SOLVED. Science fiction story about competitive battle simulations. [s]

[J. Michael]

Looking for a science fiction story. I think it's a novel but could be short form. I remember reading it sometime in the early 1980s but it could have been written earlier.

The plot involves characters who compete with each other in tournaments by reenacting ancient battles via computer. They can command their forces strategically at the 'tabletop' level or even enter into the battle simulation itself (like an early form of VR) to take personal command of their troops.

Occasionally a competitor will discover a strategy that, under the right circumstances, always works. The story gives these unbeatable strategies a specific name, but I can't remember what it is.

Most of the story is hazy but I remember very specifically that the protagonist in the story fights the Battle of Hastings in a tournament and supposedly manages to discover one of these unbeatable strategies, which makes him famous. That's about all I can recall.

[Kris]

J. Michael, can we eliminate Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card?

Can you tell us more about the main characters and the location?

[J. Michael]

Yeah, it’s definitely not Ender’s Game.

I’ve been wracking my brains trying to remember any additional details. It’s been more than thirty years since I read this story so it’s all very hazy. I started rereading some of Gordon Dickson’s Dorsai series in hopes it was him but so far no dice.

The key thing is this competitive style of war gaming where two opponents fight out scenarios (replaying ancient battles is all I remember) thru a computer simulation that lets them command the battle almost like a tabletop game but also lets them virtually enter the battle and take personal command. As I mentioned, in the story the ‘holy grail’ for these competitors is to happen upon a tactic that, under the same circumstances, will always win a particular scenario.

While fighting the Battle of Hastings the main character stumbles on one of these strategems. If I could just remember the specific term they use for these unbeatable tactics I think that would be the key, but so far it eludes me.

[SamSpayedPI]

Virtual War for the link.

It's available at The Internet Archive. You need to be a member to "take out" books, but membership is free; you only need to give them an email address.

[Andy]

Makes me think of a story called "On The Shadow of a Phosphor Screen" by William Wu, which had some of those elements.

[J. Michael]

Thanks to all of you for the helpful suggestions (all of which led me to stories that I want to read now), and special thanks to Andy for directing me to the novella by William Wu, “On the Shadow of a Phosphor Screen.”

I checked it out and sadly it wasn’t what I was looking for, but was so similar it had to have been written by the same author so I checked further into Wu. It turns out he followed up with several additional stories and finally tied them together and expanded them into a full length novel published in 1987 as Masterplays, which is the one I was lookIng for!

Thanks again to everyone for helping. This one has bugged me for years now and it’s nice to finally solve the mystery. I do hate an unsatisfied curiosity.

[Andy]

Great! Glad to help.

[Andy]

Link to Masterplay Masterplay