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Games to teach WWII history
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Please, indicate a game that I could use to teach WWII history to someone who knows little or nothing about it. Update 6 Aug 2004 : I'd better specify that I'm essentially interested in showing: - the theater of operations - nations involved - the chronological sequence of events I'm not particularly interested in tactical aspects.
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Posted On: 2004-08-06 05:51:00
Edited On: 2004-08-06 05:51:00
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The scenarios included give historical background of the battles. |
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4 Comments []
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Posted On: 2004-08-05 11:41:14
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The scenarios in "Ambush" have good descriptions of where they fit into the overall war, more or less, and give some feel for the individual soldier's plight, with things like guns jamming, random artillery strikes, and panic. Takes some of the "Audie Murphy wannabee" out of a player, as his guy gets whacked over and over again while running up a road straight at an enemy gun emplacement! |
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0 Comments
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Posted On: 2004-08-05 13:20:38
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Without knowing more about you and your friend, it's almost impossible to make an intelligent recommendation. Most WW2 games I know of have educational value as enrichment, rather than a survey quality.
If you can find a copy of this game (which might be hard), here's what it offers:
-Short, easy rules.
-A broad scope.
-Short playing time for a game of its scope (about 2 hours.)
What you can expect to learn:
-The geography of the european theater, how and why it affected the sequence of events.
-The major leaders/generals of the european war.
-Some strategic options that each country faced.
-Some sense of the differences between infantry, armored, airborne, etc. forces.
Most of the other games I can think of are either too focused on a small part of WW2 to be of much use, or are so complex that learning how to play will trump how much you learn about WW2. |
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4 Comments []
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Posted On: 2004-08-05 13:24:48
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It gives a good overall feel for the war, and has some of the same strategies as the real war. The issues in the Pacific and Russia are vaguely accurate. Yet it's still a fairly light (though moderately long) game. |
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1 Comment []
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Posted On: 2004-08-05 22:23:31
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Europe Engulfed would be my personal choice of WW2 teaching tool. Like many have said...games may be imperfect teaching tools...but at the same time they can also be quite dynamic and interesting at teaching some of the factors of a complicated war such as WW2...and can give some insights into the events that occured and issues that were considered on BOTH sides of the war.
The blocks design of Europe Engulfed and the ability of the game to cover the entire scope of the war...at least on the European front would give a tactile and visual idea of what went into the War in Europe. I think there is something to be said for a game's tactile and visual representation of a battle...over reading about the war in a book or watching a war documentary on tv.
At it's heart a game is meant to be fun...but there is no reason that insights on the actual war can not also be gleaned while playing the game and making decisions...especially when you get to take alternating views of both sides in the battles over several sessions. |
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1 Comment []
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Posted On: 2004-08-06 00:15:05
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Posted On: 2004-08-05 14:12:02
I say this because I don't think Battle Cry is a very educational game about the American Civil War.
One could probably get more history from a big illustrated coffee table book about WWII than from this game.
I should have followed my professional sales training and asked an opened ended question to qualify the needs and applications before commenting. (sound of smacking my ownself)
So what is it in particular about WW II that's got your attention?
I look forward to getting M'44, could be here today, and BC has far more plays in the past 6 months than any other game I own. I've been down the simulation road with ASL in WW II and have little interest in going back there.