Has Board Wargaming Died Yet?

Observations

by Skip Franklin



I have read a lot of good comments about the status of wargaming. Most are true, some uninformed. If you aren't playing wargames, board variety that is, you probably do not know where wargames have been lately.

One of the largest changes in wargames as of late has been honchoed by GMT games, http://www.gmtgames.com, The wargames with card play, such as Paths of Glory, For The People, The Napoleonic War, Thirty Years War, Wilderness War and others has added a new dimension to the hobby. Card play in wargames has its followers and 'non-followers'. Card play in wargames did not interest me at first but my thoughts have changed. While it is still not my favorite type wargame, cards bring a lot of thought and discussion back into my wargaming.

I have found over the years that wargames have a staying power that no computer game has provided for me. My favorite computer wargames have been Empire Deluxe due to its mindless bashing of forces, Perfect General II for the same reason and the Talonsoft Campaign Series. However, over time the games became redundant in play action. Well, that and the followers of the games tend to be very good and my interests are too wide to become an expert in anything.

In the end I have not played a computer wargame in a year and have delved heavily into board wargames again. I even play old Avalon Hill and SPI games. At ConsimWorld Expo, http://www.consimworld.com, I played Campaign to Stalingrad (Rhi-no) and Borodino (SPI). Borodino is old by wargaming standards. I wouldn't want to play a computer game that old.

My board wargame collection is over 300 and growing. I have not bought a computer wargame since buying the last version of Talonsoft Campaign Series. If I want to solo a computer game, I'll go to http://games.yahoo.com and play Bounce Out or Diamond Mine.


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