Wargames

Deep in the control room the nation's chiefs watch with alarm as their computers show imminent missile attack. Could this be it? Or is the truth funnier, though almost as alarming.Romanen er baseret på den succesrige film "WarGames" om, hvordan en und computer hacker sætter nationens forsvar i alarmberedskab.

Describes and evaluates in terms of presentation, rules, playability, realism, and complexity, wargames located in various ages and in real and imaginary lands

It's been quite a few years now since Bryan Ansell first put pen to paper to produce the initial draft of The Rules With No Name: these rules have been playtested, developed and enjoyed many, many times since then and it is a travesty that they have not been seen on bookshelves until now. Very little editing to the original text was required, but I have added a painting and terrain guide for completeness and sincerely hope that Bryan likes the way his rules have been laid out and presented. Here's what Bryan originally wrote in his introduction to the playtest version of these rules all those years ago: These are intended primarily as a straightforward, simple set of Western gunfight rules, suitable for a quick, cheerful game, possibly involving a large number of participants. However, we wanted to include a degree of tactical skill, involvement with the rule system and an element of tension and surprise. We hope that we have succeeded in doing so without making the game at all puzzling or complicated. Consumption of alcoholic beverage and high-carbohydrate snacks and the playing of these rules are not necessarily mutually exclusive. We have tried not to introduce a lot of fussy rules to cover every eventuality, so if you are playing with large groups of strangers, you might like to use a gamesmaster; a god-like figure whose word is law. Fortunately, even the most competitive gamers don't come to a Western gunfight looking for an argument, so the way should be clear for a good time to be had by all. However, for those of you who prefer a more sophisticated game, especially if you intend to run a campaign, with the extra level of detail and involvement that familiarity permits, there is a selection of optional rules for you to mix and match according to your tastes. Set in the time of the American Old West where life was cheap and survival was the order of the day, these rules are written in a very conversational style that are a joy to read as well as play, and there are many suggestions by Bryan as to how the players can choose to extend and adapt the rules to suit their own levels of skill and/or to simply increase their sense of enjoyment. In this fast paced game all facets of life and the characters in the Old West as depicted in those many Hollywood and Italian 'Cowboy' films are covered; from the hardened gunslinger and town drunk to the law abiding owner of the General Store; all have to hone and develop their particular skills over the course of the game... or end up having that eternal slug of whisky in the saloon in the sky! So, get out those toy soldiers, strap on that six gun and get yourself a whole lot of pleasure by having a game with friends using these action-packed and fun- filled rules.

Many wargamers enjoy the challenge of skirmish games where, instead of the strategy of vast armies portrayed by traditional wargames, the focus is on the tactics of a small unit. However, skirmish rules are often so complex that it can take hours of rolling dice, consulting tables and recording data to recreate what would in reality be a fast and furious firefight lasting just minutes. Now these new rules make it possible to recapture the speed and intensity of these actions where every man, and every second, counts. The basic rules are supported by sections which give special rules and scenarios to capture the flavor of a range of different periods, from Napoleonic to Modern Warfare and beyond with Sci-Fi. From the 95th Rifles scouting for Wellington, Western gunfights and WWI trench raids, through WW2 parachute assaults or Special Forces strikes in Afghanistan, or even Space Marines storming a space station, Squad Firefights elegantly simple system allows you to focus on proper tactical decisions rather than rolling buckets of dice or calculating masses of modifiers.

A fun and practical new approach to wargaming that lets you complete a game in about an hour—includes rule sets and scenarios for most popular periods. One of the biggest problems facing wargamers is finding the time to actually play. Most commercially available games require several hours to set up and see to a conclusion; some can even take a whole day or weekend to complete. Apart from time, lack of space can also keep wargamers from enjoying their favorite pastime. In One-hour Wargames, veteran gamer and rule-writer Neil Thomas has addressed both problems. Now it is practical to play a satisfying game in around an hour on a normal dining table or living room floor. The book contains 8 all-new sets of very simple rules for various periods—from Ancient to WW2—and thirty stimulating scenarios which can be played using any of them. All the rules and scenarios are intended to be played on a 3ft x 3ft battlefield. The rules only require a small number of miniatures, so this really is an ideal way for new gamers, or veterans trying a new period, to get started with minimal investment of time and money. Also ideal for a quick game in the evening with a friend. Also included are sections on campaigns and solo games.

Explores the history and development of wargames, and how they relate to real war and society in general.

Unlike chess or backgammon, tabletop wargames have no single, accepted set of rules. Most wargamers at some point have had a go at writing their own rules and virtually all have modified commercially available sets to better suit their idea of the ideal game or to adapt favourite rules to a different historical period or setting. But many who try soon find that writing a coherent set of rules is harder than they thought, while tweaking one part of an existing set can often have unforeseen consequences for the game as a whole. Now, at last, help is at hand. Veteran gamer and rules writer John Lambshead has teamed up with the legendary Rick Priestley, creator of Games Workshop’s phenomenally successful Warhammer system, to create this essential guide for any would-be wargame designer or tinkerer. Rick and John give excellent advice on deciding what you want from a wargame and balancing ‘realism’ (be it in a historical or a fantasy/sci-fi context) with playability. They discuss the relative merits of various mechanisms (cards, dice, tables) then discuss how to select and combine these to handle the various essential game elements of turn sequences, combat resolution, morale etc to create a rewarding and playable game that suits your tastes and requirements

One of the biggest problems facing wargamers is finding the time to actually play. Most commercially available sets of rules require several hours to set up and play to a conclusion; some can easily swallow up a whole day or weekend. For many gamers this means that their lavishly prepared miniature armies rarely get used at all. Apart from time, the other consideration is space, which further constrains the opportunities for a game. In One-hour Wargames, veteran gamer and rule-writer Neil Thomas has addressed both these problems. Now it is practical to play a game in around an hour on a normal dining table or living room floor. ??The book contains 8 (all-new) sets of very simple rules for various periods, from Ancient to WW2 and 30 scenarios which can be played using any of them, so you don't even have to take too much time thinking up a stimulating tactical situation and objectives. All the rules and scenarios are intended to be played on a 3ft x 3ft battlefield. The rules only require a small number of miniatures, so this really is an ideal way for new gamers, or veterans trying a new period, to get started with minimal investment of time and money. Also ideal for a quick game in the evening when a friend pops round. There are also sections on campaigns and solo games.

Many of today's most commercially successful videogames, from Call of Duty to Company of Heroes, are war-themed titles that play out in what are framed as authentic real-world settings inspired by recent news headlines or drawn from history. While such games are marketed as authentic representations of war, they often provide a selective form of realism that eschews problematic, yet salient aspects of war. In addition, changes in the way Western states wage and frame actual wars makes contemporary conflicts increasingly resemble videogames when perceived from the vantage point of Western audiences. This interdisciplinary volume brings together scholars from games studies, media and cultural studies, politics and international relations, and related fields to examine the complex relationships between military-themed videogames and real-world conflict, and to consider how videogames might deal with history, memory, and conflict in alternative ways. It asks: What is the role of videogames in the formation and negotiation of cultural memory of past wars? How do game narratives and designs position the gaming subject in relation to history, war and militarism? And how far do critical, anti-war/peace games offer an alternative or challenge to mainstream commercial titles?