Imagi-nation gaming definition?

[Panzer21]

Willz,
It's all just labels. People like to attach them to themselves as it makes them part of a distinct clan / tribe / unit; even when part of a much larger group. It's usually about insecurity and self-worth and how you want to portray yourself. It's probably not accidental that much of this goes on in youth sub-groups, goths, emo and all that.

It's sad but wargamers do it to. As if belonging to a group that plays with toy soldiers isn't enough to distinguish you from the rest of humanity......

The "Imagi-Nations" term was coined at some stage when lots of wargamers realised they were old farts and decided to go all retro and revisit their youth.......thus was the "Old School" wargaming movement born. It may have been Henry Hyde who came up with Imagi-Nations to describe the fictitious nation states created by the likes of Charles Grant. Henry, like many of us, had a soft spot for "The Wargame", Spencer Smiths and the whole fun of creating your own kingdom.

Henry also had form designing his own states. Starting his own magazine helped popularise the ideas. It hit the spot with a lot of gamers who were a bit jaded with current wargaming and in some cases hearkened back to their youth. The rose tinted glasses came out, and suddenly every one was reminiscing about "the good old days" (which IMHO they really weren't). So "Old School Wargaming" or OSW was born.

There were some problems. What exactly was OSW? What happens if I was born in the 1980s or 1990s?
For some people, it was a return to "happier times" - a bit of harmless time travel to your youth - which pretty obviously was different for anyone.
Those in search of a definition for OSW, pretty soon began to associate it with C18th fictitious states and in many cases Spencer Smith figures, Bellona terrain, Merit trees, plain green cloths and old pre-1970s rule sets. It was a quest for "simpler times".

Sadly, it quickly disappeared up its own OSW oriface.......some people didn't want to use SSM, didn't want to design then own uniforms and wanted the resale value of the professionally painted Prussians to remain (there being little value in pink coated Saxe- Pehst infantry). So people created fictional countries, blogs and elaborate back-stories. Some went all in on the nostalgia and bought all the tokens of the 1960s and 1970s, such as SSM. At its height, I saw people pay £1000 for 50 SSM on eBay.

Some people didn't like the old rules or were born in the late 1960s or early 1970s so were used to rules from that era. New labels emerged such as "Middle School" and people wasted their lives in discussing what it meant and what OSW was about and whether you were "allowed" to do this or that. .....

Meanwhile, some of us just did what we liked. We all like nostalgia through rose-tinted glasses, so some of this fed into our own ideas and feelings. I was building fictional SSM armies inspired by The Wargame long before OSW existed as a concept. I still am. I don't want to use Charge of Grant's rules, but do embrace the green cloth, Merit trees and cardboard Schreiber buildings - not because it's "what you have to do" but because it's what I wanted to do long before it was trendy.

Oddly, many of these Imagi-Nations have disappeared. Blogs lie moribund and crumbling like forgotten cities or countries in an ancient atlas. I never saw the point of painting Prussian troops and then calling them something fictitious; but then I always thought the Grand Duchy of Lorraine were just French and showed a distinct lack of imagination (as oppose to the VFS). I never got the RHA in Charge. But, so what? They are just my prejudices and of no account. I never attached labels to my project before they existed and only do so out of "shorthand" so people have some idea of what I'm on about .

It was nice to find out others had similar ideas, but for me it was never about identity or belonging to a "club of like minded individuals" ; in many ways I resented the pigeonhole and don't wear tweed and ties and drink brandy while wargaming as some suggested OSW should. I'm happy doing my own thing thanks very much.

Anyone (especially keyboard warriors) who suggest what is an Imagi-Nation game or isn't is the sort of t***er to be avoided at all costs. I'll bet when they play their WW2 games for the current trendy set and field every King and Jagd Tiger ever made (without the hassle of breakdowns, Jabos, bridges to narrow and unable to take the weight) they regard this as the serious historical wargaming it isn't; Imagi-Nations - that's for when they play Maurice with their Prussian army masquerading as "Prossans" encountering unseen swamps in every game, with their carefully designed imaginary characteristics......

Sorry for the length of the rant........☺

Neil

[Willz the Wargamer]

Nothing to be sorry about Niel, the imagi-nation was one of my first steps into this form off social media.
I joined facebook to reconnect with some old shipmates I had lost contact with, we have made contact.
So I probably don't need it any longer, plus every day I get strange unknown people trying to befriend me.
I am getting hacked off with this spam so I was thinking of leaving facebook so maybe this helped me make a decision.

They are our toys and I play with them my way, I love this forum as it is open minded.


Willz.

[Essex Boy]

When I joined SEEMS in 1973 at the grand old age of 13, Old School was the term used for "throw a six and you're dead" type rules which were being replaced by rules which purported to be simulations, al la WRG Ancients and Bruce Quarrie's strange Napoleonic rules.

I suspect that many wargamers will now look upon those WRG and Quarrie rules as Old School, but I still apply the same definition now as I did in 1973. No one can ever accuse me of being progressive!

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

And he's got a shed full of frozen lettuce to prove it!

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

.....(there being little value in pink coated Saxe-Pehst infantry).....

Ah, I see what you did there!!!

From what I've read about them (and observed first hand from working with one or two) the Donkey Wallopers can be Saxe-Pehsts too.

[Panzer21]

When I joined SEEMS in 1973 at the grand old age of 13, Old School was the term used for "throw a six and you're dead" type rules which were being replaced by rules which purported to be simulations, al la WRG Ancients and Bruce Quarrie's strange Napoleonic rules.

I suspect that many wargamers will now look upon those WRG and Quarrie rules as Old School, but I still apply the same definition now as I did in 1973. No one can ever accuse me of being progressive!

I saw serious debates on the old OSW forum that Bruce Quarrie's rules were "Middle School" .....

"Dreadful and complex" or "of their time" might be more appropriate adjectives......

Neil

[goat major]

"He never changed his mind after 1973" is going on the gravestone

[Paul]

If you imagine a real historical nation but tweak some of the circumstances (eg the Scottish colony on the Isthmus of Darien succeeds beyond anyone's wildest dreams

Have you not read about the exploits of the Army of the Barony of Darien in the first few Aytons?
'Twas they who reduced Genral E. Pickled to Pate and captured Price Zigor.

[RMD]

.....(there being little value in pink coated Saxe-Pehst infantry).....

Ah, I see what you did there!!!

From what I've read about them (and observed first hand from working with one or two) the Donkey Wallopers can be Saxe-Pehsts too.

Natural enemies of the Biehnflicken Husaren.

[tim.w]

When I joined SEEMS in 1973 at the grand old age of 13, Old School was the term used for "throw a six and you're dead" type rules which were being replaced by rules which purported to be simulations, al la WRG Ancients and Bruce Quarrie's strange Napoleonic rules.

I suspect that many wargamers will now look upon those WRG and Quarrie rules as Old School, but I still apply the same definition now as I did in 1973. No one can ever accuse me of being progressive!

For context I wasn't born then and I'm 50 soon.