I'd like to throw out an open ended topic/discussion. (I have a tendency to do this...). I'd like to get a feel for what other gamers like best, and what everyone feels could improve the hobby for them.

(Not quite a roleplaying topic, but I think this fits better here than in general discussion...)

What are your favorite miniature wargames? What mechanics or rules 'make' the games for you?

What are your favorite games with linked or campaign play? How do these games stand up over long periods of gaming?

What are your least favorite aspects of miniature wargaming? How could these aspects be improved?
(This could include anything related to the gaming experience, from total expense to get started, difficulty in getting others to play, unfriendly or unsupportive parent companies, required miniature painting, to length of games or overall repetitiveness. )

Be brutal.

It takes an exceptional designer to create a design that gamers can't break, but only a competent gamer to destroy one.

I'm not that up on wargames (as opposed to RPGs), but rules-wise, I do enjoy the Savage Worlds "Showdown" rules. I also like small skirmishes (8-10 minis per side on average) as opposed to bigger battles.

I agree with thecaptain that objectives as opposed to "wipe out" games are preferable. I'm also looking to try running some "campaign style" skirmishes (a la Space Hulk/Mordheim) with my group at some point.

And wargames that are designed to accompany RPGs are a list unto themselves.

Some favorites:
The Soldier's Companion for Space:1889 - the most brutal initiative system that I have ever encountered, both sides roll initiative, the winner moves and shoots, then both sides roll initiative again. Elite troops roll over green ones.

Open Mass Combat System 2 - a mass combat and siege system for D20 games, a compatable system covers naval battles. I have used these a fair amount. A free version is available for the Conan game

Previous editions of Traveller had both ground and space based wargames. I do not know about the current edition. 2300AD also had a space combat system called Star Cruiser, ships could very suddenly go *POP* when hit by the primary weapons of the game - nuclear pumped detonation lasers. It has been described as 'Hide & Seek with bazookas... And was a lot of fun.

I do not love the Miniatures Handbook by WotC, in fact I rather strongly dislike it.

The Auld Grump

This has been a very informative topic, guys! Thanks for the feedback!

If a mod could please move this topic into the brand spanking new wargaming forum, that'd be great.

What do you guys think about solo gaming? Chain Reaction gamers will know where I'm coming from.

I like skirmish level games because I can get in as many games in as little time as possible with interlinking games (campaign).

Warmachine makes this happen, the D&D Mini's and Star Wars Mini games allow for this too. I don't like the D&D mini's and Star Wars Mini's because of the randomness of the packs you buy (I want army X-Ray, but got figures for Army Luzer). But since I play D&D and wanted ton's of monsters I purchased whole cases of each release.

Warmachine scales well, so if you want a huge army type game, it is great. The D&D and Star Wars Mini's do not. Larger force armies get bogged down in the D&D and Star Wars mini's.

Warhammer 40k is a good Skirmish Level game, I use other company mini's with my 40K army. I guess you can tell I don't play in tournaments.

I found a game called Star Grunt from that I really like the rules too. But I can find absolutely no players for this game. I cut my teath with Squad Leader and Advanced Squad Leader, so Star Grunt fits in their nicely.

GZG also makes a space combat game called Full Thrust that I really like. I have only had the opportunity to play a handfull of games but I really like the system and I highly recommend it. I also play BattleFleet Gothic which I enjoy and find more players for. Both games have their pro's and conns. Again I use other manufacturer's mini's for BFG so no tournaments for me.

For roleplaying, my all time favorite game and system was Space Opera by Fantasy Games Unlimited. The character creation process is extremely detailed. The starship rules were unfortunately a bit cumbersome, but did fullfill the need for character skills etc.

I also enjoyed the Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Game from TSR (the original, not the SAGA system) and Star Frontiers. I wish Wizards (TSR) never stopped supporting it. Some people don't like d100 systems, but I really liked that I only needed d100 and that was it. Of course some of the stuff is back in d20 modern which I think is OK, but not the greatest. As long as a roleplaying game has a believable system for acquiring more skills, then I will usually like it.

I plan on picking up Spycraft 2.0 thanks to The Auld Grumps recommendation.

Hope this helps.

CCotD'