tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post116271443546937424..comments2024-03-28T05:12:10.477-07:00Comments on Gone Gaming: Strategy and Tactics, a couple of definitionsColdfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11636345146138362966noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1163037134764520012006-11-08T17:52:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:52:00.000-08:00Strategy and tactics are precisely a matter of sca...Strategy and tactics are precisely a matter of scale, agreed, but the scale is fluid.<BR/><BR/>An example. Playing Caylus or Puerto Rico, I might decide on a particularly strategy based on an early assessment of my own and others players positions and will likely succeed to the degree that my tactics build to inform my strategy.<BR/><BR/>But I might be playing the game with my spouse and decide to back off a little on my competive impulse in order to introduce a new game which I hope we'll play regularly once she gets the hang of it. At that point, anything that happens in the game is tactical.<BR/><BR/>There isn't just a single tactical and a single strategic level. One level's strategy nests as a tactic to higher level strategies. The terms are useful to orient within a level, as it were. They're how you tell up from down and keep from making penny-wise, pound-foolish moves.<BR/><BR/>Imho anyway,<BR/>Al TaborAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1162937097456511582006-11-07T14:04:00.000-08:002006-11-07T14:04:00.000-08:00The wargamer's terminology is a derivation of the ...The wargamer's terminology is a derivation of the military concepts of "tactical level warfare" and "strategic level warfare". Essentially it is a matter of scale, though clearly there are tactics involved in the use of strategic weaponry. The definition of "tactics" and "strategy" cannot be gleaned from these concepts - something I was once assured of when I made the same mistake myself.Pawnstarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138454253813433739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1162847174382160952006-11-06T13:06:00.000-08:002006-11-06T13:06:00.000-08:00Very good comments.Scott: Oooh, I like that idea ...Very good comments.<BR/><BR/><B>Scott</B>: Oooh, I like that idea immensely. I wonder if T&E would shoot up in my opinion if there was a tile draft of some sort? (The additional infomation available to other players would also have some interesting effects.)<BR/><BR/><B>Chris (& Fellonmyhead)</B>:<BR/>I'd have to agree that you can't have a strategy game with out tactics coming into play to execute one's strategy. I guess I'm trying to define strategy as some sort of nebulous idea that a player has that will permeate their tactical decisions.<BR/><BR/>To counterpoint the Puerto Rico example, I would argue that there are times when going one route or another is not entirely set in stone, just probable benefits (as you mention in Settlers - where I agree strategy can play a large part in terms of types of resources you go for...). So, early on I might have the choice to lean towards shipping or building and need to make a strategic choice since 3-4 turns down the line are not so clear (ie. the other players have not yet revealed their total preference). Yes, Puerto Rico has a heavy tactical emphasis, but there is also some strategy involved (unlike Shear Panic, as mentioned in my column)<BR/><BR/><BR/>I'm aware of wargamer's preferences towards tactical and strategic, but as I'm first and foremost a broad-based board game player, I prefer to use the terms broadly as a way to discuss mechanics. (To be facetious, I could then call Ticket to Ride a tactical game since I only have to deal with 3-4 opponents... ) The same wargamer would also roll on the floor if I claimed Squad Leader had no strategy.Dr. Matt J. Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05966076479843177377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1162828358077667322006-11-06T07:52:00.000-08:002006-11-06T07:52:00.000-08:00How would E & T be if players selected tiles inste...How would E & T be if players selected tiles instead of drawing randomly?qzhdadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00052783136246015481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1162761191427273022006-11-05T13:13:00.000-08:002006-11-05T13:13:00.000-08:00An interesting and engrossing post, Matt. I have ...An interesting and engrossing post, Matt. I have never thought of either strategy or tactics as asymptotic to the other; I have always seen strategy as the plan and tactics as the implementation of that plan. Inseperable.Pawnstarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138454253813433739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1162750663208108092006-11-05T10:17:00.000-08:002006-11-05T10:17:00.000-08:00I also wrote about this very intersting topic a wh...I also wrote about this very intersting topic a while ago, Matt: http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/StrategyTactics.shtml.<BR/><BR/>I actually prefer tactical games, which fits in well with how the games get played by our group: lots of new titles, with each game only getting limited repeat playings. I do like it if the games have at least a little strategy, though. My favorite game is Puerto Rico and one of the appealing things about it to me is that it's a very good mix of the tactical and the strategic.huzonfirsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12857915477472022870noreply@blogger.com