the common wargamer way of "OK, let's now switch sides and try it again" wants to rear its head.
That would be a caveat for me it comes to multiple counts on a scenario. Perhaps also with one solo play counting. Where would multiple plays of a given scenario stop counting for advancement? After all, a 150 rounds of Town Fight shouldn't give you a commission. (I have played through the mentoring scenarios 6 or 8 times.)
Generally the ranking system is a little hokey. It is based on the percentage of scenarios played of the then and mostly out of print offering of the Panzer Grenadier system. It is also a little tiresome that there are 7 levels of sergeant. Also, home grown and experimental scenarios don't count. While there is a lot to be unhappy with, I can't think of good working alternative.
Yes, the current system is surely silly, but the key question is: who cares if someone wants to play a particular scenario 50 times in solo or shared play mode on VASSAL? It is a only a game, que no? Who cares about wins & losses on a virtual battlefield? Do adults really need the affirmation that achieving one of 7 levels of "Sergeant" conveys, after playing a certain number of scenarios?
If individuals enjoy playing PG online, or in-person and sharing it with their friends, we should be as welcoming & encouraging as possible. IMHO, that is the only grownup solution to the question of counting "game plays."
I'm pretty sure that Mike at Avalanche Press, and the various PG-game/scenario developers would agree. More engaged and happy players = more interest generated in WW2 history, more enthusiasm for boardgame-based wargaming, and in terms of mere commerce: more games and extensions sold.