BP <reply DeleteThis @newsgroup.please> contributed wisdom to
news:cid9q3tsa3a517e98abdn66audo8udmdf6@4ax.com:
> What would y'all say are the dividing lines between tactical games and
> strategic games? Is it just scale and unit size, or is there something
> more?
That comes up in forums Im in fairly often.
To ME the difference goes like this......
Strategy is what you come up with before hand. Before the battle, before
the war, even before entering the game. You develop strategies.
Tactics are what you do in response to changes. You develop tactics and
store them in a metal "toolbox" to use in case something opens up.
A good player should be abit of both. I have seen players who were too
much one or the other.
The dedicated strategist has his plans so totally laid out in his head
that the game is already played. Like a chess game AAR. And if something
random occurs to throw him off he sweeps the pieces off the board and
goes home. They tend to prefer "fair" maps (sometimes to the point that
the map is simply mirror-imaged to each player). And if possible, turning
off all random events.
The expert tactician tends to love randoms. They prefer maps with lots of
randomly placed choke-points, random events both good and bad, 3rd party
enemies which are as likely to attack him as to attack the other side.
They might even enjoy games where their own starting settings (nation,
army, pieces) are randomly selected so that he has to work with what he
is given.
The division is easy to see in forums where the game supports both styles
(such as my present favorite Dominions 3). As I said, most gamers are
abit of both which is what makes the definition of them a problem. We
tend to see both, and be both, in the games we play. Altho... in all
truthfulness I think I lean more toward tactician than the average
player. Hmmmm come to think of it, Id have to say that its also how I
live my life. Interesting thought. I will need to dwell on that abit.
Gandalf Parker
--
I was asked "Do you think playing games is a life?"
And I responded "Dont you think living life is a game?"
(and by the way, Im winning!)
>> Stay informed about: Tactical vs. Strategic - Where is the line? 
FAQ
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
