Reply To: Is wargaming just "make believe" with dice?

[limburger 21709xp 2]

@blinky465 “missing the point” kind of implies that there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to play.

Some people simply like the pure mechanical approach and they will treat a game as an excercise in min/maxing your way to victory. The consequence of this can be that losing a game can be blamed on ‘bad rules’ or ‘bad dice’ as well as simply ‘bad tactics’.

I submit that you have simply discovered a new way to enjoy your games.

Some games lend themselves more towards narrative use, whereas others tend to push towards a more abstract mechanical focus.
And as such playing the ‘wrong’ style of game with a given set of rules will feel like the rules work against you …

I suspect a narrative focused gamers is unlikely to complain about ‘bad’ rules because they’re more used to playing fast & loose with rules and their results, but a mechanics focused player will find faults regardless of how ‘complete’ a given ruleset claims to be.

Best example may be the much hated SPQR and even GW’s 40k & AoS. A narrative focused gamers isn’t too fussed if the rules aren’t perfect, because when push comes to shove they will house rule and get on with it. The mechanics focused gamers are more likely to complain out loud and stomp their feet because the system doesn’t offer them a perfect response.

A perfect / ideal game would allow both types of gamers to play the same game and still have fun.
Unfortunately most rules aren’t perfect and the players themselves don’t always have the patience to endure someone playing a different style. I also doubt both could ever be opponents in the same game and have fun …