PBeM inspiration

I was talking to a friend about Scott Field's PBeM game First Contact,
First Blood, and he said one of the funnest aspects was not knowing what
the enemy were capable of at the start of the game, and seeing it unfold
over the ensuing turns.

Are people generally interested in battles where the two sides are
unfamiliar with the enemy technology ? To alesser extent, I've seen this
in
Allan Goodall's Age of Iridium, but it was an aside to the battle, not
the
main thrust of the scenario.

Tom McCarthy