"How Often Do the Rules Need Amending?" Topic

Writing in Slingshot magazine, Chris Hahn said:

While I respect and admire those individuals who play wargame rules as written, I do find that it is often the case that an adjustment or amendment or two (or even several) are necessary in order to address certain events, troop qualities, leadership qualities, or interpretation of history on the table top.

How often do you find yourself amending the rules?

* never
* rarely
* sometimes
* often
* all the time

All the time.

All the time.

Every game.

Sometimes.

Every game

Pretty much.
I'm not running tournaments with six figure prizes.

Almost always

Always. I use my own rules that were originally intended for WWII US vs Germany. Over time, I have expanded them to include air warfare, all of WWII, the Cold War, and back in time, even including dinosaurs, science fiction and lots of other stuff.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

No rules ever survive first contact with a wargamer, as per von Moltke

Rarely. But of course if you have your own view of history and your find that the rules do not agree with you, you are going to have to 'fix' them :)

Sometimes

Rarely. Tweaking the rules has proven good sometimes and a can of worms other times.

* depends

I will do modifications relatively often for scenario games. Usually never for simple one-on-one games.

JohnG

As often as necessary, but not more than that.

Hardly ever for me. Usually If I don't like a set I'll find a different one that works.

Often.

Often.

I usually don't make changes when I play personally, but I fully support people doing so.

I also include some options in my rules to get people started.

whenever the company needs more money

Each time there s something silly/ unsuitable.
Each time reading history shows it was done another way.

Some rules almost never. Other rules often to "all the time". RPG additions to my ancmed rules get modified constantly. The battle rules themselves haven't had a modification in years. Our air combat rules have gotten modified quite a lot lately. It seems that more mods are needed as we find out that we've "been doing it wrong"; which is ironic for guys playing this game for over forty years: but the designer left us with an incomplete game, since he died and took all of his changes with him. Many of our "in house rules" do not show appear in the written rules at all!

Current rules, very rarely, unless you count scenario rules.

Lots. That's why pencils and erasers exist!

I particularly like erasers for house rules created by all those idiots who aren't as smart as me!