Wargaming in Lockdown Part 2

In the previous post, I wrote about how to kill the boredom of lockdown during this pandemic, one of the main aspects of this I missed was the massive rise we have seen in digital gaming. I'm not talking here about computer or console games (which has seen a massive rise during the lockdowns anyway), but the way in which wargamers have harnessed the internet as a way of playing games. 

Most of us will be used to playing games face-to-face, wargaming is a sociable hobby and one of the pleasures is gathering your mates together for a game. Obviously with instructions not to leave our houses or gather in large groups this has become pretty much impossible. I think since April I have only managed to play two face-to-face games. But there are other options available. The first is through online platforms such Tabletop Simulator or Vassal, the other is by using webcams to play games. Let's look at both in turn.

Vassal (http://www.vassalengine.org/) is a piece of software which allows you to play any game (as long as someone has modded it) as a play by email or live. The selling point of Vassal is that it is free! You can donate and it's always worth chucking a few quid in, just to say thanks you to the designers, but you simply download the engine, download the game module that you want to play and away you go. As it is free and user created the graphics are not the highest spec and it works far better for hex and counter games due to the platform limitations, but you can quite successfully run a game as I did, playing Commands and Colors Napoleonics via email. 

Whilst Vassal is free, Tabletop Simulator (https://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator/) is a paid for gaming system that has taken off in popularity as the lockdown measures have come into force. It's price doesn't break the bank, and is probably far less than your last order to your favourite miniatures manufacturer, if we're completely honest. But you definitely get what you pay for in spades. TTS is a far more dynamic platform than Vassal which operates in 2D. TTS allows you to move around the board, view the game from any angle, snap your camera to specific locations and many other options. You can even flip the board if the dice are not behaving! 

As for play, it is a sandbox game, allowing users to create their own armies, boards, terrain and other aspects of gaming. If you don't have the skills to whip up some beautifully rendered 3D graphics, fear not, as there are plenty that do and they provide these  in the TSS workshop. Many users have created modules to simulate your favourite wargaming rules and there are lots to choose from. Most of the 'big names' are represented, but the beauty is that you can take the files from one game and use them in your own easily enough. So you may find a set of figures you like under a 'Bolt Action' module, but you can grab them and use them in your own 'Chain of Command' game. 

You can easily set up a game across the internet, with both players playing like your usual game. The only trouble I have with TTS is that it isn't very tactile and I am more used to games that have limitations on movement and boundaries within the system. TSS has none, being a sandbox game, but once you get over these (minor) issues t's a great platform for play. Also, there are many people who are a dab hand at using it and are willing to teach any newcomer how to play.

We also have another option for online gaming. Many wargamers have turned to platforms such as Skype, Zoom, or Google Meet to play across the internet. All this requires is for the players to have access to the streaming platform and someone willing to host the game. The host sets up a table, ensures that it is in view of their webcam, whilst the others join the chat stream. The players give orders whilst the host physically moves their figures around the table. If the players roll their own dice then they can have a really immersive experience. It may not sound like it, but having partaken in these kind of games, I can assure you it certainly feels like you are part of the action. 

It helps if the host has a smaller camera that they can move around the table to zoom in on various aspects of the action or to show the players specific parts of the board. The main difficulty that I have encountered is that the internet connections are secure and stable. I took part in the three Virtual Lard events that were organised by Jeremy Short, playing two games of Dux Britanniarum and a game of Chain of Command. The latter was hosted in Ireland and the players included myself in the UK, two chaps on the east coast of America and one chap on the west coast of America, a gaming distance of some 6,000+ miles! You can see how this game played out here: https://youtu.be/Vw-IfOT6xDQ 

So, with just some rethinking of your gaming habits and taking the virtual bull by the horns you can keep playing your favourite games with players from across the globe. Technology is a wonderful thing and it is a real boon for wargamers suffering from being stuck indoors.