Now if we are talking Campaigns (not a full “war” per se…) here’s by no means a full accounting, but…
Real Wars
The Korean War
Vietnam: Many Divisional/Brigade Campaigns prior to Tet (not at all small scale…see Attleboro, Operation Long Reach, Masher/White Wing, ), Tet: Hue and environs, The Cambodian Incursion, Easter Offensive Actions and Actions in 1975 Final Offensive. Sino-Vietnamese War.
1956, 1967, 1973 Arab-Israeli
Cuba versus SA in Angola.
Nigerian Civil War (Modern equipment, Armor and multi-Divisional Armies used. Air Power on both sides)
Eritrean–Ethiopian War
Ogaden War
Hypothetical Wars
Spanish Moroccan War over Spanish Posessions in North Africa.
Greco -Turkish Conflict in 1974.
Second Korean War in the late 60’ Early 70s (you know, when it was a distinct possibility)
This is just an OOTTOMH thing. Any of them can be nickle and dimed. But there are a LOT of conflicts that just haven’t been done, as we do Fulda for the 100th time. :)
The first four would absolutely have an audience, sell and get a buzz.
Oh, I will grant you all of those (and I left off Korea because I consider that a pretty well-traveled piece of game turf, though for me I’d like more set there). I left off Vietnam because you were already working that angle (though for me I don’t have much interest in conflict as a setting for sims, for a variety of reasons). Arab-Israeli stuff has been done to death, and it’s hard to make that balanced without a lot of victory point fudging or bucket of cement rules.
The rest are indeed interesting, but they aren’t IMO really comparable to NATO/WP in terms of high-intensity mechanized combat. And face it, tanks and stuff > grunts for many wargamers, I’d argue. I don’t know enough about African wars to really comment, though from what little I do know they might be very interesting from a certain perspective. I have my doubts about appealing to the type of gamer who wants tank armies and NATO divisions though.
I would love a 1960s Korea re-match, as well as a 1980s-ish one like the one Tiller did. I have a hard time believing Cuba in Angola would do well–I do remember one or more boardgames on the topic, but that was at the height of the Cold War. Again, I’m speaking for myself and from the perspective of “conventioinal” wargame treatments focused on “big” conflicts. Now if we start talking grand tactical level, say a company-level game with air mobility, amphibious options, and a lot of semi-tactical detail, all of these topics become primo.
Exactly, and that’s the scale I’m talking about, and the scale of the starter of this convo, Armored Brigade. Actually it’s at Squad level for maneuver platforms.
Pick your most wished for 20th Century Conflict/Theater/Etc. that you wished would be modeled on Viddya or Cardboard. Not what you think would sell, but what you’d personally like to see, that hasn’t been done/hasn’t been done to your satisfaction. Hypothetical or Actual. Nominate in-thread. I’ll collate and do a poll.
The Zimmermann telegram never happens, Inspections and confiscation of US shipping by he British enraged the public, German sentiment doesn’t sour, or even grows, and the US either doesn’t join (or provide resources) the Entente or joins the Germans in WWI
I have a bunch some of which I am noodling on in my spare time. But the top ones on my mind now are
Eastern Front WW2 operational/strategic (with an emphasis on supply & effectiveness modelling not tactical puzzles)
Russian Civil War broadly around the Makhnovists (operational)
Cold War Air War commander. I have been playing around with this problem on both ends for some time now. I still have not found a higher level air war game that feels good. Although Defending the Reich is a decent start. Anyway I would want one that could model African brush air wars plus some of south east asia.
I did say “that hasn’t been done/hasn’t been done to your satisfaction” so you must mean the latter (not satisfied) not the 10,000,000 titles created already in both formats combined, but OK. ;)
The game I’ve always wanted was a contemporary (as in, here and now) simulation of American airborne and amphibious ops at the platoon/company level. I imagine it as having maps representing a variety of terrain and climate types, as well as a spectrum of opponents and situations ranging from humanitarian interventions gone wrong to full-on storm the beach type stuff. The focus would be on getting a mission and then putting together the force to accomplish it from what you had available.
Not quite what is being asked for, I know, but it sure fascinates me.
My two in my head today, out of a plethora, are Hypothetical US Intervention in Laos, 1962 (NVN, PRC, Soviet Response) and a Hypothetical US Intervention in Nicaragua 1982 (Cuban Missile Crisis Redux-Cuban and Soviet Response). But, as I faux-scolded @Rod_Humble, like The Highlander, there can only be one. So.
Confirmed: Hypothetical US Intervention in Laos, 1962 (NVN, PRC, Soviet Response), Combined Arms, Operational (Battalion/Company)
