WHY did you start war gaming

[terje439]

I (as many here I guess) started playing games on my old C64, and initially war games was not something I looked for or played alot of. Instead it was games like Winter/Summer Games, Football Manager, Stockmarked etc. However one day I bought a game called "Pirates!" simply because it looked very nice.
I fell in love with that game, and learned the name of its developer, Sid Meier. After that I always bought Sid Meier games whenever I found one. So naturally I got Civilization, and spent way too many (atleast according to my parents) hours on that game.

However, as I grew older, I got new computers, and I wanted "more" from the games I played. I wanted more realism, higher difficulties, better graphics. And I wanted something WWII (which has always facinated me after my grandfather told me about his experiences of the war). And I stumbled across something called Panzer General by SSI. Played that more than any other game, and looked for something similar, but could not find anything.

Untill, that is, I got a demo version of a game called Steel Panthers. At that time I was hooked on WWII games, and that was it. It was however a few years more before I arrived here, and that was by fluke. I went through an "old games"-bin at a game shop, and found a WWII game called "Uncommon Valor". That game had a steep learning curve, so I decided to look up the forum, and since that, you all have been stuck with me. So, blame that shop for selling UV cheap [:D]

[Mrtyphoon]

Not sure on the why but it began with lego and marbles would sort them out into different colours and make armies that smashed against each other. Think this led me to history though not sure first book was called Last of the Vikings that had the battle of Stamford Bridge at the end. Then there was a freezing night in Scotland came in from sliding around on the ice and saw The Red Badge of Courage was hooked got meself a note book and began to write all about the Civil War which led to so many other things undiscovered the marbles and lego became the sets of Airfix soldiers and models of all sorts was rubbish at building and painting them but had great times making them fight was an old airfix book of Wargame rules for World War two used that loads. Flirted briefly then with RPG blame Tolkien but with spectrums c64 amiga and atari returned to Wargames and of course the board games Avalon Hill Spi victory games. Somewhere in a loft they all sit in a home long vacated worth a good deal but with the kids the board games were not practical so it was not until the likes of War in Russia and Steel Panthers that I returned properly back to the fold. Now I get what I can mainly grand strategy many sit unplayed even now but I enjoy the rules enjoy the ideas and enjoy the thought that they are thee for me should I wish. Silly man though have continued with the children the youngest is but 15 months old so time is never a friend but the wargames well they will always be there and one day I will play them all.

[RichMunn]

ORIGINAL: typhoon

Not sure on the why but it began with lego and marbles would sort them out into different colours and make armies that smashed against each other. Think this led me to history though not sure first book was called Last of the Vikings that had the battle of Stamford Bridge at the end. Then there was a freezing night in Scotland came in from sliding around on the ice and saw The Red Badge of Courage was hooked got meself a note book and began to write all about the Civil War which led to so many other things undiscovered the marbles and lego became the sets of Airfix soldiers and models of all sorts was rubbish at building and painting them but had great times making them fight was an old airfix book of Wargame rules for World War two used that loads. Flirted briefly then with RPG blame Tolkien but with spectrums c64 amiga and atari returned to Wargames and of course the board games Avalon Hill Spi victory games. Somewhere in a loft they all sit in a home long vacated worth a good deal but with the kids the board games were not practical so it was not until the likes of War in Russia and Steel Panthers that I returned properly back to the fold. Now I get what I can mainly grand strategy many sit unplayed even now but I enjoy the rules enjoy the ideas and enjoy the thought that they are thee for me should I wish. Silly man though have continued with the children the youngest is but 15 months old so time is never a friend but the wargames well they will always be there and one day I will play them all.

Not sure on the why but it began with lego and marbles would sort them out into different colours and make armies that smashed against each other. Think this led me to history though not sure first book was called Last of the Vikings that had the battle of Stamford Bridge at the end. Then there was a freezing night in Scotland came in from sliding around on the ice and saw The Red Badge of Courage was hooked got meself a note book and began to write all about the Civil War which led to so many other things undiscovered the marbles and lego became the sets of Airfix soldiers and models of all sorts was rubbish at building and painting them but had great times making them fight was an old airfix book of Wargame rules for World War two used that loads. Flirted briefly then with RPG blame Tolkien but with spectrums c64 amiga and atari returned to Wargames and of course the board games Avalon Hill Spi victory games. Somewhere in a loft they all sit in a home long vacated worth a good deal but with the kids the board games were not practical so it was not until the likes of War in Russia and Steel Panthers that I returned properly back to the fold. Now I get what I can mainly grand strategy many sit unplayed even now but I enjoy the rules enjoy the ideas and enjoy the thought that they are thee for me should I wish. Silly man though have continued with the children the youngest is but 15 months old so time is never a friend but the wargames well they will always be there and one day I will play them all.

_____________________________

Without in any way wishing to interfere, the above post was so good that I thought I would try to make it more easily readable. I hope that this doesn't cause offence.


"Not sure on the why but it began with lego and marbles. I would sort them out into different colours and make armies that smashed against each other.

I think this led me to history though not sure. The first book was called Last of the Vikings; that had the battle of Stamford Bridge at the end. Then there was a freezing night in Scotland. I came in from sliding around on the ice and saw The Red Badge of Courage. I was hooked! I got meself a note book and began to write all about the Civil War which led to so many other things undiscovered.

The marbles and lego became the sets of Airfix soldiers and models of all sorts. I was rubbish at building and painting them but had great times making them fight. I had an old airfix book of Wargame rules for World War two; I used that loads.

I flirted briefly then with RPG. Blame Tolkien! But with spectrums c64 amiga and atari I returned to Wargames and of course the board games Avalon Hill and Spi victory games.
Somewhere in a loft they all sit in a home long vacated. They are worth a good deal but with the kids the board games were not practical so it was not until the likes of War in Russia and Steel Panthers that I returned properly back to the fold.
Now I get what I can mainly grand strategy many sit unplayed even now but I enjoy the rules enjoy the ideas and enjoy the thought that they are there for me should I wish.

Silly man though have continued with the children the youngest is but 15 months old so time is never a friend but the wargames well they will always be there and one day I will play them all."

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[sullafelix]

I took my first book out of the library when I was pretty young.

It was a child's book of " The charge of the light brigade ".

I was mesmerized by the words and pictures.

Not long after, I saw Milton Bradley's Battle cry game and asked for it for Christmas.

[bairdlander2]

Well for me it started when I was an 8 year old boy.I had a Betty Crocker easybake oven and many dolls and cooking sets...one day my father,who was a gunnery sgt/drill instructor in the USMC approached me as I had my cooking apron on and was preparing a nice dinner for my Barbie,Strawberry shortcake and magic pony dolls.He said to me in a loud voice "what is your major malfunction numbnuts?".This was quite a shock as it was he who chose and bought me my toys.He immediately took all my toys out to the backyard firepit and burned them.I was very sad,the very next afternoon,he arrived home with many GI joes,toy weapons as well as my first copy of Squad Leader.He taught me how to play and I have been a wargame player ever since.

[wings7]

For me it started with army men, when I was about 6 years old our next door neighbor (who was about 18 at the time) asked me if I would like his plastic army men collection and of course I said Yes! Little did I know that his collection was a trunk (foot locker size) collection! Wow, I was in heaven for many years! Then at a relative old age of 20 or 21 my cousin Mike introduced me to Tactics II and the rest is history. I was really spoiled for many years, my cousin was The rules expert so he taught me alot...I can't remember what happened to my army men (I still wish I had them [:)]), those were memorable and joyful times growing up!

Patrick

[waltero]

ORIGINAL: bairdlander

Well for me it started when I was an 8 year old boy.I had a Betty Crocker easybake oven and many dolls and cooking sets...one day my father,who was a gunnery sgt/drill instructor in the USMC approached me as I had my cooking apron on and was preparing a nice dinner for my Barbie,Strawberry shortcake and magic pony dolls.He said to me in a loud voice "what is your major malfunction numbnuts?".This was quite a shock as it was he who chose and bought me my toys.He immediately took all my toys out to the backyard firepit and burned them.I was very sad,the very next afternoon,he arrived home with many GI joes,toy weapons as well as my first copy of Squad Leader.He taught me how to play and I have been a wargame player ever since.

That is some funny s**t! laughed my ass off.

[jday305]

I too started in the early 70's with the green plastic army soldiers and playing war with the other kids in my neighborhood. In High School a friend got me involved with board games like squad leader in the early 80's. Been hooked ever since.

[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…...[:D]

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.

[bobarossa]

I was about 10 when my 13 year old brother bought Blitzkrieg and needed someone to beat up on. We ended up joining the History Book Club and got the West Point Atlas of American Wars as the introductory book. Playing games and reading history has continued every since (~50 years).

[Gilmer]

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.

[hadberz]

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. [:D]

[DonCzirr]

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 ...

[Kuokkanen]

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.

[SeaMonkey]

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!

[Crimguy]

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.

[AndyG1]

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:).

[waltero]

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)?

[wings7]

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

[MrsWargamer]

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.