"Clash of the generals"

[AFM984]

Yesterday at 23:00 KSA (20:00 GMT), I programme was shown on the Discovery channel by the title "Clash of the generals" Using the new totalwar engine to pitch two of the greatest generals of time agianst each other ( in this episode Alexander vs Hannibal) each army is controlled by an ex generals on a board using blocks, the movement of the blocks is correspondent to the units in the computer. Prior to the Battle, an overview of the units & tactics used by the generals ( in this case Alexander & Hannibal) in other battles by a number of historians and military experts.

What amazed me was the tactics used in the battle, there was no regular deployments of infantry in the middle, cavalry on the flanks and missiles in the rear, it was simply amazing.
I haven't seen neither decisive battles nor time commanders, but I think this one beats both.

[Oaty]

Where is KSA?

[henoch]

kingdom of Saudi-Arab (? don`t hack me, if i mispelled, sharif)

THEY did what? use RTW to fight Hannibal vs. Alexander (..from a historian? perspective??..such a historian working for a boulevard magazine)
while reading unit`s memories (Kriegstagebücher der Kompanie xy) i`m quite sure most tactics and lines are drawn by historians anyway... later... . (just a small reply)

[Herakleitos]

I wander what the next episode will be... Toyotomi Hideyoshi against Scipio Africanus?!

BTW, does anyone know if Time Commanders will be on Discovery Channel or BBC as well? I'm unable to receive the History Channel...

[AFM984]

#Oaty: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

#Henoch: They took Alexander's army in Issus & Deployed it against Hanmnibal's Army in Cannae, It was simply a question of whether hannibal could achieve his crushing victory against alexander.
The general controlling alexander's army would use tactics similar to alexander's, and the same goes for the other.

@heraklietos: Is that Sarcasm I hear in your voice ?
I actually think it is a good idea, as for the next episode, the generals spoke at the end of the episode about wanting to see Caesar against the Zulu!!!!

[Herakleitos]

@AFM984, no sarcasm at all! I am actually quite curious how caesar would do aigainst shaka!

[the_rydster]

Hey there AFM984!

Yeah I am unfortunate enough to work in Saudi also. I am service company scum doing MWD and not exactly loving it!

I do not think the RTW engine is appropriate for this sort of thing actaully. You have too much micro management control. In a real battle you would assume that once things are lined up and ready to go the amount of micro-control you had over units was minimal..........once the ball was rolling as it were.

[AFM984]

Sorry for your misery rydster, Do you hate the job or the country itself ?

as for the engine, I saw the episode & I think it went well, there was no micromanagement all the generals had to do was move the few blocks infront of them & that is it.

[the_rydster]

Well you have to love the place really, what with another 'incident' at the US consulate in Jeddah today.

I do 60/30 as well which is not so great?

You are not some company man or something are you? I mean you obviously have internet access, or maybe when you say you are in the desert you mean in Riyadh doing a 'normal' job, not on a rig?

Caeser against the Zulu? That is crazy! I mean what next? Alexander against Patton?! William Wallace vs the Samurai??!!

[AFM984]

My home town is surrounded by desert from all sides & even within so I guess I'm right to say That I'm in the middle of the desert. never the less I have access to all the technology in any western country, oh yes arabia has returned to it's former glory.
Rydster if you do not like the country then that's your opinnion, but I can leave my door open at 1 am & I would feel as safe as George W.Bush at the white house, my friend this country has the lowest crime rate in the world.
It have became a bit bad these days but it is still Lowest in crime rates.

By the way I am a Saudi I'm not a forigner.

Sorry for diverting the mainstream.

[TonkaToys]

... I am service company scum doing MWD ...

Was that a mis-spelling of WMD? Now we know where they got to!

@AFM984
My Dad used to work in Al Khobar for a travel company. I visited every school holiday and really liked the place. All the Saudis I met were very friendly and the place is as you say relaxed. Of course there are differences, particularly wrt women, but we are different cultures, so that should be expected.

Good to have you here!

TT

[the_rydster]

Hey there AFM984.

Sorry I assumed you were an Expat working in Saudi.

Well I spend all my time working on the rigs in the desert, which I less than enjoy, this is the main cause of my misery really!

Things around the Eastern Province (where we spend most of our time) have changed since the attack in Al Khobar earlier in the year, with lots more nervous security around the compounds and rigs and things. The atmosphere is a little tense now and people are watchng there back all the time, my company has even removed logos from cars and trucks.

From my point of view the Saudi I see (I have never been as far west as Riyadh) is just quiet and dusty really. I certainly do not 'hate' Saudi and it is not such a bad place to work really if you can do without your Western entertainment and things. In fact working in Saudi has been a bit of an education because before this I was really ignorant about Arab countrys and culture.

[master of the puppets]

hmmm hannible versus alexander ... its not that far fetched (geographicly anyway) if alexander had continued west out of egypt he ay have encountered cartheginians of coyurse at this time the have little military capability. they ere merely a rich trading nation and had'nt gotten there famed mercinary armies yet

...but alexander versus hannible i am really sorry i missed that. i did see a big thing on the pharoh photolmes you defeated the syrian rebels and extended the borders of egypt by half its origional size sweet

[master of the puppets]

oh srry i thought we were still talking about generals and warfare my bad... so AFM984 did anyone in your town get there hand chopped offf for any reason, no seriosly is that why you have no crime cuz peoples hands are flyin all over the place otherwise saudi arabia is the best of the middle eastern countries not like those other barbarians BEAT THEM ALL INTO SUBMISION AND MAKE THEM ALL GOOD LIITLE ROMANS HA HA HA HA HA...srry evil spree

[TonyJ]

I'm really not sure what to make of the tone of this post . . . . . .

Hands flying everywhere ?? Just how crass can you be, even in jest ?

On the admittedly few occasions I have visited the Middle East I have been humbled by the friendliness, honesty and openness of the people there. Many of us so-called civilised Westeners could learn a lesson in civility and humility from everyone I have met there.

Have you thought that the crime rate may be low because people see crime as wrong, not something that they feel they can just get away with 'cos no-one will do anything about it ?

Perhaps we should not be concentrating on what makes people different but what makes us the SAME.

[AFM984]

@ tonka toys: good to be here in such a friendly atmosphere.

@ rydster: no harms done & I agree that it is becoming bad for foreigners, which I'm sorry for, but things hopefully will return to be as good as they were. By the way have you bought RTW because I can't seem to find it any where? if you did please tell me from where so I can get it.

Now back to the Main theme: I checked the main site for the discovery ch. and have not found any reference for the Series, & even in totalwar.com there is no mention of it. has any one seen the episode aside from me? strangely, throughout all of december only this episode will be shown {checked it at Showtimearabia}, as if it was a trial episode not a whole series.

"sorry for posting too many replies" .

[eadingas]

Maybe CA gives a REAL AI micro-management engines to the tv stations, instead of that silliness we have to bear with :)

[the_rydster]

AFM984 - I actually bought my copy in the UK. Like I said I rotate in and out of KSA, 60 days on 30 days off kind of thing. Whenever I go down Al Khobar though I never see PC games in shops, even though I have looked. There are some shops that you can buy PS2 games and GBA games also but not PC games for some reason.

I would guess the internet would be your best bet, but I cannot honestly say.