Grognards amongst us?

[vonGarvin]

OK.  If you've played Squad Leader (or any other wargame), AND you still play from time to time, vote!

 

[Yrys]

nope, not a grognard, even if one of my friends tried to convert me...

Only played Magic (cards) and Everquest (MMORPG).

 

[Rocketryan]

So what exactly IS a grognard?

 

[Yrys]

As far as I know (and please note that I don't know a lot),
it's now the nickname of people passionated of wargames,
derived from the name of one kind of soldier of the Army of Napoleon 1st.

But usually for civilans francophones (as this thread is about games, civilian here
is for non-player, not non-military), it is a commun name for (hum,
how to translate that) people that are unsatisfied, and are verbally
communicating it. Maybe grudge would sum it up?

 

[vonGarvin]

As far as I know (and please note that I don't know a lot),
it's now the nickname of people passionated of wargames,
derived from the name of one kind of soldier of the Army of Napoleon 1st.

But usually for civilans francophones (as this thread is about games, civilian here
is for non-player, not non-military), it is a commun name for (hum,
how to translate that) people that are unsatisfied, and are verbally
communicating it. Maybe grudge would sum it up?

Grumbling, I believe.  Which is how I think Napoleon's soldiers earned that name, I believe.

 

[vonGarvin]

Just to amplify what Yrys said, a "grognard" is a person who plays wargames, not World of Warcraft or stuff, but tabletop board games, which may include Risk and Axis and Allies, but more typically is played on a map board that depicts terrain from tactical level to Strategic level.  The movement on these maps are usually, but not always, regulated by superimposing a hexagon grid on it.  The scale for these games can go anywhere from 40 yards per hex (as in Squad Leader) to 45 Km (as in "The Third World War" series by Game Designers' Workshop).  There are MANY websites out there that explain many of these games.  Some of my favourites include:
http://www.advancephase.com
http://www.grognard.com
http://www.wargameacademy.org

These sites don't sell anything (though grognard dot com does have adverts on it).  But they do have lots of information IF you're interested.

Enjoy!

 

[boondocksaint]

While in Calgary I gamed with Table Top Armies of Calgary every week, every era, every scale. Sold my Civil war armies and took up ancients DBA 6mm scale ( still game them )

Just finished a complete Rorke's Drift in 25mm scale, buildings, terrain, soldiers. Painted 500 Zulu's and use the recycle rule, ( not gonna paint 4000 )

Does anyone in Edmonton game? Historical preffered, but warhammer can suffice.

 

[Yrys]

mmm. just wondering, but...

For a tabletop board gamer, wouldn't that be a hijack thread  ;D?
Because as far as I know, tabletop board gamer don't consider
themself playing the same type of game as the one that use
''scale soldiers'' or models...

 

[Danjanou]

mmm. just wondering, but...

For a tabletop board gamer, wouldn't that be a hijack thread  ;D?
Because as far as I know, tabletop board gamer don't consider
themself playing the same type of game as the one that use
''scale soldiers'' or models...

"Yup and the only thing we miniature playing grognards hate than worse than the usurping board gaming wannabe grognards,and those miserable worse than wannabe role playing grognards, are the Romans.... er I mean people without obsessive hobbies who lead normal happy lives. "

Too much Monty Python is not always a good thing.  :-[

 

[Rocketryan]

I get it. So like Risk and Axis & Allies. But is it just board games or computer games that are basically designed as board games or both?

 

[dapaterson]

If you really want to offend a Grognard, start talking Risk or Axis and Allies... Those are not military simulations by any stretch of the definition.  They're boardgames.

One of my friends is a grognard: he wargamed out the original Gulf War (as I recall, he had to combine counter sets from multiple games to get the forces right).  His results were very accurate, except that in his scenario the Iraqi Air Force fought back.

 

[vonGarvin]

Well, "Risk" and "Axis and Allies" are diversions for grognards, and a way to ease a non-grognard into becoming a grognard.
SOME computer games could be acceptable for a grognard.  Gary Grigsby's games (such as War in Russia) or even the Steel Panthers series as well.  Combat Mission?  Perhaps.  Close Combat: yes.  Rainbow Six?  No, certainly not (no "twitch" games allowed)

 

[Danjanou]

If you really want to offend a Grognard, start talking Risk or Axis and Allies... Those are not military simulations by any stretch of the definition.  They're boardgames.

One of my friends is a grognard: he wargamed out the original Gulf War (as I recall, he had to combine counter sets from multiple games to get the forces right).  His results were very accurate, except that in his scenario the Iraqi Air Force fought back.

Wimp, I made my own (colour coded) counters when I gamed out GW1. BTW Axis and Allies is an acceptable beer and pretzels game amongst us.  8)

 

[rmacqueen]

Used to play Panzer Leader way back when but haven't played in years.  How do the online versions work?

 

[vonGarvin]

For many games, there is VASSAL (from http://www.vassalengine.org).  Basically, you get a digitised version of the board game.  You have to manipulate the counters and roll the dice and consult the charts as per normal.  It's that when you're done, you can email it to some guy named "Wes", even if he's in Australia or even the Sandbox, so long as he has internet.

I use VASSAL for squad leader.  I never had Panzer Leader, but my friend did, and I played a couple of games from time to time.


Another game I have that's getting some resurgence is Russian Campaign.  They just did a fourth version (version 3 came out in 76 or so)

 

[rmacqueen]

Hmmm, interesting, might have to check that out.

 

[Mike Baker]

I have Socom 3, does that count? BTW, I have finished it, took me a year but I done it.

 

[vonGarvin]

Socom 3?  Not familiar with it.

Basically, any "simulation" (first person shooter) type of game would not be classified as a true "wargame" by a grognard.  They are referred to as "twitch" games, a derogatory term, because a person with the right "twitch" could do as well as a skilled person

 

[goodform]

VG, SOCOM is an FPS, not a simulation of the type that would make a grognard.
I slant towards the electronic versions. I play Talonsoft games (largely the campaign series, as I have trouble finding the battleground series games, especially when so outrageously priced on the take2 interative site, yeesh) and occasionally I try and slug away at something converted from an Avalon Hill game or of that ilk (Smolensk '41 and its brothers). I'm also a Combat Mission fan. I also do the I did play a bit of the european theatre on a board with my first roommate when I moved to Vancouver. I should be able to remember the name, but it escapes me, anyway, the map was huge, 8'X8' and we put it on the wall. Quite a hassle to get all the unit markers cleaned up so that I could gum them up again and repeat the process as I forgot what was in a particular stack.

www.theblitz.org

 

[vonGarvin]

European theatre....8' x 8'...was it from the Europa Series?  I have "Fire in the East", which is a MONSTER game.  Barbarossa from the tip of Finland to the south of the Crimea: all at divisional level (and below!!!)  Fricken huge!