Armchair Dragoons Forums
The Reference Desk => References & Research => Topic started by: caylott on April 27, 2020, 06:19:03 AM
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Hi! I had a chance to interview Brant for my thesis project, and he very kindly suggested I come over here to look for more sources. Perhaps you will be one of them?
As I mentioned in my introduction thread above (https://www.armchairdragoons.com/forum/index.php?topic=1909.msg40997), one of the hats I wear is "grad student" at Tampere University's game studies program. I'm in the early stages of what seems like it will be a master's thesis on wargamers and wargaming communities of the 1970s. Since I started playing wargames myself around then, this is a subject near and dear to my heart, and researching it is probably some kind of mid-life crisis. :)
Anyway. My thesis is built around talking with people who were playing wargames back in the 1970s, whether they were part of an organized play community, playing with a few friends, or (as I was) mostly playing solo. I'm looking at how people were introduced to wargames, how they played and collected games, who they played with, and how their experiences with wargames have changed in the decades since. It's still early so I'm not sure what I'm going to find, but some interesting patterns have already started to emerge.
If you were playing wargames and/or involved in the hobby game industry during the 1970s, I'd love to hear from you and set up an interview. You should be able to email me through my user ID, and I can give other links if needed and appropriate. The interview would be about 30-60 minutes long, recorded if you're okay with that, over Skype or regular phone. I live in Finland, but my schedule is flexible and I have the tech to do interviews however or whenever it's convenient for you.
This is a long-term project so we can set up a talk now, in a few weeks, or in a few months. If you know someone who might be a good source, I'd also be interested in getting in touch with them.
Thanks for your time and I hope we get a chance to talk!
Best wishes,
Chris Aylott
(edit: added link to intro thread)
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I've been playing wargames since around 1966.
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I've been playing wargames since around 1966.
Started late in life, eh? 🤪
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I was doing mini's before that - mainly because that's what there was back then, more-or-less.
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I got into Wargaming in my junior and senior years of High school. 1979-1981.
There was a war-games club that met after school and I joined after seeing them set up at the end of the day. I'd had to stay after for detention and walked by the room they were in on my way out.
I was curious so I went inside to talk to them. After HS I didn't touch another war-game until I stumbled across my 25 year old copies of PB and RW in storage and put them back on the table.
Now I have a book case and a half worth of games.
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My first wargame was Luftwaffe, which I bought with my own money from a Toys-R-Us of all places, back in 1977.
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My first wargame was Luftwaffe, which I bought with my own money from a Toys-R-Us of all places, back in 1977.
When ARE you going to get around to finally playing that? :P
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My first wargame was Luftwaffe, which I bought with my own money from a Toys-R-Us of all places, back in 1977.
Luftwaffe was my first "real" wargame as well. Saw it on a bookshelf in a house I was babysitting, trying to make some money. Took it down and set it up and was hooked. Used that night's cash to get my own copy.
1979. I was 14.
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My first wargame was Luftwaffe, which I bought with my own money from a Toys-R-Us of all places, back in 1977.
When ARE you going to get around to finally playing that? :P
Zing!
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Hi! I had a chance to interview Brant for my thesis project, and he very kindly suggested I come over here to look for more sources. Perhaps you will be one of them?
As I mentioned in my introduction thread above (https://www.armchairdragoons.com/forum/index.php?topic=1909.msg40997), one of the hats I wear is "grad student" at Tampere University's game studies program. I'm in the early stages of what seems like it will be a master's thesis on wargamers and wargaming communities of the 1970s. Since I started playing wargames myself around then, this is a subject near and dear to my heart, and researching it is probably some kind of mid-life crisis. :)
Anyway. My thesis is built around talking with people who were playing wargames back in the 1970s, whether they were part of an organized play community, playing with a few friends, or (as I was) mostly playing solo. I'm looking at how people were introduced to wargames, how they played and collected games, who they played with, and how their experiences with wargames have changed in the decades since. It's still early so I'm not sure what I'm going to find, but some interesting patterns have already started to emerge.
If you were playing wargames and/or involved in the hobby game industry during the 1970s, I'd love to hear from you and set up an interview. You should be able to email me through my user ID, and I can give other links if needed and appropriate. The interview would be about 30-60 minutes long, recorded if you're okay with that, over Skype or regular phone. I live in Finland, but my schedule is flexible and I have the tech to do interviews however or whenever it's convenient for you.
This is a long-term project so we can set up a talk now, in a few weeks, or in a few months. If you know someone who might be a good source, I'd also be interested in getting in touch with them.
Thanks for your time and I hope we get a chance to talk!
Best wishes,
Chris Aylott
(edit: added link to intro thread)
You know Chris, the way this thread is going you could probably just interview us all in here at the same time. Just ask a question and we'll all respond. Probably faster given the time zones and it would be interesting to all of us to see what the responses are as well.
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That makes sense, Vance.
You would make a fine engineer.....................
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Gee, thanks Bob, maybe I'll give that a try.... :go-on:
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But...I've heard you're no good at math. >:D
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But...I've heard you're no good at math. >:D
Pffftttt! Never was. Who needs math to be an engineer? :whistle:
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But...I've heard you're no good at math. >:D
you see - those are the inside jokes that are going to confound Chris's data collection... ::)
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Absolutely right, Brant. When it comes to serious scientific subjects, there should be no cutting corners.
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My gaming also began in the 60s.
Have to think a bit to get specific memories to the 1970s.
My first thought is how D&D just destroyed a couple of wargame clubs.
A lot of folks found Role Play to really be their thing. My memory is that Avalon Hill historical games, and then SPI's historory games had gotten people into wargaming and we're making the hobby more mainstream.
Brentanno's was a major book seller in those days. They had a branch on F street in Washington, DC that was three blocks from the White House.
A strong memory bubbled up. I was shocked to see a large display of SPI games on a gondala in the store. There were a mix of games, Sniper, Phalanx,Legion, and lots of World War II.
Before this, I only saw games in small,cramped hobby shops.
To see a major retailer devoting significant space to wargames, blocks from the White House, just seemed like the world shifted.
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Oh, just had a thought. One of Avalon Hill's designers was Jack W Greene.
He is still in the hobby, running Quarterdeck Games in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He is on Facebook and loves to talk about gaming.
He is also in contact with Tom Shaw who was the General Manager of AH from the 60s until New Management took over. Maybe in the mid 1980s? He is still playing stick ball and very sharp.
Jack Greene is also in contact with Lou Zocchi who was a game designer and ran a company, GameScience, in Biloxi Mississippi.
These guys could give you information on the hobby from the game company's side.
Oh, and Al Nofi is also on Facebook. He was a game designer and manager at SPI.
He is very nice. Easy to talk to, friendly, and enjoys talking about the hobby. He was a writer and researcher so should be a great resource.
The one thing is these guys are older. They make me and Bob look like spring chickens.
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Hi Chris, sounds like a fun thesis, at least for this bunch anyway. I started gaming around 1972, 1973 with Avalon Hill's Midway. Moved to PanzerBlitz and Luftwaffe after that and I couldn't buy Avalon Hill games fast enough afterwards. Until computer gaming became a thing, I was 100% board wargaming, mostly solo except for one good friend, with regular AD&D games becoming a thing in the early 80's. Looking forward to seeing where your thesis goes.
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Absolutely right, Brant. When it comes to serious scientific subjects, there should be no cutting corners.
:waiting:
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Thanks for the replies! I'll definitely be watching and making notes.
My main method is to focus on individual interviews, though. The slower-but-still-n-real-time pace gives both interviewer and interviewee a little more time to reflect and make connections, which usually leads to some interesting and unexpected information.
As I said, if that's of interest then definitely ping me via PM or email. I'm also every interested in contact recommendations such as Jack Greene above. Too many of the folks who built the hobby game business are not around any more, and one of my secondary motivations is to try to preserve their memories and experiences while they're still here to share them.
Best wishes,
Chris