« Hermit boardgamer | Main | What value do we place on the games we own? »
What’s in a name?
By Mike | August 28, 2007
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.
Topics: General |
One Response to “What’s in a name?”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
October 6th, 2007 at 6:17 am
Hey mike - I was wondering if you’d put a link up for the article that you’d cited. I believe I’d found it awhile ago- printed it off (since I guess I still really like reading off of paper as opposed to pixels
…. from what I recall it was a very well written article, which can be a rarity on the massed market type media outlets that are all too easy to find on the Internet.
I guess part of the reason that I brought this up, is that while I originally thought that this author was talking more about the military science aspect of war simulations -which can be different to something designed for the commercial market (military science simulations having no need for replayability or play balance -while commercial games to varying degrees do consider those factors).