I've never played (do I specify military?) strategy games before, I've been told I would like that sort of thing, where do I start?
My budget is maybe nonexistent at the moment, but that could change. I have both a mobile device and a laptop (and Steam) and I could probably borrow my brother's gaming PC. I'm into military history, specifically the like 18th-early 19th century, and I like to study the logistics and problem-solving aspects but I get a little anxious when I see the giant Paradox Games world map. I might be interested in a slightly smaller scale. I don't want to play just to fantasize about conquering large swaths of land, more to force myself to think about combat on a larger scale than like 1 person and their musket. I'm a writer and it's a skill I want to have for that if nothing else. I'm not a gamer, I spend most of my time reading books about battles that have already happened, so I am really unfamiliar with this community. Sorry for rambling. Thanks for the help!