Board Wargaming

To follow on from my earlier blog “Are Wargamers Getting a Bad Press” I found this article written by a guy named Matthew Caffrey under the title of History of Wargames.

“Before we get into the history it is necessary to make sure we understand the language. The term, “wargame” is simply a translation of the German term, “kriegspiel.” One source of confusion is that many in the military are simply uncomfortable with the term “wargame”, feeling perhaps that war is too serious for “games”. As a result you will often see every term but wargame used to describe wargames. These include Map Maneuver, Chart Maneuver, Field Maneuver, Exercise, or increasingly, “modeling and simulation.”

Some say, “Modeling, Simulation and Wargaming,” as if it were one term. Each is not only distinct; they build on each other. Models are simply proportional representations of reality. A painting is not a model but a blueprint is. Models vary in abstraction, for example, a physical model of an aircraft, a blueprint of that aircraft, or a mathematical equation representing that aircraft’s characteristics are all models. Simulations are proportional representations of reality over time. For example, a small wing that is exactly the same shape of a full size wing is a model, put that wing in a wind tunnel and measure the effect of various wind speeds and you have a simulation. As for wargames, while the earliest (first generation) wargames were multi-sided abstract representations of combat, modern (second-generation) wargames require multiple sides that compete within a simulation of an armed conflict.

An exercise may or may not also be a wargame depending on whether or not it fits the above criteria. Typically the deciding factor is the presence or absence of a thinking opponent. Hence a Red Flag exercise with its aggressor force is a wargame while a mobility exercise is not.”

I suppose he is on more about actual maneuvers rather than about our hobby however there are some optional terms for what our gaming is about.

Being someone who cannot always commit to my beloved hobby due to business pressures or wifely pressures I find myself, not unlike many others, stuck with having to play solo. I do enjoy playing solo as I wont be letting anyone down if I cannot play on a certain agreed date so it does suit me somewhat. Only problem is I feel a bit like a hermit as some games go on for ages and you get so absorbed into the campaign at the exclusion of everything else but what the heck.

Most two player games are suitable for solo gaming but it is still hard to “surprise” yourself with a subtle move that you had come up with. GMT now have the Activation Group system where turns are randomised so you will not know what chit is coming out each time and this is an added edge for solo players.

I am interested to know what other players think of solo gaming and if they have some system whereby you can create a “fog of war” situation against yourself. I have tried some ideas out such as rolling a die to determine whether your squad has walked into a mined hex etc (used in Squad Leader) plus other innovations but it has its flaws.

If anyone out there has any ideas how we can make solo gaming “surprising” with “fog of war” then let me know.

Those of us old enough to remember the Cold War between the West and the former Soviet Union will know what it was like to wonder whether the Rooskies would ever take that fatal step across the East/West German border and invade our homelands.

There was, during the late seventies and early eighties, an influx of wargames dedicated to this fearful possibility pitting Nato forces against Warsaw Pact forces and these games were extremely enjoyable to play notably two SPI classics Fulda Gap and The Next War that I still have in my collection.

It has been many years since I played these games as it seemed irrelevant to play when the possibility of it ever happening was killed off when the Soviet Union collapsed however is it irrelevant? When you think of it what is our hobby is about, I say it is alternative history being simulated so why let our old Nato/Warsaw pact games gather dust. Most wargames have a “what if” option so perhaps we should be replaying those old favourites, I surely will.