Content-Type: text/html Wikipedia: Wargaming

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Wargaming (often called conflict simulation or consim gaming - see CoSims) is simulating battles or entire wars.

A typical uncomputerized wargame consists of

Board wargames typically use cardboard counters to represent the units, and a printed mapboard as the playing surface. Miniatures games typically use miniature plastic or metal models for the units and model scenery placed on a tabletop or floor as a playing surface.

Wargaming should not be confused with [real time strategy]? games because wargaming is [turn based]?. Wargames focus on the ability to analyze in-depth, plan, and make strategic decisions. Real-time-strategy games focus more on reflexes, coordination, and the ability to make quick decisions with limited information.

Modern wargaming grew out of the military need to study warfare? and to 'reenact' old battles for learning purposes.

H.G. Wells' book Little Wars was about wargaming.

Wargames have existed for centuries, with chess as an ancient example.

One of the main difficulties with wargaming is complexity of rules and record keeping. Extremely detailed wargame rule sets (some of which require hundreds of pages of small print and intensive recordkeeping) result in a slow game and have led to the rise of computerized turn based wargame programs such as Panzer General.

Computerized wargames have several distinct advantages over paper and pencil wargames:

Disadvantages of computerized wargames:

Computer wargames are often played against human opponents via e-mail (by exchanging save-game files) to provide the human interaction and a more interesting opponent than that of the program. This has the disadvantage of taking much longer to finish the game, depending upon how often the players check their e-mail. It is still much quicker (and easier) than the previous method of playing board wargames by postal mail.

Types of military wargaming:

Usually, military wargaming can be broken down based on what technology is available to the 'armies' involved, what military era or war the 'army' is from, and the scale of the conflict.

Popular military wargame timeframes:

Scales:


External Link:
James F. Dunnigan, one of the leading commercial wargame designers, has placed the 2nd edition of his book [The Complete Wargames Handbook] on-line. It presents a broad view of wargames including professional military simulators, commercial simulations, and real-time-strategy games, as well as the turn-based wargames more commonly referred to as wargames.


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Last edited June 14, 2001 6:28 pm (diff)
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