Roll Call Thread Addition -where are we all from ?

[Feltan]

Nice to see a couple of you have made it out to my neck of the woods.

KC is not as sexy as some places; it ain't NYC or LA. But it is the heartland of America, and I like it. Having lived in various parts of the US, and having travelled a good chunk of the world, some twenty+ years ago I decided this would be as good as place as any to set up house and raise a family. Never had a reason to regret that decision.

So, in keeping with the theme of the thread, I am from Kansas -- I've called it home since '93. Came here via California, Arizona, North Carolina, Virginia and my birth state of Ohio where I grew up.

Regards,
Feltan

[tc464]

Born in Greenville, PA in 1962. When I was 6 weeks old the parents moved me to Paramaribo, Surinam to start with, and then Australia, Italy, Dubai, Iran, and South Africa. Came back to the US when I was 22, joined the Air Force so I could go back overseas. They sent me to Marquette, Michigan. [8|] I got really hooked on WW2 history (and gaming) thru my job as a bomb disposal tech. Traveled all over the US doing that work, with Adak, Kaho'olawe Island, Molokai, Raritan Arsenal being the most interesting and difficult. Joined the government as a civilian in 2004, and since then they have sent me to Mozambique, Surinam, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore. Going to Kazakhstan next month, and England in September for a high school reunion. Every chance I get I hit the historical places. My other favorite hobby ? Feuding with Mike Solli via WITPAE. [:D]

[Lecivius]

Earth.

Came to consciousness in the high hills of Colorado. Got outta high school & saw a BIG chunk of the world courtesy of Uncle Sam. Never found a place I like better than 'them thar hills', tho, so I cam back. Went to college, but could not get through COBOL. My prof told me "some people just don't get it, maybe you should look for something else". So I got a job driving truck. Got a chance to work for Penske Racing. That ended badly (long story), took up delivering beer locally. Got hijacked, injured my back, got an office job (cause the company didn't want to declare me disabled), and outta sheer boredom taught myself computers. Went to work for AT&T then learned networking, then telecom. Got picked up by a girl at a toga party. She had a jeep, loved camping & hated city life & damned if we didn't get married. Got a boy who I am so proud of it hurts. Heck, at my age EVERYTHING hurts [:D]

I still travel, and I still have not found a place I like better than 'them thar hills'.

[Schanilec]

Grand Forks, North Dakota.
 Just finished my 56th winter. Now time for our 20 days of summer. I stay because you can't beat the hunting and fishing up here. Plus I own a lot of farmland West of here. That pretty much ties me to the area.
 I work for an architect/engineering firm. I'm a architectural/electrical engineering designer. Or as I say 'I swing both ways'. Mostly electrical engineering. But I went to college for archictural design through workman's comp out of a serious construction injury (Thus my sig). Funny how that worked out. Been doing it now for over twenty 28 years.
 My first game was AH's Midway. Still have all my games. about 70 not including all the computer games.

[wdolson]

What companies are doing EE design work in North Dakota? Your state isn't exactly known for its high tech. (My degree is in Electronic Engineering.)

Bill

[Schanilec]

There are a few. Most are in Fargo. I'm in building design and construction. So I'm not familiar about your area of expertise.

[wdolson]

So you're more an architect for building wiring? That's cool, I misunderstood.

From the way you described it, it sounded like you were in R&D which I've done my whole career. Working remotely is becoming more common in high tech. I live near Portland and I've worked in California since 2010. Most of the companies physical locations are together in clumps though. I heard of a programmer who lived in Montana (I think) and telecommuted to Seattle.

Bill

[joey]

I was born in central PA. Now live outside Philly. Moving to the Pittsburgh area very soon. I spent ten years on submarines.
Now I teach college and have for some time now.

[Schanilec]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

So you're more an architect for building wiring? That's cool, I misunderstood.

From the way you described it, it sounded like you were in R&D which I've done my whole career. Working remotely is becoming more common in high tech. I live near Portland and I've worked in California since 2010. Most of the companies physical locations are together in clumps though. I heard of a programmer who lived in Montana (I think) and telecommuted to Seattle.

Bill

It is pretty fun. Most of it is on the electrical engineer side. I call myself a professional kindergartner with an electronic Etch-O-Sketch.[:)]

[Annagil]

Rome, Italy, turning 40 in a few months. Lived for a while in Germany (studying and working) and for an even shorter while in London (studying).

My father passed a massive interest in military history (and geography) to me as a kid and initiated me to SPI and SPI-like (mostly Napoleonic) tabletop wargames. I guess he desperately needed a companion to play in the 80s, when wargames where basically unheard of in Italy and he was probably the only player at all in the small city we were living back then, but maybe he did regret it when I came up with the Ney-Grouchy inversion maneuver on my own (if anyone played Napoleons' last battles know what I'm talking about) a few years later

I got slowly to the WW2 in the Pacific, as I started (obviously) with ancient Roman history, then Napoleon, then WW2 in Europe and only then the Pacific. However, naval history was a thread all along (punic wars, the struggles of venice against the Turks, the ill fated attempts of the French to achieve a viable fleet against the British, the Mediterranean theater of war in WW2... I always wished there was a WITM). Plus, I almost ended up with a career in the navy out of high school (served a couple of weeks on the Amerigo Vespucci as a sort of civilian cadet too, some of the best days of my life working the rigging and learning the basics of navigation and meteorology), but it was not to be.

As far as Naval games go, I started with Harpoon (tabletop and computer), then moved to Supermarina (an insanely huge tabletop about just the first few months of the war in the Mediterranean sea) and then I discovered WITP and then WITP:AE. Unfortnately, the latter came too late for me to be able to invest the time necessary for a meaningful human to human game so I've only just played vs AI and I know it's not the same. These days, I'm mostly reading AARs now and then and playing much lighter and faster stuff (Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron series and so on).

My greetings.

G

[oaltinyay]

ORIGINAL: Annagil

Rome, Italy, turning 40 in a few months. Lived for a while in Germany (studying and working) and for an even shorter while in London (studying).

My father passed a massive interest in military history (and geography) to me as a kid and initiated me to SPI and SPI-like (mostly Napoleonic) tabletop wargames. I guess he desperately needed a companion to play in the 80s, when wargames where basically unheard of in Italy and he was probably the only player at all in the small city we were living back then, but maybe he did regret it when I came up with the Ney-Grouchy inversion maneuver on my own (if anyone played Napoleons' last battles know what I'm talking about) a few years later

I got slowly to the WW2 in the Pacific, as I started (obviously) with ancient Roman history, then Napoleon, then WW2 in Europe and only then the Pacific. However, naval history was a thread all along (punic wars, the struggles of venice against the Turks, the ill fated attempts of the French to achieve a viable fleet against the British, the Mediterranean theater of war in WW2... I always wished there was a WITM). Plus, I almost ended up with a career in the navy out of high school (served a couple of weeks on the Amerigo Vespucci as a sort of civilian cadet too, some of the best days of my life working the rigging and learning the basics of navigation and meteorology), but it was not to be.

As far as Naval games go, I started with Harpoon (tabletop and computer), then moved to Supermarina (an insanely huge tabletop about just the first few months of the war in the Mediterranean sea) and then I discovered WITP and then WITP:AE. Unfortnately, the latter came too late for me to be able to invest the time necessary for a meaningful human to human game so I've only just played vs AI and I know it's not the same. These days, I'm mostly reading AARs now and then and playing much lighter and faster stuff (Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron series and so on).

My greetings.

G

Welcome from Eastern Mediterannean...

Playing as Japanese I often remember if I only had some Gorizia's in my CA forces that can take a punch

resident ottoman witp:ae player

[Annagil]

some Gorizia's in my CA forces that can take a punch

That didn't help them much at Matapan, sadly. Most accounts state they did last less than 5 minutes under point blank fire from the 15 inches of 3 BBs...

[Alpha77]

Preussen, Prussia

[heppy1972]

Canadian here... born in 72' and from Kingston, Ontario

My first board game was Vietnam 65-72, and because finding a competitor was difficult I use to play both sides. May be that is why I look at things from both sides and never draw a conclusion till I have seen the facts

My first war video game was Nam, and I fell in love with it. If you can tell my first interest in war was with Vietnam. I have read a ton of books, and played all the Nam video games... I thought my heart was filled till I ran into WITPAE. Now into this game for a year and a half I can't get enough of it... All of the research on Wikipedia of the ships and units has me fascinated. And like someone before me, reading the AAR's is just about as fun as the game!

I also play from time to time, The Operational Art of War III, but WITPAE takes most of my time now a days.

Has anyone ever played the Silent Hunter submarines games?

Heppy

[crsutton]

Silver Spring, MD near DC. Born in Georgia but this is my home. Ten years as a merchant seaman with the Seafarers Union. Started as a messboy and was a third officer when I quit. Been a realtor for 30 years now. Been playing war games ever since I found the old Avalon Hill Gettysburg (square hexes) in my dad's closet. (Next to the Playboys). That's about it.

Oh, almost forgot. Won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1980 as well as the gold medal in the 1,500 meter run in the Moscow Olympics that same year. That was an especially good year for me.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Annagil

Rome, Italy, turning 40 in a few months. Lived for a while in Germany (studying and working) and for an even shorter while in London (studying).

My father passed a massive interest in military history (and geography) to me as a kid and initiated me to SPI and SPI-like (mostly Napoleonic) tabletop wargames. I guess he desperately needed a companion to play in the 80s, when wargames where basically unheard of in Italy and he was probably the only player at all in the small city we were living back then, but maybe he did regret it when I came up with the Ney-Grouchy inversion maneuver on my own (if anyone played Napoleons' last battles know what I'm talking about) a few years later

I got slowly to the WW2 in the Pacific, as I started (obviously) with ancient Roman history, then Napoleon, then WW2 in Europe and only then the Pacific. However, naval history was a thread all along (punic wars, the struggles of venice against the Turks, the ill fated attempts of the French to achieve a viable fleet against the British, the Mediterranean theater of war in WW2... I always wished there was a WITM). Plus, I almost ended up with a career in the navy out of high school (served a couple of weeks on the Amerigo Vespucci as a sort of civilian cadet too, some of the best days of my life working the rigging and learning the basics of navigation and meteorology), but it was not to be.

As far as Naval games go, I started with Harpoon (tabletop and computer), then moved to Supermarina (an insanely huge tabletop about just the first few months of the war in the Mediterranean sea) and then I discovered WITP and then WITP:AE. Unfortnately, the latter came too late for me to be able to invest the time necessary for a meaningful human to human game so I've only just played vs AI and I know it's not the same. These days, I'm mostly reading AARs now and then and playing much lighter and faster stuff (Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron series and so on).

My greetings.

G

warspite1

+ 1 [:)]billion

Hi Annagil, may I ask what your avatar is of please?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Silver Spring, MD near DC. Born in Georgia but this is my home. Ten years as a merchant seaman with the Seafarers Union. Started as a messboy and was a third officer when I quit. Been a realtor for 30 years now. Been playing war games ever since I found the old Avalon Hill Gettysburg (square hexes) in my dad's closet. (Next to the Playboys). That's about it.

Oh, almost forgot. Won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1980 as well as the gold medal in the 1,500 meter run in the Moscow Olympics that same year. That was an especially good year for me.

warspite1

Wow - talented individual. Out of interest, which country were you running for at those games - and how did that obvious fraudster Sebastian Coe get away with claiming he'd won the 1,500?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Annagil

Rome, Italy, turning 40 in a few months. Lived for a while in Germany (studying and working) and for an even shorter while in London (studying).

My father passed a massive interest in military history (and geography) to me as a kid and initiated me to SPI and SPI-like (mostly Napoleonic) tabletop wargames. I guess he desperately needed a companion to play in the 80s, when wargames where basically unheard of in Italy and he was probably the only player at all in the small city we were living back then, but maybe he did regret it when I came up with the Ney-Grouchy inversion maneuver on my own (if anyone played Napoleons' last battles know what I'm talking about) a few years later

I got slowly to the WW2 in the Pacific, as I started (obviously) with ancient Roman history, then Napoleon, then WW2 in Europe and only then the Pacific. However, naval history was a thread all along (punic wars, the struggles of venice against the Turks, the ill fated attempts of the French to achieve a viable fleet against the British, the Mediterranean theater of war in WW2... I always wished there was a WITM). Plus, I almost ended up with a career in the navy out of high school (served a couple of weeks on the Amerigo Vespucci as a sort of civilian cadet too, some of the best days of my life working the rigging and learning the basics of navigation and meteorology), but it was not to be.

As far as Naval games go, I started with Harpoon (tabletop and computer), then moved to Supermarina (an insanely huge tabletop about just the first few months of the war in the Mediterranean sea) and then I discovered WITP and then WITP:AE. Unfortnately, the latter came too late for me to be able to invest the time necessary for a meaningful human to human game so I've only just played vs AI and I know it's not the same. These days, I'm mostly reading AARs now and then and playing much lighter and faster stuff (Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron series and so on).

My greetings.

G

warspite1

+ 1 [:)]billion

Hi Annagil, may I ask what your avatar is of please?

warspite1

Scrub that - it is of course the crest within the Italian naval flag duh!! [8|]

[Annagil]

Indeed it is. They are actually the crests of the 4 Maritime Republics (Venice, Genoa, Amalfi and Pisa) crowned by the Carthaginian ship's rosters fashioned as a crown.

[geoffreyg]

Just to say I am very much enjoying the game.
Live in London.