I'm making a list of around ten games that can be used to teach basic strategy. These games will be used to train future military and economic leaders, and RPG players of course.
What games would you put on your list and why??
Edit: I'm thinking about anything that can be given the label 'Game'.
I'm making a list of around ten games that can be used to teach basic strategy. These games will be used to train future military and economic leaders, and RPG players of course.
What games would you put on your list and why??
Are we talking board games or electronic or both?
Are we talking board games or electronic or both?
I'm thinking about anything that can be given the label 'Game'. So both types work.
However, I'm more interested in the elementary games. One could argue that a war simulation video game teaches strategy, but to play this type of game a person usually already knows basic strategy learned from other elementary games. An obvious example of an elementary game being Tic-Tac-Toe.
Basic strategy for large troop battles or for small groups?
Again, Both (All). Once we have a large list of games, we can take the next step and organize it into the various areas or 'types of strategy' central to each game.
Simplified forms of chess can be highly instructive, and counterintuitive. For example, put only kings on the board to demonstrate how one can achieve an objective by using the opposition and outflanking. Triangulation is another important strategic idea, and can be demonstrated in very simple positions (a student can grasp the idea without facing the full complexity of 'playing chess.') Here is an article about one such exercise.
Simplified forms of chess can be highly instructive, and counterintuitive. For example, put only kings on the board to demonstrate how one can achieve an objective by using the opposition and outflanking. Triangulation is another important strategic idea, and can be demonstrated in very simple positions (a student can grasp the idea without facing the full complexity of 'playing chess.') Here is an article about one such exercise.
Interesting. I will have to read more of this when I am not so tired. Thanks for the link.
You have here a detailed account by a teacher using Diplomacy in his classroom for exactly the purpose you have in mind.
Diplomacy was John F. Kennedy's and Henry Kissinger's favorite game. It's a facinating game - easy learned rules, but really deep and complex.
Go is also a very good choice.
If you have a lot of time to spend on a game, there is always World in Flame. Some of my friends played that one for months, and I am talking about a single play.
Clue- Master Detective: deductive reasoning; weeding through options; pulling players to room to prevent winning movement
Chess- three settings game; opening moves; middle game; end game; learning which peices and combinations work; which dont; must protect a weak peice while attacking other player. Learn to attack and defend
Checkers- good starter game; must play the must jump rules.
hand games: rock-paper-scissors - learn to gauge and read your opponent; viability of guesses and statistics; advance to Hot Hands; to learn the pain of loosing; hand and eye coordination and increase quickness.
Nuke War - vast population losses; everyone looses scenario
Pente- two win meathods; ease of play; develop short term strategies and set up medium range set points for later development.
Diplomacy; no dice, minimal chance; great tactical game; all about negotiation and the poker face; must be able to write legible orders.
Table Top miniature games; I like Warhammer fantasy and 40k as well as others; the different games teach how to play in various rulesets; but these games tactically are similar; good to learn to track many units and position and terrain; maximizing your abilities while minimizing theirs; learn to exploit weakness; attain goals; and cover your own weaknesses. Their all pretty similar; good to learn on variable fields of play and variable scenarios.
Life action playing; such as Amtgard; SCA; paintball and the like; learn that players in real life dont follow rules; dont perform as expected; and there are always a few who either think they are or really are a cut above the best; important things to learn tactically in large or small units; the more training a unit has together; the more dependable and more alert and more reliable thier actions.
Plants vs. Zombies
What?!
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I'm a huge fan of Shoji, aka Japanese Chess.
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Dating
Backgammon - requires good strategy, but also demonstrates that sometimes people can be lucky. Also, it's very simple and one of the oldest games around.
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I reiterate: Chess, with an emphasis on general principles and midgame tactics rather than in-depth opening analysis.
Magic: the Gathering, first with pre-constructed decks, then in a draft format.
If you've got enough time, the Gipf Project with all its iterations. The way one game revolves around the aspect of controlling space, another on force, another on time, isolates those elements and allows players to master them one-at-a-time. That makes it almost as good as Chess.
Kill Doctor Lucky, the Girl Genius game, and "Lamarckian Poker", from CheapAss Games. James Ernest has also written a few good essays on game design.
Ogre and Frag!, from Steve Jackson Games. Steve Jackson has also written a little book on game design.
D&D 4th Edition. Colin McComb has also written some good essays on game design theory, just released in "The Kobold Guide to Game Design, Volume 3".
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I'm making a list of around ten games that can be used to teach basic strategy. These games will be used to train future military and economic leaders, and RPG players of course.
What games would you put on your list and why??
Edit: I'm thinking about anything that can be given the label 'Game'.
Kriesspiel: The basis for all Wargaming and RPG/Miniatures Gaming.
THIS WARGAME FOCUSES ON THREE CRITICAL ASPECTS OF WAR:
(1)THE FRICTION OF WAR,
(2)CONTROL AND COMMUNICATION,
(3)AND THE ‘FOG OF WAR’;
RELYING ON BATTLEFIELD EXPERIENCE OF THE UMPIRE TO ENSURE THAT WHAT HAPPENS IS WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF REALITY. THE GAME ITSELF REQUIRES PIECES (AND THEIR MOVEMENT) SCALED TO THE WARROOM MAP.
These concepts have been modernized and applied to live roleplay for Emergency Services Personel Training.
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CHESS & STRINGTHEORY
String Theory is all about Logic and how the Universe functions. If you look at String Theory you see the concept of Superposition...THis applies to Chess.
Chess is not a Wargame Game. It is a Logic Test like Towers of Hanoi - Where the fluid motion of the Towers of Hanoi is Binary in nature, motion j=x^(n-1)+{x^n} & Spin Q=n mod 2 xor n(max) mod 2; Chess is Polydynamic where spin Q=n mod F xor n(max) mod F [where F is the individual chess piece; nmax is the most important move to occur during the game; and n the current move].
All chess pieces are the same chess piece at superposition.
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Yellowdingo, I've studied string theory for one of my master's dissertations. I'm also a serious Chess afficianado.
I can't make heads or tails of your last post.
If F is an individual chess piece, what does n mod F mean? (What does "the current move modulo a chess piece" mean?)
What is Q supposed to represent?
Who determines "the most important move in the game"? (For many games, I guess that'd be the sequence of moves that chooses the opening, or the sequence of weak moves and final blunders that allows an opponent to sieze an advantage, but who can tell when those errors will occur?)
Superposition, as I understand the term, relates to high energy physics (if you pump enough energy into a sysytem, the electromagnetic forces and the weak nuclear force are indistunguishable) and to quantum theory (an unobserved particle doesn't have a discrete position until it is observed and the waveform collapses).
Neither of those apply to chess pieces. A pawn doesn't become a knight. A bishop and a rook aren't "the same piece" in any sense of the word. A chess piece is an idea, more than it is a physical clump of plastic or wood; and I'm sure what it means for ideas to be in superposition.
So, whatcha talkin' 'bout?
I can't make heads or tails of your last post.
We have a club…with t-shirts. Membership dues are moderate and we serve pie.
"Hey, That's My Fish!" is a disturbingly tactical abstract territory control given a very cute concept involving penguins on an iceberg.
The 'board' is hex based, and pawns can move any distance in a straight line with the exception that they can't move through blank spaces or other pawns. When you move a pawn, the hex below it is removed. This leads to the board constantly shrinking and players getting walled in.
I've used it as a teaching aid in a junior logic class.
Ugh. Risk. Ugh. The board could be used to teach some basic, basic strategy, but the game? Too random by far. Chess is a much better choice, or checkers. Backgammon, too. I also like Settlers of Catan very much, for teaching resource management and trade diplomacy(yeah, I know, lots of luck there too, but far less so than Risk). Just my 2 cents, but oh, how I dislike playing Risk.
Carcossone - because it's an ace game, very simple, but hugely strategic and tactical at the same time.
Playing Carcassone reminds me of chess. Each piece you draw has a myriad of options in both short term and long term strategy. I actually have that game right next to me.
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Ugh. Risk. Ugh. The board could be used to teach some basic, basic strategy, but the game? Too random by far. Chess is a much better choice, or checkers. Backgammon, too. I also like Settlers of Catan very much, for teaching resource management and trade diplomacy(yeah, I know, lots of luck there too, but far less so than Risk). Just my 2 cents, but oh, how I dislike playing Risk.
I think that for the Basics of Strategy, Risk is a viable option. Troop allocation, reinforcing areas, choosing when and where to stop an advance to be able to defend yourself.....all good basics. No need to attack someone's input.
Also if we are doing more advanced games- History of the World (not the new version!) is interesting. Axis and Allies(any version, although I like the older ones there also) is also decent.
Ugh. Risk. Ugh. The board could be used to teach some basic, basic strategy, but the game? Too random by far. Chess is a much better choice, or checkers. Backgammon, too. I also like Settlers of Catan very much, for teaching resource management and trade diplomacy(yeah, I know, lots of luck there too, but far less so than Risk). Just my 2 cents, but oh, how I dislike playing Risk.I think that for the Basics of Strategy, Risk is a viable option. Troop allocation, reinforcing areas, choosing when and where to stop an advance to be able to defend yourself.....all good basics. No need to attack someone's input.
Also if we are doing more advanced games- History of the World (not the new version!) is interesting. Axis and Allies(any version, although I like the older ones there also) is also decent.
Since when has horde everything in Australia ever been a viable strategy? :)
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Yellowdingo, I've studied string theory for one of my master's dissertations. I'm also a serious Chess afficianado.
I can't make heads or tails of your last post.
If F is an individual chess piece, what does n mod F mean? (What does "the current move modulo a chess piece" mean?)
What is Q supposed to represent?
Who determines "the most important move in the game"? (For many games, I guess that'd be the sequence of moves that chooses the opening, or the sequence of weak moves and final blunders that allows an opponent to sieze an advantage, but who can tell when those errors will occur?)
Superposition, as I understand the term, relates to high energy physics (if you pump enough energy into a sysytem, the electromagnetic forces and the weak nuclear force are indistunguishable) and to quantum theory (an unobserved particle doesn't have a discrete position until it is observed and the waveform collapses).
Neither of those apply to chess pieces. A pawn doesn't become a knight. A bishop and a rook aren't "the same piece" in any sense of the word. A chess piece is an idea, more than it is a physical clump of plastic or wood; and I'm sure what it means for ideas to be in superposition.
So, whatcha talkin' 'bout?
At Superposition all chess pieces are the same chess piece....and there is only one player.
Settlers of Cataan
-strategy, importance of position and trade
Here is the list of games we have compiled so far in order of appearance.
Risk
Simplified version of Chess
Tic-Tac-Toe
Black Jack
Gin Rummy
Hearts
Bridge
Checkers
Chess
Go
Poker
Stratego
Connect 4
Chinese Checkers
Diplomacy
World in Flame
Clue
Rock-Paper-Scissors
Hot Hands
Nuke War
Pente
Table Top miniature Games
Amtgard
SCA
Paintball
Plants vs. Zombies
Shoji
Backgammon
Magic: the Gathering
Gipf Project
Kill Doctor Lucky
Girl Genius game
Lamarckian Poker
Ogre
Frag!
Kriesspiel
Hey, That’s My Fish
Settlers of Catan
Carcossone
Ticket to Ride
Ninja vs. Ninja
Stratego
Blokus
Othello
10 days in USA
Lord of the Rings
The next task will be to define strategy. Then, we can take each game and examine which strategy or strategies it best represents.
So, what is strategy?
1. What are the basic building blocks of a strategy?
2. Is there more than one type of strategy?
3. How do the notions of TIME, SPACE, and ENERGY enter into the discussion of strategy?
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My personal definitions:
Strategy: an overall series of choices, made during the game, designed to reach the goal or victory conditions.
My plan during this Chess game is to isolate her king on the kingside, and then set up my rooks for a back-rank mate.
Tactics: a set of choices, made during a game and in response to shifting environmental concerns, almost always successful, designed to reach intermediate objectives.
I move my bishop to B2, putting pressure on the center and forcing her to weaken her pawn structure.
In RISK, choosing to use the Australian continent as a base is a strategy, while deciding the right time to stop a chain of attacks is a tactic.
Tic-Tac-Toe really only has tactics.
Most games have an application of force. In Chess, pieces 'control' spaces to which they can move and capture enemy pieces. It's a pretty obvious form of force.
Time is the traditional term for how rapidly a player has been shifting his force, how nimble he has been. In Magic, the player who can get more usable cards on the table faster is said to have a time advantage (and "usable" is an important distinction.)
Space is usually discussed as a defense issue. Whoever controls the center squares of a chessboard has a space advantage, because she can exert pressure at a greater range than her opponent. It's not that her bishops and knights are individually stronger, so much as she can use them together, and her space advantage is preventing her opponent from doing the same.
I don't hear energy bandied about much in Strategy discussions, so I'm not sure how it plays out. (If I had to take a guess, I'd look at the game of onopoly. Gaining monopolies and building on them might be seen as an energy advantage. Grabbing at least one property from as many different colors as possible doesn't exert much pressure at all, but it does keep the opponent from consolidating his propertes, so it seems like a space advantage.)
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I don't hear energy bandied about much in Strategy discussions, so I'm not sure how it plays out. (If I had to take a guess, I'd look at the game of onopoly. Gaining monopolies and building on them might be seen as an energy advantage. Grabbing at least one property from as many different colors as possible doesn't exert much pressure at all, but it does keep the opponent from consolidating his propertes, so it seems like a space advantage.)
In some games, there is a buildup of forces and power that one could equate to energy.
In Risk, for instance, one could equate armies to energy. The greater your energy and the better it is concentrated, the more likely your victory. The one who can turn in their cards, conquer a foe using the massive reinforcements, take that opponents cards, and then turn those in on the same turn has harnessed a tidal wave of this energy. Likewise, if one builds up forces, conserving them wisely, eventually enough "energy" will be built up allowing the player to ride roughshod over the opponent who constantly spreads their armies too thin, wasting energy as it were.
Here is the list of games we have compiled so far in order of appearance.
Risk, Simplified version of Chess, Tic-Tac-Toe, Black Jack, Gin Rummy, Hearts, Bridge, Checkers, Chess, Go, Poker, Stratego, Connect 4, ,Chinese Checkers, Diplomacy, World in Flame, Clue, Rock-Paper-Scissors, Hot Hands, Nuke War, Pente, Table Top miniature Games, Amtgard, SCA, Paintball, Plants vs. Zombies, Shoji, Backgammon, Magic: the Gathering, Gipf Project, Kill Doctor Lucky, Girl Genius game, Lamarckian Poker, Ogre, Frag!, Kriesspiel, Hey, That’s My Fish, Settlers of Catan, Carcossone, Ticket to Ride, Ninja vs. Ninja, Stratego, Blokus, Othello, 10 days in USA, Lord of the Rings
Next, we need to design algorithms to play each of these games.
After which we will see what these algorithms have in common, and if it is possible to group certain games with others based upon the
algorithms needed to play them.
Here is the list of games we have compiled so far in order of appearance.
Risk, Simplified version of Chess, Tic-Tac-Toe, Black Jack, Gin Rummy, Hearts, Bridge, Checkers, Chess, Go, Poker, Stratego, Connect 4, ,Chinese Checkers, Diplomacy, World in Flame, Clue, Rock-Paper-Scissors, Hot Hands, Nuke War, Pente, Table Top miniature Games, Amtgard, SCA, Paintball, Plants vs. Zombies, Shoji, Backgammon, Magic: the Gathering, Gipf Project, Kill Doctor Lucky, Girl Genius game, Lamarckian Poker, Ogre, Frag!, Kriesspiel, Hey, That’s My Fish, Settlers of Catan, Carcossone, Ticket to Ride, Ninja vs. Ninja, Stratego, Blokus, Othello, 10 days in USA, Lord of the Rings
Next, we need to design algorithms to play each of these games.
After which we will see what these algorithms have in common, and if it is possible to group certain games with others based upon the
algorithms needed to play them.
Chess or Go would be good choices for Strategy, though the Fischer Random variant of Chess would be a fine option as well if you want to eliminate the set opening play and force the players to have to improvise and think up strategy and tactics from the start.
... force the players to have to improvise and think up strategy and tactics from the start.
This is antithetical to our quest. We want to 'teach' strategy & tactics to
new gamers. And educate them in ways of constructing strategy & tactics from basic elements.Your idea has them being adapt at this task to begin with.
... force the players to have to improvise and think up strategy and tactics from the start.This is antithetical to our quest. We want to 'teach' strategy & tactics to
new gamers. And educate them in ways of constructing strategy & tactics from basic elements.Your idea has them being adapt at this task to begin with.
Not really. Standard chess is tougher for a new player who just wants to learn strategy and tactics because it is very, very easy to get destroyed in the opening if your opponent has more lines memorized than you. Fischer random does away with the value of memorizing openings, leaving just strategy and tactics behind. The pieces still move the same, the center still needs to be controlled and attack strategies formulated, but you cannot fall into a rote opening for the first half dozen or more moves and rely on memorized lines.
I'm rather fond of Twilight Imperium 3e + Shattered Empire. Make sure you have eight hours free. :D
THE LIST IS COMPLETE
We are now on Stage III.
I think peurto rico the board game is a great way to teach the difference between strategy and tactics. Long term vs short term goals, and how no plan survives contact with the enemy.
Dominion is also a solid game for teaching people to adapt to ever changing variables that can interact in interesting ways with unitended and intended consequences.
Diplomacy is a game that is unique in that the game itself is very unimportant. The person who is best at wheeling and dealing, and manipulating people will succeed. Strategy is good, but getting people on your side and stabbing them in the back at the right time is crucial.
The Economist ran a cool story on Game Theory:
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Next, we need to design algorithms to play each of these games.After which we will see what these algorithms have in common, and if it is possible to group certain games with others based upon the
algorithms needed to play them.
Just a point of interest, the "algorithm" for Go has been eluding programmers for 20 years. To date, an average go player (someone who has attained an intermediate amateur rank in a go association) will beat any computer program you throw at them.
This is something that is the topic of lectures at conventions where people might talk about AI and programming.
Go is the best strategy game every because it requires you to read very large and deep patterns. Just because you're losing on part of the board right now, doesn't mean it won't be possible to take control somewhere else and then extend that control to take back the current area.
The problem is that for the opening move, there are 361 possibilities. Then, for the second move there are 360 possibilities. In two moves, there are now a potential 129,960 games. If you only play with 200 moves (100 per side) there are a potential of 1.9x10^481 games. The longest professional matches can go to around 400 moves, with a upper limit of potential games at 10^1023 (a piece on a space can be captured and a new piece played there at a later time... and recaptured).
At the moment, we are incapable of building a computer that is capable of finishing calculating all possible go games before the universe ends (assuming it ends sooner than 1000 trillion years from now).
Does anyone have C source for a chess game?
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