A wargamesmonger.
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| The Wargamesmonger is on guard. |
That means I like to play games involving combat of some sort. Strategic, tactical, online or on the table, plastic bits or paper counters or painted miniature, makes no difference to me. Historical, pseudo-historical, real history, alternative history, science fiction, space opera, fantasy or just flat-out silly— it's all good. All very, very good. And I'd love to get you to play, too. Or at least enjoy my enjoyment of it all.
So this is my blog, where I will, from time to time, share my triumphs and my defeats, and hopefully entertain you a bit in the process. Who knows— I might even introduce you to a game you've never heard of before... or share some of my own creations. (Here's one.)
As regards to "of TMP," that part of my name comes from my frequent presence on The Miniatures Page, a site for all things having to do with miniatures tabletop gaming (one of my favorite forms of wargaming). I'm "Parzival" there, too.
Why "Parzival"? First, because to my knowledge, I am the very first person to ever use the Internet moniker Parzival, which I began using back circa 1990, before there ever was a World Wide Web, and commercial Internet usage was pretty much limited to Compuserve, some also-rans whose names I forget, and a little Mac-centric startup called America Online, or AOL. As the proud owner of a MacPlus (yes, I still have it), I was on AOL. Still am. Where possible, I still use that moniker on the Internet. So far all intents and purposes, I am Parzival as much as I am me (though not all Parzivals on the Internet are me— there is certainly a Google account with that name who is not me, so don't confuse us, please, and don't think an e-mail sent to that g-mail name will reach me— it won't.). As for the name itself, I chose it from the classic medieval German epic Parzival by Wolfram Von Eschenbach, about a young knight who sets off to find King Arthur's court and later the Holy Grail— a knight whose character is marked by his faith, his love of his wife, and his humility. Not a bad role model, I have always thought. Hence the name.
Lastly, if you're still wondering what a wargame is, here's my definition (distinct from "war game," which is a large military exercise conducted by real armed forces to test troop readiness and strategic and tactical planning, or "war-game," which is either a verb or adjective applying to the same— as in "for many years NATO forces routinely war-gamed a Soviet invasion of Western Europe."):
A wargame is a game which involves some thematic element related to combat or warfare. Chess is essentially the first wargame. Popular wargames might include Risk, Axis & Allies, Stratego, and even Battleship but the list is far bigger than that (and really, I only mention those so as to give newbies a glimpse of what the term means). The vast majority of wargames are barely in the mainstream notice, and can become increasingly complex, as anyone whose ever cracked an old SPI game well knows. Wargames also can include role-playing games like the well-known Dungeons & Dragons (and its various incarnations, copiers and competitors), tabletop miniatures games involving carefully painted figures of soldiers or military devices or creatures (or pretty much anything somebody might conceive of engaging in combat), and of course video and computer games (though honestly, I'm not that much into those— so if you're looking for discussions of the latest iteration of Halo or Medal of Honor, you'll probably not find that here. Unless I get into those, and then you might). So on this blog you might find discussions of anything from a quiet evening of getting clobbered at chess (I am a horrible chess player) to full blown all-out assaults by an armada of painted spaceships. Call that fair warning.
And that should be enough for anybody to go on.
I will add this: whatever I play, I play for fun. That's all. I'm not thinking I'm recreating history, or creating a novel, or simulating actual battlefield conditions or events (I'm usually playing inside of somebody's climate-controlled house after a nice, enjoyable dinner— and that ain't "battlefield conditions"). I'm just enjoying a good time, exercising my mind and my imagination, and hopefully sharing all of that with good friends. Who knows— someday that might include you.
I hope you enjoy my blog, and I hope to face you across the field of virtual battle— but only as friends.
Good day, and as all wargamers need, good luck!
--- Howard Shirley, aka Parzival of TMP (accept no substitutes)
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