Let's Talk: Wargame or Not

[bayonetbrant]

How about chess?

I don't consider it a wargame in that even though 'combat' is central to its mechanic, its not really 'combat' but a simple space-related elimination mechanic.  With no differentiation in the combat abilities of the units, there's no real 'combat'.  The mechanic used to determine the 'victor' in the 'combat' is simply "who occupied the space last" and to me, that's not a combat mechanic.

[Grimnirsson]

How about chess?

I would agree with Barth here, chess is a strategy game but not a wargame - for us it lacks one or more of the aspects of our definition (as it is too abstract and has no specific theme)

[Bison]

Great article ucg.

[Barthheart]

How about chess?

http://wargamerscott.tripod.com/swordandshield/id12.html

Good find and read.... but still not a wargame.

[Bison]

It convinced me.  Chess is a wargame.

[Gusington]

So movement cannot be considered a combat ability? I don't know about that. Movement and flanking and maneuvers and MacGyvers have always been part of combat. I think chess is a wargame.

[undercovergeek]

yes - put his way it would seem to be the grandaddy of them all

[Bison]

Call of Duty is not a wargame.

[Barthheart]

Call of Duty is not a wargame.

Agreed... and for me no FPS is a wargame. But that raises a question even for myself.... are boardgames that have single man units wargames... eg VG's Ambush, AH's Firepower, etc..... ???

[Grimnirsson]

Code Select Expand

Agreed... and for me no FPS is a wargame.

Ok, seems we are back what we like or don't like as the base for our personal definition ;)

[Gusington]

I love chess, I am mediocre at it, but it is still a wargame :)

[Barthheart]

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Agreed... and for me no FPS is a wargame.

Ok, seems we are back what we like or don't like as the base for our personal definition ;)

Not quite, I like FPS games, I suck at them but I like playing them. Still not a wargame.

Chess I like very much and am even OK at it having played competitively when I was younger. Still not a wargame.

[FarAway Sooner]

If we include Chess, we got to add in Checkers and Go.  And if we include Go, we've got to include Pente.  Ergo, Chess can't be a wargame.

But the hexes distinction is silly.  Kingmaker didn't have hexes.  Heck, I don't think Midway had hexes, only squares.  The hex is just a convention used to denote distance.  I'd be OK with a requirement that wargames need to have some unit of specifically defined geographic scale. 

But requiring that those units have six sides?  Seems silly to me.

[Grimnirsson]

Barth,

Not quite, I like FPS games, I suck at them but I like playing them. Still not a wargame.

You just state that it is so. We are discussing to find some specific aspects to define a wargame. I have given some why I think it is a wargame :)

[bayonetbrant]

If we include Chess, we got to add in Checkers and Go.  And if we include Go, we've got to include Pente.  Ergo, Chess can't be a wargame.

But the hexes distinction is silly.  Kingmaker didn't have hexes.  Heck, I don't think Midway had hexes, only squares.  The hex is just a convention used to denote distance.  I'd be OK with a requirement that wargames need to have some unit of specifically defined geographic scale. 

But requiring that those units have six sides?  Seems silly to me.

AH's Gettysburg 1863 doesn't have hexes.  The areas are actually much more ingenious - the counters (oblong shaped to represent the formations of the units) have to physically fit into the region to move into it.