Flight Leader
Flight Leader is a wargame about air combat in the jet age. Avalon Hill produced it in 1986 round about the same time Game Designers Workshop published J D Webster's Air Superiority on the same topic. But the games are worlds apart in approach.
Air Superiority uses short game turns, twelve point facing, detailed charts for individual aircraft types, tons of data, written plotting and a chunky rulebook reflecting a complex hardware oriented game system. In other words, it's a tough challenge. I know - I have played it with the designer. And I witnessed a close fought match at one AvalonCon where the two aircraft counters spent many turns in the same hex - seemingly doing nothing - as they tried to out climb one another in a dance of death. Both, I think, were real pilots.
Flight Leader uses longer turn length, six point facing, limited data listings for aircraft types, doesn't force you to use written plotting and focuses just as much on the software as the hardware. For example, plane formations and pilot skill are core to the advanced game. Best of all, Flight Leader has a four page set of basic rules that get you into the game with the minimum of effort. Or, at least, that's what I thought.
Recently, I was looking for a game for the seven players due at one night's gaming session. I decided to try something different. I introduced the group to Flight Leader. I printed out the basic rules and explained away.
At the end there were one or two puzzled looks. These guys were more used to Euro games but, I thought, this was easy. One player - a keen aircraft enthusiast - got into it right away. Others struggled.
We played four Sabres against four MiG 15s and I ran the game till the first kill. At that point we moved on to Turf Master. It had been a struggle for the others.
Only afterwards did it dawn on me how much I take for granted. I have played games for over 30 years. I have dabbled with Advanced Squad Leaderand know and have played some truly complex games. So, for me, four pages of closely typed text of rules is easy. But for non hardcore gamers - even painstakingly explained - this was too much.
But the other realisation I had was how skilful Euro designers are; they get a game and a challenge out of much simpler ideas than wargames. In short, they deliver the fun without the friction on the brain. It's no wonder they are popular in today's hard pressed times. But I still love wargames - even if my preference is now for playability over complexity.
I'll probably play Flight Leader again. I even hope to persuade someone to try the advanced rules. After all, this was part of a USA project to teach real combat pilots. So, there are some useful lessons in the game. But I know grognards - hard core complex simulation loving gamers - turn their noses up at it and prefer J D Webster's stuff. (Air Strike had Air Strike for company, the second game being about air to ground and ground to air combat. The system resurfaced with Clash of Arms as Speed of Heat.) Maybe that's why, if I ever get the time, I fully intent to play some of these games too. You can take the complexity out of the games but perhaps you cannot take the complexity out of the gamer.
Ellis Simpson
17 March 200