With survey results tallied, time to begin looking behind the data in this year's The Great Wargaming Survey (GWS2021). Kicking off the analysis, I take a look at remote gaming.
Having made the leap into remote figure wargaming almost a year ago, I was especially interested in seeing responses to the two, new survey questions relating to remote wargaming. Those two survey questions asked about remote gaming participation and continuation.
When considering this topic and the questions asked, a few of the questions that came to mind were:
- Is remote gaming a niche within a niche?
- Is remote gaming a transitory means of gaming that will fade quickly after Face-to-Face (F2F) restrictions are lifted?
- Does remote gaming have an effect on gaming frequency?
- Is remote gaming age-dependent?
With survey results in, I hope to address and answer some of these questions.
Participation Rate:With a total response of 11,172 respondents (the largest response total to date, I think), does remote gaming represent a small percentage of gaming activity when compared to Face-to-Face gaming? Table 1 suggests otherwise.
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| Table 1 |
Seeing that 39% of respondents admitted to participating in remote gaming during the last year, how many plan to continue gaming remotely? Perhaps, remote gaming is only a fad that will fade quickly? Again, Table 2 suggests otherwise.
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| Table 2 |
Gaming Frequency:
While remote gaming allows gaming to continue even when F2F gaming is not possible or discouraged, do gamers participating in remote gaming play more frequently? Since that direct question cannot be answered specifically from the survey, can we infer that increases in remote gaming contribute to increased gaming?
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| Figure 1 |
Converting these counts to percentages, what do we find (see Figure 2)?
The survey suggests that the more frequently people game, the more likely they are to embrace remote gaming. Since one must have a motivation to overcome the barriers and challenges in diving into remote gaming, those gaming more frequently take on that challenge to tackle these hurdles. Less frequent gaming carries with it a corresponding reduction in urgency to scale the learning curve. From my experience, this inference fits. An interesting result, I think.
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| Figure 2 |
Age Group:
As seen from findings from past surveys, age group differences typically exist. Is participation in remote gaming age-based as well? With the exception of the always undercounted 20 and Under age group category, remote gaming participation falls monotonically as age increases. Is this tendency driven by technology or preferences for social interaction? See Figure 3.
As seen from findings from past surveys, age group differences typically exist. Is participation in remote gaming age-based as well? With the exception of the always undercounted 20 and Under age group category, remote gaming participation falls monotonically as age increases. Is this tendency driven by technology or preferences for social interaction? See Figure 3.
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| Figure 3 |
Personally, my gaming frequency has exploded with the introduction of remote gaming. Going from fewer than one game per month to more than one per week has been astounding. My circle of gaming friends has grown as well. Really grown. Thanks for the explosion in my gaming activity falls primarily onto two fellow bloggers: Matt from wargamesinthedungeon and Graham at Wargaming for Grown-ups. Without their guidance and mentoring, this uptick in gaming activity may not have been possible.
Looking forward to reading comments on your experiences with remote gaming during these unusual times. How do your personal experiences mirror or differ from the results given above?
Interesting analysis. Only did 1 remote game last year, probably should have done more, but I don't have gaming space at home and I rely on the club for gaming
ReplyDeleteRemote gaming is easy to get into, especially if you are only participating and not hosting. For space, one only needs a computer or tablet.
DeleteI suppose in some respects, like other aspects of the survey, we would benefit from knowing next years responses to know the difference between what people ‘thought’ they would do about remote gaming compared to what they actually did, but in our still somewhat uncertain world, a proportion of those who have remotely played, perhaps don’t particularly see a return to full normality too soon.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to be in a bit of a transition period in which clubs and meetings are just starting to happen again, but have not yet got back onto their full and normal pre-pandemic footing, so I think we are still seeing vestiges on blogs etc of people playing remotely, who perhaps won’t be in 3 - 6 months time, as things presumably normalise, signalled one hopes by the return of the show circuit and gatherings.
Interestingly, I know of a small bridge club that during pandemic went to remote playing, now that they can meet face to face, half don’t want to go back to the close contact world and there is a danger of the club fragmenting between those two positions, with both having questions of sustainability if they don’t.
I am not a fan of remote gaming myself, so tend to view the topic / world from that position, but if you asked 10 people what they thought, I guess you would get ten different answers as to why exactly they would choose one over the other.
Necessity due to lockdown has brought the development of remote gaming as an alternative to gaming in close proximity. One button internet has brought every trader to our living rooms as an alternative to going to see them at shows and superb blog / vlog content on the internet has brought an alternative to the strength of wargame magazines on the high street shelf. Each has given us opportunity and choice, but each has devalued something else in that journey.
I am hoping that 18 months of pandemic has not set us on a path of weakening personal contact, shows and magazines …. though I suspect it has.
Two years ago many of us heavily criticised the younger generation for indulging in too much screen time, somehow we now seem to have surrendered ourselves fully to the screen (the irony of how much I spend at the keyboard is not lost on me) and I am guessing the average individual will have some idea how much more screen time dominates their free time today compared to 2 years ago.
As a final thought, I wonder how much remote gaming has actually reduced personal investment in other parts of the hobby such as painting and terrain building and whether those who are highly motivated towards wargaming and organising remote gaming by contrast have seen their hobby work increase, while others (passengers at the remote table) have in reality become more disengaged from their hobby, by getting their fix with minimum input.
Of course I say this impartially and probably from an ill-informed position as I sit here and gaze out of my window - I have put on my tin hat and body armour should anyone feel inclined to start throwing bricks :-)
Norm, excellent response and just the thoughtful reply I expected from you.
DeleteHaving a retrospective of how one responds today compared to how one actually acted would be a useful metric. Of course, respondents would need to recall how they responded to the question in the 2021 survey. No small feat for some.
Perhaps remote gaming will wane as the world returns to normal (or at least moves in the direction of normalcy). I am sure it will shed interest as time passes and preferences change. Personally, it has opened up an entirely new world of gaming with friends to which I never would have had that chance; many spread across multiple continents.
As for trade-offs, more gaming naturally corresponds to reduced time for other hobby activities. My painting has suffered somewhat this year but production is still respectable.
On your "more work for some and less effort for others" point, I must ponder more on your suggestion that more passive participants are more disengaged. I do not find that true but perhaps it is. I finally stepped into the remote game hosting arena because I wanted to reciprocate the kindness and effort shown by my hosts.
As you enjoy solo gaming, the irony of lamenting weakening personal contact was not lost either.
Thanks for your insightful and interesting comments, Norm. Always much appreciated!
An interesting branch of this is that boardgamers for years have been using the vassal module to connect with other gamers all over the world, but there isn’t a terrain set - up and troop movement management aspect to consider as the computer screen is perfectly suited to the manipulation of the boardgame.
Delete(Note to those not aware - this is not like a boardgame played on zoom, with vassal the boardgame, map and counters are on the screen itself).
Should vassal remote boardgaming be thought of as being any different to a remote figure game and of course Vassal is not new technology, it is actually quite old.
Hi Norm. To me, there is a distinction between remote gaming with miniatures and an umpire vs board wargame played via VASSAL. VASSAL is a good interface even if old technology. Remote gaming with an umpire and a table full of miniatures and webcams providing assorted table views is more of a stage production to me. What do you think?
DeleteStage Production is a very good description. I like that and it does set a different remote style.
DeleteI’m not surprised that people have indicated their intention to continue with remote gaming. It’s like in ‘real life’ where now the benefits of the technology have been exploited much more, and many employers do not expect things to ‘go back to normal’.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if people’s experience of teleconferencing at work, pre-Covid, influences their readiness to adopt and continue remote gaming. Going into open plan office spaces these days, the noise of virtually everyone on conference calls is striking.
I agree. Once we conquered the technology learning curve, returning to old days is more difficult.
DeleteThe move to remote work and telecommuting likely eased the pain associated with remote gaming. For some, the change seemed natural and an extension to SOP as they now know it.
This is certainly a most interesting area for analysis, both this year, and in the coming several years. The drop-off in participation in remote gaming with advancing age is perhaps less than I might expect. The percentage of involvement only drops by about a third with age. Of course, both you and I are in the most "senior" age group, and have done a lot of online gaming.
ReplyDeleteCertainly getting involved in online gaming as a participant is ridiculously easy. Hosting, as I have found out, is rather more challenging although quite doable. I am still on the fence about whether to invest further in the necessary hardware, etc. to do it (hosting) well.
I think one of the reasons that remote gaming has long-term potential after the eventual dissipation of the pandemic restrictions and precautions, is that ours is still is a very niche hobby, and gamers oftentimes live quite far apart. Even the most "local" opponents may be an hours drive or more away. Eliminating that drive time and expense means more time for other things!
Of course, it would have beeen impossible for me to have participated in the many dozens of online games with my friends, Tim Couper, and David Knight, in Scotland, as I have done over the past 18 months, play testing the rules and scenarios for Test of Resolved.
Just a few days ago we played a wild and wooly scenario based on the raid on Sandwich during the Wars of the Roses. I described the bands moving through the city in pursuit of various objectives as akin to medieval Pac Man! :-)
Peter, I was surprised at how many Old Grognards tried remote gaming too. I guess we should not be that surprised since w dove into the new technology and enjoyed it. As you so aptly note, we are both in the top age group.
DeleteRemote gaming not only removes drive times but I think it allows for easier scheduling too. For a participant, one must only need to set aside 2-4 hours for the actual game rather than devoting half day or full day for a game.
Remote gaming has opened up a whole new facet of the hobby allowing me to game more than ever. This technology makes the world a bit smaller making our small niche a little bigger. We need to schedule another remote session.
I am definitely "game", Jon! :-)
DeleteAfter the basement has been reconstructed, we can set a date.
DeletePersonally I would prefer F2F wargaming over remote, and would like to go back to it. However I have made new friends and renewed old acquaintances through remote gaming, and don't want to lose that. It is tricky to work out how to square this circle. We'll get there, no doubt.
ReplyDeletePerhaps there is a happy point on the spectrum laying between purely F2F and Remote gaming? Over time, we may hit upon. I would sure hate losing the friendships gained over the last year.
DeleteI've been doing occasional remote gaming for nearly a decade but it was always primarily a social exercise with the game being more of an excuse or a chance to test a convention game.
ReplyDeleteThis trend isn't confined to remote gaming, the same has been true of most of my face to face games over the same period so the trend goes hand in hand.
The more I turn into a grumpy old hermit set in his ways, the less likely I am to turn that change in focus around to what drove me 30 or 40 years ago.
In that light, I see a similar pattern being maintained but hopefully a return to occasional face to face whether 1 on 1 or with a group. (and hopefully an annual convention if the US ever lets us in again!
Ross, I have found that remote gaming provides a very satisfying experience. From my experience, remote games still have the social interaction as F2F gaming but, perhaps, not as complete.
DeleteI enjoyed your pre-con, remote test game and would enjoy returning the favor someday.
And the actual game, as often, was better for the outing with real players. I'd be honoured to be invited.
DeletePractice makes perfect!
DeleteFunny, my current living situation would fit with remote gaming so well instead of trying to meet up traditionally.
ReplyDeleteGood analysis tho. I think norm has the right of it though, now it’s become so easy for others to just zoom in on a game there seems to less incentive to work on their own hobby or even host when there is someone else out there who’ll do all the work.
Now we have those delta variant of Covid and gawds know what new variant will come after that… my prediction of remote gaming might end up very incorrect when the world has to keep each other at a 6’ distance
Well, Dai, you ought to give a remote game a go!
DeleteI see no loss of incentive for the hobby due to remote gaming. My experience is quite the opposite. I am working more on scenario creation and planning games to host. If anything, my hobby breadth has expanded. I am certainly playing more games.
But you end up being the only person hosting that would mean those remotely gaming with you don’t have to make any hobby effort at all, instead relying on you setting up the table, collecting and painting minis?
DeleteIn the groups I am gaming with, we mostly take turns creating scenarios and hosting. We all have extra work. When playing weekly, you need a ready reservoir of games. We all share the work to keep a steady flow.
DeleteI still have yet to participate in a remote game, unless your Rivoli campaign which I thoroughly enjoyed counts. We have been lucky I suppose with our longest lockdown period being six to eight weeks I think it was last year, and since then only a week or three days here and there. It could all change again at any moment for us though.
ReplyDeleteLawrence, give it a go! Our Rivoli game while not what I consider a remote wargame since it was asynchronous and conducted via email, it provided much fun and entertainment (at least to me).
DeleteOnce I get the damage from the basement repaired, I plan to send out an open invitation for a remote game. Perhaps, you will throw your hat into the ring and give it a try? Time zone differences could be challenge to overcome if players sign up from all over the world rather containing themselves to two continents only.
I'd love to Jonathan, especially as your games are always so mouth-wateringly appealing, but fear I'll be very time poor for at least the next twelve months until I have finished my law degree. I'm in a nice routine with the weekly Monday night Napoleonics and fortnightly Saturday Ancients groups, with early morning painting sessions listening to the radio most days, but am now at the stage where I just want the rest of my free time back. I hope your kind invitation will still be open at that stage because no doubt I'll come knocking! Besides, I think many gaming groups could benefit from having a token Australian join in, even if only for cultural diversity
DeleteLawrence, in the interests of world and cultural diversity, having an Australian join in for a gaming session would be terrific. Looks like your plate is already quite full and you enjoy a well-established routine. When time permits, you can hop into a seat at the table.
DeleteI dont suppose the agree breakdown is a great surprise - one would expect the 20-40 year age group to be most comfortable with the technology involved. I have not engaged in remote gaming and doubt I will do so - but like Lawrence, I have not had to face the potential of not FtF gaming for four or six months like others have. I personally dont agree with Dais point although I understand what he means. Our groups consists of around ten to twelve regulars - not everyone goes to every game. We really only have two venues - Julian's for smaller Friday night games and Barry's for the fortnightly Sunday games. None of the rest of us have the room or facilities to host games so we dont; however, I do not think that means that we are "lazy" when it comes to creating the scenarios or providing the troops - quite the opposite in fact...its sometimes the host who wants to just use all his own figures, whilst we want to use our own, having invested so much time and effort into collecting and painting them. My lack of anywhere to set up at home is the main reason I am still at work every day even during our Level Four lock down (I am lucky enough to be able to claim to be an essential worker) so it would be equally problematic to set up for participation in a remote game - I very much doubt I will participate. My gut feeling is, if we are ever really back to "normal" in a few years, then the virtual gaming will drop back to a much less frequent event in most players lives...but who knows, perhaps it IS the way of the future...?
ReplyDeleteThat is AGE breakdown of course - hopefully no other typos in there....
DeleteThanks for your helpful feedback and detailing of your own situation. Not everyone has space to host and that is just fine. Enthusiasm is all I expect anyone to bring to ther table. I agree that having painted large armies, seeing them out on the table in battle is an important goal.
DeleteRemote gaming may dwindle over time but there are benefits to remote gaming that are very difficult to reproduce in a F2F setting.
I can definitely see the advantages just from reading your blog over the last few months and seeing all the games you have got in thanks to this medium Jon and of course, in a situation like you, Matt and Graham, you now have a gaming relationship despite the thousands of intervening miles, so I would expect those kind of virtual relationships to endure. My guess would be at least 50% of the virtual gaming reported in the survey would be local guys using the technology to replace going to each others houses or to a local club - I would expect a lot of that activity to wither away when it is no longer necessary.
DeleteRemote gaming might well stay, but it's a different mode of gaming, it's no substitute for miniature wargaming as we know it. What many people seem to forget is that the essence of miniature wargaming is that it is a tactile hobby. There's the joy of manipulating and playing with painted miniatures, moving them across the terrain, and not only doing this by yourself, but with friends around the same gaming table. For me, it's hard to say how that specific experience can be substituted by remote gaming.
DeleteSure, remote gaming has some benefits as some have mentioned. But for me, trying to play *miniature* wargaming in some sort of remote mode is like taking the soul out of what this hobby really is about.
Keith, if remote gaming became a necessity for local groups wanting to continue play during lockdowns then a return to normal may very well signal a big reduction in remote gaming. See Graham’s comment about his situation and future gaming prospects. Most groups are likely itching to throw off the shackles of remote gaming and long for a return to F2F gaming. For purely local groups, that makes sense but some have expanded their universe of gamers during this time. This expanded membership may be difficult to maintain in a ‘normal’ gaming environment.
Delete
DeletePhil, you make good points. Have you tried much remote gaming? Even if it cannot duplicate the in-person Wargaming experience, I find the exercise quite enjoyable. Remote gaming can still be tactile as we still roll our dice during these remote sessions. I have made many new friends and look forward to each remote gaming session. This media may not work for all but it seems to work for me. I do not agree that remote gaming takes the soul out of the hobby. Perhaps, the old soul is lessened but a new soul has emerged.
Thanks for dropping by, Phil!
Plenty of interesting feedback so far re: comments to your post Jonathan. I would be interested to know what gamers might class a 'virtual' and 'remote. Personally the former I would class as say a computer game, the latter a 'traditional' game played over Zoom etc. I would venture that the 'remote' game is the new kid on the block, with the virtual having been around a long time. That's my take on it, but whether it's right or not, well, who knows?
ReplyDeleteAgain would my PBEM games be classed as 'remote'? I would say not, but some may say they are. Personally speaking the Zoom set up wouldn't work with our family situation for multiple reasons, as I've touched on before, but I'm glad it's allowed gamers to carry on playing and connect with each all across the World.
I also wonder whether the types of rules played which may not be solo friendly, have driven gamers to play via Zoom? For a long time I have sought out rulesets that are OK for the solo player. So my 'need' to try 'virtual/remote' gaming is minimal, as I can get my gaming fix in the same way as before Covid. What I do miss is the FtF aspect of chatting with a friend/s before, during and after a game, which is as, if not more, important than the game itself.
Let's see what happens with the next survey and if the answers increase of decrease.
Plenty of interesting feedback, Steve, and am grateful for each one. On your distinction between ‘virtual’ vs ‘remote’ gaming, I agree with your assessment of remote gaming completely. ‘Virtual’ gaming is a bit fuzzy to me. Like you, my personal sense is that virtual gaming is defined as having the environment and experience machine-generated as in a video/computer game. Since PBEM is by nature, asynchronous, where it fits into this spectrum is a good question. Not sure how I would actually classify it!
DeleteI enjoy soloing Wargaming as you do and it remains an important tool in my wargaming toolbox. As in F2F multiplayer games in-person, remote multiplayer games work better with ‘convention friendly’ rules. While the banter around the gaming table may be reduced in remote play, it is still an important part of the experience. I find that multiple people trying to talk at one time and being heard is much more difficult in a remote setting. The game host has many tasks at the remote table including meeting management.
Let’s see if perceptions change in a year or two.
Thanks for your comments, Steve!
Late to the party here, Jonathan. For me, I love the idea of both remote gaming and hosting remote games. The tech aspect is a bit intimidating to me but your AWI game was an extremely enjoyable game that I'd love to repeat.
ReplyDeleteWhile naturally it's not the same as being in-person, it is undeniable that getting you, Darren, and I around the same table in-person would have been almost impossible without a great expenditure in treasure and time for all parties. So back in the pre COVID world, we likely never would have ended up in the same room, face to face to game. Even if we did, it likely would not have been easy to repeat.
There is certainly something to the zoom game that has enriched our lives and gaming experiences, and has enabled a new socialization among miniature wargamers that was next to unheard of even 5 years ago.
Is it "as good" as in person? Well, probably not. I could have had a bowl of pretzels on the table with me at your game, but since I couldn't share them with you and Darren, what would have been the point of bringing them? That's a weird analogy but it speaks to what's missing in virtual gaming. The handshake, snacking, the studying of your finely painted 15mm AWI, and some innocuous pre and post game banter. Can you have a great experience without those things? Of course you can, but they are missing.
To address your question, remote gaming delivers something none of us ever thought possible, the chance to interact with a broader more geographically distributed group over a game and continue to enjoy what we love about the hobby. That aspect alone has solidified the virtual game's presence forever and I do not believe it will ever go away. Covid or not.
Well said, Steve. Well said.
DeleteWe will join around the remote gaming table again. Count on it!
Looking forward to it and my Shoemakers Bridge rematch!
DeleteI'm trying remote gaming mostly because it's the only practical way to play. Even pre-pandemic, I struggled to schedule and travel for live games. I've only been in a couple remote games so far, but am eager to try more - both roleplaying and wargaming.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steve above in that I've been able to connect with people and places I never thought possible. Even just talking about games as I've done over Zoom has been a wonder. And it's the discussion and feedback, I think, that really keeps players coming back. But while the banter and cameraderie isn't in person, that doesn't mean it isn't there, or that it isn't valuable.
Heck, just writing a blog is now making me want to get up and play, in part so I have something to write about but also because the comments I receive and other blogs I read stimulate my thinking.
I'm still looking forward to playing in one of your games!
Jennifer, you touch on a remote gaming attribute in which this media really shines. That attribute is scheduling. Many of us have busy lives and commitments that may reduce or even prevent gaming. Remote gaming allows participation with no travel and little expense. Remote gaming offers an efficiency when faced with time or resource constraints.
DeleteAs you and Steve note, the ability to connect with like-minded gamers from across the world is another big benefit to this gaming approach. As for gaining motivation from gaming, blogging, and commentary, I agree! Commentary is a vital and insightful part of my posts.
Once I get the current house restoration process completed, we will return to gaming.
Nice discussion going on here.
ReplyDeleteI did not try remote gaming but only because I wasn’t invited to one (they call me Stew no friends). 😀
While I do think remote gaming is here to stay, I think this is probably the peak and when/if things go back to normal it will drop again. Right now I think some folks are playing a lot or only remote games but when FtF is back I imagine that remote games will be more of a supplement to F2F.
Roleplaying games have been run remotely since the earliest days of the Internet, and both play-by-post and live multiplayer games are quite popular. Wargaming is just catching up - and judging from the ads in old magazines play-by-mail was a thing back in the day. I agree that it will remain a supplement, but a healthy one!
DeleteStew-with-no-Friends, the discussions are frequently the most interesting part of my posts...
DeleteGood to see another that thinks remote gaming is here to stay. I am sure it may wane with local groups but for distance gaming, it cannot be beat. When you have time to give remote gaming a try, let me know. We can work something up.
Jennifer, in the 'old days' I played many, many board wargames as PBM and later PBeM. Great fun but nothing compared to the visual, immediate, and interactive feedback of remote gaming today. Perhaps wargaming is catching up? Necessity is the mother of invention, they say.
Delete@Jen; sounds true. Though there is probably a learning curve on how to best present the table.
Delete@Jon; rereading my comment I come off more whining than funny. Oops. Sorry.
But I have been thinking that you would be my best source for getting in a game of impetus 2 with someone who knows the rules. We’ll be in touch. 😀
Stew, no your came off funny...
DeleteWhile I have not had Impetvs2 (well, BI2.0 actually) on the table in years, a learning (and relearning for me) would be great fun.
Stew, I am surprised ACW was not at the top of your list of games to try.
DeleteLike you Jonathan, I did play by mail boardgames. Principally 'War and Peace' (the Avalon Hill game) with my Dad, for years after I moved away to go to uni (early 80s). It was great fun and a really beaut way to keep in touch; send and receive a letter with moves and a bit of news too. Strangely we did not think of trying the same with a tabletop game, but I guess it would have been difficult to show the positions; either requiring a good description/map or expensive, actual print photos!! :)
DeleteI found it interesting that video conferencing almost seemed to be referred to as a new thing in 2020. What was 'new', I guess, was the ease of setting up meetings with multiple sites and fairly stable network connection compared with early net meeting or Skype systems.
James, TAHGC’s War & Peace was one the games I played by mail A LOT in the ‘80’s. Small world! Great game too!
DeleteBeing a remote telecommuter for a number of years, video conferencing was not new to me but Zoom was. Remote gaming via Zoom opened up a Pandora’s box of wonderful opportunities.
Interesting points ,both in your post and the comments. I didn't try remote gaming during lockdown, I guess I'm a painter who plays occasionally and the occasionally had a bit of a bigger gap! I do remember years ago when I was working away in Iceland I would have a game of chess over Skype with both of us with a chess set, I guess that was a remote game,it was fun anyway. I definitely see that it has legs connecting gamers on different continents, I'm just glad I'm not organising it!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Iain, before lockdowns, I was a painter first and gamer second. I enjoyed gaming but never could quite fit it into everyone's schedules. Remote gaming has opened a whole new world. Playing Chess over Skype with you each having a board seems like remote gaming to me. You were a trend setter!
DeleteThanks Jonathan, an interesting analysis. I haven't done any remote figure gaming, but have participated in a lot of PBEM and VASSAL (both live and PBEM) games.
ReplyDeleteI like the 'cleanness' of boardgames for remote play. It's easy to see where units are, both (or all) players know the rules, and in the case of PBEM there is time to really prepare strategies and find optimal approaches to in-game problems. In that respect I find PBEM gaming can be quite exhausting - it's more intense that rolling up to a friend's place, chewing the fat, and ambling through a game or two.
Live play with audio enabled has brought more of a relaxed atmosphere though than the old live play with message function. Cavead mentioned chess - funnily enough some of the live VASSAL games were more like an online chess game - impersonal and focused entirely on winning.
Cheers again. This post has caused me to think more deeply about my relationship with remote play. Might have to do a response post to this on my own blog at some point!
Thanks, and happy remote gaming!
Aaron
Thanks for offering up your experiences and thoughts on remote gaming, Aaron. Like you, I have utilized PBM (in the old days), PBEM, and VASSAL for board Wargaming. The Rivoli game that I ran back in February, although played out with miniatures on a table, had nine players issuing orders and communiques via email. Since this exercise was asynchronous, I classify the experience as PBEM rather than a remote game.
DeleteI look forward to your reading a response post from you.
Interesting analysis and particularly seeing the breakdown by age. Over here In NZ we've just had a brief lockdown where I did a couple of solo games, but prior to that it was 170 days of freedom so no great need for remote gaming. I can definitely see the appeal though if the FTF stuff remained absent! As you say too the tech is at the level where it is fairly cheap and easy to get something going to a workable level.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found this interesting, Mark. You were fortunate to be able to contain the virus better than most. Your size and relative isolation likely contributed to that success.
DeleteI wonder if your ability to continue F2F gaming will represent an opportunity missed for trying intercontinental gaming?
Hi Mark - talk for yourself mate - up here in Auckland, a third of New Zealand's entire population is still in full Level 4 lock down! :) So I hope you arent complaining if you have to wear a mask at your FtF games in Level 2!
DeleteHa true sorry Ross, hope you are out again soon enough!
DeleteAnd yes you may be right that it is an opportunity missed Jonathan, I can certainly see some good things about the remote gaming :)
Thanks for presenting these results Jonathan (and in anticipation of those to come). I see you are also posting on the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy webpage, so that's great.
ReplyDeleteI have followed the remote games on numerous blogs with interest over the past year or so. People put on some rippers. I was a 'no' and 'no' to those questions being one who's happy to do things solo, with occasional in-person games (also being fortunate in being more like Mark in the lockdown stakes; to date at least).
I'll be interested to see how the increased response plays out in terms of age, categories of games and the like.
Regards, James
You are welcome, James! Very good to see that you enjoy these survey analyses. 2021 marks Year #3 in my performing this work on the the GWS survey and I have learned a lot about trends and preferences. Fascinating stuff. I typically send the post off to WSS when I publish my work so it can be published on their blog too.
DeleteWhile I really enjoy solo gaming too, remote gaming has added an extra dimension to my hobby experience and is most welcome. I have made many new friends and gamed with wargamers across the globe. Without remote gaming, this opportunity would not have been possible. Well, very unlikely, anyway.
There will be more to come, for sure. If you have a survey topic of interest, let me know.
"I have made many new friends and gamed with wargamers across the globe."
ReplyDeleteAfter I posted my comment I was thinking of asking about this. I feel a pretty good connection to fellow bloggers, such as your good-self, whom I have never met but with whom have a pen-friend type of relationship. I presume that 'meeting' others remotely, sharing a game and speaking with them only serves to develop this further. You have clearly stated that it does!
Great to broaden one's wargaming horizons isn't it?
Regards, James
Exactly right, James! While we bloggers have a shared interest and camaraderie, playing a game with another brings forth another level of bonding. Always a pleasure finding another with similar shared hobbies and interests. In a vast world, we are small in number.
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