AWKWARD ZOMBIE

Ok so I just finished watching a show on WWII tank combat. The show focused on the German side of the war and whole blitz kreig tactics and how the German tank divisions, were in fact better then the allied forces. The whole time Iím watching this I was thinking about Warhammer 40k (the table top one). I was watching this and wondering if I might find out how to better use the tanks that my army could use.

Before I start to ramble let me get to my point. I got wondering why we seem to like simulated war. I mean we all know how bad war is, and yet look at how many games/movies are out there. What is it that seems to draw us to it? I've played Armymen games, star/warcraft, I myself play Warhammer fantasy/40k, I've played battletech/mechwarrior.

Is it because we like to have the control? We get, in some small way, to chose how the "lives" of our soldiers will play out when we play these games. Most of you are sitting there reading this going, "it's just a game.... thatís all". I know that Iím not against these games, I just want to know what makes us play them.

For me i think i like the tactical part. Trying to out maneuver your opponent with as little casualties as possible. I would be pop flyin' to never have to go war myself
(I'm no fighter), but i do realize the sacrifices that those who do go to war make (as much as I can having never been).

I think i got a little off topic but i really do want to know.

It's the tactical bits for me as well. It's why I'm so addicted to Fire Emblem.

i view it as a safe, violent way to express my urges to destroy. this way, the only thing hurt is a few peoples feelings, not an arm or a life

for me, its the tactics and strategy. and any game built like call of duty 2.

i think we can all agree that playing a war game doesn't make you a top notch soldier. any one who does think that is, to put it simple, stupid.

For me it's the sweetness of killing everything with a Tyranids rush

I take it you didn't do anything in history class if you're comparing war to RTS games...

The German tanks were better manufactured yes but in the whole perspective, Allied tank divisions functioned better. If it weren't for Erwin Rommel, then Hitler would not have had as many victories as he did.

Two major problems with German tanks is that they are so expensive that if something broke, a part needs to be specially made in some factory in Nazi Germany's booty crack. Secondly, in the later years, the Nazi army got rid of preliminary trials and placed their tanks onto the field, fresh out of the factory. Naturally, they were prone to many mechanical problems.

Take the Tiger II, King Tiger, Royal Tiger, whatever you want to call it. Its primary armament being an 8.8 centimeter anti-tank gun, it caused a lot of brown underpants. It was, however, prone to its engine overheating and a multitude of other problems which were not fixed in the test runs.

The Soviet T34 was regarded as one of the best tanks of World War II, regardless of its armor and armament not being the best available. Though at first expensive, the T34 was reduced over the years, but its armor and armament doubled.
Not to mention one of the Soviet vehicles was just a truck with a rack of rockets attached to it. Nothing that expensive.

And for the States, come on, how sick is the Calliope?

Merlin, read My Tank Is Fight by Zack Parsons.

uummm actuly the germen tank commanders where were among the best of the germen troops. They were trained to think and adapt on the battle field. They were never given strict orders how to compelt an objective, they were things like "wipe out this town" and the TC could chose how and when it would be done.
You have to remember that History is written by the Victors, chances are they're going to make themselfs sound bigger, and better.

and please don't even get me started on the states and the war.. I like here and don't want to say anything I will later regret.

Hitler's officials were corrupt and retarded.
Not to mention Hitler was a retard when it came to a few crucial things.

That's why we kicked their asses in the war.

USA! USA!

The undisputed champ of sprite comics.

The relevance of that comic is thus: one of the messages of Kid Radd is that every video game is focused on some form of violence, be it stomping on turtles, shooting nazis, or casting firaga, or whatever. (I'm a Tales of guy, myself. INDIGNATION!!!) It's simply toned down and strangely depicted to avoid angry mothers. The only exceptions are puzzle games, rhythm games, and Phoenix Wright. Gofigure.

Frankly, without violence, they'd be boring. Just like a movie without a conflict would be boring. It's a part of the crucial backbone. Realistic war games just take that sense of violence and conflict, turn it into something real and gritty, and put it so incredibly up in your face that you can either reject it or accept the challenge. It hits home, and some people like that.

This sense of harshness combines with that one simple dream that every romantic young man has. Let's face it, guys. Being a war hero is cool. This is just the version of it without the fear, shell shock, or death.

I don't play the realistic war games. Although maybe I should pick up an Advance Wars game sometime, just to see what it's like. Anyway, I'm against war itself. I'm against violence. But I recognize it as an inevitability. I just felt a need to point that out, so it's made clear where I stand on it.

plus is one of the easiest ways to make a game...
what are the main components of a game?
setting, conflict, solution.
there are many ways to do these three things, and many games do it differently, but w/ war game, its simple. Your this person, you want to kill this person.. GO!. and its even simpler w/ WWII games, you have the setting, the conflict, and all you need to do is the solution.
ALSO, i think it has to do w/ every human's desire to play God.. decide who lives or dies, be the "big guy" so to speak.

(also, on another note, my dad died during the last gulf war, i know what war can do to people)

This is not complicated, it is simple; we want to kill other living things.

I really want to.

No, you're a daggered thief!

And why I like war games is because I try to find ways of bombing the tar out of my enemies from orbit.