Reply To: Is it time for some more critical analysis of rule sets

[limburger 21708xp 0]

I’d argue that (good) starter sets are essential for a game to get a community started.

One has to consider the simple fact that wargames are competing for time (and money) with hobbies that have a more immediate return on investment (videogames are literally plug & play).

Nothing is more annoying than having to buy ‘more stuff’ with no clue as to what makes for a functional & fun army in a system you’re not familliar with.
Never mind the added complications of not even knowing what this wargame thing is like at all.

A starter set solves all of this.

The best starter sets introduce the rules in a manner that allows one to get a feel for the game without having to waste precious time reading dry text just to play the most basic battle.

That doesn’t mean the rules can’t be sold separately .

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One has to keep in mind that not everyone entering this hobby is interested in the fluff.
Some of us just want to play a game.
Whether the accuracy is ‘Hollywood movie’ or ‘battlefield simulation’ doesn’t matter, provided the game doesn’t try to sell itself as something it isn’t. That avoids needlessly negative reviews by people who want a ‘realistic’ game (or bashing a game for being ‘too complex’ when they want a beer&pretzel game).