An Apology For Wargaming

Many people today seem to think that if you play wargames this means that you are a lover of war. Some refuse to play such games on principle, others feel strangely about playing them, as if they are breaking some kind of moral code. Some would even shy away from military history in general. In this essay, I will endeavor to give good reasons for playing wargames. It is the aim of this essay to show that just the fact that you play a wargame does not make you a lover of war, more confrontational, or morally suspect.

Now, of course, it must be said that the term "wargame" is perhaps a regrettable accident of history. Real war in the real world is certainly not a game, and should never be treated as such. Perhaps a better word might be "Strategic Simulation" or "Tactical Tutorial." But, since few people know what such things are, I suppose we are stuck with "wargame."

Today our society is exposed to much senseless and non-senseless violence. This finds expression on the small screen, the big screen, and the computer screen. I don’t need to tell you that there are many movies and television shows that use senseless and non-senseless violence as a theme. But perhaps there is even more senseless violence that is found on computer games. One can, of course, play many computer games constructively, but there is a temptation to devolve the game into trying to cause as much damage and senseless violence as possible. I’ve played games which were just about running away from the cops and car-jacking as many cars as possible. While fun, the hours spent playing such games were probably not my finest.

Wargames do not tend to increase violence. The aspect of violence in wargames is always abstracted out into the rolling of dice or the playing of cards, or a mixture of these two. Sure, losses are taken in many wargames, and these losses usually are represented by huge piles of figures, chits, or blocks that are in the "discarded" pile. But there is no blood. There are no pictures of dead and dying bodies grotesquely torn to pieces. There is no gore. Wargames are rather tame in this respect when compared with other "violent" endeavors.

Also, wargames have a positive effect on people’s desire to learn history. It has been repeated so many times that it has become a cliche, but it still needs to be said: "Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it." Playing a wargame is an intensely historical enterprise. One begins to get a feel for a certain era in history through wargames. Whatever the case, usually one learns something one did not previously know about the era represented: who the characters in that era were, what were the strategies and tactis used, and what was the reason why the war was fought in the first place.

Wargames do not just teach history, but they also teach geography. Wars are always fought on real terrain in the real world. Wargames almost always either use maps representing the real world, or terrain pieces representing real world terrain. Therefore, wargames usually teach people where the rivers, roadways, cities, and mountains actually are. This is invaluable expereince that could benefit anyone willing to learn.

Given the current dearth of both history and geography instruction in our public schools, perhaps wargaming might be a helpful tool in the classroom. Of course, there would be many who would raise their hackles concerning this helpful suggestion. The fact remains that many kids these days don’t even know where Europe is, much less when the Second World War took place. I learned these things in history class, but I also had much experience with them on the wargaming table.

Wargames are also great tools that teach logic and optimal use of resources. One can learn how to think in a logical fashion by playing a wargame. Questions wargamers ask themselves include, but are not limited to: "How do I respond to what my friend just did?" "What do I do if he does this?" "How can I most effectively produce the things I need?" "How do I use my resources to provide the maximum impact?"

A word might possibly be said concerning competition in wargames. Most wargamers play wargames in a competitive spirit, striving for something called "optimal play." This means that they do whatever they can to play the game and use their pieces in the best way possible. It is true there have been a couple times when I have found someone’s presence at the wargaming table offensive. But most wargamers, while competitive, are also gracious in both victory and defeat. Most of the time, wargamers play for two reasons: First, to have fun in the atmosphere of a wargame. This involves the people one is playing with and the game that is being played. Second, most wargamers play to learn something about history, geography, strategy, and tactics. We do not play, for the most part, in order to place our opponents under our mental boot-heel. Although playing a wargame is an intense mental activity, it should not be used to belittle someone’s intellect.

As with any gift, wargames can be abused. But hopefully this essay will convince those who have an aversion to wargaming that it can’t be all that bad. And hopefully this essay will show the wargamer that playing a wargame is not so bad after all. At least it’s not as bad as watching some television shows or playing some computer games, and I would say it’s even more fun.