What is it?
"Analytical games that simulate aspects of warfare at the tactical, operational, and strategic level. They are used to examine warfighting concepts, train and educate commanders and analysts, explore scenarios, and assess how force planning and posture choices affect campaign outcomes"
- RAND Corporation
Major Components of a Wargame:
- Learning Objectives
- Game / Medium
- Structure / Direction
What is it not?
It is not a complete simulation of reality. (It must balance scope and granularity)
It is not ONLY recreational. (Games should achieve more than just tangential learning)
A wargame without a training objective is just a game. A wargame without a medium is just a thought exercise. A wargame without structure/direction is just military DnD.
Wargaming Types
Formats:
- Tabletop Games
- Digital Games
- Seminar Games
Adjudication:
- Mathematical
- Dice & Tables
- Probability
-Deterministic
- If and Then
- Consistent
- Human Judgement
- Matrix; Pol-Mil
- Expertise
- Software/Computer
- Tons of variables
- Black Box?
