Ya know...you never really appreciate what goes into an FSO until you are a CO that is assigned being the CiC for a frame...and that's on a number of levels.
baumer, our Axis leader for FSO for November, was/is a GREAT example of just how much one person takes time out of his work/home/family life to devote to a cause that hundreds of people who play this game and do FSO for their enjoyment--that almost goes unthanked for them. I'm sure it's probably safe to say it's the same for Allied planners.
I was the CiC for the Axis forces in frame 3 and was highly worried that I would screw it up. Sure, I've planned and led thousands of missions before in MA, but planning the entire attack and defence for an FSO so all squads would be fairly treated with fair and ballanced orders for all was daunting! As a CiC, you want EVERYONE who shows up and flies for your side to be successful and have fun.
baumer took the time to answer multiple frantic emails from me and took the time out of his home life to take lengthy phone calls from me so I could get it right. One call, baumer was "indisposed" and I spent a few very rewarding minutes talking to his lovely other-half while she held their 16 month old child--cooing and giggling in the background. That's a part of FSO that very few people get to experience...the person-to-person part.
I have been to many FSO's, and like the old Southern expression "the perverbial pig under the acorn tree"...never fully appreciating the hard work, research, communication, and real time out of their daily lives it took to put things together so that 600 players can have a realistic, organized, FUN experience for an hour three fridays a month. Like the pig, I never ever looked up to see where that fun came from. Now, I will.
Even after reading the "8 Steps To Being A CiC" (EVERY FSO CO should read that--twice) it was baumer's experience and advice that was key to helping me provide fair and ballanced orders to all Axis squads, based on research he advised me to do on all Axis squads--not only on their past FSO assignments, strengths and weaknesses but researched MA strengths and weaknesses.
THANK YOU baumer, daddog, and all other FSO planners, researchers, and those who take time out of their busy work and home lives to provide all the background work and efforts so that 600+ people can look forward to and have fun for an hour on Friday nights.
I only post this because if I was not fully grateful for all the efforts they do before this week--I'm sure there are others that need to be aware.
<<<<<<S>>>>>
To all who showed up last night.
ROX