I am extremely pleased to announce the development of my first new computer wargame in over twenty years: General Staff. The decision to write a new wargame came about because I simply couldn’t find a computer wargame that I wanted to play. Yes, I know, there are dozens – if not hundreds – of really good computer wargames out there; but none of them appealed to me at the moment.
Most computer wargames have taken advantage of the ability of the computer to handle scores of complex rules and hundreds of units. This often resulted – and I want to make clear that as a designer I was also guilty of this – in massive wargames that weren’t all that fun to play. Sure, they were incredibly accurate. Indeed, I would market my wargames as simulations; because that’s what they were. And, truth be told, they were as good, if not better, than many computer simulations currently used by the world’s largest armies, Defense departments and ministries.
A slide from my Computer Game Design class at the University of Iowa. Click to enlarge.
However, what I was looking for was something simple and fun. When I taught Computer Game Design at the University of Iowa I would tell my students that these kind of games were sometimes referred to as, “Beer & Skittles” games. They were simple, fun and addictive. Yes, I wanted to think (I didn’t want just a twitch game). I wanted something strategic or tactical; but I certainly didn’t want to get involved in micro-management of logistics, factory production and national will. I just wanted to have fun.
Modern Kriegsspiel. Click to enlarge.
About this time I read an article about wargaming in Nautilus magazine. The one thing that caught my eye was an illustration for the article of Kriegsspiel. Kriegsspiel was a wargame invented in 1824 and used by the Prussian staff for training. A very good article about the original Kriegsspiel can be found here. It has been recreated from time to time and I recently found this picture of a modern version.
I don’t think there’s been a modern computer version done of Kriegsspiel; at least I haven’t been able to find one. So I decided to create it.
This blog will be about the development of General Staff. Your comments and questions will be greatly appreciated.
I’m looking for something that I could use for a WW one /inter war/ early ww2 era alternate history campaign- thiink this is probably pre ww1 era but would like to discuss
This is ‘Age of Gunpowder’. We plan on doing a version that covers WWI-Modern after this. However, you are able to design your own maps, armies, etc. But, there is nothing that covers airpower in this version. Feel free to email me directly if you have any specific questions.
Oh my God.. that game is what I really need..
Thanks! I appreciate the encouragement. I just finished a real-time proof of concept demo. But, the publisher prefers turn based. What do you think?
This is what I have been searching for sense the summer of 1962. I played my first war game on Avalon Hills board game of Gettysburg. A few years later I drew my own maps and made my own units. When the computer games came out I was stoked beyond all happiness. Talonsoft became my favorite computer war game, especially the Civil War era. A few years back NorbSoftDev came out with their Gettysburg game and it was what I have been waiting for, to recreate Avalon
Hills game on the computer. Now your game, General Staff looks excellent indeed. Sign me up when you release the game .
We have very similar backgrounds. Some years ago I paid $50 for a copy of the original Avalon Hill Gettysburg. I was mesmerized by those rectangles and squares moving about a topographical map. Obviously, I want to recreate that feeling again in General Staff.
I also want to facilitate the whole moving / giving orders user interface (UI). I want General Staff to be accessible to first-time wargamers (think of console players who have never seen anything remotely like a wargame before). This is an extraordinary opportunity to expand the wargaming demographics.