Sometimes I am almost overwhelmed by modern wargaming, especially when coming to new rules. Friday saw us playing ACW and trying to learn new rules . Although it is only a matter of weeks since the last game I have forgotten everything, well a lot anyway.
So much time spent, flicking through charts, finding factors, playing the rules not the period, endless discussion and delay. Perhaps it is me or the time of year or what.
I don't think its you OR the time of year, Alan! I am not quite old enough to hanker after Featherstone rules and I have zero nostalgia for gloss painted figures all in the same pose, stuck onto bright green bases made from beer mats - but I do prefer simpler, less involved (and possibly less "realistic" - whatever that is in terms of playing games with toy soldiers and dice!) rules that you can intuitively "pick up" after a couple of games and allow you to play the game not constantly search through the rules or refer to complicated flow charts etc!
ReplyDeleteIt is all supposed to be fun, not hard work :)
Interesting to hear this re nostalgia and simple rules.
DeleteAlan Tradgardland
Nothing wrong with 'simple' rules that allow one to get stuck in and enjoy the scenario.
ReplyDeleteQuite agree!
DeleteAlan Tradgardland
I do enjoy simpler rules these days, like Ross'. But there are a couple of good easy sets out there for the ACW, like Gettysburg Soldiers.
ReplyDeleteKeep at it, Alan. A day playing with toy soldiers is better than a day having done nought.
Eric
I will stick at it and l will certainly continue playing with toy soldiers. Finding suitable acwc rules is a bit like looking for the Holy Grail,for my ACW buff friend who painted these lovely figures. I think we will stick with these, for now.
DeleteAlan Tradgardland
P.S I played a lot of Johnny Reb rules when a student in 15mm and really liked them , it was a complicated but b enjoyable set . Used them for Spanish American war too.
Alan Tradgardland
I get it. I run into this with board games. Having to learn (and re-learn) any but the simplest rules sets sometimes puts a big stumbling block in my path to playing and enjoying the game
ReplyDeleteI agree re board games too.
DeleteAlan Tradgardland
I have always thought that the basic rules need to be confined to one page.
ReplyDeleteA man after my own heart.
DeleteAlan Tradgardland
Featherstone simplicity every time - can’t you introduce it as a rule swap one week?
ReplyDeleteHmm a thought but unlikely to happen. One of the players is a bit of a rules lawyer and would exploit the simplicity in a gamey fashion.
DeleteAlan Tradgardland
It does look like a most splendid game. How interesting it would be to replay it using Featherstone type rules and see whether the outcome/actual fun was significantly different.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is. What an interesting idea , hmmm I wonder…
DeleteAlan Tradgardland
Personally I feel two things going on. Age and familiarity. A few years ago I played a game with rules that I hadn’t used since the early 80s. Yet I soon got into the swing of things despite a gap of nearly 40 years, probably because I learned them at a young age and played them over and over again those days. The rules (WRG 1685-1845) weren’t particularly simple either and didn’t work like other rules of the period. Despite lots of tables of factors I was soon rattling off the results needed without reference to the QRS.
ReplyDeleteNowadays I’m a fan of simple rules for many reasons. As long as a lot of thought has gone into making them.
Chris
Age and familiarity indeed. We often reference wrg sixth edition from memory to compare how certain things are handled on the table top.
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
Rules where you need to look up factors from a table - the otherwise interesting Fire & Fury comes to mind - are a hinderance to getting on with a game. Time spent working out the reuslts of firing etc is time wasted in my view. Games are about making decisions so most of the game should be about decisions, not working out combat results. And simple rules are not simplistic and can give entertaining games - look at the Neil Thomas stuff or Ross Macfarlane's or Don Featherstone! I think complicated rules were one popular because they could be shown to someone who suggested you were playing toy soldiers to impress them that all thos rules meant it was a wargame that simulated real combat. And rules lwayers - who I won't play with - have field day in playing the rules not the game. Up with simple rules! Down with complicated ones!
ReplyDelete