Are these games/modules still in the CLAWS library?
IMO you'll find smug players in all genres of games and depending on the level of competitiveness in the game, the higher the smugness level. I believe games that make use of player elimination as a mechanic allows for this to come to the front maybe more often than what really is necessary. There is an easy solution to this though, ignore the person and don't play him/her again.
I agree with you that Wargame rule sets tend to be on the heavy side. The biggest problem with single module games, i.e. non-series like OCS or ASL for that matter, is that you need to be able to manage the whole rule set before playing the game. The upside to this though is games that allow for immersing and rewarding game play and excellent replayability.
Fortunately there are games available that allows for easy entry into wargames. When I say easy entry I refer to both money and mental resources. As an example have a look at Target Arnhem: Across Six Bridges (http://www.multimanpublishing.com/IGS/prodta.php). This game is free, although you’ll need to pay $5 shipping. At $5 this is still cheaper then a W40K blister pack? The rules covers 2 printed pages and are really easy to follow. A game takes about 45 – 60 min to play.
The other games I mentioned above, apart from ASL, have downloadable core rules for each series and are available on MMPs site under the Gamers section. These are pretty much living rules, same as what GMT Games make available for all their games.
The rules for these games vary in complexity with SCS being the easier system among those of the Gamers games. These games take a substantially longer time to play. Games tend to run for at least 2 hours, with campaign games running possible days. In terms of cost a single game box costs less or equal to W40K rulebook, even shipped via airmail.
My favorite game from the above is definitely ASL, I’ve been collecting ASL components for the last 3 years and have been playing actively for the last year. This is a complex game system, with a high amount of detail in terms of rules, e.g. infantry only rules cover 60 pages. However, the rules have only reached a 2nd Edition in 20 odd years, which means it is extremely robust and stable.
Fortunately, with the release of the ASL Starter Kits, it is really easy to get in to it. Infantry has been reduced to 16 pages with examples. SK#2 adds 5 extra pages and Guns, covering AT, AA, INF guns and MRTs. The upcoming SK#3, due out this December and still up for preorder, add armored fighting vehicles (AFV).
Unfortunately, as mentioned, there are no online rules for ASL/SKs, though there are online resources available as well as an active ASL forum and mailing list. http://www.xtreme-gamer.com/forums/advanced-squad-leader/ and http://www.desperationmorale.com/ Desperation Moral does a good job of reviewing all that is ASL and covers a lot more than what is possible in one post for this system.
One last thing, this post is to long already. As I have yet to find a face to face opponent in CT, I’ve been playing ASL using VASL ( http://www.vasl.org ) and Skype. VASL allows for live play as well as PBEM and does a really good job of it. Most of the other games have VASSAL ( http://www.vassalengine.org ) modules as well and make campaigns possible.
Chris