Why games aren't like war

[Mason Jar]

I love playing these games but I can't help but notice their short comings. They really jump out when you try and figure out the best way to win.

Find the edge of the battle and work around it. Yu can't do this in a real battle unless you are up against a swamp or an ocean or a bluff but on these maps you have an artificial boundary and just like in football if you can get to the edge you have another blocker keeping your flank safe.

Go for broke. Your country and family aren't going to be endangered by a stupid impetuous move, so you throw yourself at the enemy knowing you can fight another day.

Of course the most obvious way these games are not like war is that it takes imagination to comprehend the pain and loss of a blundered move. In the real thing it is all too obvious.

What do you think?

 

[rahamy]

I agree, and I prefer the large map scenarios to keep away from the map edge issue.

As far as the rest, you can train yourself to act as if it's the "real thing" but you better hope your opponent does as well!

 

[KG_RangerBooBoo]

Living to fight another day is one aspect of the HPS campaign system that I really like. You don't know what the next battle will bring so you have to be somewhat careful about losses as you don't want to sell out your army to win this battle only to be doomed in all the rest. Map edges are also why I really like the Gettysburg campaign as most of those maps are pretty big and the edges don't come into play that much.

 

[Aries]

Best I have experienced myself, is the Mega Campaigns of the Steel Panthers series for not knowing if a bad idea now, will become an even greater bad idea later.

Still no real world threat, but I can still at least totally screw up my game if I am not thinking clearly.

 

[Mason Jar]

Alex is currently schooling this "raw recruit" and has the bigest part of a division isolated. In game terms I have nothing to lose by fighting on. I'll chip away some forces and at least disrupt and delay them. But I feel so bad for the little bits and bites I asked for permision to just march them off the edge of the board.

 

[Aries]

RangerBooBoo

Considering my previous post on this thread, said virtually nothing even remotely offensive. I am left to wonder, why did you submit negative rep (seeing as it is the only post you could be responding to), and why did you submit negative rep, and not even spend the effort to say anything at all whatsoever whilst submitting negative rep?

For now I will assume it was in error and you hit the wrong button. Not an impossible thing to occcur.
But I would like it cleared up.

 

[Alex Krolikowsk]

Mason Jar, your request for a 'parole' was just received. Hehe... it happen to me for a first time All right, your are okey so it's granted

To avoid mass murder, we will allow all guys from Howard's, Blenker's, Davies' and Richardson's brigades to march off the map but under following terms:

1. All what is still in the line formation must change it to the column in the very next turn.

2. Your guys must lay down their weapons and battleflags and leave it for our care (you know Jeff Davis is waiting for some trophies).

3. We will take case of your supply wagons as well.

4. 'Paroled' soldiers will start to move via road to the nearest map edge and will be removed off the map there as to not trouble me further.

5. Finally, while marching they must sing... lets say... 'Johnny is marching home' all over again till they get to Washington.

I will deatach some Desperadoes units to oversee this action.

Please, read terms of parole every careful because if only one southern soldier will be killed there next turn, I will not be able to restrain my soldiers from mass attack.

LOL

PS. It is impossible to receive any points for enemy's units which were removed from the map.

 

[Mason Jar]

Your terms are generous in game terms, humiliating in real war terms and hilariously funny altogether. FDLMAO! I would have made them sing "Dixie."

I would not have proposed parole if I had understood you wouldn't get credit for me marching them off the map. I wouldn't want to deprive you of the quadruple major victory that is in your grasp, just to assuage my guilt over several thousand imaginary deaths.

Anyhow, It’s to my advantage (I think) to tie you up as long as I can (not that it will be long) and whittle away what strength I can. (Not that it would be much.) So do your worst. I'll snap my sword in half, rip up our flags and splinter the staves like the Union sore losers the first day at Gettysburg and deny you your trophies! You'll have to settle for our heads.

Seems odd they don't have a surrender command built in. Too real I guess. I would like to burn that supply wagon for sure.

P.S. In case you don’t know: They gave everybody a piece of that flag and staff before they were captured and after the war they pieced most of it back together.

 

[Mason Jar]

The birds eye view we get as gammers civil war generals would have lopped off thier right arm and leg for. We get to see exactly where every unit spotted is.

We can also have a pretty good idea which hexes your opponet can view and can sneak up on them much more easly.

Most importantly you can share information from one side of the battlefield to the other with ut mistake or distortion.

If we were realy trying to simulate what it would be like to be Grant or Lee we would play in a text only mode for a good portion of the time.

The really great army comanders had to have incredible imagination to visualize the battle field.

 

[tony best]

forgive my dourness

wargames are not like war because

You really don`t get hit in the face by a buddies leg bone as it is blown off by a mine.

You really cant smell a body that has been lieing in the sun for a week.

You really cant hear the guys crying out loud for their mothers as they lie ripped to pieces by morters.

You really cant hear explosions so loud that they give you a headache and concussion even though its your own guns

You really dont sleep in several inches of water to keep warm.

I of course could go on and on and any veteren reading these posts cpuld add a lot more. Let us not forget..........