The realms of analog and digital games show us how mechanics affect our immersion at both a macro and micro level [Juul, 2005]. Here comes into play what Clint Hocking called ludo-narrative dissonances [Hocking, 2007]. This clash between the realms of intra- and extradiagetic elements was apparent since the earliest days of wargaming. Already in the grandfather of wargames – the Prussian Kriegspiel – simulation fidelity and playability were seen as opposites meant to be balanced, as analyzed in the standard works on wargames [Perla, 1990], [Sabin, 2014], [Peterson, 2012]. In times of narrative play and grimdark universes with a vast lore, it could be argued that a third aspect has to be differentiated. Ron Edwards identified the modes of Gamism, Narrativism, and Simulationism in tabletop role-playing games [Edwards, 2001], which can also be applied to modern wargaming. Balancing these aspects not only influences the way we play games [Anders, 2011], but it also shapes the way we see our hobby [Meriläinen et al., 2020].
To get a grasp on how these concepts manifest, we look at exemplary mechanics from Warhammer games and analyze how statistics and chance work together to create a captivating narrative. Furthermore, we examine cases where mechanical constraints clash with narrative fidelity and illuminate how abstraction challenges the player’s suspension of disbelief.
We hope to illuminate how wargaming offers a uniquely haptic experience, positioned somewhere between the real and the virtual [Buthaud, 2022].
Author bio
Dr. Florian Diller is a deputy professor of computer science at Worms University of Applied Sciences. He holds a PhD in data visualization using Augmented Reality. His research focuses on HCI, Extended Reality, and game design, and he teaches subjects such as VR/AR, 3D modeling, statistics, and machine learning.
