"Do you creat narratives for your armymen?" Topic

Do any of you create histories and narratives for your little toy soldiers? Do you take a vested interest in a particular trooper of officer in your army following their exploits over the course of several games. I know this is a concept that is more common with RPG's but now with games like Frostgrave (RPG lite), and TMWWBK it seems like it would make these games more fun…

TSATF even had a small provision in it to be able to earn your hero a VC…

I certainly do when I am hosting a game – at least for the commanders in their big hats

I also do that, since much of my gaming is solo, it helps me to keep track.

Some of the best games I've ever experienced were some TSATF games back in the day, where we named every soldier in our British platoons and tracked their wounds, gallant exploits and deaths over several skirmishes. It's amazing what "personalities" developed, and was well worth the extra time. We actually had one private win the VC (giving him a +3 in melee) and he died in the next battle, against some nameless dervish piker. Crushing, but that is how stories are made!

I have a heroclix thug with a Mohawk and pistol that I named Dorothy, does that count?

All my mounted officer are named for men who were in command or on staff position.

I've run a Zulu war campaign several times with 4 named historical commanders in each of the 3 column. The order of battle for each action is determined randomly with at least one commander present.

yes. for WW2 skirmish level games Nuts! from Two Hour Wargames and 5 Men at Kursk from 5 Core.

As often as we can.

Usually, we're playing a campaign and following certain units or characters, but even if we don't, we'll make names and come up or roll up a few personality traits.

Usually no.

I did do that with a storyline/battle writeup for a coastal forces battle years ago though, and thought it added a bit to the narrative, and enjoyment of the battle.

May need to do more of that, for at least some games, to add more interest to them.

Absolutely, that's the fun part of wargaming for me, following a group of soldiers through their trials and travails.

I've been busy; in the past few years I've done:

-About a dozen fights following a US Airborne platoon through Sicily and Italy (10mm)

-About 20 fights following a US Army rifle squad in Vietnam's Central Highlands (10mm)

-About 20 fights following a German battalion-sized battlegroup through Poland and France (10mm)

-About ten fights following a US battalion sized task force through Cold War fighting at Fulda Gap (6mm)

-About a dozen fights following a Royal Marine rifle section through Afghanistan in 2002 (15mm)

-About 15 fights following a Special Forces detachment in a fictional country in the Balkans ("Cronistria") (20mm and 15mm)

-Another ten or so fights following a battalion-sized mechanized task force in the same fictional country in the Balkans (6mm)

-A three-fight mini-campaign following a SOF platoon through a MidEast kerfuffle (15mm)

-A three-fight mini-campaign following a Marine rifle platoon in a fictional country in central Africa ("South Leon") (15mm)

-About 30 fights following a Bay of Pigs-style invasion and overthrow of the Castro regime by Cuban exiles (10mm and 15mm)

I'm probably forgetting a campaign, but each one is fully posted on my blogs, with a roster of personnel (everyone for the platoon-sized and smaller, leaders for the company-sixed and larger) that shows campaigns involved, wounds, deaths, and decorations for heroism on the (little, fake) battlefields.

Yes, more work than 'regular' wargames, but tons of fun!

V/R,
Jack

Yup, almost every single miniature I handle. LOL

,,I have one eternal soldier "Putzi Gruber"..who has avoiding death for 33 years.

NUTS has been doing this for years. Medals, etc.are in the ruels. I use the same squad with same figures and named after high school and college friends. Puts a bit of a different spin to the game when you're placing your friends on point.

We ran a mercenary campaign using Striker rules some years ago. I had an infantry company with grav APCs and some smaller grav AFVs.

I gave every individual a name and rank, and tracked their pay, wounds, and experience. Many of their names included names of historical or literary mercenaries, like Curry and Denard.

I also tracked damage and repairs.

I turned a slight profit on the ticket, probably because I avoided getting into many combat actions.

Some figures, yes, others, no.

If the function of the figure as an individual exists beyond the scope of one engagement, then yes. If not, no.

We have had "fleeing generics" become named during or after the game when they took on a meaning that was beyond the single engagement.

Gangs of Mega City One is another game that rewards surviving individuals. Even though a gang may survive with none of its original figures, you name each one and their history does impact the current engagement.

I have a friend who writes the name, rank of a solider from the roster of his war of interest on the bottom of each base.

No, because they tend to die on me.

I have an outline for my ECW commanders and a Brit in colonial gaming.

Just Jack – You got a link to your blog?

As for myself, I don't do much skirmish gaming but I do often name the commanders and on occasion give some background on them when I'm doing unit games such as Plains Indians Wars where all the players run cavalry officers trying to accomplish their personal victory objectives.

Oh yes, my one skirmish game where everyone is named is called Villains and Vigilantes, very much a comic book/ movie style sort of game.

mghFond,

Sure, sorry about that.

-About a dozen fights following a US Airborne platoon through Sicily and Italy (10mm). Search by "All Americans" on the blog.

-About 20 fights following a US Army rifle squad in Vietnam's Central Highlands (10mm). Search by "In Country" on the blog.

-About 20 fights following a German battalion-sized battlegroup through Poland and France (10mm). Search by "KG Klink" on the blog.

-About ten fights following a US battalion sized task force through Cold War fighting at Fulda Gap (6mm). Search by "Team Whiskey" on the blog.

-About a dozen fights following a Royal Marine rifle section through Afghanistan in 2002 (15mm). Search by "Royals in Parwan" on the blog.

All the above is at:
blackhawkhet.blogspot.com

I have another blog for all the Cuban/fictional nation stuff. It contains everything below, and is at:
cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com

-About 15 fights following a Special Forces detachment in a fictional country in the Balkans ("Cronistria") (20mm and 15mm)

-Another ten or so fights following a battalion-sized mechanized task force in the same fictional country in the Balkans (6mm)

-A three-fight mini-campaign following a SOF platoon through a MidEast kerfuffle (15mm)

-A three-fight mini-campaign following a Marine rifle platoon in a fictional country in central Africa ("South Leon") (15mm)

-About 30 fights following a Bay of Pigs-style invasion and overthrow of the Castro regime by Cuban exiles (10mm and 15mm)

I'm actually about to post the next fight in Cronistria, a mini-campaign based on real life Operation Red Wings and the book/movie "Lone Survivor."

V/R,
Jack

Of course. That's the whole idea of wargaming, no? Telling stories?

Just the commander usually.

Of course! for all creatures Great and Small, can't have narratives about the leaders without the lower level people too! Be honest your majesty who would you rather talk to, your hairdresser or Hercules.

Thanks JustJack, I now have a whole lot of gaming goodness to read as I browse thru your blog.

Yes, I do, particularly on The Campaigns of General Pettygree blog. His last back story is here: link
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And if you go back, back, back in time through older stories you will see lots of action, character development, a story line and so on. All of the stories are preludes or aftermaths of games giving them context and life.
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A character to be appealing to readers, needs more than photos of him/her posing before troops with great bearing. Dialogue, personality, etc. are very helpful not only for readers but to the writer/owner of the character.
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Take a look, if you please,
Respectfully,
Bill P.

mghFond – No problem, I hope you like them!

Bill – I agree, and love your General Pettygree blog. I wish I could add more depth to my characters, but I can't seem to stay as focused as you!

V/R,
Jack

I cant get enough of General Pettygree…

Not really, but I did catch myself naming the horses for the cav. unit I'm painting.

Not really. But once in a LoTR game I had a goblin hold off Boromir and his pals for far more turns than he ever should have. The owner of the figure gave that figure a medal by painting an Eye of Sauron on the edge of his base…

Back in them days of playing 40K, I'd mark little blood stains on the shoulder armour of grunts that slew an enemy hero.

I'd also add a stripe to the leg armour for the survivors if they won a great victory.

A lot of work and it was only for one army, but really fun to do.

Bill P – thanks for sharing, very cool :-)

Always :- historical, Sci Fi and Fantasy

For campaigns, yes. For one-off battles, no. We do remark when a unit has a run of good luck, but once the fellers head back into the box, that's it.