Computer wargame

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Types Military wargaming Recreational wargaming Level of War Grand strategy wargame Strategic wargame Operational wargame Tactical wargame Skirmish Genres Air wargaming Board wargames Computer wargames Miniature wargaming Naval wargaming
People 19th century pioneers Johann Hellwig Georg von Reisswitz Julius von Verdy du Vernois (1832–1910) Fred T. Jane (1865–1916) 20th century Pioneers H. G. Wells (1866–1946) Don Featherstone (1918–2013) Tony Bath (1926–2000) Charles S. Roberts (1930–2010) Allan B. Calhamer (1931–2013) Phil Barker (born 1932) Gary Gygax (1938–2008) Redmond Simonsen (1942–2005) Jim Dunnigan (born 1943) Richard Berg (1943-2019) John Hill (1945–2015) Tom Dalgliesh (born 1945) S. Craig Taylor (1946–2012) Paddy Griffith (1947–2010) Larry Harris, Jr. (born 1948) Groups Castle & Crusade Society Game Manufacturers Association International Federation of Wargaming International Wargames Federation Johnny Reb Gaming Society Naval Wargames Society Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers Events Charles S. Roberts Award Gen Con Origins Game Fair World Boardgaming Championships
Lists List of board wargames List of miniature wargames List of wargame publishers
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A computer wargame is a

History

Computer wargames derived from tabletop

SSI and Strategic Studies Group (SSG) were computer game companies that continued the genre by specializing in games that borrowed from board and miniature wargames. The companies enjoyed a certain popularity throughout much of the 1980s and into the 1990s. TalonSoft started in 1995 with a similar focus, until purchased and later closed down by Take-Two Interactive in 2002.

Game design

Computer wargames primarily focus on simulated battles. Because it is difficult to provide an intelligent way to delegate tasks to a subordinate, war games typically keep the number of units down to hundreds rather than hundreds of thousands.^[11] The amount of realism varies between games as game designers balance an accurate simulation with playability.

Units are usually scaled to be disproportionately large compared to the landscape, in order to promote effective gameplay. These games usually use a much faster time line than reality, and thus wargames often do not model night time or sleep periods, though some games apply them, they can be time-consuming.^[11]

Comparison with board wargames

). The qualifiers "real-time" and "turn-based" are not taken into account as all tabletop wargames are, by necessity, turn-based.

Notable computer wargames

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• 1980
  ) - generally credited as the first "serious" computer war-game.
• Atari 8-bit family. Introduced scrolling maps, pondering AI, morale, supply considerations and many other advanced features that were common in later games. Chris Crawford's
  first major success.
• Gary Grigsby's Pacific War (1993)
• 1994
  ) - recognizably a traditional wargame next to Close Combat. It spawned several sequels, some of which explored different subject matter.
• Battleground series (TalonSoft, 1995–1999)
• 1995) - a tactical wargame on the same scale as Squad Leader
  , which led to two sequels, and then a series of titles by Camo Workshop/Shrapnel Games and Matrix Games, for free release.
• 1996
  ) - not the first wargame to break out from hexes, and still presented in a 2-dimensional format, Close Combat addressed factors such as individual morale and reluctance to carry out orders. The original title led to five successful sequels for the general public, as well as being developed into a training tool for military use only. Close Combat stemmed from an early attempt to translate the Squad Leader boardgame to the computer.
• The Operational Art of War Vol. 1: 1939–1955 - (TalonSoft, 1998)
• 2000
  )
• Decisive Battles of WWII: Korsun Pocket - (Strategic Studies Group, 2003)
• TacOps – (Major I.L. Holdridge, 2003 for v4) – commercial version of “TacOpsCav 4”, an officially issued standard training device of the US Army. It is a simulation of contemporary and near-future tactical, ground, combat between the modern armed forces of the world.
• Wargame: Red Dragon – (Eugen Systems, 2014) – a 3D regiment or brigade scale simulation set as a "Cold War Gone Hot" themed game in both multiplayer and singleplayer environments. Players construct customized armies through use of a deck system comprising land vehicles, infantry, and helicopters from several NATO and Warsaw Pact nations and manage logistics such as fuel and ammunition while on the battlefield. There is no cohesive campaign, the game instead taking place in several hypothetical conflicts.
• Hegemony - (Longbow Games) - a series of historical wargames set in antiquity, with real-time strategy and real time battles on one seamless map, notable for its elegant supply system.
• Ultimate General - a series of strategy wargames based on the American Civil War
• Total War – a wargame set in different time periods, with a turn based map, and a real time battle component, featured on the television series Time Commanders
• Hearts of Iron – (Paradox Interactive) − a grand strategy wargame series that is focused on World War 2. Player may act as any reasonably sized nation at the time, influencing international politics, economic and military development, and can control battlefields on both strategic and operational levels using combined arms. Frequently used to entertain and simulate alternative history scenarios as well as recreate historical events.
• DEFCON (video game) - (Introversion Software)
• World Warfare & Economics – (Okron Studio)