How to create a war game

[selil]

I have a lot of theoretical knowledge of game theory (well a bit), but I have zero idea how to create a military war game.

I want to create a table top exercise to examine a set of problems or issues regarding techniques/tactics.

I want to format the tool so that anybody in the military or associated with the military would be familiar with the idea.

I have visited the great global google goodness and came away knowing a lot about dungeons and dragons and not a whole lot about how to create a war game. I'm not interested in entertaining anybody but examining thinking processes.

Likely this is another situation where I don't know what I don't know so I can't use key words I'm unaware of to accomplish the search. Any help would be truly appreciated.

[Entropy]

Not sure what scope you're looking at, but have you checked out TACOPS?

[selil]

Not sure what scope you're looking at, but have you checked out TACOPS?

The problem is that is a simulation and I'm looking for a table top type game.


I want to run a war game/exercise with evaluation points to gather evidence/information on how people would do something (purposely vague). DHS runs these kinds of games, but I've never figured out how they set them up.

[Entropy]

Maybe something like ASL?

[selil]

Maybe something like ASL?

Thanks! That looks interesting.

[marct]

I want to run a war game/exercise with evaluation points to gather evidence/information on how people would do something (purposely vague). DHS runs these kinds of games, but I've never figured out how they set them up.

Sam, shoot me an email on what you are looking at. I've actually designed (and published, for my sins) about 10 war games.

[William F. Owen]

I want to create a table top exercise to examine a set of problems or issues regarding techniques/tactics.

The ones with military credibility for Land Warfare, are

Steel beasts
TACOPS4 - Was OK, but it now pretty dated.
Combat Missions (CMAK and CMBB)
Combat Missions Shock Force

Also look up VBS and VBS2, which mixes "game play" with person in the loop simulation. The ADF has actually used this as an Ops Analysis tool.

Played head-to-head, all offer a great deal of utility for professional education. The Australians use all the above. For examing tactical doctrine, these games are useful , but have limits. Once you are aware of those, they are excellent.

I have visited the great global google goodness and came away knowing a lot about dungeons and dragons and not a whole lot about how to create a war game. I'm not interested in entertaining anybody but examining thinking processes.

Dungeons and dragons has some very solid grounding in tactical doctrine!
My interest is in them as a training, education and development tool. There are huge tensions between a commercially viable game, and a good military tool, but they are no irreconcilable given a bit of third party development.

[J Wolfsberger]

It sounds like you want to focus on thinking processes, not the impact of doctrine or capability. If so, you may want to look at Kriegspeil. The board games that came from Avalon Hill and SPI are good, but also rule intensive.

If you want to do something computer based, check out VR Forces from MAK.

[selil]

It sounds like you want to focus on thinking processes, not the impact of doctrine or capability. If so, you may want to look at Kriegspeil. The board games that came from Avalon Hill and SPI are good, but also rule intensive.

If you want to do something computer based, check out VR Forces from MAK.

I really want to stay away from computer based systems though in some ways that may be easier. Thank you for the link that will help enormously.

[Rex Brynen]

Dungeons and dragons has some very solid grounding in tactical doctrine!

Damn—my halfling rogue read this, and now wants to volunteer for Afghanistan...

[J Wolfsberger]

Damn—my halfling rogue read this, and now wants to volunteer for Afghanistan...

It's old school. i.e. If he's attacked by a troll with a battle axe, he'll have to run like hell, he can't just hit "reset."

[Rex Brynen]

Sam:

Our very own BayonetBrant is a commercial wargame designer (Bayonet Games), so you might want to drop him a PM.

You might also try to get hold of:

Peter Perla, The Art of Wargaming: A Guide for Professionals and Hobbyists.

James Dunnigan, Wargames Handbook, Third Edition: How to Play and Design Commercial and Professional Wargames. An earlier version of this is online here.

[selil]

You might also try to get hold of:

Peter Perla, The Art of Wargaming: A Guide for Professionals and Hobbyists.

James Dunnigan, Wargames Handbook, Third Edition: How to Play and Design Commercial and Professional Wargames. An earlier version of this is online here.

Already bought both books and waiting on delivery. Should be here today I hope. I got a couple others on math of gaming, etc...

I'll contact BayonetBrant , heck maybe he'll want what I'm developing.

[Steve Blair]

I've done some work on games (both board and RPG) over the years as well. I'd be happy to help.

And don't ignore the role-playing game just because it looks flip. Some of those systems have very good tactical models built in, and they tend to be easier to tweak on the fly than a more rigid board-based system.

[BayonetBrant]

Already bought both books and waiting on delivery. Should be here today I hope. I got a couple others on math of gaming, etc...

I'll contact BayonetBrant , heck maybe he'll want what I'm developing.

Contact away! (Sorry, but I'm not around much on weekends. SWJ is 'required' reading at work, but I'm trying to keep the computer in the bag on the weekends these days and spend more time with family).

One thing I've noticed is that although you specified a 'table top' game, there were a lot of computer game suggestions.


Other books to recommend:
Raph Koster's A Theory of Fun For Game Design
and anything by Salen & Zimmerman


Also, Dunnigan's book is available online, for free: http://www.hyw.com/Books/WargamesHandbook/Contents.htm


PM me, or email me, and I'll see what I can do to help out. This is kinda my schtick

[selil]

Dungeons and dragons has some very solid grounding in tactical doctrine!
My interest is in them as a training, education and development tool. There are huge tensions between a commercially viable game, and a good military tool, but they are no irreconcilable given a bit of third party development.

I hadn't actually thought of it that way. Thank you very much. One of my graduate students has a friend who runs a D&D type game store maybe I should talk to him.

Great advice thank you very much...