Wargames

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There is something about the competition between two gamers, the clatter of dice and the shuffling of papers as two grown men are trying to beat the living hell out of the other man's small pewter and plastic men. It seems childish when I phrase it that way, I know, but that is what it looks like to an outsider. It is the closest that some of us will get to being a master of an army, of writing our own stories in fake blood and imaginary gore. There is a significance to these actions, because in a way I have created something (an army of raving lunatics in my case) and now I control it. I tell the pieces where to go, how to fight, and what objective is most important. It is hard not to wonder if this is the sort of thing that a deity might feel. Of course, as with the Greek pantheon, the failings of such thoughts is that such a god is full of the failings of a man. Poor judgement, bad luck, and being a bad sport come to mind immediately.



In analyzing the hobby, and myself, I think it is really all about the social interaction anyway. It is a chance to get together with like-minded individuals and share in a common interest. In the end that is all we ever really want. A little human interaction, a chance to show off how well we can paint and play, and maybe some laughs. I could really use some laughs right now.