"What game is considered off limits?" Topic

I was reading another thread where some people would not game a genre because of a current event. Basically we have a drug induced cannibal in Florida and people stated they would not game a zombie game where a drug was the root cause.

Is there a game or genre that you or your club will not game (i.e. modern, Vietnam, etc)?

If so who defines what is off limits, how far is too far?

If so who defines what is off limits…

Why, YOU do, of course.

If you get zero players then I don't think you actually do, i think the group defines it for you.

I think some parts of Jenkin's anatomy should be off limits.

There was a whoop te doo a while back about somebody wanting the specs for a death camp. I think about there for me!

Any game where one side does not have any chance to damage the other.

No only off limits, but not much fun.

Vince

Death camps, genocide and what Vince said.

I think you are onto the right avenue, there Shark 630…it's the group that you play with most often that determines what is "verboten".

For instance: In my group of gamers, we specifically chose FOW because we liked the idea of an easy to master rules set that allowed us to push around WWII era models and have fun recreating on a modest scale what WWII era battles were like. Several of my friends are Veterans and also old time Squad Leader players. Our "graduation" to WWII "historical" minis came from that background.

As we have gotten into it, I have asked if they would be interested in more modern scenarios and equipment (I particularly would like to play hypothetical coldwar engagements between Soviet and Nato forces). All my friends whom I play with shied away from this suggestion because, as one Major in the Vermont NG put it, "Andy, I have had enough of that stuff because I already use it and know the real tactics and applications of it. No game can recreate what I have experienced in the field, and I just don't feel comfortable recreating something I have lived so closely with."

So that's why we don't play a modern or "ultra modern" game.

Yet, they play D&D with me, and have even entertained the idea of doing a Zombie milieu RPG. One of my buddies is also doing a "far future" RPG game system that is going to be rather quirky [his words] which I can only think will mean it will have a "demented" side to it as much as good "hard" SF stuff too.

What your gaming groups decides is what will determine what is "out of bounds."

Andy Welkley
"Your Phrendlee Hevy Phyzx T-chrr"

If so who defines what is off limits, how far is too far?

I do. I don't host or participate in some games.

My litmus test is just a simple FunMeter. Depravity or dark content is not fun. If I want that, I'll go to the coffee house and talk to 20 year old women.

Ancients, ACW and Nappys.
And any game that lasts more then 3 hours.
Or when I run outta beer.

i wont game recasters.

The Final Solution
Riot! The Street Battles for Civil Rights, Selma edition.
Field Hand Escape! Property Restoration in the Antebellum South.
Helter Skelter: Race War USA

I'm ashamed for having even typed them …

Genocide. Race riots are off limits, as well.

Also, pretty much anything Brass1 might suggest.

Individual tastes will vary, however to paraphrase Jim kirk, I don't believe in an ungameable situation.

I remember during the Northern Irish 'Troubles' the gaming and even modelling of said conflict was frowned upon. But as time passes the frowns becomes nods of acceptance.

I'm leery of most modern or ongoing conflicts, the thought of "too soon" keeps coming to mind. The light-hearted treatment of modern conflict in Africa rankles me, my sister was living in Sierra Leon just as the mutilations and murders were begining but fortunatly got out before the country totally collasped into civil war and atrocity. The locals had no such option excpt to fle as refugees. Not something I would feel comfortable gaming.

Although I have played it, I do remember a fellow gamer, a Canadian Vietnam vet, not wanting anything to do with gaming that subject.

The most distant the event the less distasteful it appears – even though there were strong feelings at the time; I am sure that playing the Napoleonic French would not have been popular in Great Britain in 1816 it is now!

I agree with Glengarry, I find that the modern African wars are a bit much to game

Its only a game after all

I've gotten some comments on my Modern/Insurgent, Iraq and Afghanistan where poeple wouldn't play becasue it was 'too close' to home.

I run games tha include mostly Allied incursions to clear out Insurgent troops. I don't see much wrong with that.

However, the day I start running a "see how many Allied troops the Insurgents can kill" type of game, then drag me outside and beat the crap out of me.

-David G.

I won't game anime stuff like Super Dungeon Explore nor have anything to do with BESM. I greatly dislike them. Not that I totally dislike anime, Robotech and Star Blazers rocked when I was young.

I can't say I have ever had problems with the scenarios that cover "sensitive" topics. I have frequently become less than pleased with people who have what I consder to be grossly misinformed opinions about the nature of the people involved in the conflict. I have occasionally declined to participate in events based on other people's behaviour about the topic of the scenario.

I don't tend to attribute fascist and oppressive mentailites to the people carrying the weapons in support of fascist and oppressive regimes. (I am likely highly biased in the way from comments in my youth about "those people" where "those people" would include my grandmother and uncles whose great crime against freedom was not being able to escape from the Soviet Union with my grandfather, mother, and her sisters.) I am not saying those combatants had no options; under a fascist and oppressive regieme, you almost always have the option to be executed by the secret police or stand around and watch your family starve to death. I just generally like to start by giving the benefit of the doubt to people who are not in charge, until they demonstrate that they don't merit that benefit.

EDIT … oh, yeah … Monopoly. I won't play Monopoly. [Expletive delete] that game!

Here's an interesting article, from a non gaming source, on the subject.
link

Monopoly? Where the pie is fixed and you take turns oppressing the working class? If there's no shame now, there ought to be! ;)

In land combat terms, I'll game most anything. Some of them will have to be sponsored by another as I don't intend to buy vast armies on spec. I am not a naval gamer except small craft for inshore ops. As for death camps, etc, that relates to battle as game cropping does to hunting. So I will not game them.

The death camp thing depends. Is it being liberated?

No games that hurt dogs.