Reply To: Inaccessibility of Historical Wargaming

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Great discussion buys, and thanks to @commodorerob for bringing it up.

 

The “inaccessibility” of historical wargaming is indeed an unfortunate perception at which we work hard to disassemble at Beasts of War.  Not to “shill” for myself here, but this literally this weekend we had a 45-minute interview on (just as an example) – Top Five Tips for for Gaming in the Great War.  Not this battle or that campaign, general so-and-so, such-an-such a date.  But really how to help players who may be interested in the Great War and may want to try a game in that setting.

I bring it up because, yes, the inaccessibility of historical wargaming is a very real and very unfortunate perception out there, and unfortunately it’s very true in some ways.  The good news is that it doesn’t have to be.  But it takes deliberate effort, and will always require such effort, to continue to reduce.

What makes it inaccessible?  Sometimes the players, unfortunately.  I can freely admit this because I used to be one of “those” gamers who enjoyed historical wargaming to the point where I looked down on other kinds of gaming and even worse, PEOPLE who enjoyed these games.  Historical enjoys certain “advantages” in gravitas, reality, perceived respectability, etc,  which sometimes … yes … goes to the head of historical wargamers.  Not all of us, but some of us.

This, needless to say, is something we have to work against, both in an online community and face-to-face in gaming clubs, etc.  Support between historical community members here on the site has always been a little low.  I used to go to every historical forum thread and offer at least a word of congratulations or encouragement, until I realized that only about 1% of this ever came back my way to one of my threads or, even worse, between other historical players.  New people who venture in from fantasy or sci-fi are sometimes (not always, but often enough) treated a little roughly.

“Hmppf, haven’t your read so-and-so’s works on this-and-that?  You mean NOT in the original Hungarian?  Well, my young friend, this is a grown-ups table  here, kindly have fun with your Star Wars or 40K or Infinity or whatever …”

*patronizing pat on the head, etc.*  😛 😛 😛

Clearly I’m having a little fun here, but everyone here probably knows what I’m talking about, has heard such conversations, been subjected to such conversations, or at least in my regrettable case, even inflicted it on others in years past.

The point is, this is where the perception of the inaccessibility of historical wargaming seems to come from.  The games aren’t any harder or more expensive, etc.  The inaccessibility is fallacious, but the perception of it is not and represents a real problem which we fortunately have the power, and responsibility, to reduce at every opportunity.