The Next War
Encyclopedia
The Next War: Modern Conflict in Europe is a board wargame
that simulates a Warsaw Pact
invasion of Western Europe in the late 1970s. It was designed by James F. Dunnigan
and published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1978
. The game used three 22" x 34" maps and 2400 diecut counters
to simulate the war at a brigade/divisional level, making it a so-called "monster game".
The game's combat results table was widely criticized by gamers and critics for its unorthodox combination of die roll modifiers, odds column shifts, and "bell curve" 2d6 die rolls. This combination could paradoxically produce worse results when more favorable modifiers were applied to attacks.
SPI intended to update the game annually and requested that players provide feedback in the form of unclassified information to improve the game's accuracy. Subsequently, though, only a few pages of errata were added.
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
that simulates a Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
invasion of Western Europe in the late 1970s. It was designed by James F. Dunnigan
Jim Dunnigan
James F. Dunnigan is an author, military-political analyst, Defense and State Department consultant, and wargame designer currently living in New York City, notable for his matter-of-fact approach to military analysis.-Career:...
and published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1978
1978 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1978. For video and console games, see 1978 in video gaming....
. The game used three 22" x 34" maps and 2400 diecut counters
Counter (board wargames)
Boardgame counters are usually small cardboard squares moved around on the map of a wargame to represent armies, military units or individual military personnel. The first modern mass-market wargame, based on cardboard counters and hex-board maps, was Tactics, invented by Charles S. Roberts in 1952...
to simulate the war at a brigade/divisional level, making it a so-called "monster game".
The game's combat results table was widely criticized by gamers and critics for its unorthodox combination of die roll modifiers, odds column shifts, and "bell curve" 2d6 die rolls. This combination could paradoxically produce worse results when more favorable modifiers were applied to attacks.
SPI intended to update the game annually and requested that players provide feedback in the form of unclassified information to improve the game's accuracy. Subsequently, though, only a few pages of errata were added.