Metaforge....why bother?

[Gaius_Marius]

Feeling quite bored today, Sunday afternoon. Its funny how around the world we Americans claim to be the most intelligent people on the face of the Earth. Well I guess that intelligence is lacking when it comes to picking a stratego site. Mostly Americans play at Meta and why? That place charges a fee for inferior game play, banning members from using the board and most of all the Americans that play there are from the bottom of the barrel. Its funny how the owner of that site amuses himself with with his many aliases, Commish, Drip Drop. I'm almost sure those names belong to the owner himself, Chip. That place has so many bugs you would think you're in the Amazon. I have never had any problems with this site. Never any disconnects or problems. Just smooth gameplay with a great administration. Plus ULTIMATE LIGHTNING all the better! Overall when picking a stratego site pick this one. You won't be disappointed.

P.S if you are a member of Metaforge do yourself a favor and drop that place like a bad habit. Of do like I did and piss them off!! LOL

-

[apollo]

Amen to that -, I guess there a few of us Americans that have some sense. Metaforge is a HORRIBLE place to play, I hate the fact that half the time you can't tell who just moved without opening another box and clicking last move. Plus i can't ever find the battle result without scrolling to bottom of screen. Anyway, great job here spion, a super place to play without all the profanity and insults at metaforge AND it's free.

Apollo

[-deleted256]

ok ok metaforge is not a good site but
the player are very good.

ciao jul.

[TheCommish]

Thanks for the compliment on the meta players. I have not had the opportunity to play here but from some of the familiar names there are obviously many talented players at Gravon as well.

- hated metaforge so much - he just re-registered. Go Figure.

Regards,

Commish

http://www.metaforde.net/webstratego/download.shtml

[Gaius_Marius]

First of all I never said I hated Metaforge. I said that I hoped it would tank. I registered there because they are a select few that need to be reminded that they are genuine losers and to not get in over their heads. It's funny how these people talk. I just wanted to get into some good arguments with the a@@Holes there. I could careless about playing there. That place is inferior when it comes to gameplay and board layout. There are so many disconnects and its easy to hack. Its funny how I say one thing and the whole Meta army tries to respond. I love that!

[TheCommish]

Just looking for accuracy from you -.

Metaforge does not have too many disconnects. There was a new release of the browserless (stand alone) sofware during the past few months which is significantly more reliable than older version. Metaforge's greatest asset is the speed of play, which to many, is the most important feature in a game site. I am not responding to go tit-for-tat on site features since I have not played at gravon. You have not played at meta recently so your opinions are based on old perceptions. Sorry meta does not have UL - there is just not much of a demand for it and it is obvious that many of the meta players learned to play from the actual board game and not the Hasbro CD.

The above post was my first in this forum, so please do not consider yourself to be some sort of Pied Piper. I do not see a metaforge army here and was just responding to a compliment.

Regards,

Commish


http://www.metaforge.net/webstratego/download.shtml

[fpn]

First of all, I would like to thank - for sharing his opinion of Metaforge. Clearly you get an overview into his issues and if you're like me you see that his issue is not with Metaforge but are internal. I will show you how he makes no sense and contradicts himself in just this one post. Second I will give you 10 good reason why Metaforge is a great alternative to Gravon. I will not bash Gravon or claim that Metaforge is better since that would be viewed as a one sided slant. So let's start with the fact that - makes no sense what so ever.

- Claim: Mostly Americans play at Meta
I'm not sure how - is privy to the membership records or if indeed he really is. This claim is meritless since he offers no proof and even if it were fact, what does it mean? Metaforge is comprised of players from around the world as is Gravon. If one site has more or less Americans or Europeans, what difference would it make to you?

- Claim: That place charges a fee for inferior game play, banning members from using the board and most of all the Americans that play there are from the bottom of the barrel.
Again, - is not stating fact, just opinion. AS for inferior play, well I disagree. Gravon has many distinct differences with Metaforge but I would hardly call Metaforge "inferior". We lack 2 popular features that Gravon has in the "Resume Game" and "Ultimate Lightning" choices. I will expand on this topic later in the post.......
As for the claim of players being "banned" from using the message board, I challenge the claim. Players that are not registered may not use the message board. Or if you use the message board in such a way as to defame or disparage anyone your posting privledges may be suspended at the discretion of the Moderator or Web Master. These are RULES and every civilized communities has rules otherwise there would be anarchy. I was reading a post on this board from a member called Apollo
Spion, thanks for all you do for this site. It is BY FAR superior to that other guy's pay site and a LOT more professionally ran and monitored. I can let my kids come to this place without having to be right beside them.
Clearly you haven't looked at the topics on this forum. ONe was called a "Pu**y list" another was dubbed "FU&K!" I don't know about you but I don't want my children looking at topics like that and I challenge you to find one on the Metaforge board
- Claim: Its funny how the owner of that site amuses himself with with his many aliases, Commish, Drip Drop. I'm almost sure those names belong to the owner himself, Chip.
Chip is not Commish, DripDrop or any other member. CASE CLOSED. Chip is a family guy from the US that doesn't spend a tenth of the time ON the site as he does working on the site in order to improve. Besides which Commish and DripDrop have played together and the Metaforge server will not allows users with the same IP Address to play each other. Simply put it's impossible. -' claim is based on nonsense and opinion that has no facts to support the claim
- Claim: P.S if you are a member of Metaforge do yourself a favor and drop that place like a bad habit. Of do like I did and piss them off!! LOL
While - would like you to think he dropped his membrship, the fact is he is an active member as of April 8th 2004. How do I know you ask? Well in order to post on the Metaforge MB you must be an active member. His last post was on April 8th and can be confirmed by clicking here
http://www.metaforge.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=unplugged;action=display;num=1080616097

- obviously has a stump up his butt for Metaforge and Metaforge players. His presence in the game room is a sparkplug for a verbal tirade directed at anyone that he doesn't get along with. While I don't know - personally and based on his actions on the MBs, I think the guy is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. To go out of your way to "piss them off" clearly shows issues. While I respect his right to offer opinions, I hope you view them as such and not for facts. Metaforge players are outspoken characters that for the most part are good people. I am certainly not claiming a completely A_Hole free site but I think one has to expect a few nuts at every site(as demonstrated here at Gravon with the bumblings from -)

With that being said, since the question of Metaforge, why bother ? was asked I will give you 10 reasons why you should bother
10. A small fee, 20 bucks, gives you unlimited games. Lots of game sites give you just limited access
9. The ability to save 10 setups saving you time and the hassle of keeping cheat sheets of setups taped to your monitor
8. 4 PLayer ability. Often overlooked but a very popular option none the less
7. Distinctive sounds allow you to know what is going on. You can tell the difference when someone enters a room, leaves, hit a bomb, trade and many other unique sounds that enhance the playing experience
6. Replay Last Move. Simply call up the chat window and get an instant replay
5. Abilty to "flip sides" allowing you to play from the top to the bottom or vice versa.
4. Choose the Flag of choice to represent. Your pieces can bear the flag of the nation of your choice. Show your respect to the country you love
3. KArnaks Ranking System. A no nonsense detailed account of your ranking as compared to other Metaforge members. While somewhat limited because it is for active members only, having a useable ranking gives any player the ability to gauge his level of play
2. Auto sign on. Save time by presetting your user ID and password into the program making it as easy as pie to sign on and get into the room.
1. Reliable. Metaforge has come under attack from time to time regarding bugs, disconnects, flaws etc. I can tell you first hand that Metaforge is by far, superior to most of the game sites today. Many problems that people report are within their own PC. Java scripts being unreliable the users having the most difficult time of it need not look at the site as they should look at their machine. A disconnect will happen regardless of where you are on the net. Dial Up services can sometimes boot you off after just 45 minutes. If your ISP is having issues or you haven't cleaned the casche recently then you don't have a legitimate claim. Of the uses I have spoken with over the last 7 years at Metaforge claiming the site was at fault, no one, and I mean no one could give any specific information as to where the problem was coming from or any proof was offered showing Metaforge was to blame

Gravon is a good site and most of the players here are good people. In an effort to widen the horizon of the game of Stratego I feel that Gravon and Metaforge players should work together to bring honor and dignity to the game. Petty bickering amongst players can sometimes give a black eye to an entire community which does no good. If you have a beef with someone or a group of people, in the name of sportsmanship, take the high road and avoid the player. After all, we're all here to play the game and THATS what this is all about.
Thanks for reading.

[faithless]

Well
Well, well.

I am impressed how players, used to play on metaforge, compare the sites to each other. They don´t play here, but say we should go a way together and so on and so on. Does that make sense?

I think it is about time to start this discussion and I will also take part.

your ten points frank:

10. A small fee, 20 bucks, gives you unlimited games. Lots of game sites give you just limited access
What about paying nothing and having even more options?

9. The ability to save 10 setups saving you time and the hassle of keeping cheat sheets of setups taped to your monitor

If you are registered on Gravon you can save 20 setups on the server and an endless number of setups under "local setups"

8. 4 PLayer ability. Often overlooked but a very popular option none the less

Popular? It was played once in the time I was on metaforge. I took part and we all four disconnected, the game brake down

7. Distinctive sounds allow you to know what is going on. You can tell the difference when someone enters a room, leaves, hit a bomb, trade and many other unique sounds that enhance the playing experience

Nice, but is this really a reason to pay 20 bucks for? I mean, I like sounds...

6. Replay Last Move. Simply call up the chat window and get an instant replay

With the StraDos-player you can repeat whole games - ever heard of that? (download section on Gravon-home) But in the regular game you also see the last move. Ok, it´s not animated, but the simple arrow is has the same effect.

5. Abilty to "flip sides" allowing you to play from the top to the bottom or vice versa.

Great! But people around here never had a problem playing the only popular view

4. Choose the Flag of choice to represent. Your pieces can bear the flag of the nation of your choice. Show your respect to the country you love

Also nice. I always liked that, but as I said under point 7...

3. KArnaks Ranking System. A no nonsense detailed account of your ranking as compared to other Metaforge members. While somewhat limited because it is for active members only, having a useable ranking gives any player the ability to gauge his level of play

Karnak really did a great job! He did that all for no money, just for the game, as far as I know. But the system is not as complex as the "kleier"-rating the international ladder is also based on. And: there is also the WSC system on Gravon. A very good idea of Karnak is the personal standing between two players and the monthly history. Hope this will come here also sometime. But look at all the graphs on Gravon! It also updates automatically. On meta I often had to wait a few days, sometimes weeks.

2. Auto sign on. Save time by presetting your user ID and password into the program making it as easy as pie to sign on and get into the room.

same here

1. Reliable. Metaforge has come under attack from time to time regarding bugs, disconnects, flaws etc.....

I had many disconnects - I was annoyed so much that in the end it wasn´t interesting anymore when someone told me this will be fixed sometime.

Overall you show that you don´t know Gravon. The idea of Gravon is as simple as great: It´s for all and it´s for free! Like Linux.

And now we come to a few points which I have to say:
Spion, the admin, did more in three month than Chip of Meta in three years. In Gravon Stratego, the international Stratego rules are integrated, no endless hunting like on meta. Hunting till someone is too annoyed to go on - I had that a few times.
Also: no 50 moves till a game is rated. Here is no need for that.
Re-entering a game. How long did that take on meta to be made? How often did the users demand it?

I am surprised by the way you and Commish speak. So polite. I had discussions on the meta forum. And Commish, the forum-webmaster posted his answers into my post. What is that? I told him a few times that his comments should not been placed inside others. Unpolite and bad manners. And I read his ultra-conservative postings, his black and white views of the world. Disgusting. And now? He wants Gravon people on meta and sounds so polite! I am laughing!

The meta forum: Player DripDrop answered on english posts of Europeans by saying: Uh! Can´t you speak English?... Very polite. How many of those guys speak a second language?

One point you criticised:
I don´t know if you only know one meaning of "pussy". But I can assure you that it isn´t a listing of well-shaved vaginas.
The "pussy list" - where is the problem? Does your thirteen year old boy come to hell or will be a dirty young man by reading the headline? After watching Rambo 2 with 214 kills?

By the way: you read the statements Commish made (public viewable) about the need and values of conquering other countries?

I often saw on meta that a few americans have problems going outside the world they know. Physically, but also in thoughts. The americans on Gravon who got in touch with this site and a majority of Europeans didn´t seem to have that problem. And I have to say I really like most of them. Somehow more open-minded as most meta guys. Take Esquire and Cyril as an example they are nice to hang around with. Or tableplay and Beggardnobility. I could go on - and on.

Why do you really want the people to go to meta? - I asked myself the whole time I read your post. Do you have some fears getting to know this place? Or is meta running out of members?
Getting to know: You should do that first, and then we go on arguing.


Best regards!

Faithless

P.S. If you really want to tell us that one advantage of meta is that it makes "Bing" and "Bong" and "DingDong" it really is close to the end, isn´t it?

[Gaius_Marius]

*frank foaming at the mouth while reading's one of -'s posts yelling "I'm gonna show that SOB who the defender of META is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

So I contradict myself........So what
So I have no proof............So what
I registered at Meta..........So what, I don't think anyone cares
- has a stump on his butt...............That's the best you can come up with?

LOL I couldn't stop laughing at that message you posted. I laughed so hard I nearly soiled myself. So what if I registered there. I don't play there nearly as much as I play here. I figured I had 20 bucks to spend so why not use it to piss off, you in particular, and many of the meta morons that pride themselves on correct usage and grammar on message boards ROFLMAO! These people couldn't even pass the intro English course in college so they make up for it with using the "king's English" on the message board. Well obviously its working. Look at the 2 page type up by frank, . I told u the Meta Army is here. Face it Meta is not very appealing. First you pay then you get rude opponents that gripe when they lose. Also like typical backward A@@ rednecked americans they rip u when you cannot speak English well. Little do they know that many of us, myself included, had to learn to speak English as a second language. How many languages do you know? None right!

To frank...meta -..........How did u put it?? Oh yeah....CASE CLOSED!

[jerry]

frank.

Any post found to be nasty, crude, rude and bad language will be edited by myself, this option was only taken on recently to help other busy moderators get on with other duties.

So far so good.

Cheers Jerry.

[-deleted103]

I thought Commish, Sargeant, Stuyvesant and others did a fine job of representing Meta during the time they were also WSC members. We had arguments, but they were always civil. I've never been to meta and don't know how they act at "home" but they were polite at "our" house at WSC, and so far have been here as well. My bedroom is a mess right now but I present myself in a cheerful way to the outside world, so why care (unless yer my wife...)? Anyway, Commish seems to be politely defending what's his and not attacking what's ours so why all the hooey? Let the market decide which site is better.....and if they both do well, all the better for Stratego in general. Now that that's outa the way, is it okay fer me to start cussin'? (shifts to best redneck voice) I shore do gotta dirty mouf! By the way, I'm a redneck conservative so all ya haters can bring it on now.
_________________
I have AIDS and I smell kinda funny. Let me win and I won't, like, touch you er anything.

[cyprus]

I played on Metaforge for 1 night only and was dissapointed with the complexity of learning how to use it. It was difficult to tell whether you were actually in a room with an opponent, and I was laying my pieces out on the top instead of the bottom of the screen. Within moments at the site someone in a chat room invited me to Gravon in December and I only came back once to Metaforge and still had no clue. In December was the first time I had ever played online Stratego, and it was real easy to learn at Gravon. I cannot think of one advantage at playing there. Especially because of its high cost, anyone can do a cost-benefit analysis and its a slam dunk decision. Guess the Europeans are smarter
I remember running out of time in the 5 minutes to load the pieces because the click and drag method was not available.
and 1/4 inch pieces as opposed to the large size here. I don't wish any sounds. They are annoying and wake the house. Sorry if I did not invest enough time. But with that extra cash I was able to invest the money.
Also I do not have pop-up blocking software and I know Gravon is free of advertising. I already have started inserting flyers promoting Gravon at the local discount dept stores on top of every MB Stratego box. The board game at home is the best way for kids to learn, and Gravon matches that reality. (Even at home a kid can walk away from the game

[jerry]

Yes, The size of the game board is way to small for me, It can be changed as one metaforge played told me, only if I registered with the fee.

Not at this stage.

Jerry.

[TheCommish]

Hi folks,

Commish here again. I just wanted to make a quick post on fees. You are discussing that you are unwilling to pay for metaforge, yet spion is welcoming donations. I read that - donated 20 euros (more than a meta membership). My question is this: If you play at a site for an entire year, having countless hours of enjoyment, why wouldn't you be willing to pay a fee? Whether it is a upfront fee or a voluntary donation, I know I could not, in good conscience, just freeload off the hard work of others, but maybe that is just me.

Commish



http://www.metaforge.net/webstratego/download.shtml?Commish

[faithless]

LOL

Commish! Aren´t you willing or aren´t you able to understand?

People love this place! It has everything they need and want. And if anything has to be fixed it usually happens within days (not month or years). I don´t know why you are so focused on making people pay for something they can get for free. It´s spions decision to make this site for free - and you can be sure that he had something in mind by doing it. And pls don´t tell me I have to explain you the huge difference between a fee and a voluntary donation.
We exchanged all arguments you can exchange with someone who don´t know the other side (Gravon) - like you or frank. This isn´t the first time you don´t know what you are talking about, my friend.
As you see on the reactions on your posting: It is totally idiotic wanting people in gamer´s paradise to go to an average place - and pay for it!

What is your problem? That you aren´t able to say "Hello - I am new on Gravon - may anyone explain me the features?". Instead you say: "Hi! I don´t know this place, I am not interested in it, but pls come to my place. I am too cowardly to take a look around - so come all over here..."
As I said you one year ago: be a little bit more open-minded! It won´t hurt.

Greetings!

Faithless