"Can Science Fiction Wargames ever be realistic?" Topic

What do you think?

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Armand

It is hard to be realistic about something that has not happened – just my opinion

Reminds me of something I overheard at a convention once; "I'm doing historical research on my Orc army".

Unless you have new weapons or something that changes the tactics involved, I'd see sci-fi warfare still running just like modern warfare games would.

They all are because the background defines the reality.

If your background solves the problem of FTL communications by using psychic telepaths, any game that does that is "real"

Perhaps your soldiers all have flight capable armor suits…again a game with that is realistic.

The real question is does it feel realistic.

This is not just Sci/Fi vs Space Opera and Space Fantasy.
Any of them can be immersive, which is what most people really want. The "realistic" goal is pretty limited. Even given a few "just accept it that" (FTL, matter transport, super energy generation and storage…) the rest can follow some type of "realism", things like: shooting should be longer distance than throwing. That the future is not less than the present (often wrong in rules), [assuming there was not some backward slide in tech. (really a different genre).]

The real feel needs to avoid the breaking of "the suspension of disbelief" that good story telling needs to do. If the setting is immersive and compelling, one can look over a lot of unrealistic details.

Thanks

Armand

I agree with Sargonarhes, Louis XIV, and DyeHard. They express the elements that I try to bring to science fiction games that I run: thinking through how technology affects tactics (as well as strategy and logistics, at least); consistency; and believability.

Thanks also my good friend…

Armand

They're only as realistic as the science itself.
I consider light sabers magic swords.
FTL travel is wishful thinking.
So, I consider it all fantasy, but with nuts and bolts.

(smile)

Armand