Gaming in the Gaps!
March 2, 2013 by warzan
With the weekender postponed for a week, I thought I might take the opportunity to share something with you guys...
Gaming in the Gaps
I may be a special/unusual case... I'm willing to accept that, but my time with Beasts of War leads me to think that one or two of you out there are going to resonate with today's riff.
For as long as I can remember when playing a game, I've always looked to ways to customise it, as years have went by I've come to understand the reason for this... it's NOT about changing a game to suit my tastes although I could use that as an excuse... no the reality is something just a little bit darker and more selfish than that.
I want to own a piece of the game, I want to fully control some aspect of it, to satisfy me that the time and effort I'm spending on it is worth it, and that I'm not completely at the mercy of someone else's whims and desires.
Hello, My Name is Warren ... And I'm A Gaming Control Freak...
Yup it's time to accept it because I've pretty much reached the age now that it ain't gonna change. So I'm going to declare openly (if not proudly) that I'm drawn to gaming in the gaps.
Gaming in the gaps, makes me feel like I own a little bit of the game I'm investing myself in, for me it's about finding the gaps in the narrative where I can build a little world within the world, somewhere stable that I feel I can invest my time in there without suffering the whims of the game developers or writer.
I'm not alone, please tell me I'm not alone!
Warhammer 40K allowed for this very well, the designers effectively built a narrative that was too big to break, this was primarily to allow them (in the studio) almost unlimited freedom, but a massive side effect of that was it allowed us as gamers to create and control gaps in the narrative where we created our own factions etc that interact with the world, but don't get stomped over by the writers and game developers.
I built a Space Marine chapter called 'The Sons of Aeon' in the following Gap: [Seeing that little blog again has given me a bit of an urge to return to it!]
1) They were a chapter that was secretly created just as the Heresy was in the end Game - Gave them a certain legitimacy and opened up heresy period gaming for me.
2) They are a chapter that actually carried multiple Gene Seed (to try and overcome mutations perhaps) - This was just a justification to let me try out different codexes.
3) They were directly equiped by the Adeptus Mechanicus - Letting me experiment with scratch building stuff.
4) They had their own support attachment of Imperial Guard (with Titans etc) - Although the game now supports this awesomeness out of the box with the Allies Rule.
5) Were sent to the outer reaches of the galaxy to seek out new territories - Didn't get caught up in the main plot lines too much.
So why even go to the bother of concocting this story in the gap where I can game... I can only put it down to a personality trait (flaw?) where I just like to have some control over my hobby. I suppose I'm uncomfortable placing my past time solely in the (very capable I'm sure) hands of the game developer.
Am I missing out?
I do wonder these days whether I'm missing out on a whole aspect of fun in my gaming because of my reluctance to be at the mercy of game developers. I have enjoyed many video games where I've had no control over the narrative (although I admit I enjoyed the games where I did even more!)
So the question is, should I be prepared to place my trust in the game developers and try to buy into their vision exclusively? And will my hobby be any more or less rewarding as a result?
Are you a game developer reading this, what do you feel about your gamers living and gaming in the gaps of your narrative and potentially missing out on the 'bigger picture'?
How my desire for gaming in the gaps has manifested itself in other games too:
Carnevale
I'm opting towards a Captain Nemo and Nautilus crew type faction, the developers of carnevale have ‘the rift’ which is a great device for overcoming time period anomalies etc.
MERCS
I'm a new player but already considering my own Corporation, or special ops unit within a corporation. There is alot of scope for narrative in this game, and the mechanics are simple enough to even introduce soldiers, equipment and vehicles etc of your own.
Flames of War
Yup even Flames of War hasn't escaped my desire to Game in the Gaps (and I’m intending to be quite brutal with it) - but more on that later...
However there are games where I have not spotted the gaps … yet...
Warmachine/Hordes
I have until recently struggled to find the gaps in Warmachine as everything seemed so tightly constructed. however @stuart has nudged to to change my approach here and look at the warcasters as the starting point. But it is hard when every character is named and perhaps even the fact that there are no 'options' in Warmachine (everything is on the stat card) could possibly be a bit of a barrier there?
Fellow Control Freaks... How do you Game in the Gap? I really really want to know!
Gaming in the gap. For me it occurs every time I sit down to paint, construct models or play a game, be it Infinity or Kings of War. I think as a table top wargamer I almost exclusively game within my own imagination. Addmitedly you use backgrounds as a framework but I think that’s all they ever are. My own armies always deviate in some way, be it just through a paint scheme or a full background story.
Do you find that games that try to be more than a framework are less appealing though?
I’ll allow that you may prefer looking for the gaps in established background, but there is bunch of games out there that Anatoli (of Anatoli’s Game Room blog) termed “toolbox for the imagination”. Games like Brink of Battle, the Song of series, Strange Aeons, Fanticide and others that have inbuilt rules for character/force generation. Finding a “gap” to make a personal mark against the established background fluff can certainly be rewarding (yeah, they’re X-wings, but they are pirates! 🙂 ), but the above games let you actually come up with a force from scratch. I imagine that “experiance in a… Read more »
When I started reading your article I thought you meant rules, because this is how a game is really modified, but you speak of the light overall layer of background (or fluff), that’s an interesting perspective, but I would view it not as modifying a game, but fitting your imagination in their world. I see no issue in any game when a player, as long as he stays with the rules, changes the layer of fluff and I can’t imagine why you have a problem in warmashine/ hordes. Named characters/ units are just stats with a more detailed background than… Read more »
In terms of rules here’s where I’m at. I try not to mess about with rules they are the core framework of the fun to be had. I will where possible use rules to ‘describe’ a unit or a senario etc so where possible will always try to use existing rules concepts rather as its always more comfortable for those involved. I am happy to bend rules during a game along side my fellow player to make the game more interesting for us both and to improve the chances of a piece of narrative coming off 🙂 but always in… Read more »
Thats the best way to handle it @warzan. I also know what you mean when people use the fluff or rules to bend it to there advantage. That’s not cool, like back in the day when White Dwarf had the rules on how to make your own vehicle with point costs and all. Some of the most cheese filled models that just made no sense came on the table. I’m glad that all came to an end.
Since you are not messing with the rules and just reshape the background to fit your creativity, I see no issue with any game or system, after all they are a few beautiful skin over the game system.
Hi all. Well in my experience most veteran gamers add to their faorite game in some way. If they are happy with the rule set , they can tinker with custom senarios,add in special terrain features , etc. I belive most game developers focus on the game play and want the end users to have fun. I realy dont see anyone objecting to group development beyond the core rules. However, I realy belive 40k has struggled with its audience since the communication between players and studio has been curbed.The lack of developers notes and ‘defined direction’ mean most players tend… Read more »
No Warren you’re not alone. I myself had built up a very similar Marine army with Guardsmen & stuff with different codicies etc, etc. Heck I’ve even created my own warband in Lotr SBG. And that’s indeed one of the problems I have with the likes of Warmachine, Dark Potential etc. The options are so tight that the only you can really vary to make your army different from another is by colour scheme. You can’t convert up your own caster to base your story around. That’s another reason why I like to create my own little things on the… Read more »
I agree to some extent with what your saying, but almost every game that has official tournaments or events want you to use the product from them. After all it’s a means of advertising and no you can’t just walk into a GW event with Hordes models and say this will be X. They’d laugh at you and tell you put them away. Trust me I tried to use Pokemon models for my Tide of Spawn from the Apocalypse book.
But then there are way more PP-supported events (almost all off them I guess) than there are GW events.
I can easily play 40k competitively without ever going to a GW event, but I can’t do the same for WarmaHordes
I agree on that point. Also it’s rare that I see converted PP models, even though they claim to support conversions.
Sort of. My ‘Blood Angels’ are actually space marines with conversions to spartan visuals (helmtes and weapons, crests) from various sources, so a terminator with a dory (spear) and a hoplon shield, fits into the rules as a thunderhammer stormshield guy , but thats all fairly mild stuff. We do play 2nd edition 40k often though, house ruled to accommodate later vehicles and various models , whilst I love simpler games (mercs is attractive to me partly for this reason) I actually think 40K rulesets have been going downhill since 2nd, constrained by having to build on what exists and… Read more »
I enjoy the simple approach. I go to to gaming with Sondheim,and whenever owned an actual war band. I’ve always used he plastic kits to create my own, this makes them personal, easy to customise etc and they really belong to you. I then went for blood bowl and the same rules apply, no proper teams purchased just kit bashed to Whitehaven to represent my own eccentricities. All game/tournament legal but just a bit outside the box. It is the one thing I look for ok a game, handshake it mine, lineout my spin on it without breaking rules. If… Read more »
I go as far as think up my gaps even for games I do not play – like 40K could do some fun with some off shoot of the Spacewolfs, but picking up a vanillia Spacewolf army never ! – or how a scandinavian megacorp would look in MERCS (Bofoss, Volvo, SAAB)
As for games I do play – I do go for a spider and savage Orc tribe in Warhammer, and looking for a good idea as to just what I can do so my fleet is not just an other FSA fleet in DW
just read through your old blog and like it’s structure I’ve been piecing together background for my chapter (kanus legion was previously named the Knights of terra) the background has kind of become a bit much to neatly contain though and i have notes for them all over the place along with a whole sector for them to play in 😉 i think there’s nothing wrong with wanting to ‘own’ a piece of the background and it’s what i enjoy most about 40k… it’s also the only thing i dislike about warmahordes as i can’t really build my own background… Read more »
I genuinely believe that creating your own rules for games, or pieces of background for your gang/army/gribbly monster which then translates to colour schemes and conversions is another facet of the hobby – period. That’s not to say it’s compulsory, however. I don’t think I’d enjoy being constrained to any piece of background. That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot to model or game from any given background presented by whatever company, for usually there is, but I feel that roleplaying and wargaming aren’t so different, or shouldn’t be so. Roleplaying enables you to essentially ‘act’ within a… Read more »
I’ve bin playing 40K since second edition of the game. where the rules are based on WFB Those there rules where brutal. Huge pie plates multi wound weapons every weapon had its own stat line . and loads of differed dice not just your scatter and D6 dice. and the stat lines of characters… they cloud slay units. on the other hand units could slay any thing with shooting attacks since then 3th the game took a big U turn. Some new stuff is brillant but a lot of new rules are just plain bad . A + / –… Read more »
Warren, Thanks for your thoughts. I enjoyed reading them. I think in a way everyone games in the gaps except maybe the hardcore tournament player. I am not, by the way, criticizing that type of player, on the contrary, I admire their focus on the single goal of being a excellent player. Gamers all have a spark of imagination, the kind of imagination that allows us to daydream, to escape reality, to relieve stress. That is why we game. The difference is how much time, effort, and money we use to “game in the gaps”. In some respects, RPGs are… Read more »
I don’t think you should beat yourself up about this as many games are designed for people to do just that, fill in the gaps. GW seems to encourage us to do just that, make it your own. Why else do they give a section in every codex of painting guides for different looking whatever it may be? They could have set it up as this is the official colour scheme so we better stick to it. I myself have made my own fluff for campaigns as with everyone else in it and not one of us used the direct… Read more »
Well I to have created my own chapter of space marine thus the name dawnpatrol chapter. However at loss with the gaming gap. In my case it is more of a meta game for me and can I take the vision of the game designer and create something that is off the hook and totally lethal on the game table. Some would say that is breaking the game . Well no not really breaking the game to me is some body taking the rules and looking for piss poor english, to extort some outlandish move or create some broken power… Read more »
@warzan As much as I love Warmachine, I have to agree with you that it’s difficult to’game in the gaps’ as you call it which I too love. I think it’s the main reason I stuck with 40k for so long. I think you and I are going to love Beyond the Gates of Antares when it comes out!
I agree. My family is huge into gaming. We inevitably take a game and adjust things for “house rules” and the create our own stories based in those worlds. I think it connects us to the game we are playing just a little bit more.
I have to agree with Stuart about warmahordes. Pick a caster and build a special strike force around them. You don’t get to change their names or anything, but you can imagine what specialized task they were assembled for, give them a cool paint job and turn them loose on your opponents as if they were a special forces unit. Give them a backstory in your head like something similar to the movies, The Devil’s Brigade or Dirty Dozen. It’s not as in-depth as creating your own Space Marine chapter, but it works. Aside from that, maybe try a different… Read more »
So agree about Battletech being the most awesome of settings to fit your own story. The universe is huge, the systems complete, and the background rich. With all the planets of the Inner Sphere to choose from, the possibilities are practically endless for creating your own saga in that universe. Thanks for bringing back such fond memories!
It’s not just the setting though. It’s the system. I tell people a few things about Battletech that are true/mostly true depending on how you play it: 1. Battletech is not a wargame. It’s a narrative campaign system primarily, and it just happens to include three war games (soon four) and an RPG. 2. Battletech is what would happen if war games and RPGs decided to have babies. 3. There is no other tabletop system out there that grants the players more creative freedom, both in the creation of their army and in the game-to-game playing of that army. Of… Read more »
Gaming in the Gaps?!?! What heresy is this? Next thing you know pigs will fly, cows will give birth to cats and the WHOLE planet will be nothing but anarcharistic wibbly wobbly mish-mosh of un-tethered madness. There are rules dog-nabit, and nothings worse then someone disturbing my Line-o-sight by having some wanna-be designer messing about with my rulebook!! I jest of course. I have some modeling clay here and am really considering giving one of my MERCS a jetpack (ala Rocketeer fame — one time use I’m thinking). I think the key to this is having a great group of… Read more »
For me, gaming in the gaps consists of using what’s in the rules to power-game. I have a rule for doing this: I look for what’s available to me within a specified limit.
I play several different games. For the points-based games, I like to find and use the most powerful things within the points limit. For the RPGs, I try to min-max my character’s stats and use the appropriate gear.
So Warren you are a Fluff Hunter 😀 ( nice topic for a new video section in BoW). I’m too like that, for example i love Dreadball and Kings of War for that. Both are not completly defined, they have structures and realms but there is a lot of freedom for reshape it as you will and both allow perfectly to add new specials and skills ( with previous acceptance from both sides obviosly ). Maybe all you said is what Rick was screaming about and i think we will be far more inmerse in the game if that were… Read more »
That’s why I liked 40k and heavy gear, battletech as well in heavy gear I play the south and use a political officer and I name him George but its great to have the flexibility where warmahordes is not plus the rule system is not fun anyway always kill the wizard.
Snap, snap and snap again to everything here Warren. Example; Ive painted my DreadBall Corps team up as the Judges ala Judge Dredd. Fits in nicely with Mantics universe with the cloneing rules for players but totally allows me to find “my” space in the Game. I actually consider anyone who doesnt try and imprint their likes and wants into a game kinda alien to my approach and Id be surprised to find its not the norm right accross the board. Ive a gameing pal thats put together a Dwarf army for 40K using SM rules and a mix of… Read more »
A little bit of gaming in the gaps from me: I started with Ultra Marines. But then quickly decided upon reading the fluff, that I wanted a chapter full of ultramines offshoots which had been made using the recovered gene seed of the first company, slain in the defence of Macragge. Haunted and slightly insane, it meant I could also play around with an odd Blood Angels list with no Death Company. Kroot Mercs? Sure. I even wrote a redux for 5th edition (right before 6th came out. *Picture me throwing it out the window…it takes longer to do these… Read more »
these days I pretty much exclusively play GWs Inquisitor – a game that is 100% about gaming in the gaps, both rules and setting-wise. Due to it’s heavily RPG-style mechanics it was designed from the very beginning for players to be able to adapt and grow the game themselves, which they have indeed done in spades over the years of it’s existence.
INQUISITOR WAS AWESOME! Though it did lack some core elements, for a combat system it was pretty cool. Did you start using 28mm figures with cm instead of inches too? (I found it leveled the scale perfectly.)
A local Chap put together a game called Gangs of Nu Ork. It’s basically Necromunda, with stuff that was improved in Mordheimand a massive career system and all tons of cool stuff. And you can use any 40k race in your (mixed) gang. I’d really recommend checking it out to all the fans of Necra, who wished they could field other 40k races in a campaign setting, fans of Inquisitor and people who like to game in the gaps of 40k. At times it doesn’t take itself too seriously (hipster career – has to overpay equipment and weapons), but you… Read more »