Man to Man wargame
Encyclopedia
Man-to-man wargames are wargames
in which units generally represent single individuals or weapons systems, and are rated not only on weaponry but may also be rated on such facets as morale, perception, skill-at-arms, etc. The games are designed so that a knowledge of military tactics
, especially at the small unit or squad
level, will facilitate successful gameplay. Man-to-man wargames offer an extreme challenge to the designer, as fewer variables or characteristics inherent in the units being simulated are directly quantifiable. Modern commercial board wargaming stayed away from man-to-man subjects for many years, though once the initial attempts were made to address the subject, it has evolved into a popular topic among wargamers.
Man-to-man wargames have been a popular pastime for PC and console gamers, though "true" man-to-man combat simulators are much more rare than action-adventure oriented first person shooters which can probably be excluded from the topic of man-to-man wargames. Early role-playing game
s were derived from skirmish wargames, and many are still played as such. Many early designs for man-to-man games had cumbersome pre-plotting of moves, others used a system of multiple maps and umpires to try and create "fog of war" or uncertainty for players.
Modeling conflict at this scale provides unique challenges to the game designer, who must find a way to quantify variables such as human behaviour at an individual level; games at higher (grand strategic, strategic, operational or tactical) levels can arguably have their variables more easily quantified.
Some of these games represent further development of earlier titles; for example Firepower is a modern-set version of Close Assault, which is set in World War Two, both from the same designer.
Ambush!
is an innovative solitaire game based on a system of paragraph readings and a sleeve-and-card system that reveals data about the game environment as the player navigates his soldiers over the map. Set in the European Theatre of Operations in WW II, it spawned three sequels as well as a second series of games set in the Pacific (Battle Hymn) as well as a two-player version (Shell Shock).
Up Front
is a man-to-man game, but its board was abstracted with the concept of relative range and range chits. The game was driven by cards, with individual soldiers represented by cards laid on a playing surface.
Firepower was arguably the most detailed man-to-man treatment; there were, for example, arrow counters to indicate which side of a tree a soldier might be lying behind.
s (FPS). Most FPS games, such as Medal of Honor or Call of Duty, are not realistic simulations mainly due to the maze-like environment, scripted storyline, and unrealistic casualty assessment. The focus of these games is individual action-adventure rather than simulation in a dynamic tactical environment.
More realistic man-to-man "shooters" for the computer are known as tactical shooter
s; an example is Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis. OFP and its sequels allow the player to give limited tactical commands to an entire squad of men while still engaged in a first person perspective, and in online play several dozen players could take on individual personas in various small-unit missions. Fatal and non-fatal wounds to the player's character were realistically implemented. While storylines were still heavily scripted for solo play, this actually increased the level of realism in the simulation.
Third-person man-to-man games have not been successfully translated to the computer in any large numbers. They include third-person shooter
s and tactical role-playing games.
Notable examples of third-person man-to-man games on the computer include:
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
in which units generally represent single individuals or weapons systems, and are rated not only on weaponry but may also be rated on such facets as morale, perception, skill-at-arms, etc. The games are designed so that a knowledge of military tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
, especially at the small unit or squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
level, will facilitate successful gameplay. Man-to-man wargames offer an extreme challenge to the designer, as fewer variables or characteristics inherent in the units being simulated are directly quantifiable. Modern commercial board wargaming stayed away from man-to-man subjects for many years, though once the initial attempts were made to address the subject, it has evolved into a popular topic among wargamers.
Man-to-man wargames have been a popular pastime for PC and console gamers, though "true" man-to-man combat simulators are much more rare than action-adventure oriented first person shooters which can probably be excluded from the topic of man-to-man wargames. Early role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s were derived from skirmish wargames, and many are still played as such. Many early designs for man-to-man games had cumbersome pre-plotting of moves, others used a system of multiple maps and umpires to try and create "fog of war" or uncertainty for players.
Modeling conflict at this scale provides unique challenges to the game designer, who must find a way to quantify variables such as human behaviour at an individual level; games at higher (grand strategic, strategic, operational or tactical) levels can arguably have their variables more easily quantified.
List of Wargames
Below is a list of man-to-man wargames in the order in which they were introduced.- Sniper!Sniper! (board game)Sniper! was a board wargame originally released in 1973. Some sources refer to "Sniper/Patrol" as a sort of series of games: a similar game by Simulations Publications Inc. was released at the same time as the original Sniper!, called Patrol....
(SPISimulations PublicationsSimulations Publications, Inc. was an influential American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, 1973)- HetzerSniper! (board game)Sniper! was a board wargame originally released in 1973. Some sources refer to "Sniper/Patrol" as a sort of series of games: a similar game by Simulations Publications Inc. was released at the same time as the original Sniper!, called Patrol....
(TSR, Inc.TSR, Inc.Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, 1988) - Special ForcesSniper! (board game)Sniper! was a board wargame originally released in 1973. Some sources refer to "Sniper/Patrol" as a sort of series of games: a similar game by Simulations Publications Inc. was released at the same time as the original Sniper!, called Patrol....
(TSR, Inc.TSR, Inc.Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, 1988)
- Hetzer
- PatrolPatrol (board game)Patrol was a board wargame released in the early 1970s as a companion to Sniper! in 1974 by Simulations Publications, Inc. It billed itself as "Man to Man Combat in the 20th Century" and simulated combat from the First World War to the present day....
(SPISimulations PublicationsSimulations Publications, Inc. was an influential American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, 1973) - City-Fight (SPISimulations PublicationsSimulations Publications, Inc. was an influential American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, 1979) - Trenchfoot (Game Designers' WorkshopGame Designers' WorkshopGame Designers' Workshop was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.-History:Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973...
, 1981) - Cry Havoc!Cry Havoc (game)This article is about the board game. For the 1943 motion picture, see Cry 'Havoc.Cry Havoc is a medieval man-to-man wargame published by Standard Games, Jeux Rexton and later Eurogames. Each side is composed of peasants, sergeants, billmen, men-at-arms, knights and various other "character"...
(Standard Games, 1981)- Siege (Standard Games, 1983)
- Outremer (Standard Games, 1985)
- Viking Raiders (Standard Games, 1987)
- Samurai Blades (Standard Games, 1984)
- Dark Blades (Standard Games, 1986)
- Dragon Noir 2 - The Challenge (Eurogames, 1993)
- Up FrontUp FrontUp Front is a World War II card-based wargame. It was designed by Courtney F. Allen and published by Avalon Hill in 1983. Hasbro now owns the franchise which is currently licensed to Multi-Man Publishing....
(Avalon HillAvalon HillAvalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
, 1983)- Banzai (Avalon Hill, 1984)
- Desert War (Avalon Hill, 1985)
- Gunslinger (Avalon HillAvalon HillAvalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
, 1983) - Close Assault (YaquintoYaquinto PublicationsYaquinto Publications was the wargame publishing arm of the Robert Yaquinto Printing Company of Dallas, Texas. In March 1979 Robert Yaquinto hired Steve Peek and Craig Taylor, both experienced wargame designers with several famous titles in their resumes...
, 1983) - Ambush!Ambush!Ambush! is a man-to-man wargame developed by Avalon Hill. It was released under Avalon's Victory Games label and was developed by Eric Lee Smith and John Butterfield. In 1984, Ambush! won the Origins Award for Best 20th Century Boardgame of 1983...
(Victory Games, 1983)- Move Out (Ambush! module) (Victory Games, 1984)
- Purple Heart (Ambush! module) (Victory Games, 1985)
- Silver Star (Ambush! module) (Victory Games, 1987)
- Firepower (Avalon HillAvalon HillAvalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
, 1984) - Battle Cry (3W, 1986)
- Battle Hymn (Victory Games, 1986)
- Leatherneck (Battle Hymn module)(Victory Games, 1988)
- Platoon (Avalon Hill, 1986)
- Soldiers (West End, 1987)
- Iron Cross (Strategy & Tactics MagazineStrategy & TacticsStrategy & Tactics is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for publishing a complete new wargame in each issue...
, 1990) - Shell Shock (Victory Games, 1990)
- Special Forces (Dan Verssen Games, 2005) - a VASSAL-only card game also available as a .pdf download.
Some of these games represent further development of earlier titles; for example Firepower is a modern-set version of Close Assault, which is set in World War Two, both from the same designer.
Ambush!
Ambush!
Ambush! is a man-to-man wargame developed by Avalon Hill. It was released under Avalon's Victory Games label and was developed by Eric Lee Smith and John Butterfield. In 1984, Ambush! won the Origins Award for Best 20th Century Boardgame of 1983...
is an innovative solitaire game based on a system of paragraph readings and a sleeve-and-card system that reveals data about the game environment as the player navigates his soldiers over the map. Set in the European Theatre of Operations in WW II, it spawned three sequels as well as a second series of games set in the Pacific (Battle Hymn) as well as a two-player version (Shell Shock).
Up Front
Up Front
Up Front is a World War II card-based wargame. It was designed by Courtney F. Allen and published by Avalon Hill in 1983. Hasbro now owns the franchise which is currently licensed to Multi-Man Publishing....
is a man-to-man game, but its board was abstracted with the concept of relative range and range chits. The game was driven by cards, with individual soldiers represented by cards laid on a playing surface.
Firepower was arguably the most detailed man-to-man treatment; there were, for example, arrow counters to indicate which side of a tree a soldier might be lying behind.
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Computer Games
True "man-to-man" games on the computer are rare, unless one counts first-person shooterFirst-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s (FPS). Most FPS games, such as Medal of Honor or Call of Duty, are not realistic simulations mainly due to the maze-like environment, scripted storyline, and unrealistic casualty assessment. The focus of these games is individual action-adventure rather than simulation in a dynamic tactical environment.
More realistic man-to-man "shooters" for the computer are known as tactical shooter
Tactical shooter
A tactical shooter is a subgenre of shooter game that includes both first-person shooters and third-person shooters. These games typically simulate realistic combat, thus making tactics and caution more important than quick reflexes in other action games...
s; an example is Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis. OFP and its sequels allow the player to give limited tactical commands to an entire squad of men while still engaged in a first person perspective, and in online play several dozen players could take on individual personas in various small-unit missions. Fatal and non-fatal wounds to the player's character were realistically implemented. While storylines were still heavily scripted for solo play, this actually increased the level of realism in the simulation.
Third-person man-to-man games have not been successfully translated to the computer in any large numbers. They include third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
s and tactical role-playing games.
Notable examples of third-person man-to-man games on the computer include:
- Sniper!Sniper! (video game)Sniper! is a computer game that appeared on CompuServe. It was an adaptation of the Sniper! board game.-Plot:Sniper! is a strategy war-game. A player starts as a recruit in the Sniper Saloon & Salad Bar, where players can pick up local gossip, brag about wins, and explain defeats...
(CompuServeCompuServeCompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
, late 1980s) - a computer version of the boardgame, found on CompuServe. - Avalon Hill's Squad Leader (MicroProseMicroProseMicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
, 20002000 in video gaming-Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association...
) - based on Soldiers at WarSoldiers at WarSoldiers at War is a turn-based tactics game set in World War II. You take control of eight-man squads through the campaign of fifteen historically-based missions, starting in north Africa and ending in Germany. Your soldiers become more experienced and can take items with them onto the next...
, Jagged AllianceJagged AllianceJagged Alliance is a tactical role-playing game released in 1994 for MS-DOS and in 2009 for the Nintendo DS. It is the first game in the Jagged Alliance series, and was followed by Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games and Jagged Alliance 2 .-Plot:Jagged Alliance takes place on the fictional south...
, and X-COMX-COMX-COM is a series of strategy games created by Julian Gollop. In 2010 2K Marin announced the official reboot of the series, entitled simply XCOM. The original game has a cult following.- Original series :...
, this was a man-to-man game with true fidelity to man-to-man board wargaming, being turn-based. It was not well received commercially or critically. - Silent StormSilent StormSilent Storm is a tactical role-playing game for Microsoft Windows, developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive and published by JoWood in 2003. The game is set in World War II Europe. The player commands a team of up to six elite soldiers on the Axis or Allied side, undertaking a variety of...
(Nival Interactive, 20032003 in video gaming-Events:*February 27 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame....
) - GI Combat (Freedom Games, 2002)
- Eric Young's Squad Assault (Matrix GamesMatrix GamesMatrix Games is a publisher of computer games, specifically strategy games and wargames. They are based out of Staten Island, New York.Their focus is primarily but not exclusively on war games and turn-based strategy...
, 20032003 in video gaming-Events:*February 27 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame....
) - a rework of the unsuccessful GI Combat by the same developer. - Computer Ambush (SSIStrategic Simulations, Inc.Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
, 19841984 in video gaming-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...
) - The game came with two laminated village maps for players to plot moves on. Each unit was a single soldier. Players would take turns giving their soldiers orders, then the computer would process the moves and display the results to each player before they could enter their next set of orders.