Reply To: Scales

[Don Glewwe]

My (less than) 2-cents:

I find that the size of buildings/interior spaces is far too large, not small, because of the ground-figure scale ratio. RPGs may, of course, differ (being usually(?) confined to a single venue), but skirmish wargames (in my very limited experience) employ a ground scale that is vastly inferior to the figure scale (usually 1/56).

Hand-to-hand combat aside, the inclusion of any sort of missile combat presents a problem when the ground scale differs from that of the minis (and associated terrain made to ‘look correct’).  Weapon ranges that defy rationality when combined with terrain features made to accommodate figure scale spring to mind.  Figures (like vehicles) can amplify such problems, as when an SMG cannot fire the length of a large AFV.

Missile combat aside, the aforementioned base sizes of out-of-scale minis creates problems within the game when single figures need to negotiate ridiculous 10′ zones of control in order to move/position themselves on the tabletop -both in relationship to other figures as well as terrain features.

As to the ‘Theater’ aspect of gaming -which I admire- there is what I have come to consider the ‘translation of visual information’.  A player viewing a game (be it board or miniature tabletop or computer screen) receives information necessary to make decisions in the game.   Displays (both of environment and forces) provide that information.  IMO, the less ‘translation’ a player needs to make in order to convert that information to something usable in the decision process, the better.

For tabletop miniatures, this means fewer ‘this really means that’ translations.  In Zippy’s example: The Spitfire looks to be only 100-mini-scale-feet away…how can I miss?  …or: It’s only across a backyard garden, what do you mean it’s out of SMG range?  …or: In ground scale it’s a 40′-long wall, how come I can only fit/cover three men of the squad and the rest die in the open?

 

I consider myself a model builder.  I consider gaming to be modelling an event.  I try to make the stuff I use in my games be as good a model of the things they represent, but err on the side of modelling the event.  Modelling stuff is different – I love to do it, but don’t insert it where it doesn’t work.