Board Wargaming Is Time Well Invested Hands-On Practice in Critical Thinking by Christopher Cummins
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IDEAS & ISSUES (WARGAMING/ADVERTISER CONTENT) Board Wargaming Is Time Well Invested Hands-on practice in critical thinking by Christopher Cummins his is the beginning of a series devoted to getting started in >Dr. Cummins, PhD, MBA, is the publisher of Strategy & Tactics Press and CEO of board wargaming. Over the Decision Games. He has led a team in publishing over 400 board wargames and T 600 magazine issues over the past 32 years. He is a former U.S. Army psycholo- next several issues, Joseph gist and continues to practice part-time specializing in assessing, testing, and Miranda and I will introduce you to treating individuals with stress disorders. games specifically intended as starting points. We will look at wargaming ba- >>Mr. Miranda has designed over 400 games, mostly of the board variety but has sics and explain what the components been on the team for several computer game designs. He has worked mainly are and how they represent military with Decision Games but has also done contract work for the Center for Naval forces, the battlefield, and how their Analysis and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Mr. Miranda is a interaction models simulate battles and former U.S. Army officer and has been a featured speaker at numerous modeling campaigns. Along the way we will ex- and simulations conferences. plain some of the nuances of wargames, game play, and wargame design. We hope to encourage the reader to utilize board wargames as a regular part of their military education and training. It is a fun and educational way to increase critical thinking and drive home les- sons about principles of war, operational planning, and maintaining flexibility. Let me touch on some factors that make board wargaming superior to other forms of wargaming: First, board wargames are played on a table. We, as humans, are conditioned to gather around a table to converse, consume, and share. A board game is something we naturally gather around to play and share. Whether we play head-to-head, team against team, or observe or comment on play, board games are inviting. Second, board wargames are intend- ed to be played by two or more players. Not only are we socially programmed, there is no better opponent than another human player. They formulate their own operations plans and carry them out. Their play changes from game to game and situation to situation. They adapt to each other’s play and so the challenge grows. Every game provides Bleeding Kansas board game at the Recruits convention near Kansas City, September 2019. an opportunity for discussion of the (Photo by Callie Cummins.) 78 www.mca-marines.org/gazette Marine Corps Gazette • December 2020 game, the battle, or campaign it mod- for beginners (and yet, still a challenge Design Discipline and No Black Boxes els, what the challenges were for the for experienced players). Each one I has been designing wargames for combatants historically, how the two comes with series rules, meaning there quite some time, to include both com- sides performed historically, and how are other games in the series with the puter and board wargames, as well as the players perceive the sides could have same base rules; once you have learned conducting seminars using games for done better. one game, you just learned four to six training. Designing board wargames Even when the game is designed with games. places a certain discipline into the pro- a system to play one side, most single- cess. A board game requires limits on player games are easily adapted by divid- rules and number of pieces in order to ing the forces involved between players. keep it playable. This refines the process The best part of single-player wargames Why Board so the designer is thinking in terms of is they invite a discussion about what essential systems and ergonomic me- course of action would be best. These Wargaming Is Better chanics. There can be a tendency in discussions often lead to a deeper dive computer games to throw everything into the history of the conflict, specifics by Joseph Miranda into the design, overwhelming the play- of military operations, risk analysis, and ers, or in constantly refining the code other subjects. have been playing and designing such that the game program is never fi- Third, a board wargame comes with wargames for quite some time, to nalized. Consequently, board wargames physical components. In most wargames, include both computer and board can be much more usable in training you can see the whole map laid out on games, as well as conducting semi- since they focus on essential learning your gaming table. You can study the Inars using games for training. My gen- points. Board games place the com- map by itself for a better understanding eral preference is for board games, so ponents where the players can see and of terrain. You can trace the historical ac- let’s look at the reasons why. learn from them. They are the source tion across the game map and better un- for much data on things like order of derstand why battles and campaigns un- battle. folded the way they did (e.g. channeled All systems are transparent. For along roads or clear terrain, or blocked example, combat resolution in a board by rivers, mountains, or swamps). Com- wargame is usually by a printed table bined with the game’s Terrain Effects with some randomizing element (like a Chart, you can conduct your own ter- die roll). By actually conducting these rain analysis to see where movement is processes and applying their modifi- rapid or slow, and what terrain benefits ers (such as logistics and morale), the the defender or the attacker. A board players come to understand the actual wargame also comes with playing pieces structures behind operations and learn that usually form an order of battle. A it is not just about “firepower.” comparison of the playing pieces provides There is a secondary advantage inso- an analysis of which units are faster or far as board wargames have few issues slower, stronger or weaker, and what with “glitches” and “crashes” (other units provide bonuses or special abili- than someone upsetting the playing ties. Finally, almost every board wargame board!). If there are discrepancies in comes with a rules booklet explaining the rules, these can be worked out by the play of the game. A careful read of player agreement or doing some re- the rules often reveals how the wargame search. Errata may be a part of board designer is modeling important factors games, but there are no delays caused and events in game play. by reprogramming. In the end, the time invested in play- Also, something to be considered ing board wargames enhances under- is that computer simulations can be standing of military history, operations, rendered unusable by changes in plat- how to plan for battles and campaigns, forms. Often, people have shelves full of and gives a wealth of examples—good computer games that they could play a and bad—in how to put it all into prac- mere ten, or even just five, years ago but tice. Best of all, you can practice all you will not run on their current platform. want, try different approaches, and gain Today, gamers are still playing board an understanding of what works, what wargames designed and produced in the does not work, and why. The 1st Provisional Marine brigade and Ma- mid-20th century and will continue to In the next few issues, we will intro- rine F4U Corsairs leading a counterattack do so far into the future. duce you to wargames that are perfect near Masan, 12–13 Aug 1950. (Photo by author.) Marine Corps Gazette • December 2020 www.mca-marines.org/gazette 79 IDEAS & ISSUES (WARGAMING/ADVERTISER CONTENT) Physicality their general staff functions and placed nents and rules for various reasons: to Board games use physical compo- them on cards for personnel, intelli- provide updates from research, for more nents. These include maps, counters, gence, operations, and logistics. Each realism, to analyze hypothetical situa- rules books, charts, and cards. Counters player selects their cards for the turn tions. This can be done simply by using are usually small cardboard pieces with then plays them to initiate various ac- pen and ink corrections on maps and information about unit type and vari- tions. This allows for players to think counters—or producing entirely new ous capabilities (expressed as numerical in grand operational terms, and by put- maps. Again, there is no need here for combat and other “factors”). Sometimes ting the rule on the cards, the system computer reprogramming. Board gam- the counters can be blocks or plastic provides immediate reference as well as ing can be vital for classified situations figurines. Regardless, the tactile nature efficient utilization. where trainers can create physical com- of moving physical components is often Another aspect is social learning. ponents for specific situations or tactical part of the learning process Why? It This is the theory which holds that situations where the commander might has been observed by many wargame people can learn more efficiently in situ- need an immediate modeling situation. designers that “there must be an illu- ations involving groups. There is also Finally, board wargames can be de- sion of movement” because players find the element of teamwork with a group signed and produced on tight produc- movement to be psychologically satisfy- of players on each side taking on dif- tion schedules, allowing for immediate ing. They gain the sense that by taking ferent roles (such as joint commander, response to crisis situations.