Thanks, Glenn and drone, for the hearty welcome. I can see that this forum not only has good taste, but fine manners as well. (Glenn, I am Greek only in name, but I may still be capable of pulling out some charm from time to time.)

Having ranged for several years over the vast M2TW and RTW mod-realms, I still find myself returning periodically to my first love from Activision (no, not Shogun—though I maybe shouldn't admit that here)—none other than MTW. So, drone, I'm truly chuffed to have found some other "die-hards!"

Glenn, I fully agree with your assessment of MTW's old-style "craftsmanship" and "vest of aesthetic pleasure" (nicely put, by the way). For me, the difference between MTW and subsequent titles can be likened to listening to Miles Davis's Kind of Blue on vinyl as opposed to mp3. MTW is, of course, the vinyl.

Also, I'll warrant that I have a wandering eye when it comes to mods, but I wouldn't say that my taste is spoiled! Truth be told, there are aspects of each and every mod we've been discussing that I feel are utterly brilliant; if only I had the time and skill to amalgamate all of these elements into a single, truly "super" mod, I could die a happy man. That said, I feel similarly to many others in regards to XL—that it's the game MTW should have been. Therefore, I welcome the opportunity to read AARs from my compatriots based on that fine mod.

And, Glenn, your Irish AAR did not disappoint! I'm not even sure how I missed it yesterday, but thank you kindly for directing me to it! (See my comments posted in the appropriate forum!)

Finally, I hope we can continue touching base on everything MTW related and beyond, but let's be honest: there's very little beyond MTW worth discussing, is there? (Kidding, of course.)

à la prochaine!