"Who are the players" Topic

Who are the players

There have been a number of posts recently about say, Rapid Fire, and other rules, plus my own recent experiences have lead me to an interesting question.

We had the privilege to have a new beginner (to our rules) where we started off with an unheard of two company tank battle group for him to use. It was a fascinating game as he rapidly mastered the rules and gave a very creditable performance. Most of the training was not the basic rules but how to implement his intended tactics using the rules. This was so far from the other end of the spectrum where you may need to explain almost how a tank fights and the role of a platoon commander to a beginner.

So who do you play and how often? The answers I am looking for is the sort of folk that you play. This obviously shades the selection of a rules set you would use.

Are they -
– Just at the convention so only have an hour and know nothing of the period.

Are they – well versed in the period but only get to play a few (say around 4 games a year) so again may struggle to formulate complex battle plans as they are never going to have the rules in their head as second nature.

- Really modellers first and wargamers second and just want a light simple game really aimed at being a good place to "play and view and chat to likeminded souls about the models", complex challenging scenarios requiring concentration and no time to chat are not welcome.

- Multi player games where all the above may apply.

- Rabid enthusiasts who play most weeks and at least some of the time like to be challenged by complex multi-evening games fighting complex scenarios that involve, reconnaissance, engineering planning and even some limited lip service to logistics. Paul and I (MG) fall into this last category some of the time.

well versed in the period who play every week and sometimes at weekends too, but are too old and tired to do complicated stuff in the week and as we go to a club, can't leave things set up.

I would hope that all modern games include some aspects of recce, engineering and logistics though, even if they might be a tad abstract.

We do seem to do quite a few linked scenario campaigns, so I guess those are multi-day events.

i would agree very much with Martin's first sentence. Right on.

martin

I'd have to echo the previous posts, and say that most of my opponents are like Martin Rapier's.

That said, there are also some younger players, brought in the world of Warhammer and 40K, but are curious about the games we old historical grognards are playing. A point of contact is usually Flames of War. Some of the FoW players merely regard it as a variant of 40K, but a few find the history quite fascinating, and so end up playing in our games.

I always find it interesting as they wrap their heads around the fact that miniatures are rules agnostic; that you can use the same figures for many, many different rules. Or that very few historical rules also sell a range of accompanying castings.

So, I'd also have to add aside from my regular old friends, whom I've been playing with for years, there is a small enthusiastic group of young players eager to try out different rules and periods, and are steadily increasing their historical knowledge of the period.

Mine are all of the above.
There's the guy more into the figures and the rules are an excuse to move them about, fellows who know little or nothing of the period played that night to the person (usually the person putting on the game) with indepth knowledge

Our group are people (other than myself) with some broad knowledge of, and interest in, military stuff, but generally more interested in a fun, dramatic game.

They like things that "feel" like it has an edge of simulation without being too slow.

My group and I fall more into Weasel's group: some broad knowledge of, and interest in military stuff, but more interested in a fun, dramatic game.

Looks like we're playing Flames today, either Vietnam or Desert war…

Martin R,
The ultimate accessory for multi evening games is a Tablet computer, we too play ar a club so have to take down every week. I have a Samsung Tablet. Using Hexon II terrain you just take an overview picture and then a few closer in. This tells you exactly where the models are and the close-in one's gives the status, leadership and suppressions/reactions or whatever you use instead. 5 minutes max. It a doddle to put the stuff back next week. The cameras are now so good you can zoom in a long way to see an individueal set of markers in a group.

Hyote Blue – Not sure what a dramatic game is? I assume is a clasic "Ilove it when a plan comes together moment". not just a dice score.