The Best and Worst of Wargames

[siestraphone]

WHich games do u think are the best smile.gif and which do u think are the worst :( ?

Personally, i lean towards axis and allies far a nice, simple, and fun game.

Worst, stratego

[Y2UAsk]

My favorite of the new titles is History of the World.

"Worst" in this context is, for me anyway, a relative term. It's like saying "the worst of the Academy Award nominees for best picture." Hasbro had a wide range of games to choose from when selecting the current AH game, and I think they were all terrific choices. Of them, Stratego is the one I play the least. Doesn't mean I don't like it or I think it's a poor game. I just like the others better.

Steve

[pellulo]

O.K. the worst game for wargamming has, to be the American Heritage Milton Bradley Game, from the sixties, it was a nice board and units, great booklet for the WWII Pacific Game, called Hit The Beach,(it was like playing Parchesi or Trouble). This game had no wargame value at all, in a more modern times the worst I played is History of the World ( artistically it is a handsome game, but, it falls in-between old fashion Risk,and, A.H. Civilation. Somehow it does not seem to take off in excitment).

The best game in these times is most of the old Gamemaster Series(Conquest...Empire, Shogun, Axis and Allies, Fortress America), BattleMaster (using parts from the game LionHeart and Weapons and Warriors set,and, yes those small scale brass cannons that have built in pencil sharptners);HeroQuest.

As for Computer games or system games, the worst I played is Battleship, some of the scenerios give you no time to set up your fleets,and, the graphics are too bright sometimes and "blind" you for a second or two. The best games were the stategic system games (by Koei),they were Operation Europe,and, Pacific Theather OP. II, thanks, Pellulo

[zooooma]

In defense of Stratego...

My favorite new Avalon Hill titles are A&A, Risk 2210, and Stratego Legends.

I will always love Diplomacy, but it's a hard game to get together and it suffers slightly from the multiplayer problem. Additionally, the game takes so long that sessions are often surrendered to the leading player (or partneship), and the cut-throat endgames are completely neglected. In other words, the game rarely or never reaches it's full potential.

The A&A series comprises three of the best board games existing in terms of pure strategic appeal; Perhaps the closest thing ever to chess with dice. The main problem is the sheer bulk of arithmetic calculation required to attempt to make the best possible move (and the time required to do so). It is impossible to be thorough in a face-to-face (non PBEM) game, hence it also does not tend to reach it's full potential. Still, I continue play and love face-to-face A&A games!

Startego Legends seems to have a knack for turning new players off. Perhaps this is because an inexperienced player can't make a sound move without first looking up all thity of their pieces on the reference charts - scanning for a clever move. This can be annoying and dificult, particularly while trying to track the positions (and powers) of all the NME pieces. However, every experienced players I've talked to has agreed that they became familiar with all (or most) of the pieces in a surprisingly short time.

I recomend trying this game again. It's more strategically complex than Risk 2210, simpler mechanically than A&A, as well as being faster and more action packed than just about anything on the market. The luck factor is small (and is over befeore the first turn), and the variety is virtually infinite. You can play online to see if you like it:

www.strategolegends.com (http://www.strategolegends.com)

-Luke

[Redsky]

Hi,

My favorites are still the Are/Impulse system games, "Turning Point:Stalingrad" and "Thunder at Cassino" in the 1st place. Not too easy, but still very accessible and fun, and quite easy to PBM or PBeM.
"Axis & Allies" is a bit too easy (even though my 12 y.o. son has recently beaten me, him playing the Allies, me the Axis...) and may I say "simplistic" (a kind of "Risk" with some improvements!)for my taste.
Among those I own, there is indeed one I could consider the worst: "Platoon", which I really didn't enjoy at all.
The best is probably "Flat Top"! The reason it isn't my favorite is simply because it is a bit too hard and also the fact it's better played as a multiplayer game with a Gamemaster, so not too easy to find opponents, therefore only played it once!
But games such as "B17", "Raid on St. Nazaire", "Hitler's War", "The Russian Campaign", "Russian Front" and "Civilization" are unfogettable and among my favorites too for the many hours (and nights) of great fun and pleasure they gave me!

Happy gaming!
Dolf

[The Rat King]

My favourite games are the Axis and Allies games.

AS for my least favourite game I would have to say Diplomacy. I regret having bought that game because it takes too long to play and thus its immposible to get a game organized. No one is willing to invest the time.

[darkmanat]

I have to echo the view previously stated that the worst all time WARGAME has to go to Hit the Beach!. Or, as I like to call it: Competitive Beach landing. This game has sooooo many flaws I dont know where to begin. The purely random nature of how you take beaches, the way you deal with Japanesse defenders by having them pick up and move to block your fellow players. To the very notion that you can have a wargame on WWII S. Pacific amphib operations where you and 3 others COMPETE to take an island. Truly this was the worst of the lot. The same game line had a pretty good Revolutionary wargame called skirmisher.

The best wargame for my money is Fortress Europa (followed by ASL).

[ March 24, 2003, 03:46 AM: Message edited by: Darkman ]

[pellulo]

I found a way to spif up a bit, the Hit the Beach Game, is to borrow units from your Axis and Allies set(s), and, use them to wargame a better game, using most of the rules from a.&a, thanks,Pellulo

[cln777]

Titan isn't bad but I think Kings and Things has it beat because of faster gameplay. Other top games would be Arab/Israeli Wars and Ambush!. Storm Over Arnhiem is failry slick as well. KingMaker is top notch. Battle Cry and Risk 2210 are also pretty cool.

Worst, haven't found one yet that I have totally hated. Although Outdoor Survival was weak. Oh yeah, the updated version of the Game of Life sucks. smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif ;) ;)

[ March 26, 2003, 12:32 AM: Message edited by: cln777 ]

[tw252]

So many good games made by Old AH......Hard to forget Russian Campaign and many others......