Grand strategy wargame
Encyclopedia
A grand strategy wargame is a wargame
that places focus on grand strategy
: military strategy
at the level of movement and use of an entire nation state or empire
's resources.
of an entire nation-state
and in which not conducting war is a possibility, such as in Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun
.
Examples of grand strategy games where military tactics
are highly abstracted or eliminated entirely include the board games Risk
and Diplomacy. Another example which is slightly more realistic is Axis & Allies, although in it military factors are still highly abstracted. Games such as Rise and Decline of the Third Reich
, Empires in Arms
, and Empires of the Middle Ages
are true wargames, in the sense that military units are specifically represented, and engage in direct combat based on specific military attributes. The Hearts of Iron
series is an example of computer-based games of this sort.
For example, the game Axis & Allies utilizes a "price" for producing units, consisting of a quantity of production units allocated each turn and used to "pay" for each unit produced. Some games allow various nations to produce units at a set rate, corresponding to their actual real-world industrial and economic history.
, geography
, history
and politics
they are especially useful in education and studies of international affairs.
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
that places focus on grand strategy
Grand strategy
Grand strategy comprises the "purposeful employment of all instruments of power available to a security community". Military historian B. H. Liddell Hart says about grand strategy:...
: military strategy
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
at the level of movement and use of an entire nation state or empire
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
's resources.
Scope of games
Grand strategy wargames typically focus on a war or series of wars, often over a long period of time. Individual units, even armies, may not be represented; instead, attention is given to theaters of operation. All of the resources of the nations involved may be mobilized as part of a long-term struggle. The simulation typically involves political and economic as well as military conflict. At the most extreme end of this is the branch of strategy games in which the player assumes the role of the governmentGovernment
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of an entire nation-state
Nation-state
The nation state is a state that self-identifies as deriving its political legitimacy from serving as a sovereign entity for a nation as a sovereign territorial unit. The state is a political and geopolitical entity; the nation is a cultural and/or ethnic entity...
and in which not conducting war is a possibility, such as in Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun
Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun
Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun is a real-time strategy game by Paradox Entertainment . It covers its namesake the Victorian period, specifically 1836-1920 and runs on a modified version of the Europa Universalis engine. The lead game programmer was Johan Andersson...
.
Examples of grand strategy games where military tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
are highly abstracted or eliminated entirely include the board games Risk
Risk (game)
Risk is a strategic board game, produced by Parker Brothers . It was invented by French film director Albert Lamorisse and originally released in 1957 as La Conquête du Monde in France. Risk is a turn-based game for two to six players...
and Diplomacy. Another example which is slightly more realistic is Axis & Allies, although in it military factors are still highly abstracted. Games such as Rise and Decline of the Third Reich
Rise and Decline of the Third Reich
Rise and Decline of the Third Reich or more commonly Third Reich is a grand strategy wargame covering the European theater of World War II designed by John Prados, and released in 1974 by Avalon Hill...
, Empires in Arms
Empires in Arms
Empires in Arms is an out-of-print board game by Harry Rowland, published by the Australian Design Group in 1983. It was licenced to the Avalon Hill Game Company in 1985. It was nominated for the Charles S...
, and Empires of the Middle Ages
Empires of the Middle Ages
Empires of the Middle Ages is a board game for two to six players which simulates grand strategy and diplomacy in the Middle Ages. It was first released by Simulations Publications, Inc. in 1980....
are true wargames, in the sense that military units are specifically represented, and engage in direct combat based on specific military attributes. The Hearts of Iron
Hearts of Iron
Hearts of Iron is a grand strategy computer game developed by Paradox Interactive and published by Strategy First, set in the years 1936-1948. In the game you can control any one nation as World War II unfolds. It was released for Windows-compatible PCs in 2002. A Macintosh version was also...
series is an example of computer-based games of this sort.
Gameplay and dynamics
Games use various techniques and features to simulate aspects of national military strategy. Some games simulate industrial production of resources and military units. Other may enable various diplomatic moves and alliances.For example, the game Axis & Allies utilizes a "price" for producing units, consisting of a quantity of production units allocated each turn and used to "pay" for each unit produced. Some games allow various nations to produce units at a set rate, corresponding to their actual real-world industrial and economic history.
Academic use
Because such games go beyond simple warfare to deal with economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
they are especially useful in education and studies of international affairs.
See also
- List of board wargames
- Government simulation game
- Chronology of grand strategy video gamesChronology of grand strategy video gamesThis is a comprehensive index of grand strategy video games, sorted chronologically. Information regarding date of release, developer, platform, setting and notability is provided when available. The table can be sorted by clicking on the small boxes next to the column headings.-Legend:-List:...
- Wargame (video games)Wargame (video games)Wargames are a subgenre of strategy video games that emphasize strategic or tactical warfare on a map, as well as historical accuracy.-History:The genre of wargame video games is derived from earlier forms of wargames...