Reply To: What is a narrative wargame?

[McLaddie]

Narrative wargaming for me is about putting the narrative first instead of winning the battle. The setup of most wargaming is two sides vs each other, and one side wins the battle and hence the game.

A narrative game deviates from that in that the winning the battle is not the object of the game, but developing the story is.

Phil:

Well, I can see that distinction.  A ‘tournament game’ can be the same game system as a ‘narrative game’, only the purpose of play is different, and thus all the player interactions and processes around play.   There ceratinly are ways to emphasize that story aspect of play, mechanics and processes that will enhance the narrative of the wargame vs a strictly competitive game.   I think that sometimes that is lost in discussing game design.  Why gamers engage in play has a lot to do with how the game is played, even with the same rules.

Matrix games demand a lot of that pre-purposing of play–that mind-set you mention.   Matrix games were more about the decisions than the game, the choices than the objectives being won.