WHY did you start war gaming

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: 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

warspite1

Hi Patrick. Yes I have one of those, but this does not really help with my modelling problem. The issue is that my near sight has improved such that I do not need glasses for close-up work. I am constantly having to switch from long to near sight (reading instructions, searching for parts - and then detailed painting and applying of parts) and within about 15-20 mins I have a stabbing pain in the eyes - very unpleasant....

[operating]

All too many posts mirror my own interests starting back in the mid 1950s. The pc opened up a whole new world in 2000, starting with Sid Meier's Waterloo and have been real happy to find a site such as this.

[berto]

Like a few others here, I came to war gaming by way of my big brother. He was "Big Russ", I was "Little Russ". Whatever he liked and did, I liked and did.

A classmate introduced Big Russ to Tactics II. AH Gettysburg soon followed. Although Big Russ favored Tactics II, Little Russ never much liked it, preferring instead Gettysburg. I was 10 or so at the time.

After that, it was AH Bismarck (about the only game we played H2H), D-Day, Waterloo, Midway, Afrika Korps, Stalingrad, Guadalcanal, ... The Good Old Days.

Oddly, even though we shared the same hobby, and even the same room, we seldom played each other H2H, instead preferring solitaire play. How weird is that?

[waltero]

I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...

[MrsWargamer]

I don't tend to like playing the AI. But playing a hot seat game as both persons is like changing being sadly alone reinforcing for liking talking to yourself. Ok I typed in talking, I was going to say something else and then I said, nah I'm not going to say that in front of a lot of men

Waltero is right. A game against someone else is better even when the game itself sucks.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: waltero

I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...

warspite1

En Vogue, what do you mean? The AI would be your opponent???

I mean presumably you do not mean that in a face to face game of say, AH Bismarck, having defeating your opponent, you then feel the need to compound his misery by kicking seven types of crap out of him? Similarly if playing said game against the AI you don't accompany a win against the computer with the need to kick your PC tower into oblivion?

[Ostwindflak]

1990 when my dad bought me Operation Europe: Path to Victory 1939-1945 for the PC we had. After that it was all the war books, war games, and war board games I could get my hands on.

[waltero]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: waltero

I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...

warspite1

En Vogue, what do you mean? The AI would be your opponent???

I mean presumably you do not mean that in a face to face game of say, AH Bismarck, having defeating your opponent, you then feel the need to compound his misery by kicking seven types of crap out of him? Similarly if playing said game against the AI you don't accompany a win against the computer with the need to kick your PC tower into oblivion?

AH, I get it...it is for those who like to take it out on the AI (computer), when they find themselves being pushed around by the AI.
Solitaire, is for the sore losers...able to scream, cuss, kick at the victor (AI) without being frowned upon.

When playing (losing) to the AI, you don't have to worry about being verbally abused by a sore winner.
You Solitaire players Don't know what you are missing. You find it much easier giving up, resetting, cheating in order to feel victorious.
Nothing beats the thrill of playing a live game...win or lose.

To some it is all about winning. I enjoy playing...playing the best game possible.

[warspite1]

Personally I find nothing beats playing a human opponent. All the computer games I have played have been a better experience against a human than an AI ever could be. An AI is useful for learning a game though and (if its any good) for allowing one to play the game when there is no human alternative.

[catwhoorg]

ORIGINAL: Iain McNeil

I started when I was 3 with plastic soldiers and match stick firing little guns, before moving to dice a couple of years later

Pretty much this. Having a brother who was 3 years older probably sped up the process.

I do recall one night I would be about 8-9 bringing out Sherman tanks against dug in 88's, in a choke point.


That was the way my father introduced us to the lessons of Kasserine.

[MrsWargamer]

ASL was always so fun because win or lose the results were always so "how the heck did that even happen".

Only game I have played where winning was just a result.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Personally I find nothing beats playing a human opponent. All the computer games I have played have been a better experience against a human than an AI ever could be. An AI is useful for learning a game though and (if its any good) for allowing one to play the game when there is no human alternative.

Playing with friends or against friends is an awesome experience. But playing against the AI is often more fun to me than playing against random internet opponents. It is different if I get to know them somewhat before playing a game with them.

[wings7]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Hi Patrick. Yes I have one of those, but this does not really help with my modelling problem. The issue is that my near sight has improved such that I do not need glasses for close-up work. I am constantly having to switch from long to near sight (reading instructions, searching for parts - and then detailed painting and applying of parts) and within about 15-20 mins I have a stabbing pain in the eyes - very unpleasant....

Sorry to hear about that Robert [:(], have a great weekend and Happy Gaming to you! [:)]

[CGGrognard]

I became interested in war gaming to see if I could do any better than the historical figures that fought the battles. Sad to say, unless the AI is set to minimal, I don't think I would even come close to the Generals and Commanders abilities.

[catwhoorg]

Oh and I recognized and had played (if not owned) all three of the games Warspite put pictures of on page 1

[elxaime]

My Uncle got me into it. The first game was Avalon Hill's Tactics II. This was back in the Early Pleistocene, obviously.

[AndyG1]

ORIGINAL: 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.

I still have Colditz, Bismarck, old version of Diplomacy (round plastic tray with the lid to keep all the bits in. Got quite a few AH games I've never played still in my cupboard! And still have some of those Airfix / Heller model aircraft from the days of wargaming. Earliest I made back in 1977 Gallands Me109e in 72nd scale. I too have a similay eye problem as you. I can see perfect close up, but too much of it and I get flashing dots which take a while to disappear. Apparently it's just older age (had that 10 years now).

[Gilmer]

ORIGINAL: waltero

I never understood why some people prefer solitaire, AI only?
What is the fun in War if you can't kick the s**t outa your opponent...just don't get it, never gonna get it, gonna get it, gonna get it...

Because people don't have the time to play human opponents

[CGGrognard]

Solitaire play is a necessity if (a) you have no friends interested in war games (there's a lot of rules and stuff), (b) ones' occupation doesn't make "play" time convenient and (c) if one wants to hone their skills for that eventful head to head play.
Not to mention time zones, internet connections and significant others. [:)]

[waltero]

Yes, I understand, life gets in the way.
Believe it or not- some people prefer solitaire oppose to live (even if available).
Can't believe they still come out with games (war) that are for solitaire only...why?
I would not think it be worth it.