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Old (s)Age; ...how you play the game.
Topic Started: Apr 20 2010, 07:22 AM (342 Views)
nwiddeson
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This issue my thoughts are centred upon how we play the game. I don't, of course, refer to the rules of engagement here but rather what you get out of the games and how your approach will affect that.

You've all (I'm sure) heard me moan about 'beardy' tactics in the past and lament the 'win at all costs and damn the strategy' mindset. That said however, each of us will be looking to get something slightly different from our games and so our choice of style will be influenced/dictated by that.

I'll give an example that I remember reading about once (although the details are fuzzy in my aging memory):

It's the last turn of a hard fought game (nothing especially is at stake however) and it's your movement phase. As it stands on victory points you are in the lead, just. Your favourite Dragon Slayer (yes you're playing dwarfs, get over it!) has the option of retreating toward your own table edge, out of harms way, or charging that menacing unit of Trolls (which have caused you considerable hurt throughout the game) in the flank. Do you charge in to find a glorious death worthy of saga and song or do you sit back, safe in the knowledge that there's nothing your opponent can now do to stop you claiming a victory ?

The answer may well reveal your underlying approach to the whole game. I realise that this is somewhat of a simplification but it seems to me that your choice in this situation puts you in one of two camps: the choice of taking the 'safe' win indicates that it's the winning which is all important to you (this isn't necessarily as negative as it sounds) whilst opting to charge in to combat (you are a Slayer after all) suggests that you have a penchant for the dramatic (and fluff-driven) side of the game.

Now, you can probabley guess that I would charge in axe a-swinging because the thought of a charater known as a Slayer not doing that just seems WRONG to me. That's not to say however that my opinion is the only one that counts. I, personally, would take no satisfaction at all from the 'safe win' becuase I would feel that I had 'cheated the fluff', this is something that would take all the joy out of the win for me. Others feel very differently and far be it for me to say that they're wrong!

It's not really important who is 'right' here so long as both combatants are having fun in the game (losing can be fun too, although it gets wearing after a while). I think the best piece of advice I can give if your opponent has a different idea of fun to you is to bear in mind that if 'fun' is not had by all for the majority of the games then people will simply opt not to play against you. Allow them to have their fun aswell.

This can be really simple to accomplish in everyday games (in fact, I am proud to say that pretty much every member of the club does this without thinking) before the first turn even begins. Take the choice of scenery for example, If your opponent fields a cavalry heavy force then they are not going to be too happy about you plonking so many woods on the board that you may in fact be setting the battle in the middle of a forest. Equally, anyone who has missile/artillery troops in their army will want the use of a hill in their deployment zone - technically they have no right to expect one but the game will be less fun for them if they can't use their beloved missile troops to their best advantage. Give a little leeway in this type of game detail and you should expect your opponent to be equally accomodating.

To sum up, I will fall back on what I have told members countless times in cases of dispute : ours is a 'gentleman's(or lady's) club and the main objective is fun - remember that and you won't go far wrong !
Edited by James Baillie, May 3 2010, 08:36 AM.
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