Why do we Wargame?

Wargaming is a bigger hobby than one may think. The only problem is that their are so many different rule sets, eras, and scales available to gamers that the players are almost separated by the games they choose to play. Whether it is fantasy, historical, or any other kind of wargame we all share a similar interest. Wargaming, unlike computer gaming, leaves you feeling accomplished whether you just painted a new unit, finished your gameboard, or just finished playing a game at your local hobby shop. Computer gaming may be fun at times, but it is not much more to it then mindlessly mowing down waves of enemies for hours on end. In wargaming you're actually thinking about the strategy and you're trying to keep your units alive. Your units don't get to respawn like you units in computer gaming do. That makes you think of real life decisions leaders must make and the men they loose as a consequence. That is the reason why Historical wargaming is sometimes looked down upon for dealing with real life events and lives that were actually lost, but as a podcast called "View from the Veranda" put it, "Plastic and metal soldiers don't have lives." Which is true, wargaming is more of a combat simulator whether than an actual portrayal of war. On a brighter note, gaming provides many skills for a player to learn. Also a historical wargamer may read more on the era he plays in for a more realistic game. Overall wargaming is a wonderful hobby, their is a large variety of subjects, eras, scales, and rules to choose from. It is also not as expensive as some say it is. It is only as expensive as what you're willing to spend. So, why do you wargame?