I think you are spot on Lee. Be using some on that on my blog I think! Cheers Matt (Bluewillow)

Love this format and great story telling.

I have to admit that I approach the game rather pessimistically - especially with dice results. Always have several plans and react quickly to problems.. and problems will arise. BUT.. it's true that my behavior in other areas is similar. I act similarly when the dice fail me again or the legislature changes the rules at work again. Adjust tactically and move on. Always try to regain the initiative. A classic situation in WFB used to be the expectation of a superior army that the opponent would field and usually the relief when you see what was being brought onto the field. 😇

Great video. An optimist till things go wrong lol.

Hi Lee; after that speech I think you are a shoe in for the job you are applying for 😂. Back on subject; I feel that historical gamers already have a certain amount of optimism which is only enhanced by continual gaming. Although I have met some who just can't tolerate losing; but these types don't usually hang around. Lets face it, the more you game, the better you (generally) get at it, which leads to further improvement in all the aspects of the game - the snowball effect (with the odd setback). Brilliant subject to make one ponder.

I guess you have to be an optimist at some level to collect and slowly paint figures in hopes of playing a game in the future. It takes a lot of planning and patience to get there eventually.

The real puzzler when it comes to scale is what happens when (as is often necessary in wargaming) you count one figure to represent, say, 20 men. Now the small cottage that those 20 men decide to occupy cannot be in scale with the figure, or it would be a palace on the tabletop, nor do you want it to be a sentry box, even if that would correctly represent cramped quarters for the 20mm base your single chap occupies. In practice you end up with a compromise between the extremes- a single storey box with a door and a couple of windows. Out of scale with both the single man and the 20 men, but a compromise that works for the game. The same thing might be necessary with vehicles, and of course weapon ranges. I think the key thing is utility. It's no good being a slave to scale if it means you can't tell a rifle from an SMG, if the rules require the distinction.

That is a tricky question. I would say you have to be an optimist to even paint miniatures or build model kits. It can be daunting to tackle a painting project. As far as support network and such I unfortunately have not benefited from that in my time wargaming with miniatures. I blame it on the fact the local group were all 40k players masquerading as historical gamers and they had their cliq and never let me in. I would say only a couple of times in the 17 years of gaming have I encountered supportive gamers but they were indeed strictly historical gamers. I will say that the hex and counter wargaming community has been very receptive and supportive to the point that it blew me away. I guess it boils down to the games workshop approach being ultimately bad for the hobby as it breeds far too many bad player types.

All that yes, but sometimes you just go "Feckit, the cavalry charge the cannon and let's hope I don't roll too many 1s"

Optimism lasts right up until the roll of that first dice 😂😂

Psychological analysis of historical wargamers on the optimist - pessimist spectrum.... Nothing like a little light mass distance therapy with Sunday lunch. 😂 I'm sorry, but I am going to take issue with, at least a part of, one of the implicit assumptions underlying your hypothesis. I do not think those who are tasked with problem solving are inherently more optimistic, or necessarily become so. To first solve a problem you must recognise that there is a problem, then identify and analyse it. This requires critical thinking, not necessarily optimism, indeed a 'pessimistic' mindset may well be useful in finding faults in any proposed solutions. "I'll try this, but here, here and possibly here are where this solution may not work..." is an negative approach to problem solving, but is usually more effective than assuming that the solution will not throw up other problems...a far more optimistic, positive attitude. Indeed, a thorough look at the planned problem, with a skeptical, 'negative' mindset, may arrive at the conclusion that the problem is unsolvable in its current form and lead to a radical rethink and looking for a way round the problem. So, I suggest that leavening the positivity with the realism of a 'pessimistic' analysis and search for potential pitfalls is a far more effective and efficient approach to problem solving. Anecdotally, the game I hosted and umpired at the club on Thursday had the expectation of imminent defeat on both sides. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia saw 'no way to dislodge the Union V Corps from the prepared positions on the high ground...until they did...and the Union commander looked with dismay at the vast numbers of soldiers the rebels had to assault his rear guard position. The Battle of Gaines Mill was eventually won by the South, by the way, and despite the 'doom and gloom' all enjoyed the game. So in conclusion, I don't think your assertion linking wargamers with optimism is a cut and dried case...but, maybe it's a case of... 'a pessimist is just the name an optimist applies to a realist. 😂

Ha! Ha! Ha! Good try Lee. I could see the laughter trying to bubble through at many stages of this tongue-in-cheek posting. I must be a natural optimist, my favourite army is Late Achaemenid. Skills and experience can be transferred as we all know. But, I never went on manoeuvres in the workplace to make my colleagues retreat or surrender to my, obviously, greater tactical skill. I think what wargamers share is fascination for games, preferably with miniature figures. Usually, a sense of fairness in how the game is played. And hopefully, an outlook of it's only a game and the result is secondary to the enjoyment of playing.

Hey Big Lee! It has been my experience that, on the whole, wargamers are an optimistic lot! In addition... most of them have a pretty wicked sense of humor, as well! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

I enjoy the problem solvinI enjoy the problem solving aspect of wargaming. Its always interesting to see how a game pans out. No plan survives contact with the enemy and all that. I have however had the misfortune of being paired up with a payer with some regularity that regularly concedes as soon as he thinks things aren't going his way. Its deeply frustrating to play one turn of a game only to have your opponent give up because you crippled the unit he decided was going to win the game for him. I find myself dreading club night in case I get landed playing with or against him. I'm not really sure what the solution to this is.

Ha ha, Its just another passive hobby.

I hope to make it to Broadside next year, I had to work yesterday morning unfortunately 😭lovely video as always

For me I embraced Xpress Colors from Vallejo- but mostly for skin, and white... and tha's about it. I don't want a 3d printer, I mostly like hand-sculpted metal minis, I hate slapshop. I mostly stick to what is comfortable to me.

Wargamers are not historians- as that requires an academic degree. Also wargames are as stated- games. They are a recreational activity- not a scientific tool. I think too many gamers think they need to act like historians- and that on the one extreme builds hubris and on the other frustration. And as such I feel we should think of us as gamers, not academics. Sure we want to recreate the armies and battles to the best if our knowledge and understanding, but it's ok if not everything is perfect- we are not historians recreating history for a living as professionals.

A campaign is the ultimate goal, the holy grail of miniture gaming... for me. 😉 But it could also be because I'm not a tournament player. Campaigns provide the framework for more realistic behavior on the field. Here you not only have to defeat your opponent, but also maintain your own strength. ".. to fight another day." Or rivalry between different commanders on the same side. So many possibilities... The book recommendation sounds good too. I'll keep them in mind. Thanks.

Hi lee,I’ve been in a few campaigns over the years, mostly like you they have been D&D based. But more recently we’ve run a What a Cowboy campaign, which was very enjoyable . Except for my gangly members (I was playing the law), where the sheriff and his deputy both ended up being drunks after taken a few wounds during the games. With the deputy being so drunk in one game he couldn’t hit a barn with a shotgun (even though he was equipped with one). The next campaign on our radar is one for Frostgrave and the 6mm Napoleonic campaign is still in the background.

Great insight on a great video

There are a number of cardboard wargames at the operational level that can be used to run miniatures campaigns. Examples include Kevin Zucker's Napoleonic era campaigns and the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War series.

Love campaign play, but it's always so hard to keep momentum going. Either one or two players snowball and end up conquering huge swathes of the map, or scheduling conflicts cause it to fizzle out. I've learned to just enjoy the moment of it and appreciate it while it's still there.

Great video Lee. Good mix of content I too started as a role player. Playing tunnels and trolls then moving to advanced d&d and call of Cthulhu (a game’s workshop book then ). I think that’s why I prefer games that have a good narrative not just capture the flag.

12:32 That is exactly how I GM my OG TT game I wrote the thing and intend for it to be the most pure Rules as written expance for a game of it's scope but a few days ago when I GMed I never opened the book nore had any written session guide planned out just an idea bqased on an event chain in Stellarus a 4X space video game.... And just got stuck in to the game with my Flags friends and it was one of my best sesstions. Which you can have this experience with wargames it's just you need to be solo or have a good friend who trusts you not to cheat.

Hi Lee; have tried running the odd campaign, but found that while some of our group are keen on the detail this brings, there were others who dislike the admin that it requires & the 'drawn out' length of the campaign. So it all boils down to the fact that you are either into the admin, depth & length of this concept or you are more into single battles - personally I am happy with both.

You could also look to the many solo-roleplaying tools and mechanisms designed to allow people to play RPGs without a GM. Most of these will have some sort of "Oracle", or generator of evocative phrases or imagery which is interpreted to add details or complexity to the game siuation. This could just as easily be applied to a narrative campaign at the tactical or grand strategic level to give the same sort of uncertainty that things like Chance carrds would.

Love Campaigns, running them or being involved. Map based are my favourite. Having clear objectives and suitable rules and unbiased umpires is also important. Do remember putting on a battle for a roleplay group where their characters fought on one side in the battle. Great viseo and topic.

As a Footnote. The Triples Wargames Campaigns site is not configured for use from a mobile. So if you wish to view, please do so from a Pad, Laptop or Computer. Cheers.

Nice response thanks Lee. Very thought provoking you make some very sound points I must say. I think the two campaigns that I've played that most closely align to your narrative ethos are the commercially available Dell’arte Della Guerra from Real Time Wargames and The King of Mann which was one I concocted myself. The first was a 15th century Condottiere campaign which was huge fun combining battles with diplomacy and back stabbing. It finished as a quite improbable tie for the win. If only Leonardo Da Vinci had completed the painting of the fallen Madonna in time then victory could have been mine! 😂 The second was set in the dark age as players controlled rival warlords vying for control of the Irish Sea and Western Isles. Again a massively narrative campaign with much inter-player diplomacy and massive swings of fortune as the one time front runner finished the campaign with his warlord's head on a spike outside Dublin's city gates. Both were huge fun and a real hoot whether playing or umpiring.

I am curious, Big Lee what edition of Dungeons an Dragons do you play and which one do you consider your favorite? I've played every version of the game but found I prefer AD&D 2E and the BECMI Rules Cyclopedia. I enjoy wargame campaigns but seldom had the chance to do so. If its an historical campaign you need players who know and understand the history to make the game better.

Play Unsafe! That's a blast from the past. It jives a lot with my own RPing tastes to this day. Fond memories of playing with Graham back at Indiecon many moons ago! Have you tried explicitly narrative-focused wargames like the Silver Bayonet?

Campaigns are the way to go.. especially as I am primarily a solo wargamer, they can take as long as you like and the narrative is half the fun. I confess mine are primarily sci-fi and the different parts of the campaign can use different game systems. I’ve always thought that the mechanics that I build to help with my opponents (I refuse to use the term AI cause its not) focus almost entirely on the commanders and their reaction to a tactical or strategic situation rather than a specific move here/ shoot that. Featherstone’s talk of a campaign diary is also a must and in writing these I find it becomes natural to expand on and infer the personalities and motivations of the commanders involved as you write.

Hey Big Lee! This is a subject that is near & dear to my heart. As a wargamer, I soon got to the point that fighting a single battle was no longer as satisfying as it had been. Campaigns are a way to deal with the "challenges" that a Commander would confront. I am interested in how a General can do everything right... and still come out on the short end of the stick! (I've been there more than once!) The characters that have been developed over the years are a joy. The triumphs and defeats of the Comte Armand d'Iffy and Ritter Hugo von Schwillingstaufenstein, just to mention two of them, have provided a lot of enjoyment! I will have to latch on to a copy of Play Unsafe! Thanks for the recommendation!

I recommend reading Henry Hyde’s Wargaming Campaign. Excellent book on designing a campaign.

Having been in a couple pf campaigns that folded it seemed to me that those running it either didn't appreciate the amount of work or wanted too much detail in it. There have been many good blogs with imagi-nations campaigns that were successful for many years. I think that linked battles works best for campaigning. GW did many in White Dwarf and there have been some in The Wargamers' Annual. As I have stated previously, I am a fan boy for 5 Parsecs and 5 Leagues, which are narrative skirmish games with a campaign structure. Now I'm seduced by VBCW where it is one big campaign. I'm no spring chicken (69 this year) but I keep finding new things in wargaming.

An anecdote I like to share is that I tailor my Campaigns I run to the players involved. Getting someone new into the hobby, but they had roleplaying experience, I (after probing with questions that they liked to see, of course) I gave a lot of room for the units they commanded, ad their general, to be people with personalities and their ambitions and goals - in the case of the units the sub-commander responsible for them. Important was also for the player to feel involved in the setting, and that they ahd a chance to change the tide and the outcome of the campaign. If they could not, they would still influence the world around them with the decisions they made - and inform them that they could make a difference, then tell AND telegraph in the game just what difference they had made.

Great section about campaigns, Lee-no surprise that I was nodding along with you! 😁

Narrative is the way to go for one off games and campaigns. Tend to go for connected scenarios or games than campaigns as, in my experience they tend to fizzle out before conclusion. I always preferred being DM, and still prefer to be umpire for competitive or co-op wargames. Easier to build characters and stories with 'Imagi-nations'.

As my current 'obsession' is refighting all the major battles of the ACW in 6mm, the 'narrative' was set over a century and a half ago. But your topic did make me consider a question that has interested me for some time. It is... Skirmish games that use only a handful of figures .... an RPG with a significant martial component .... Are they the exact same thing, just approached from different directions. If so, what implications can you draw. If not, where is the 'line' when does an RPG combat become a skirmish wargame? When does your small narrative skirmish campaign actually become an RPG?

It was great to finally meet you. Great summary of a great show.

Scales are like statistics ... a type of lie :)

Yes, I can only agree: if in doubt, get a few test figures and compare them. 👍 For all kinds of armor and uniforms, it makes sense to measure the figures from the soles to the eyes. You can always see the height of the eyes, but not always the top of the head. By the way, the list in the blog is really good and useful. Thx for this.

Fantastic creative talent on display; thanks for sharing. And special thanks for showing some of my games (20:08). Mike

Yes. Proportion on the figures. I dont like the so called 15mm " "squat" miniatures the ones that while 15mm are "stumpy" looking. You see a few of these from 3D print manufactures abd the occasional resin or metal. the proportion of the legs and torso are just "wrong". I wont drop names. I avoid these like the plague. Then you get marvelous highly detailed and superbly proportioned "25mm" miniatures like Fife and Drum who are making museum quality amazing historical figs... more then "scale" I believe "proportion" is the key.

Thanks for this review Lee, am now on the edge...looking at your lovely armies, 6mm looks good👍