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Wargame Eye Candy
Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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NB: Not long after starting this list I discovered a few similar ones from ages ago. I realise people get tetchy about lists being repeated so I won't continue this.
You can find the previous ones here..
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/53410/games-whose-comp...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/52187/i-easily-get-lur...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/53220/biggest-bang-for...
Many people will agree that the most important element of any game ... is the gameplay. The role of the eye candy is to provide the player with clear and precise information and aesthetic niceties with the former being more important than the latter.
However I believe that these days good information design and good aesthetics are not mutually exclusive and that a good looking and feeling game is not just hiding inadequate gameplay.
There's been a number of forum posts over the years about this very topic that always provoke strong reactions. People have very distinct ideas of how they want wargame components to look, feel and do and, in these times of credit crunches, what defines good value for money.
So I thought I'd create this list, firstly to show what I like and why and then, since we all come to this from different and passionate angles, to leave it open to everyone else to add their own particular likes and dislikes.
And its my first Geeklist so be kind.
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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Maybe I'm biased as this is my favourite wargame of the moment but I really like the recent artwork of CoH.
The maps are colourful but not garish. Clean, functional and are not ambiguous during gameplay. The hexes are clear but subdued and are perfectly functional without detracting from the map. They are also matte rather than gloss so don't suffer from ceiling light or window glare. Nice thick mounted boards that look like they'll last.
OK so this next image is actually from Zun Tzu but it shows the maps with all the components together.
As we can see the counters stand out perfectly well from the maps and don't get lost. The information is in a clear, easy to read font with a meaningful use of colour and position. Their large size makes them easy to pick up, stack, and most importantly, read. The only issues I have are with the size of the unit name and that timer chit which is in a completely different style.
Some people don't like the images on the chits but they work perfectly fine for me although it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between a couple of them which is where I think bigger unit text would be useful.
The fact that they're photographed models isn't an issue for me at all. I prefer them to symbols as they're one less level of abstraction and give a much better visual feel for what's going on.
I had issues with the cards in Awakening the Bear as they felt very amateurish. Those in Storm of Steel are much better but they still feel a little at odd with the rest of the art.
The manual is wonderful with many many colour gameplay and rule examples and designer notes. It really is one of the better rulesets available although I find it can be a little awkward sometimes when trying to find random information during a game.
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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Components wise you don't get that much in Napoleon's Triumph but what there is is gorgeous.
The map is stunning. 2 large mounted boards. Beautiful silky matt finish. The artwork is subtle, easy on the eye but very clear and unambiguous. It contains both regular map features and the positional information relevant to the game. The essential game info is clear and easy to see but is knocked back and doesn't spoil the aesthetics of the wonderful artwork.
The blocks and leader flags are simple, work very well against the pale map and despite being primary colours don't feel gaudy. The long block shape is very evocative of long lines of Napoleonic Troops. They work both visually and practically as with most block games their physicality provides for a fog of war. The symbols on them are clear and as there's only a few types are easy to remember.
Its one down side for me are the instructions which I found a little confusing. They would of benefited from some colour walk throughs especially as the game breaks with so many wargame conventions.
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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Totensonntag is a mixed bag. Its a small boxed game and is cheap so you don't really expect much. The map is printed on card and is very prone to warping.
But the map artwork is beautiful. Like Napoleons Triumph and others, it is very subdued but still gives all the required game information clearly and unambiguously without detracting from the aesthetics. The art gives a feel for the harsh, dry, rugged terrain of that region while the different features are distinct and easy to distinguish. The hexes are very subtle indeed but are perfectly functional.
Again, like Napoleons Triumph, the chits are strongly coloured compared to the map but they work so well. I'm not so sure about the mix of symbols and tank pictures. I'd prefer one or the other and I don't understand why the text at the bottom of the chit is so hard to read when its such an important part of the scoring. Not much other info is on the chits and it is relatively large text. The choice of font and lettering style could of been better though as some numbers can be hard to distinguish.
All in all its a cheap game in a small box. The materials match the cheap price but the artwork is both pleasing and functional.
I am also going to include in the this Category some other Lock'N'Load published titles that I feel to follow the same or similar styling.
World at War: Eisenbach Gap and the many expansions and off shoots.
Nations at War: White Star Rising
Britain Stands Alone (2nd Edition)
Corps Command: Dawn's Early Light from the same system as Totensonntag.
Summer Lightning: The Invasion of Poland 1939
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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Combat Commander : Europe is also a mixed bag.
I hate paper maps. Theres nothing makes a game feel cheaper to me than paper maps and thin card chits. CC:E is in some ways an exception and in other, not.
Paper maps. Lots of them.
Ok so lets be practical. Mounted maps would result in a huge and heavy and even more expensive game. Theres just too many maps here to do that so I'll let the paper issue slide.
The geometric illustrative style is interesting and is consistent through most of the artwork. Its functional, coherent and works well as a whole although is not very evocative and despite the potential gameplay that may ensue from them they actually leave me feeling rather flat. They aren't exciting or even pleasant. Functional is probably the best description.
The chits are also designed well and are consistent with the overall design. The text is clear and easy to read and the illustrations give an adequate and functional depiction.
However I found that they de-laminated very easily and that I required a scalpel to remove them from the sheet and then they really do need their corners trimmed as they're very messy.
The chits that fail for me are the many marker chits. Style wise they are at odds with the rest of the game and feel like they've been designed by someone else.
I have a particular loathing for the fire chit that, despite rendering a whole hex impassable, is still only a small square with a rather insipid flame symbol and text that looks like it was an after thought. As for the markers that go on the display track, well to be blunt they're a bit pathetic and so at odds with the rest. I feel like apologising when putting them out.
The cards are great and consistent with the style. They mostly convey everything they need to succinctly and clearly which is handy since they all have multiple functions.
The instructions .. well I managed to learn the game from them, just, but without the play through it would of been impossible. Its not as well written as say the CoH manual but where it does deliver is as a work of reference. Once you know how to play its very easy to find those nit picky little things that you can never remember.
While you get many maps, many chits, three decks of cards, several aids and two booklets I wasn't happy about having to cut out and trim the chits. To many wargamers this is par for the course but personally, I disagree.
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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Block games are great. They have a physicality about them reminiscent of miniatures but without the toy feel and with the added bonus of inherent fog of war (unless they're double sided like C&C:A)
EastFont II is no exception. Again the blocks are brightly coloured against a subtle but evocative and information rich map. The second edition had the map artwork toned down and while it seems a bit of a trend these days it does work very well.
I'm still saving up for this but have seen it in the flesh and was very impressed although for the price I was expecting a nicely mounted board like Napoleons Triumph. The card one is a major disappointment and at £67 does not provide good value for money.
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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Lets be VERY clear here .. I'm talking about the second edition without the chicken wire halos. They were bloody awful but here, I'm talking about the second edition reprint.
The map artwork is somewhat reminiscent of Conflict of Heroes although even with the environment they like to really emphasise the hex shapes. Personally I don't like that. They don't need hex shaped woods to avoid ambiguity. But other than that I like the maps. They are darker than the other LnL styles but they still work well. I found the board wasn't particularly great. It warps easily and feels a little cheap.
Now the chits I really like.
Theres a few issues where the text is less than readable but over all they're really nice. The leader illustrations add a personal touch and the graphic style brings out lots of detail while not being over fussy. The colouring works well over the darker maps and the chits never get lost.
However the maps, cards and chits seem to be styled in different and slightly clashing ways. The rigid way the textured map art follows the hexes is very prominent and is aesthetically distracting. The card art feels like they're from a 1980's game. And then you have the chits that are line drawings and in a style all of their own. Maybe if the maps were looser and the cards echoed the design of the chits..
The manual I found awkward and with a lot of extraneous information but then its a general manual for all the expansions as well. I found it a little cumbersome to learn but as a reference tool its excellent.
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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The panzer Grenadier games are a real mixed bag of styles and component qualities but I think 1940 is about the best for the price.
The map artwork is similar to the Corps Command series. Stylised muted colours and textures that work well as a whole, read easily and give a good feel for the environment except with the many exceptions during scenarios that tell you woods such and such aren't really there, ignore hill x, river y is actually a road. They're on thickish card which doesn't always lie flat but its acceptable. A little thinner than Band of Heroes.
The chit art work is ok. Similar to some Lock'n'Load games, perfectly readable and understandable but the font is possibly too bold as the text can look a bit too ... erm fat, like the inks bled out a bit too much. They stand out well from the map but can look out of place and I wish the base colours weren't so pale. They can look a little insipid and weak. The variety of unique units is great and they're all distinct. But like Combat commander, some of the book keeping chits look wrong and out of place.
And now I'm starting to run short of things to say that I haven't said already about other games.. :-(
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Patrick Ward
United Kingdom
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Hey, another block game.
With a lovely map and components. I've only seen this on display and haven't had a chance to play but yet again a mounted, interesting, stylish, map. The block artwork is easy to read at first glance which makes a change.
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