"How "Can Wargaming Be Saved?" Came To Be" Topic

"My name is Mike Joslyn. I started boardwargaming in 1970 with a copy of Avalon-Hill's 1914. From there I went on to have four games published and edit a gaming magazine. Thirty-six years later, I'm still wargaming, which makes me part of a vanishing breed.

I have a high regard for my hobby; I want it to be saved. I just didn't know how. Then I met Gary Gonzalez at Avaloncon '96. We started by discussing Pacific War-- he customarily ran the tournament there-- and somehow moved on to his attempts to breathe new life into the hobby. Through him, I discovered that well-known designer Kevin Zucker was-- independently of Gonzalez-- trying to do the same. Their efforts were unsung, and, so far, unsuccessful, but I thought the fact that somebody was trying do something for the good of the hobby deserved mention. More importantly, I thought the gaming population at-large should know that not everyone has given up on wargaming.

For most of the month of February I interviewed both Gary and Kevin by e-mail. The result is the article below. In addition, veteran designers Greg Costykian and Jon Southard kindly shared their thoughts on some salient points. I encourage further comment…."
Main page
grognard.com/mike/savewg.html

Amicalement
Armand

Interesting. Notice that except in Mr. Joslyn's second sentence, the words "wargaming" and "wargamer" refer ONLY to board games. We don't even exist to any participant in the discussion except that they've heard of Historicon.

I at least know that I an a historical miniatures gamer. If I can help save that hobby--not theirs, and not whatever is meant on TMP when they talk about saving "the hobby" by switching to non-military, non-competitive games--I will have done all I can do and more than I expect to accomplish.

I rate "save the hobby" about equal to "save the earth". That's not to say I want a degraded environment or less grumpy grognards, its just a silly notion.

Save pok-ta-pok!

"Grumpy Grognards Save The Earth", great name for a board game!

Strange, I thought board wargaming was in a Golden Age. There are certainly a lot of titles out there…

I feel like these guys no longer understand their own niche of a hobby. Bill is right, there has never been a better time to be a board gamer. The products are very available, and since the introduction of Settlers of Catan there has never been more people playing them. I frequently go to local game stores and buy and play board games. I've never seen more families with young children playing.

In fairness, they aren't playing GMT games. They don't long for a return of SPI or Avalon Hill. They usually aren't investing in the hardcore historical wargames offered by GMT-they are just too complex AND too expensive for casual gamers. They point toward We the People as a great game and is. But there also have been lots of examples follow-on card driven games including Twilight Struggle, which is one of the most popular board games of all time.

It feels like they've fenced themselves into a tiny corner of what has become a growth hobby. It's as though they are enthusiasts for battalion level Napoleonics--using 40mm figures. The games are out there, including historicals, they just can't recognize them. The hobby isn't dying, it has evolved. They haven't.

Glad you found it interesting my friend.

Amicalement
Armand

Strange, I thought board wargaming was in a Golden Age. There are certainly a lot of titles out there…

Yes and No

If you want a sprawling title like Arkham Horror+ all supplements which could give a game might last a week or so then YES

If you want a SPI style hex wargame – not so much.

If you want a SPI style hex wargame – not so much.

Not so. GMT, Avalanche Press, Minden Games. Those are companies selling hex-based historical wargames on Amazon. They were three companies I could think of. Probably more are available.

The problem isn't that SPI style games aren't available, it is that SPI isn't around anymore. But it followed a model that wasn't economic sustainable, flooding the market with titles that too few bought, and put the company out of business.

One problem seems that the vast majority, for reasons that escape me (how can one have less free time nowadays, emails instead of fax and post, internet++) claim they don't have time. Also everything becomes easily "too complicated" (education problem?). Compared to what I knew for say 20 years 80s-90s.
And it is not from an old grumpy one, reflecting on some youth-golden age. Just analysis of markets and what I see and feel.

We had links to history, from family, books, films, traditions. Napoleon, or Zulu Dawn, Longest day, By fire and Sword, hit something in "us".
To me this is largely lost. Now all, or mostly, quick fantasy games with or without historically shaped miniatures.
It would be interesting to have a non marketing, honest answer from manufcturers.
To be honest in the late 70s there might not have been so much to spread attention on, don't forget computers. Also no one was wasting 2-5 h a day on a "smart" phone.

Last three years have seen the release of 3000+ board games per year. I'd say a healthy hobby, boardgaming, although I'm not certain about the board wargaming niche.

Although I personeally enjoyed board wargaming, and still have a worn out AH Afrika Krops and a Tactics II to prove it, today I am a historical miniatures wargamer… so I guess I share some thoughts with robertpiepenbrink… except that I don't think about the demise much… just try to put on good games and be a friendly player whenever possible.