History Ain't Fair

I should start by saying, if you were brave enough to click on this article, thank you! The title of may have some of you anticipating a charged political rant, but I assure you that's not what this is post is about, not entirely. Nevertheless, I should warn you that this post is about a controversial topic that has come up recently in my hobby, so in essence, this article touches on the new politics of gaming. 

I am talking about points-based games. Point-based games have become the norm, not the exception in miniature gaming. There is an unspoken expectation that when you come to the game table, you and the other players should arrive with balanced forces based on a rules-generated point system. While I understand the appeal of everyone having a shot at victory, the utopia of equal forces is not often aligned with the reality of warfare. 

Last year, I hosted a huge 15mm Battle of Gettysburg game. I provided all the terrain, and I painted both forces. The rule set of choice was Fire and Fury, which, in my humble opinion, does a good job balancing fun with historical reality. Some of my old sparring partners from the club actually drove down to my side of the pond to play. I also took on three new(ish) guys who were interested in gaming the American Civil War. Pete, a quiet kid in his mid-20's, who is also a Civil War reenactor, immediately got my approval. Chris, late 20's, had never played a historical game in his life (40k and Kings of War are his games of choice), but he picks up rules super fast and keeps his cellphone out of reach the whole time he plays. So another “yes” for me. 

Then there was Evan, Chris' friend. I did not know much about him, but he professed to have an interest in the Civil War, so with slight hesitation I gave a him weary “yes”. I made Pete one of my Confederate players; perfect choice for a guy that dons North Virginia grays for reenactments. Then I split up Chris and Pete, in fear that if they were next to each other, they might spend more time jabbering than paying attention to the game. Chris got a Union cavalry force, and Evan received a Confederate infantry force. 

The old timers at the table quickly settled into the game, playing their respective forces with almost quiet precision. Pete checked his list a few times, observed some of the seasoned gamers at his side, and learned by their example. Chris was the most extroverted person at the table, trash talking his opponents (in a fun way), and occasionally asking me to clarify a rule or two. Perfectly acceptable table talk, and he asked good questions that the other players at the table might also have been curious about but were afraid to ask.

Then there was Evan. Evan is the player that slowly crushes a GM's dream game with every word that comes out of his mouth. Stupid questions that are easily addressed if he simply read the quick reference sheet I had made for each player. Bipolar reactions to every action made by or taken against his units: angry grunting when he took casualties, and loudly cheering for himself when he inflicted casualties. And worst of all, whining about the discrepancies in size and composition between the Blues and the Grays. “Why do they have more guys?” “Shouldn't we have equal forces?” 

Before I could snap on the kid, one of my old gaming buddies, Joe, said, “You do know who lost the Battle of Gettysburg, don't you?” Evan did not speak, but his wide, dumb eyes said, “That would be a 'no'”. Joe followed up Evan's silence with, “I thought you knew about the Civil War. Gettysburg is a historic push back of Confederate forces. It's the friggin' turning point of the war, and even people who don't know the Civil War know about Gettysburg.” 

Again, crickets. It was the Union's turn, and all the men at the table were making their move, including Chris, who did nothing to come to the aid of his buddy. It came to the offensive fire phase of the turn. The Union players, with superior forces in every way, were aided by some luck of the Irish dice rolling. The Confederates took devastating hits, Pete especially, whose brow was beginning to show a glisten of sweat. The two other seasoned gamers on the Confederate side, Don and James, took their pummeling in stride. Evan, on the other hand, had an epic tantrum at the table. He threw his dice down in disgust, flipped his ruler, and said, loud enough for everyone in the game store to hear, “This game is stupid. Why even play? We do not even have a chance of winning, so why even play this stupid scenario?” 

Again, Joe to the rescue, with deadpan calmness, “Because it is historical, and because July 1^st was yesterday.” “History does not have anything to do with it. Forces should be balanced. These are not balanced forces. What's the point of having a point-based system when the forces don't even have to balanced? That's just stupid,” Evan whined. 

Finally, I jump in with as calm a voice as I could muster, “You know the Confederates were greatly outnumbered at Gettysburg? As was Napoleon at Waterloo, as was the Germans at Kursk. Nevertheless we play these battles because some of us actually get into the history of the period. Do you think an army makes a brigade or two sit out the battle if they notice that they have more men on the ground than the force across the field, Evan?” 

Crickets again. “No,” I said, in what had to be my most patronizing tone. “I don't know what other games have taught you, but in the real world, war is not fair. The opposing force does not care if you are evenly matched; hell, they would prefer to have all the advantages. All they want to do is crush as many of the enemy as necessary, while sustaining as few losses as possible, and secure their objective. The winning force does not hand out “You will get 'em next time, Tiger” trophies to the remaining enemy at the end of battle. There's no hugs or conciliatory pats on the shoulders for their foes.” 

Evan was still at a loss for words, so I just said, “If you are not having fun at this game, then give your remaining forces to Pete. He will be glad to have them, because unlike you, Pete actually knows about the Civil War, and he's willing to play Confederates, despite the odds.”

Pete was a little embarrassed, poor kid. Evan decided to give his forces to Pete and stormed off in a huff. Chris stayed with us. He was having fun; he was also kicking butt, which always helps.

This brings me to the problem with point-based games. They create the expectations of equality, when historically, a clash between forces with equal strength and composition was almost unheard of. Historical gamers do not play historical games because both sides expect victory. We play because we love the period. Ultimately, someone has to build the weaker force, and it takes a man of strong character to take on that responsibility. He knows his chances of victory are slim to none, but he is willing to do his part for the sake of celebrating history and continuing this hobby of ours for future generations.

I am supposed to run a 15mm Alamo game next month. I know, I should wait til next March, but I have been bitten by the bug. Guess I won't be inviting 'Even' Evan to that one.