thanks and cheers right back at you. to be honest, I never really considered the fact that I catch people's attention, despite spending so much time on the forum. I'm propbaly not the first to say this, but this great place has given Hearts of Iron new life on at least two occasions for me. not just because it gives us a chance to help each other out, regardless of wether you're living in the USA, Hungary, Russia, the moon. I could pass all of you on the street and not know it. but here, you're Rensslaer, Slan, Secret Master,... and I'm Misterbean.
Mostly it is because it gives me a chance to pick up stuff I would never have discovered on my own. Like AARs. The first one I ever read was Weltkriegschaft, a HOI2 AAR that is still alive today, more than 1 1/2 years later! it has become an epic of hundreds of pages, and the war is still going strong. I could never put that much effort into anything.
mostly, I am entranced by AARs that do something different from the usual (the excellent Hitler's Gamble by Slan comes to mind) or help deepen my understanding of the game (any of Rensslaer's AAR, like his vic2 AAR I am Siam, that made me buy the game all by itself) or that deliver an end result that I could never accomplish (No Peace in AAR time just finished with world conquest by the UK).
to all these and many more awesome players (and writers) I salute you.