If you are interested in military history, fantasy or science fiction and you are looking for a game that combines these interests but goes beyond chess or checkers, try war games.
War games place players in command of military forces at a particular time. As a player, you can try to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo, or form an army of elves and humans to fight with the Orcs in Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, or fight an alien invasion on faraway planets. You can also play numerous hypothetical scenarios that could change the course of history: what if Germany launched a maritime invasion of England in 1940, or if the Spanish Navy had defeated the English fleet in the English Channel? War games allow players to take command and play with history in ways that classic games like chess will never allow.
Because there is a focus on having the player in command, rather than playing a single character in the conflict, role-playing games and first-person shooters, while also very fun, would not be considered war games in the purest sense. Abstract strategy games, such as Settlers of Cataan, Checkers, or Chess, can also be tremendously fun, but they don’t put players in command of military forces, so they wouldn’t be considered true war games either.
By asking the player to take command of a military force, war games challenge the player’s knowledge of the time and the forces under his command, as well as testing his ability to develop strategies and tactics that will allow him to maneuver his skills. forces to achieve your goal. military targets and win the game. The challenge is complex and exciting, and opens the door for players to learn more about the time and environment in which they play, as well as history and science. Miniatures players can also develop the crafting, modeling and painting skills necessary to field well-painted and visually impressive armies.
As a hobby, war games have been around for a long time and their modern form can be traced back to two sources: Kriegspiel, a Prussian military personnel exercise that was used by officers for planning and training from 1812 onward, and Little Wars. (published 1913), a book by science fiction author HG Wells who published a formal set of rules for young children to return to fighting battles with toy soldiers. What had been an activity limited to military training has been presented to the public where it has had enthusiastic fans for years.
Today, the hobby has expanded to include tabletop war games, miniature games, and commercially available computer games. Board games use pre-printed game boards with cardboard or plastic chips. Miniature sets combine miniature metal or plastic soldiers, vehicles and tables that are made into spectacular representations of battlefields by adding miniature trees, terrain and buildings. Finally, computer games and console games place players in command of virtual armies in a series of battles against human or computer opponents.
Getting started in the hobby involves choosing board, miniature, or computer games, and choosing a particular historical era (or fantasy or science fiction). War games have been published for all eras in human history, from Ancient Egypt to present-day conflicts, as well as fantasy and science fiction settings, so a new hobbyist will rarely be limited to choose.
So it becomes a matter of connecting with the wargame community.
A new player can find board and miniature game rules online or at a local game store. Also, there are game clubs in many cities and they have members who will be happy to introduce new players to the game. Even the smallest town will have a fantasy or science fiction game club that plays the popular Warhammer and Warhammer 40K games published by Games Workshop.
Larger cities also have shows and conventions, where club members host games where the public can try out different games and scenarios, as well as frequent vendor areas and informal “bring and buy” flea markets that they are organized into shows where fans can shop. and sell used games and armies.
War players also have several online forums where players can exchange tips on tactics, miniature modeling and painting, mods for computer games, and game reviews and game rules. The online community can provide valuable advice to new players who are interested in joining the hobby.
War games are a fascinating pastime that provides fun for a lifetime. Getting started in the game is as simple as choosing an era and making connections with other war players in your area.
