Digital vs cardboard.

[MrsWargamer]

Does there need to be a competition? No. Is there competition, yes, very much so.

Do most wargamers play both? I think most do. But where do their loyalties rest.

Well in my case, I'm a hard core fan of cardboard. Given a choice, I will tend to pick cardboard every time.

That said, I have a great many digital wargames. But if you look closely, my wargames are almost all attempts to render a board game on a computer. The Greats, Steel Panthers is mainly a success because it feels like Squad Leader. The more recent Second Front is again, a great success because it looks like Squad Leader. Close Combat... looks like Squad Leader. Combat Mission... looks like Squad Leader.

Perhaps you haven't played Squad Leader, but most squad tactical scale WW2 games are beholding to this board game of the 80s.

Most grand strategy games are trying to be Third Reich of World in Flames. Both board games. A great title The Operational Art of War has succeeded greatly because it looks like a big pile of board game wargames.

If you are of the sort that prefers games like Call of Duty or Battlefield, the type where you play you in a battleground like setting, it is likely you know of board game wargames, but they might not be your thing. Nothing wrong with that.
I also prefer a role game be funny shaped dice pencil and paper and friends around a table. But a lot see 'rolegame' and immediately think World of Warcraft or a similar experience.

I don't hate digital, I just didn't grow up with digital.
I don't mind reading manuals or nothing happens. But some just want to 'figure it out' while playing through a mouse.
I like knowing why everything does what it does. I like not needing a new video card to play a new board game wargame.

I have bought recent board game wargames as well as rolegames meant entirely to be play solo.
I wish they had been here sooner.
I sometimes wish I had not bought so many digital games. Even the good ones.

Steam is going to be unable to entertain anyone not using Windows 10 in under 20 days.
That is not going to be a problem for my board games.
I have this one game I like, but it will not run on a pre Windows 10 system.
That is not a problem with my recent solo wargame purchases.

And my board games will continue to run in 5 years and in 50 years. Granted, I likely won't be living in 50 years.

I don't have even an idiot grade AI to play my board games. But, they can write basic methods to do the same.
Even when the AI is not a moron, it's still not the same as playing a human. Even if I have to be both humans.
And software rarely will listen to an idea for how to house rule something.

I don't know the future of wargaming. But I do know my future . I'm 61. I predict I have about 10 years left. As an active wargamer that is. I'm planning to grow old and spend my time reading books.
I'm the primary demographic of wargamer. My demographic created the board gaming hobby.
Will the wargaming hobby survive without me and my demographic expiring?

Remains to be seen.

But I wouldn't want to be banking too many hopes on selling board game wargames too much longer.
Or digital wargames meant to interest board game wargamers.

[terminator]

Steam is going to be unable to entertain anyone not using Windows 10 in under 20 days.

There are still computers that do not run Windows 10 ?

[alexm394]

You raise some excellent points about the tradeoffs between digital and cardboard wargaming. As someone who also came up in the hobby playing paper games, I understand your affinity for the tactile experience and longevity of board games.At the same time, I think there is room for both formats to not just coexist but complement each other. Digital implementations have helped introduce historical wargaming to new audiences that might be intimidated by thick manuals and complex board game rulesets. And innovation in video game AI, graphics, etc. can inspire fresh approaches on the tabletop side too.So while cardboard will always hold a special nostalgia for the old guard grognards like us, I actually think the future is bright for wargaming across formats. Passion for the hobby seems higher than ever with fresh blood from digital bringing new energy. Tabletop just needs to continue embracing technology to smooth out gameplay, not replace it.I do hope we see more blending of both worlds with companion apps, digitally enhanced boards a la XCOM, etc. There are creative ways to fuse the accessibility of pixels with the social joy of rolling dice with friends. And at the end of the day, as long as there are armchair generals, there will always be games, cardboard or otherwise, for us to recreate history's iconic battles!

[edb1815]

I am from your demographic and still have bins of board wargames from the 1980s, including ASL. That does bring to mind one big advantage to PC games - no need for storage! That may be an issue for some people. I moved to a smaller house, and it is an issue for me.

I wanted to make some points, but it seems like the impetus for your post is something to do with games you have on Steam. You can usually buy directly from the publisher and avoid Steam if you wish. Steel Panthers for example is not on Steam and Matrix/Slitherine games can be purchased direct.

I think you should separate ASL or the original SL from some of the digital simulation games like Combat Mission because that is a 3d game engine which can give you ballistics for example that a 2d boardgame cannot. You also mentioned solo board games, I have a classic from Avalon Hill - B-17. Wargamers in the 80s had solo games as well as play by mail if they did not have opponents.

Having said that the advantage to PC games is that you can play anyone in the world. You don't have to rely on the AI. Many of the games you mentioned that are digitized board games have a pbem system. There is a Valor & Victory pbem tournament going on now. You can even play boardgames that way using Tabletop Simulator. During the pandemic I played miniatures games on Zoom!

I think both board gamers and miniatures games have been hearing the harbinger of doom brought by PC games for some time now and there are still people who play both and will continue to do so. The exit of the "boomers" won't change that.

[kronenblatt]

A very beautiful and thoughtful opening post.

I've loved board wargames since growing up in the 1980's: Imperium Romanum II, War and Peace, Axis and Allies, Squad Leader. But the sad truth is that I'm having difficulties to play them ever since then: finding the people interested and having the time to do so. So I've mostly played computer wargames. Only recently I've attempted to combine the two! Or rather to create opportunities to play e.g. Imperium Romanum II campaigns (digitally) while also getting a chance to play Field of Glory II: Ancients battles with a context. And my latest attempt involves (tailor-made rules from) Crusader Rex in combination with Field of Glory II : Medieval. There's a small player base interested in that combination of grand strategy and battlefield tactics, but not as large as I hope actually.

[IzumRUD12]

Does there need to be a competition? No. Is there competition, yes, very much so.

Do most wargamers play both? I think most do. But where do their loyalties rest.

Well in my case, I'm a hard core fan of cardboard. Given a choice, I will tend to pick cardboard every time.

That said, I have a great many digital wargames. But if you look closely, my wargames are almost all attempts to render a board game on a computer. The Greats, Steel Panthers is mainly a success because it feels like Squad Leader. The more recent Second Front is again, a great success because it looks like Squad Leader. Close Combat... looks like Squad Leader. Combat Mission... looks like Squad Leader.

Perhaps you haven't played Squad Leader, but most squad tactical scale WW2 games are beholding to this board game of the 80s.

Most grand strategy games are trying to be Third Reich of World in Flames. Both board games. A great title The Operational Art of War has succeeded greatly because it looks like a big pile of board game wargames.

If you are of the sort that prefers games like Call of Duty or Battlefield, the type where you play you in a battleground like setting, it is likely you know of board game wargames, but they might not be your thing. Nothing wrong with that.
I also prefer a role game be funny shaped dice pencil and paper and friends around a table. But a lot see 'rolegame' and immediately think World of Warcraft or a similar experience.

I don't hate digital, I just didn't grow up with digital.
I don't mind reading manuals or nothing happens. But some just want to 'figure it out' while playing through a mouse.
I like knowing why everything does what it does. I like not needing a new video card to play a new board game wargame.

I have bought recent board game wargames as well as rolegames meant entirely to be play solo.
I wish they had been here sooner.
I sometimes wish I had not bought so many digital games. Even the good ones.

Steam is going to be unable to entertain anyone not using Windows 10 in under 20 days.
That is not going to be a problem for my board games.
I have this one game I like, but it will not run on a pre Windows 10 system.
That is not a problem with my recent solo wargame purchases.

And my board games will continue to run in 5 years and in 50 years. Granted, I likely won't be living in 50 years.

I don't have even an idiot grade AI to play my board games. But, they can write basic methods to do the same.
Even when the AI is not a moron, it's still not the same as playing a human. Even if I have to be both humans.
And software rarely will listen to an idea for how to house rule something.

I don't know the future of wargaming. But I do know my future . I'm 61. I predict I have about 10 years left. As an active wargamer that is. I'm planning to grow old and spend my time reading books. And periodically look at 1xbet to place bets.
I'm the primary demographic of wargamer. My demographic created the board gaming hobby.
Will the wargaming hobby survive without me and my demographic expiring?

Remains to be seen.

But I wouldn't want to be banking too many hopes on selling board game wargames too much longer.
Or digital wargames meant to interest board game wargamers.

It's fascinating to hear your perspective on wargaming, especially the deep-rooted loyalty to the tactile experience of cardboard and the intricacies of classic board games like Squad Leader. There's a rich history and a distinct charm in these traditional games that resonate strongly with enthusiasts like yourself.