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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack7" data-source="post: 5706231" data-attributes="member: 54707">War is good in-game (RPGs) when:   1. the characters have a direct stake in the  outcome 2. characters can directly affect the  outcome 3. the characters can engage in the war at several  levels (leadership, combat, espionage, diplomacy, training, etc.) 4. it will dramatically change, for better or  worse, the surrounding world 5. the characters will profit (I don't necessarily  mean monetarily) if the war turns in their favor, and they will suffer if their  cause loses 6. the War is truly dangerous, and potentially  lethal to characters, as well as to everyone else involved 7. the war can be fought in an interesting and  different way than normal combat 8. the war leads to character change (status in  society, rank, privilege, heavier rpeosnsibilty, opportunities for different  types of adventure, loss of comrades, any kind of change common to war that men  either benefit from or suffer through) 9. the war teaches lessons, of all  kinds 10. the war ravages, and also leads to  rebuilding  11. Comrades are killed, and/or commit heroic  acts 12. new inventions, technologies, and advances are  made, and war usually leads to some type of change or advance to both societies  and technologies (even if it is only war-technologies, such as  weapons) 13. war tests the Strategic genius and  capabilities of the players 14. war tests the tactical genius and creativity  of the players 15. war leads to bizarre, unusual, or momentous  new (or renewed/ancient) discoveries 16. the war posits previously unknown threats and  reveals hidden enemies 17. the war leads to infiltration and subversion  of things and areas and groups and individuals previously thought safe and  reliable 18. the war leads to powerful and inescapable  moral dilemmas 19. the war leads to previously unknown/unexamined  weaknesses in the characters 20. the war leads to many opportunities for acts  of individual Heroism     Not every War has to have all of these  characteristics, it will depend upon the nature of the War, and who is involved,  and how the characters are involved. But the best Wars have many of these  characteristics, including ones I didn't mention.   I often use War in-game, because in-game War is  good. Very good.</blockquote>

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