"Why do we wargame?" Topic

I'm writing my final paper on the trend of wargaming for my writing class, and I need some thoughts on why we wargame.

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?
Why?

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?
Why?

8.What games do you play?

9.Why do they appeal to you?

Any responses to any of these questions will help immensly.

Thanks
Austin

I'd recommend using the edit function to go back and number your questions. That will make easier for folks to post answers, 1, 2, 3, ….

That is like a HUGE set of questions (not in the quantity, but in the depth of the answers.) Can you post an email so I can reply in a more structured format?

My email to reply at is my username (aapch45) at gmail dot com

Thanks
Austin

I wargame because it is my hobby. Hah! I used a tautology!

1) The creative and social aspects.

2) for historical, everything from ancients to WWII. I do both Sci-Fi and Fantasy, though not in any particular "world" setting.

3) Creativity and socializing

4) Yes

5) Not necessarily

6) No

7) in a group. Because it allows for more gaming opportunities

8) Do you mean rules systems? I'll play whatever the GM is using. As to what rules I run games with; GASLIGHT, and the "Look, Sarge, No Charts" series of rules.

9) They are fun.

e-mail sent.

I wargame because it is my hobby. Hah! I used a tautology!

Which is always safer than using a slack one.

Same as John!

I wargame in multiple periods mainly because I enjoy the history. The strategy and tactics used in the various periods, and their evolution over time are what keep me coming back. So its not so much a teaching experience as a learning experience.

I generally game with 4 or more players at a time and I prefer large battles rather than skirmishes.

And I do not enjoy orky games at all.

Glad to help out!
1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?
<MG>
a) learning the period
b) the strategy
c) the collecting to make a recreation happen.

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?
<MG>Napoleonics and ACW
Why?
<MG>Black powder period and the Generalship is fascinating. I alike the Napoleonic period uniforms.
3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely? <MG> See pt 1 above

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet? <MG> Yes

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events? <MG> Yes

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?<MG> Yes I have

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group? <MG> All of the above
Why?

8.What games do you play? <MG> These days miniatures- tactical ( C&G) and strategical ( What ever someone wants to play)

9.Why do they appeal to you? <MG> Pt 1 above

MG

There is no 'why'….there is only 'Do' or 'Do not'…..

(somebody had to say it….)

Help you I can't!

Sgt DWW-btod

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?

I like history, I like painting miniatures and making terrain and I enjoy gamine

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?

Lots! Ancients, Medieval, Thirty Years War/ECW, SYW, Napoloenic, ACW, Colonial, Mexican/Chinese Civil Wars, WWII, Fantasy(Warhammer), Sci-Fi (Warhammer 40K and generic)

Why?
Like history (historical gaming), like science fiction, enjoy fantasy (especially the Dwarves!)

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?

The models, then the gaming and the friendships

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?

Yes – as a tension-reliever and to relax, especially the painting

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?

Not often

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?

I have a few times

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?

Sometimes solo, mostly with family and friends, some campaign gaming

Why?

I enjoy interacting with other gamers and familh

8.What games do you play?

Lots! Wargaming in the periods above – plus Chess, Risk, poker and a number of other card games. For rule sets, many – the most common, Fire and Fury, Age of Eagles, Contemptible Little Armies, Warhammer Ancients, Hail Caesar, Black Powder, Warhammer, Warhammer 40K plus a few sets of home-made rules

9.Why do they appeal to you?

Quick play, good interactions, not too rules-bound (well- maybe except for Warhammer 40K)

I always have had toy soldiers. There is some sort of "magic" to them. I game because it brings them to life.

I wargame to lend expression to my interest in the particular period of history. When I wargame scifi/fantasy, it always has to be solidly grounded in real world possibilities. I never game in purely made up or fictional worlds, for instance Middle-earth or Howard's Hyboria are supposed to be Earth in long-ago epochs. And my own futuristic world is Earth between 50K and 60K AD. Gaming in scifi/fantasy, for me, is a compromise, because I always prefer to wargame in the "real" historical past. The miniatures are essential if I am going to wargame at all, because counters don't do it for me: I am a tactile person who loves models. I do very little gaming in recent years. What gaming I do involves friends. If I get in the mood, I will solo, just because I want to. But recent experience has shown that I don't want to wargame enough to break out the minis and campaign by myself….

Because the chicks dig it.

I'm to old to work as a trooper for pay in other counties any more :)

So I work out battles on a table and get to work some scifi into the mix.

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?

it's what I do …

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?

all historical wargaming pretty much up to date (though don't wargame more modern stuff in a 'fun' sense)

Why?

military history, collecting toy soldiers and exploring/explaining historical battles is now my main activity

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?

the history is the key, but I enjoy most of the aspects of modelling and collecting too

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?

no, not these days …

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?

yes … that's the main goal, although I'd prefer to say 'explore' rather than 'simulate'

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?

yes

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?

mostly with friends or groups

Why?

?

8.What games do you play?

many of the popular historically driven games plus plenty of homegrown/niche systems.

9.Why do they appeal to you?

they appeal if they aid the goal of exploring historical battle in the periods chosen – if they don't convince they get altered or replaced with something better

Phil

Is fun the wrong reason? And is any period the wrong answer?

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?
Because it is fun.

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?
Why?
Everything from fantasy to sci-fi and every reality, or un-reality, in between. Every genre holds an interest of some kind.
There is no particular one I game much more than others, except ancients. I don't do much of that.

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?
Almost all of it. I build terrain, paint, sculpt, write rules, and play the games.
I've never sat around "liking" the math. Mechanics, sure, but not math.

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?
I have no idea what this is supposed to mean, so I guess no would be my answer.

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?
It does happen, but not often. I see little point in doing something that has already been done.
People that really love this generally get upset if things are not exactly the same as history. If that's what you're looking for, then why game it? Just make a diorama.

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?
I am not a teacher, so not really.

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?
Why?
Whichever I need to be when the time to play is there. I game solo, I game with my friends, I game with my Wife. I do not belong to a club or anything if that is what you are asking.

8.What games do you play?
Full Thrust, ARES, the Song of games and variants, and board based games are ones others would know. Most of our gaming is done with rules my brother or I have written.

9.Why do they appeal to you?
Full Thrust and ARES are simply excellent systems. They provide a framework that functions, but easily allows you to make them more if you wish. Pages of charts, tables, and percentages are not fun for me. My own rules appeal because I wrote them, so they kind of need to.

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?
Because I love studying military history

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in? Why?
Started in Napoleonics, now mostly ancients with a little fantasy or WW2 thrown in

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?
Painting & collecting I suppose – trying out different things

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?
I have no idea what this is supposed to mean, so I guess no would be my answer.

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?
Sometimes, but I try to do something different.

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?
I am not a teacher, so not really.

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?
Why?
Solo – I live in the boonies (sometimes I get one of my sons to play)

8.What games do you play?
Mostly W&C or FOW these days.

9.Why do they appeal to you?
Keeps me off the streets I suppose

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?

ANS: The mental challenge and related military history research.

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?

ANS:1800s (Napoleonics and ACW), NW Frontier, and WW2
Why? Matches my interest in military history.

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like? Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?

ANS:The strategy/tactics and how the game strategy/tactics can lead to a better understanding of the history -- if the rules are done right.

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?

ANS: Meh.

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?

ANS:Not necessarily a historic event, but understanding command and control, tactics, etc of the period.

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?

ANS: When I was an instructor, I did.

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?

ANS:Friends. Don't play solo -- I bore myself.

Why?

ANS: I enjoy the social interaction.

8.What games do you play?

ANS: The Sworda and the Flame, Fire and Fury, Black Powder, Age of Eagles, Blitzkrieg Commander, Flames of War, Die Fighting.

9.Why do they appeal to you?

ANS: They complement my interest in military history.

No John – you used circular logic!

10. To prevent CCGs and video games from conquering the hobby world.
11. To support our industry workers.

We need you to keep the pewter, plastic, and dice rolling!

At least that's what I heard in the documentary/propaganda film of the thread's title.

1. Why do you enjoy wargaming? It involves the hands and the mind. It instructs, and educates. It's fun, and diverting.

2. What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in? Currently, the 18th Century. Also, the Near Future (20 Minutes in the Future to The Next 200 Years).

2b. Why? I find both eras interesting for different reasons. The 18th Century, to actually physically re-envision linear warfare of the Horse-and-Musket Era. 20 Minutes in the Future to extrapolate current trends into science-fantasy.

3. What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely? I like the math, I like learning strategy and tactics in a visual medium, and I enjoy learning about other aspects such as logistics, etc.

4. Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet? I view any amateur avocation as a healthy diversion. I don't bounce superballs at my army men like I used to, while going "p-ching, pew, pew, pew, bah-DOOOSZH-duh!" anymore. While anyone is looking, anyway.

5. Do you wargame to simulate historic events? Simulate, probably not. Attempt to understand better by "playing general"? Sure, why not?

6. Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid? Yes and the student is me.

7. Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group? Currently a rank beginner, so solo, for now. I'll "Tom Sawyer" somebody into it, eventually.
7b. Why? See above.

8. What games do you play? Rulesets include Force on Force, Tomorrow's War, Long Rifle, Muskets and Mohawks. I'm currently working on a homebrew meta-campaign involving 18th Century Imagi-Nations.

9. Why do they appeal to you? I like the mechanics, generally. Where I might like to modify the gameplay, I find great enjoyment in doing just that.

Cheers and best of luck with your paper!

I think many people, especially those of the male persuasion, have a gene that can be triggered with the correct stimuli to embrace one of a number of analagous hobbies.

If you expose someone to ships and modeling, some portion of them will become nautical modelers. This covers the spectrum from large scratch builds to frame and plank all the way to ships in a bottle.

If you expose someone to trains and modeling, you'll get a model railroader.

If you expose someone to game simulations and modeling, you'll get one of us nutjobs. I think Avalon Hill and SPI started quite a lot of us down this road.

If you were to dissect all three types I suspect you'd find considerable similarities.

1. I like making models. I like doing the research and working to create an accurate and well rendered end item. But modeling in and of itself is static and boring. Gaming with them kicks it to a whole new level. I also like the company and camaraderie of like afflicted folk.

2. I game just about anything from 1775 to 1942. A lot depends on what has captured the fancy of my game crew. Also light "Tolkien-y" fantasy.

3. See 1.

4. Yes.

5. Yes. But no matter how carefully a scenario is crafted to reproduce the exact circumstances at the start of a conflict, it all goes up the spout with the first die roll. That's part of the charm.

6. Not normally. If the hobby drew more young people that might be more of a dimension.

7. With friends. Solo never works. I tried that with board gaming ages ago and one side always ends up being a half hearted straw opponent.

8. Lots of old school rules that our crew use out of familiarity. SeeKrieg IV, Chainmail, On to Richmond, Age of Iron, Empire II, that sort of thing.

9. We all know them. If we tried a new set, some of us would hate something about them. We have a consensus re the rules we use. It ain't broke, why fix it.

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?
I like painting, gaming and the camaraderie.

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?
Strictly historicals, from Ancient to WW2.
Why?
Fantasy does nothing for me.

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?
The look of the game, models and terrain.
Strategy is when we plan a big game at a convention.
Tactics is playing the game.
Yes, I like the tactics.

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?
An outlet of fun and laughter, yes.

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?
Yes, we play a lot of Napoleonic Scenarios, that are taken from historical battles.

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?
No.

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?
In a largish group, 13 members.
Why?
I picked what I thought was the best group in our city and moved near them.

8.What games do you play?
You mean rule sets?
Napoleonic, Shako 2
WW2, Rapid Fire
ACW, Black Powder, Fire and Fury, Trying Longstreet
Ancients to Renaissance, Armati 2
Colonials and WW1, Battles for Empire 2

9.Why do they appeal to you?
All these rule sets you can play in 2-3 hours, the are fun and mostly fast.

1. Why do you enjoy wargaming? I find it fun, also enjoy the modeling aspect of the hobby.

2. What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in? ACW, Ancients, WW2, 7YW, WW1 air, & Naps

2b. Why? I enjoy history.

3. What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely? the social and visual aspects.

4. Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet? yes

5. Do you wargame to simulate historic events? Sometimes

6. Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid? No.

7. Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group? As a group and with a family member.

8. What games do you play? Regt F&F, DBA, Wings of War, Flames of War, DBN,

9. Why do they appeal to you? I find them fun.

To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, to hear the lamentations of their women.

To the OP:

Now that I've participated, I'd be interested in seeing what sort of results/thesis/conclusion that one could draw from the various opinions represented here.

8)

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?
I enjoy wargaming primarily because I enjoy modeling and creating "a world apart". But I limit my gaming to history, or at least history as the basis and then deviate from that.

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?
Why?
My primary focus is on the 18th and 19th century, essentially the Horse and Musket period. I do dabble a bit in other periods. Oh, and Hollywood is a powerful point of inspiration (something important you left out in your question list). I might sometimes game in a make believe world but if I do it looks like history to anyone not well enough acquainted with history to know the difference – and I game within the framework of the laws of physics so fantasy and sci-fi aren't my cup of tea. (But drink hardy if they are yours.)

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?
As I said above, first and foremost for me it is the modeling, especially the scenic aspect of it. I read up on strategy and tactics, especially for my periods of interest but broadly as well. The math? Not so much. I want my focus on the action on the table. Games with too large a mathematical component pull focus away from where I want mine to be – and lead to people makeing calculations about what they can and can't do based on the numbers rather than the gaming period tactics in front of them.

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?
I am a creative individual and creating those "worlds apart" is a wonderful release. At some point I think I will spend far more time creating narratives through staged and captioned photos of my figures than I will using them to play games. (Rather like General Pettygree or the Major General's game narratives.)

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?
I have attempted playing wargames to simulate historic events but it never works in a game format so I've stopped trying. The moment the players engage, history takes a trip to the moon. I'm looking for fun over realism – though see comments above.

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?
No. I read books to learn about real war. I did serve in uniform but never had to go in harms way – for which I will always be grateful. I've read enough to know I'm much luckier than those in uniform who've been to a shooting war. Though I certainly admire and appreciate those who have been forced down that path.

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?
Why?
Gaming with a smallish group of like minded – but not too like minded – friends is hard to beat but sometimes group gaming cannot avoid the individual we'd all prefer collected spider webs. Thus I don't mind spending time in solo activities – but more modeling than gaming. Frankly, the solo route is often more satisfying to me. But, again, a good game with a good group is hard to beat.

8.What games do you play?
I've settled on one set of rules for all of my periods (except maybe the earliest few that are outside the two above mentioned centuries) and having committed to one set of rules I am vastly more relaxed about my collection and my gaming. Though this seems to some folks off. I don't care. It is one of the best decisions within this hobby I've made and I highly recommend the same decision for the greater majority of the hobby. Oh, the rules? Rank and File by Crusader Publishing, an organization I have no connection with except as a customer. But choose the rules you like – though the set I've chose are pretty terrific in my opinion.

9.Why do they appeal to you?
Why do the above mentioned rules appeal to me? The rules are simple without being simplistic, have a nice tactical feel to them without overwhelming detail, and many of the ideas used are in perfect sync with my own ideas. And they play a fast game that allows lots of figures on the table.

I guess I should also advise that I seem to be on a different path than many, not all, wargamers. I am not one to play any game at any time, history, sci-fi, fantasy, card game, board game (computer games are a different kettle of frogs). My sole and exclusive interest is historical miniatures with maybe a whiff of pulp gaming but my version keeps the meter very much to the left. Hollywood? Sure? Dr. Foo Manchu death ray flying fishy thingies? Not on my gaming table, thank you very much. But maybe a dinosaur!

Hope all of that helps. And good luck with your project.

I'm going to answer the original question, "Why do we Wargame." The rest is mere questions along the lines of "what's your favorite color" and are you a Coke or a Pepsi man.

We War game because Life is just meaningless, pointless, hopeless, futile pain and suffering. War games, a hobby, like any other hobby offers a bit of surcease from that where we can forget the condition of the world and ourselves in it, and live for a few hours, purely for ourselves, doing what we want to do and letting our imaginations run free, and imagining all we could be if only we were our own. We don't do it for family, work, wife, country or even God. We do it for ourselves.

I was taught this by a dog.

Once my wife and I were sitting on the beach on a cool overcast misty day. A few yards away there was a dog romping n the surf. His owner had slipped his leash and let him run free. The Dog was in pure joy. You could tell that by his body language, his animation, his eyes, he was enjoying nothing but pure pleasure.

I asked my wife "Do you think that there is a few minutes after we slip off this mortal coil and before we must put on the collar of our post life slavery in heaven or hell, or even just slip into the pain of non-existence, where we can, like that dog, romp in the surf of time and enjoy pure existence just for ourselves alone and for no other, to joy in the fantastic pleasure of living just for ourselves, like that dog romping in the surf?

Hobbies, like war games, allow us to do that now, here, from time to time. That's why we lose ourselves in them, become absorbed by them, desire to be nowhere but in them.

It is also the only activity (hobbies) where things have a chance of going right and where you have control of your environment.

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?
To me, it combines a lot of different elements. I enjoy reading about history, I enjoy painting (though I'm far too lazy) and I like rolling dice and having fun with friends.
I also enjoy the "puzzle" of a given tactical situation and trying to figure it out.

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?
Why?
20th century and scifi stuff. Mostly, I don't tend to enjoy games without a lot of ranged combat. Maybe I just haven't played the right thing yet.

I have a big interest in the two world wars, and 20th century history in general, so that helped drive it as well.

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?

The gameplay and the mental challenges is the primary aspect for me.

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?

I use it as a living :)

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?

Not directly in the sense of "We're recreating this specific battle"

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?

With my son, yes.

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?
Why?

Solo for Advanced Squad Leader, game with friends and once in a while with my wife.

8.What games do you play?

A lot! Other than ones I've written, I like: Crossfire, Nuts, Chain of command, Face of battle, Stargrunt, 5150 and about a quarter million other games.

9.Why do they appeal to you?

I tend to gravitate towards games that do something a little bit differently or have an innovative mechanic or approach.

I can suggest a couple nice quotes that relate to why people are into this hobby. They might be nice to include in your paper:

Trevor Pask who wrote a book for Shire Airfix Kits said, "Models recast imagination into a solid form."

And Wes Anderson was interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air back when his Fantastic Mr. Fox film came out. He said, "There's something about things being miniaturized that gives them a special kind of charm." (you can look up the audio on the NPR website.)

It has kept me off the streets and out of trouble over the years.

pjm

1.Why do you enjoy wargaming?
I enjoy the social aspects, the fact you get you exercise the mind and it is an adjunnct to my love of history

2.What time period, or fantasy/scifi world do you wargame in?
Why?
Mostly historical and many ancients and WW2. I do like spaceships though. Ancients I think as it is my favourite part of history, WW2 as that is what I startted with and WW2 tables look so good. Spaceships ties in with one of my reading habits of space opera

3.What aspect of wargaming do you like?
Do you like the math? The strategy? The models? Something else entirely?
The math is a interesting question. I am quite good at math, so don't really notice there is math. But I like game *mechanics*, and game with lots of rules as I like to see how different mechanics work. I like the strategy and socialising. I also like the look of a good table setup.

4.Do you use wargaming as a release/outlet?
Not really.

5.Do you wargame to simulate historic events?
I do use wargaming to recreate historic events. Simulate can mean different things to different people. I do like possible see some of the challengers leaders of their day had to face, at least from a tactical/strategic sense.

6.Do you use wargaming as a teaching aid?
No.

7.Are you a solo wargamer, or do you game with friends, a spouse, or in a group?
Why?
I am mostly a solo gamer at the moment, mostly due to circumstance (timing mismatches to anyone else around here that games). I was very much a non-solo player up until around 2008.

8.What games do you play?
For rules I play lots. I like lots of different rules. I am using my own rules a lot at the moment though but hope to go back into other rules in the next few years. I mainly play miniatures games. I played a lot of (war)boardgames prior to 2000 but still play them occasionally. I will RPG but rarely and really only like Traveller.

9.Why do they appeal to you?
They match my world view of what the rules should be like.

I want to Thank everyone for the various emails, and responses presented here.
I have more than enough information to write my paper about wargaming.

I will share my paper with whoever wants to see it once it gets finished and graded.

Thanks
Austin