Level of the game...

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
--- In Stargrunt-Fullthrust@egroups.com, "Glenn Wilson"
> <triphibious@j...> wrote:
Have been wondering about an observation I have noticed about many wargamers.

You can usually get up a gsame fairly easy for games usings
star/space ships (Full Thrust) just as it seems fairly easy to get up
a game for naval battles (board games like "CA" from the old SPI company) or
games where you run ships (Harpoon, WW2 games, even WW1 style games) at clubs
and cons. Ditto for "skirmish" level games
(Stargrunt, Starguard, etc.) but when you get into either micro-armor
equivalents [6mm - 1/285th - 1/300th] (DS2) or 'higher level' games
(where units leave the 1:1 relationship for vehicles or where infantry
'stands' become units where each figure is not representative of an
individual) it seems harder to build up an interest. At least locally.

The local historical group has big interest in WW2 skirmish games at
20/25mm, there is an attempt with 15 & 25 mm ancients skirmish games
(games where the individual figure as opposed to a 'stand' is the unit of
play), and there seems to a small interest in 15mm ACW,
15mm Franco-Prussian, and (due to the undying effort of one
individual) 25mm Nappies. But this is always one or another, never at the same
time or for an extended time (although the 25mm guy shows
up with good scenarios, all the figures, and the rules/die tables
(house modified over many years) at all the cons he can and always seems to
draw a good group.

What is it that seems to peak our interests in 1:1 skirmish or unit based
(ships, water or space) games more then the slightly abstracted games? Or is
it just local to my area [or possibly my skewed perceptions]? Is it the
influence of FRPG's? The 25mm syndrome? Easier to identify with 'individuals'?
Is it more in the Historical
sub-group then the Fantasy and Science Fiction sub-groups?  what's
up?

Even the slight abstraction of DS2 (1:1 vehicles but infantry 'fire teams')
seems to have a slight 'damper effect' when individuals who like SF skirmish
games have an opportunity to play.

I cannot make a comparison to 'aircraft' games because THOSE are even more
scarce.

Gracias.
--- End forwarded message ---

--------- End forwarded message ----------

"Glenn Wilson"
> Have been wondering about an observation I have noticed about many

> (where units leave the 1:1 relationship for vehicles or where

If you put some effort into imbuing personality into your units, I suspect
you'll find a little more interest. It's been over ten years since
I was in a Napoleonic-era campaign, but I remember the Aznauri Death's
Head Cavalry, which could be counted on to generate atrocities; Prince
Subotai's Own Iron Brigade, which became a permanent fixture on our western
border; and the Falcon Brigade of light horse, dragoons and horse artillery,
which did so much damage in deep raids into Thulgarian territory. All this was
much more interesting than the Thulgarian 1st Inf, Thulgarian 2nd Inf,
Thulgarian 3rd Inf, etc.
  Of course, the more peculiar, the better.  _No one_ forgot the Saka
Navy (one mercenary frigate, entirely crewed by sailors who'd never seen the
Saka
Empire--and no citizen of the Saka Empire really truly believed there
was any such thing as an ocean, although if they were sober and feeling
friendly they'd conceed the Great River might possibly be even larger farther
south). And who could forget the 357th Dwarven Combat Brewery? No matter how
hard they tried...

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> If you put some effort into imbuing personality into your units, I

That's one of the reasons I like playing Epic40k. Especially with Orks. It's
easy to have a variety of personality units.
Have a look at the "Goffic Rockers" I scratch built in 6mm - the Drumkit
was easy, the guitars much harder.