The Altera Centauri collection has been brought up to date by Darsnan. It comprises every decent scenario he's been able to find anywhere on the web, going back over 20 years.
25 themes/skins/styles are now available to members. Check the select drop-down at the bottom-left of each page.
Call To Power 2 Cradle 3+ mod in progress: https://apolyton.net/forum/other-games/call-to-power-2/ctp2-creation/9437883-making-cradle-3-fully-compatible-with-the-apolyton-edition
I think you may be confused. Im still in New York, I havent escaped it yet! New York is the modern day Rome.
Which makes it a damn sight more interesting than this part of the world. Paul Keating got just about everything right in his life, including his view that we live at the arse end of the world.
" ... and the following morning I should see the Boks wallop the Wallabies again?" - Havak "The only thing worse than being quoted in someone's sig is not being quoted in someone's sig." - finbar, with apologies to Oscar Wilde.
Can't work be a pain in the butt? Always getting in the way of more important pursuits?
Very nicely put - that sums it up well.
Very talented player.
From what I have seen of NSW this year I would have to agree. I hope his temper is well under control - the most bizarre thing about that incident last year was that the lad he went for is rated one of the nicest blokes who went on tour. I could have understood it if he went for Healey for example
England will be in there for a very long time.
There are still some significant weaknesses to correct. They still don't adjust well to playing off the back foot, as France proved this season. If the forwards establish some dominacne and they can keep goin forward however they are now capable of punishing any team in the world from anywhere on the park. As an England fan who remembers the days a decade ago where the backs never saw the ball this is a change I do appreciate.
The other problem is lack of consistency on the wing - we don't have any Roffs or Tunes (but then who else does?). Luger has done his anterior Crucian ligament and is out for a year so may miss RWC already, this leaves us with Cohen (big, powerful but lacking pace) and Healey (small, very fast, very verbal) as likely first choices. That in itself should be interesting - the return of Oz to Oz.
btw regarding Mr Healey I hear he and Justin did get that drink in November last year and buried the hatchet (though not in Healeys head)
Yes I remember your points about the ACT boys from before but I couldn't resist a small bait on it again. Regarding Gregan as a player I would choose him ahead of either first choice England player anytime. There is a 19 year old lad at Leicester, Harry Ellis, who I think has the potemntial to be Gregan-esque (if thats a valid expression?) and doesn't have the arrogance, despite playing for the four times Champions up here - one to watch for you (he's only England A so far), and for my part I'll keep an eye out for Lyons.
And yes Dwyer may say some very strange things but he is a great coach if his players can adjust to his style (he got blown form Bristol here because a lot of the west country folks running the club couldn't handle Bob's frankness apparently).
Williams is playing for the irish province Munster and it's very obvious he is a class player. Sadly he too is injured and will miss this weekends European cup semi-finals (maybe it's our weather up here that makes Aussies muscles brittle?).
As you say this is ACT's big test - they rate themselves as the world's best club side so it's time to buckle down and show it. Currently I have to say they fall well short of Tigers in this respect.
I have to say I had noticed that refs have been very strict at the breakdowns this season so it has to be an IRB thing? Smith isn't alone in struggling with that one, but to realise his potential he needs to learn to nail that defensive side of his play like, dare I say, a Back or a Kronfeld?
If that Lions thing was Up Close and personal yes I've seen it and it is interesting - funny even. I've also read both Jonno's and Healeys book and its very clear now that the Lions had the wrong coach entirely (just ask Wales) but this is long enouigh so I'll leave Henry for another time.
Jonno - he is a complex guy. Despite appearances he is very smart, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law book which gets him into all kinds of trouble with refs as I'm sure you appreciate, he can motivate a team in a way that is hard to finger - certainbly England just are not the same without him - but he has that achilles heal that is his 'red mist'. Despite this flaw he is still one of the very best players and captains I have ever seen play the game. I'm still hopeful Ealesy can be persuaded to play a Baa-baas game so we can see him and Jonno together at some point.
One last question for Cali this time - how is Mitchell doing? I liked what I heard of him when he was with England and I'm sure he will take NZ to a new level?
It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt
One last question for Cali this time - how is Mitchell doing? I liked what I heard of him when he was with England and I'm sure he will take NZ to a new level?
Not really sure how hes doing, I guess we will have to wait for the Tri-nations to find out.
From what Ive heard of him he is good with toughening up the forwards. New Zealand forwards could definitely use him for that! Hopefully NZ will have a good tri-nations and win the Bledisloe cup back under his direction.
Whats your pick for the super 12? I reckon the Crusaders will take it this year.
...people like to cry a lot...- Pekka ...we just argue without evidence, secure in our own superiority.- Snotty
I'd like to see NZ win the Tri-nations this year, not because of any anti-Aus hangover from following the Lions there of course (honest), but more because I believe it would be a good thing for the tournament and set things up nicely for the RWC next year.
Yeah Mitchell was instrumental in helping the England pack become the hard grinding focused unit it is currently, and that is something that the AB's had lost in recent years. Of course I have mixed feelings about seeing an AB team set against us in the Autumn equiped with superb forwards AND backs.
I do like what I have seen of Canterbury this year and I suspect you may be right but the S-12 team I have (vaguely) followed for years is the Blues - look I didn't know any better all right? I used to think Graham Henry could coach, to my eternal shame now of course...
It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt
Nothing wrong with following the Blues, they are my home team, so I would love to see them win, but I dont think they can do it this year.
The Blues won the first two super 12s as you probably know, but that was back when they had the likes of Zinzan Brooke, Sean Fitzpatrick and Jonah Lomu.
...people like to cry a lot...- Pekka ...we just argue without evidence, secure in our own superiority.- Snotty
So let me get this right - the number one team at the end of the league stage is the League champions but the Super-12 champions are the team that win the play offs? They are totally seperate trophies up here and it is the League winners that are titled 'English Champions'.
Spencer plays for the Blues now right? I still wish he had come to Tigers when offered the chance. We are now four (consecutive) times League Champions of the Zurich Premiership under the Captaincy of Finbar's favourite 'thug'. Oh and current European champions too. And the Play off champions for that matter!
It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt
The only Super 12 trophy goes to the winner of the final. From memory, finishing first or second on the table - prior to the finals - gives you a home semi, a big prize in itself.
I suspect the Crusaders will probably take it out this year. They're back playing with the consistency - and often brilliance - of a couple of years ago. It's a very big ask for the Waratahs to go all the way in what is their first truly competitive season. They're playing with incredible confidence, but that is such a fragile thing. Who know with the Brumbies? Their turnaround will need to be extraordinary. The Queensland Reds don't have the depth of class and there are still rumors circulating about problems between coach and players.
The Blues remain the interesting team. Capable of terrific rugby, but also capable of throwing it away.
This week it's the Waratahs -v- Hurricanes in Sydney. Another record crowd, no doubt. But, as the Hurricanes proved against the Brumbies, they can get in your face and upset you.
Brumbies -v- Highlanders in Canberra. I bet Laurie Mains is plotting something. Big, big test for the Brumbies, who have a growing list of injuries to harm their cause.
Crusaders - v- Cats in South Africa. Should be a walk in the park.
Blues -v- Stormers in Auckland. Blues should win.
Queensland Reds -v- Sharks in South Africa. Flatley and Herbert are both in extreme doubt for the Reds, who might, finally, be exposed as pretenders. The thing is, the Reds are in the top four, but no one here can quite work out how or why.
" ... and the following morning I should see the Boks wallop the Wallabies again?" - Havak "The only thing worse than being quoted in someone's sig is not being quoted in someone's sig." - finbar, with apologies to Oscar Wilde.
I definitely agree with your assessment there Finbar! I would love to see the Blues make it to the semis, and they probably will, but I cant see them making it to the final, much as I would like to see that.
...people like to cry a lot...- Pekka ...we just argue without evidence, secure in our own superiority.- Snotty
Currently (that's prior to the Blues -v- Stormers and ACT -v- Highlanders this arvo and tonight) the table stands thus:
Crusaders 36
NSW 34
ACT 27
Reds 26
Highlanders 25
Blues 24
Hurricanes 22
And it's not worth going further down than that.
From memory, NSW has the Crusaders for their last match. Now, the Reds might surprise me - and everyone else in this country outside Queensland - and make the finals. But it's their spot that's up for grabs, methinks. Tonight's ACT -v- Highlanders game is obviously so important to both teams. A Highlanders win with a bonus point and a Blues win with a bonus point would tip the top four on its head.
" ... and the following morning I should see the Boks wallop the Wallabies again?" - Havak "The only thing worse than being quoted in someone's sig is not being quoted in someone's sig." - finbar, with apologies to Oscar Wilde.
Good lord no! I was asking the question if that was the case, and clearly it isn't. My point perhaps is that there is still a massive difference in approach between hemispheres on this kind of thing. The concept of the team 'winning' the league getting nothing more than a home semi would be completely alien here in Britain - the ability to be consistent and win a League being more highly prized than winning two play off games in our mind set. Thats why the club that tops the league stage in England is the champion club whilst the play off winner wins a seperate trophy altogether. Now we have only had play offs for one season so far and the same club won league and play off so it's been a non-issue, but it will be interesting when different clubs hold the trophies.
Perhaps if I explain the structure here in England?
Zurich Premiership - League of 12 teams - winner is Champion club - current holders (2002) Leicester Tigers.
Zurich Championship - top 8 in the league play off in QF/SF/Final process - current holders (2001) Leicester Tigers
Powergen Cup - open cup competition - current holders (2002) London Irish.
Heineken European Cup - European cup compeition qualified by league position, Championship and cup/shield winning - current holders (2001) Leicester Tigers.
Parker pen Eurpoean shield - the Euro competition for the clubs that couldn't make the cut for the Heineken - current holders - well to be honest who cares? (Okay it's Harlequins - the ACT equivalent here perhaps - no one else likes them)
Of course Tigers are still involved in the European cup and Championship which haven't concluded for this season yet
You might ascertain from this that we play far too much Rugby by the way!
Okay as for the topic - I had avoided commenting as RSA is a unique place with very different reasons for doing such things - but generally I am against quotas and such affirmative action. In the case of the Boks and their S-12 sides though they simply have to be made more multi-cultural in the long run, I'm just not sure that throwing in inadequate coloured players in helps much? Grass roots investment in multi-cultural rugby seems the way in the long term? That sitting on the fence enough for you?
I actually saw the highlights of last weekends S-12 games again last night and a few things spring to mind - firstly whoever the muppets are who commentate for Fox Sports in Aus get rid of them and bring in people who know something about Rugby please! More seriously I can tell you there is very little difference between S-12 and Zurich now - the top six sides in both could mix it on a very even basis and bizarrely I think even our botom club (Leeds) could spank any of the Bok teams - they are in serious trouble aren't they?
Highlight of the night though had to be Gregan and the Bok referee?
"I was playing advantage to you, stop screaming in my ear"
"WE DON'T WANT IT!"
"Penalty against you - go away"
Beautiful stuff. Did George learn form this? Did he buckle down and play? Nope - both he and his coach slagged off Bok referees as a whole after the game - how typically George? How typically ACT!!! I thought the ref showed great restraint waiting 60 mins to do that myself, how about you guys?
It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt
It must be a hemisphere thing, Havak, because just about every sport I can think of in this country plays some sort of finals system. Whomever tops the ladder prior to the finals series is deemed the Minor Premier. The Minor Premier always get some sort of advantage in the finals series - double chance, home final, whatever. Then the finals series starts.
Beats me ...
Edit. Late news. Blues -d- Stormers 25-6 after being down 3-6 at halftime.
" ... and the following morning I should see the Boks wallop the Wallabies again?" - Havak "The only thing worse than being quoted in someone's sig is not being quoted in someone's sig." - finbar, with apologies to Oscar Wilde.
I think you are right - the "League Champion" concept is deeply ingrained in the Brit, probably in no small part due to the massive soccer culture. Certainly the Welsh-Scottish League and Irish Provincial torunaments also work on a top of the table basis.
Having said that last year the Zurich premiership did adopt the Super-12 scoring model and I have to say I like it a lot - the try bonus point and 7 point loss bonus point make teams try all that much harder to the final whistle. You see I wouldn't want you to think I'm a close minded "northern way only" type.
Nice one the Blues as well.
It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt
Just got some bad news - Kronfelds knee injury has not recovered enough to let him play for us in Sunday's European cup semi final (not sure if you guys knew this Kiwi legend is on Tigers books?).
It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt
We just knew he'd disappeared into the chilly mists of the Old Country.
Highlanders 25 -d- Brumbies 18. Fourth loss in a row. Mmmmm. Brumbies kept tryless but picked up a bonus point for finishing within 7. This puts them out of the top four. Statistically, they had more possession and spent more time in the Highlanders' half, but stats don't count for much when you can't score trys. And that's what they simply can't manage at the moment. The Highlanders defence was superb and put too much pressure on the opposition playmakers. The Highlanders Fijian wingers cut holes in the Brumbies a number of times after turnovers.
Larkham, again, had the defence right in his face. He had more impact than in recent times but it came to nothing. And their injury list grows ever longer. With Mortlock already out for 3 weeks, they lost his replacement - Atkinson, very speedy, very promising - in the first 90 seconds with a dislocated elbow. Andrew Walker limped off at the end and Justin Harrison also spent half the game on the bench with an injury. Where will it end?
Highlanders play the Blues next week before finishing up against the Reds in the last round.
Gee, it's shaping up for a fascinating couple of weeks.
" ... and the following morning I should see the Boks wallop the Wallabies again?" - Havak "The only thing worse than being quoted in someone's sig is not being quoted in someone's sig." - finbar, with apologies to Oscar Wilde.
Tweet
New York is the modern day Rome.
Comment