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RE: WHY did you start war gaming

 
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RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/12/2016 11:26:08 PM   
Gilmer


Posts: 1452
Joined: 7/1/2011
Status: offline 		I have always been a reader and my mom used to be in some kind of book club and I read everything that came. It was mostly kids' books I can't even remember the name of most of them.

Then one day The Rising Sun by John Toland came in and I read it. I was about 12 at the time. It was in 2 volumes. About the same time I discovered war movies, some of the good ones... so the seed germinated for a long time. I was also a big fan of the Conan books and somehow or other I heard about Avalon Hill and I saw a game about the Pacific. Flattop? I don't know. I sent away for it. No one to play with, but I played that sucker forever. There is no way I played by the rules.

That's how I got into it. Years later, I saw similar games being advertised in magazines for some kind of magical machine called a "pc". I read about some kind of game that was reviewed about Midway. The reviewer explained how he was playing the US and getting hammered every time, then on his last play he snuck his carriers in behind and wiped out the Japanese fleet. From that point on, I wanted a PC and I wanted games like that.

For about 10 years I wanted a PC until I was able to buy one.

< Message edited by H Gilmer -- 2/13/2016 12:28:21 AM >

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Post #: 31
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 1:26:35 AM   
hadberz


Posts: 1629
Joined: 5/11/2000
From: Moncks Corner, SC
Status: offline 		History! I have always liked learning about the past, particularly wars. Wargames give a glimpse into the struggle of those wars. My relatives and my wife's relatives have fought in many of the past wars. It is interesting to have a idea of what they endured. Well, I guess documentaries give a better idea then wargames, but wargames allow me to see if I could do a better job then past generals at least in my mind.

(in reply to MrsWargamer)
Post #: 32
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 2:08:31 AM   
DonCzirr


Posts: 464
Joined: 10/3/2014
Status: offline 		Third Reich and The Guns of August ...

Was playing D & D with some friends ...

Visited other friends that were playing games about massed Panzer armies and huge siege artillery represented by tons of counters on hex maps ....

Kept new friends ...

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Post #: 33
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 3:08:30 AM   
Kuokkanen

 

Posts: 3545
Joined: 4/2/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: bobarossa

Playing games and reading history has continued every since (~50 years).

Have you played Age of Empires? Quite decent RTS war/strategy game which also provides historical background (on text) for the scenarios. Interesting reads. Scenarios and gameplay are more focused for fun and entertainment than history and realism: if it doesn't move out of the way, siege engine is guaranteed to hit it. Of course we know catapult missed broadside of the barn most of the time.

< Message edited by Matti Kuokkanen -- 2/13/2016 4:10:52 AM >

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Post #: 34
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 3:15:44 AM   
SeaMonkey

 

Posts: 804
Joined: 2/15/2004
Status: offline 		Why? Instinctive! My first hunting trip, guns. 1959, I'm eight, and I gather up all the spent shotgun shell hulls. At home, I line them all up and start knocking them down, a tennis ball artillery shell. Later, green army men and tanks, me and a buddy against each other, in the sandbox, artillery in the form of BB guns.

A Summer in the early 60s, me and a cousin discover Milton Bradley's "Broadside", and then "Dogfight". 1967 in a Houston hobby shop at Gulfgate mall I find Avalon Hill's "D-Day". The rest is history!

(in reply to bobarossa)
Post #: 35
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 4:41:57 AM   
Crimguy


Posts: 1409
Joined: 8/15/2003
From: Cave Creek, AZ
Status: offline 		Great thread!

First game was Risk! Then moved into a couple monster board games but no one would play with me and I didn't like solitaire.

Then I got my first computer war game. Red Storm Rising. Great game.

Followed up with V for Victory in college, then TacOps in law school. That's still my all time favorite.

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Post #: 36
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 4:44:17 AM   
AndyG1

 

Posts: 132
Joined: 8/29/2007
Status: offline 		An interest in History. In my teens I was a bookworm, still have all the books I had on WW2, in particular the German side of things. That led to making my own wargame rules for Airfix infantry and tanks/aeroplane models which me and my brother would play over the Summer holidays on our bedroom floor. Then Avalon Hill came into the equation. We played Bismarck and Third Reich quite a lot. Always in awe of those games. Found Matrix years later:).

(in reply to SeaMonkey)
Post #: 37
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 9:18:47 AM   
waltero


Posts: 202
Joined: 1/24/2008
From: Alaska
Status: offline 		Why did I start "war" games; Cuz I was good at it.

My brainiac friend pushed me towered em. I was OK playing Risk, Tactics II and the like. One day my friend bribed me into playing Squad leader with him...hated it. The entire concept was beyond what my meager little mind could comprehend. After about the third game something clicked (connected).
I was OK playing Squad leader, but the biggest thrill I got from the game was beating my friend!
I will admit, I am not the brightest tool in the shed but when I play War I can play with the best of them...as good as the rest, better than the best. Use to love beating up on the gamers that would act like they played for a living (job)...being Schooled by a big oaf (me).
The past ten Years I have been playing Euro games with a group of friends, I think that is what got me burned out on games.

What we need now is a thread- "how many hours played".
I get sick when I think of all the time, years, life...wasted playing games.

P.S. Ever have a game where people would not play with you because you were just to brutal (Kill, Kill, Kill)?

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"WELL ~ Mrs. LIncoln,
other than that, How was the play?

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Post #: 38
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 1:13:08 PM   
wings7


Posts: 4591
Joined: 8/11/2003
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Then I got into Airfix models – 99% of which were WWII models – mostly aircraft and ships (tanks were too difficult because of the tracks). HMS Hood was my first (disaster) – HMS Warspite was my best….. Sadly I don’t have the time – or the eyesight quality – to enable me to make models anymore (I still have a large HMS Warspite, started in 2013, to finish off – maybe one day…).



Robert, there are some great lighted magnifiers (some full page size) that you could use to build models and many other uses!

Patrick

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Post #: 39
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 2:08:29 PM   
MrsWargamer


Posts: 1655
Joined: 6/18/2014
Status: offline 		For those that have a history with Airfix model planes, the company has re released as new tooling, some absolutely stunning new kits in the last short while.

I have a few in 72nd scale. Truly beautiful items.

You just need a pro at the store able to distinguish the old kits from the new ones.

_____________________________

Wargame, 05% of the time.
Play with Barbies 05% of the time.
Play with Legos 10% of the time.
Build models 20% of the time
Shopping 60% of the time.
Exlains why I buy em more than I play em.

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Post #: 40
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 2:24:24 PM   
warspite1


Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: wings7


quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Then I got into Airfix models – 99% of which were WWII models – mostly aircraft and ships (tanks were too difficult because of the tracks). HMS Hood was my first (disaster) – HMS Warspite was my best….. Sadly I don’t have the time – or the eyesight quality – to enable me to make models anymore (I still have a large HMS Warspite, started in 2013, to finish off – maybe one day…).



Robert, there are some great lighted magnifiers (some full page size) that you could use to build models and many other uses!

Patrick
warspite1

Hi Patrick. Yes I have one of those, but this does not really help with my modelling problem. The issue is that my near sight has improved such that I do not need glasses for close-up work. I am constantly having to switch from long to near sight (reading instructions, searching for parts - and then detailed painting and applying of parts) and within about 15-20 mins I have a stabbing pain in the eyes - very unpleasant....


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Post #: 41
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 3:49:52 PM   
operating


Posts: 3158
Joined: 1/19/2013
Status: offline 		All too many posts mirror my own interests starting back in the mid 1950s. The pc opened up a whole new world in 2000, starting with Sid Meier's Waterloo and have been real happy to find a site such as this.

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Post #: 42
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 4:05:54 PM   
berto


Posts: 20708
Joined: 3/13/2002
From: metro Chicago, Illinois, USA
Status: offline
Like a few others here, I came to war gaming by way of my big brother. He was "Big Russ", I was "Little Russ". Whatever he liked and did, I liked and did.

A classmate introduced Big Russ to Tactics II. AH Gettysburg soon followed. Although Big Russ favored Tactics II, Little Russ never much liked it, preferring instead Gettysburg. I was 10 or so at the time.

After that, it was AH Bismarck (about the only game we played H2H), D-Day, Waterloo, Midway, Afrika Korps, Stalingrad, Guadalcanal, ... The Good Old Days.

Oddly, even though we shared the same hobby, and even the same room, we seldom played each other H2H, instead preferring solitaire play. How weird is that?

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Post #: 43
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 4:49:55 PM   
waltero


Posts: 202
Joined: 1/24/2008
From: Alaska
Status: offline 		I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...



_____________________________

"WELL ~ Mrs. LIncoln,
other than that, How was the play?

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Post #: 44
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 5:17:53 PM   
MrsWargamer


Posts: 1655
Joined: 6/18/2014
Status: offline 		I don't tend to like playing the AI. But playing a hot seat game as both persons is like changing being sadly alone reinforcing for liking talking to yourself. Ok I typed in talking, I was going to say something else and then I said, nah I'm not going to say that in front of a lot of men :)

Waltero is right. A game against someone else is better even when the game itself sucks.

_____________________________

Wargame, 05% of the time.
Play with Barbies 05% of the time.
Play with Legos 10% of the time.
Build models 20% of the time
Shopping 60% of the time.
Exlains why I buy em more than I play em.

(in reply to waltero)
Post #: 45
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 5:19:08 PM   
warspite1


Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: waltero

I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...


warspite1

En Vogue, what do you mean? The AI would be your opponent???

I mean presumably you do not mean that in a face to face game of say, AH Bismarck, having defeating your opponent, you then feel the need to compound his misery by kicking seven types of crap out of him? Similarly if playing said game against the AI you don't accompany a win against the computer with the need to kick your PC tower into oblivion?



_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805



(in reply to waltero)
Post #: 46
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 5:51:28 PM   
Ostwindflak


Posts: 668
Joined: 1/23/2014
From: New Hampshire
Status: offline 		1990 when my dad bought me Operation Europe: Path to Victory 1939-1945 for the PC we had. After that it was all the war books, war games, and war board games I could get my hands on.

(in reply to warspite1)
Post #: 47
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 5:56:10 PM   
waltero


Posts: 202
Joined: 1/24/2008
From: Alaska
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1


quote:

ORIGINAL: waltero

I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...


warspite1

En Vogue, what do you mean? The AI would be your opponent???

I mean presumably you do not mean that in a face to face game of say, AH Bismarck, having defeating your opponent, you then feel the need to compound his misery by kicking seven types of crap out of him? Similarly if playing said game against the AI you don't accompany a win against the computer with the need to kick your PC tower into oblivion?




AH, I get it...it is for those who like to take it out on the AI (computer), when they find themselves being pushed around by the AI.
Solitaire, is for the sore losers...able to scream, cuss, kick at the victor (AI) without being frowned upon.

When playing (losing) to the AI, you don't have to worry about being verbally abused by a sore winner.
You Solitaire players Don't know what you are missing. You find it much easier giving up, resetting, cheating in order to feel victorious.
Nothing beats the thrill of playing a live game...win or lose.

To some it is all about winning. I enjoy playing...playing the best game possible.




_____________________________

"WELL ~ Mrs. LIncoln,
other than that, How was the play?

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Post #: 48
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 6:02:14 PM   
warspite1


Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline 		Personally I find nothing beats playing a human opponent. All the computer games I have played have been a better experience against a human than an AI ever could be. An AI is useful for learning a game though and (if its any good) for allowing one to play the game when there is no human alternative.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805



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Post #: 49
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 6:23:42 PM   
catwhoorg


Posts: 686
Joined: 9/27/2012
From: Uk expat lving near Atlanta
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Iain McNeil

I started when I was 3 with plastic soldiers and match stick firing little guns, before moving to dice a couple of years later :)


Pretty much this. Having a brother who was 3 years older probably sped up the process.

I do recall one night I would be about 8-9 bringing out Sherman tanks against dug in 88's, in a choke point.


That was the way my father introduced us to the lessons of Kasserine.

(in reply to IainMcNeil)
Post #: 50
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 7:11:43 PM   
MrsWargamer


Posts: 1655
Joined: 6/18/2014
Status: offline 		ASL was always so fun because win or lose the results were always so "how the heck did that even happen".

Only game I have played where winning was just a result.

_____________________________

Wargame, 05% of the time.
Play with Barbies 05% of the time.
Play with Legos 10% of the time.
Build models 20% of the time
Shopping 60% of the time.
Exlains why I buy em more than I play em.

(in reply to catwhoorg)
Post #: 51
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 7:16:35 PM   
Orm


Posts: 22154
Joined: 5/3/2008
From: Sweden
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Personally I find nothing beats playing a human opponent. All the computer games I have played have been a better experience against a human than an AI ever could be. An AI is useful for learning a game though and (if its any good) for allowing one to play the game when there is no human alternative.

Playing with friends or against friends is an awesome experience. But playing against the AI is often more fun to me than playing against random internet opponents. It is different if I get to know them somewhat before playing a game with them.

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Post #: 52
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 9:19:09 PM   
wings7


Posts: 4591
Joined: 8/11/2003
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Hi Patrick. Yes I have one of those, but this does not really help with my modelling problem. The issue is that my near sight has improved such that I do not need glasses for close-up work. I am constantly having to switch from long to near sight (reading instructions, searching for parts - and then detailed painting and applying of parts) and within about 15-20 mins I have a stabbing pain in the eyes - very unpleasant....


Sorry to hear about that Robert , have a great weekend and Happy Gaming to you!

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Post #: 53
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 9:20:49 PM   
CGGrognard


Posts: 594
Joined: 10/3/2013
From: USA
Status: offline 		I became interested in war gaming to see if I could do any better than the historical figures that fought the battles. Sad to say, unless the AI is set to minimal, I don't think I would even come close to the Generals and Commanders abilities.


_____________________________

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." - Sun Tzu

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Post #: 54
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 11:12:48 PM   
catwhoorg


Posts: 686
Joined: 9/27/2012
From: Uk expat lving near Atlanta
Status: offline 		Oh and I recognized and had played (if not owned) all three of the games Warspite put pictures of on page 1

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Post #: 55
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/13/2016 11:32:06 PM   
elxaime

 

Posts: 304
Joined: 11/3/2004
Status: offline 		My Uncle got me into it. The first game was Avalon Hill's Tactics II. This was back in the Early Pleistocene, obviously.

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Post #: 56
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/14/2016 12:29:38 AM   
AndyG1

 

Posts: 132
Joined: 8/29/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

How did I get into war gaming?

Well I’ve always loved playing games – sports, board games or whatever.

My mum and dad were both involved in WWII and so any war film or documentary that was showing would always be on the telly. I was 5 or 6 when my dad took me and my brother to watch Battle of Britain at the cinema. A few years later ITV showed the World at War series – wow! Just wow!

Meanwhile my dad had a set of Purnell’s Encyclopedia of WWII which I loved looking at, my brother was navy mad and had loads of books on ships that I liked looking at. Note no reading at that time – that was boring - just looking at the pictures and maps would do.

Then I got into Airfix models – 99% of which were WWII models – mostly aircraft and ships (tanks were too difficult because of the tracks). HMS Hood was my first (disaster) – HMS Warspite was my best….. Sadly I don’t have the time – or the eyesight quality – to enable me to make models anymore (I still have a large HMS Warspite, started in 2013, to finish off – maybe one day…).

During this time my growing interest in WWII got meshed with my love of games. Games like Escape from Colditz as a kid, then Risk, then Diplomacy and in between times Airfix HO/OO Napoleonic figures (and of course the rolled up tin foil used to throw at the enemy) – complicated rules obviously…...

In my mid-teens the games became more serious – Avalon Hill’s Bismarck being the gateway to the world of wargaming. Then quite a few years later came my first computer war game – Desert Rats – for the old Spectrum and later, when I got a ‘proper’ computer, the Battleground games – Waterloo in particular.

After trying a few strategic games I finally found World In Flames. That took over my life for a couple of years solid and it was this game that, many years later, got me involved with Matrix when I stumbled across the computer version.

The great thing is my love of history makes me want to play games and my game playing in turn feeds my need to read about history of which WWII is the main focus.












I still have Colditz, Bismarck, old version of Diplomacy (round plastic tray with the lid to keep all the bits in. Got quite a few AH games I've never played still in my cupboard! And still have some of those Airfix / Heller model aircraft from the days of wargaming. Earliest I made back in 1977 Gallands Me109e in 72nd scale. I too have a similay eye problem as you. I can see perfect close up, but too much of it and I get flashing dots which take a while to disappear. Apparently it's just older age (had that 10 years now).

(in reply to warspite1)
Post #: 57
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/14/2016 12:31:16 AM   
Gilmer


Posts: 1452
Joined: 7/1/2011
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: waltero

I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...




Because people don't have the time to play human opponents

_____________________________

"Venimus, vidimus, Deus vicit" John III Sobieski as he entered Vienna on 9/11/1683. "I came, I saw, God conquered."
He that has a mind to fight, let him fight, for now is the time. - Anacreon

(in reply to waltero)
Post #: 58
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/14/2016 2:00:04 AM   
CGGrognard


Posts: 594
Joined: 10/3/2013
From: USA
Status: offline 		Solitaire play is a necessity if (a) you have no friends interested in war games (there's a lot of rules and stuff), (b) ones' occupation doesn't make "play" time convenient and (c) if one wants to hone their skills for that eventful head to head play.
Not to mention time zones, internet connections and significant others.

_____________________________

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." - Sun Tzu

(in reply to Gilmer)
Post #: 59
RE: WHY did you start war gaming - 2/14/2016 3:43:28 AM   
waltero


Posts: 202
Joined: 1/24/2008
From: Alaska
Status: offline 		Yes, I understand, life gets in the way.
Believe it or not- some people prefer solitaire oppose to live (even if available).
Can't believe they still come out with games (war) that are for solitaire only...why?
I would not think it be worth it.

_____________________________

"WELL ~ Mrs. LIncoln,
other than that, How was the play?

(in reply to CGGrognard)
Post #: 60
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