The background:
On RAFM's site today I saw a "Chinese Rope Catapult" ( if anyone is interested it is here: link and here:
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As I had never heard of such a device, I Googled the term and discovered this (seemingly rather informative, but for all I know entirely inaccurate) site here: link with a good deal of information on the topic.
It led me to wonder this: Do you know about a play a game because you have read and know something about the period (and/or setting) prior to the game, or do you learn about a period (and/or setting) because you enjoy games set in that time(s) & place(s)?
I realize for most of us the answer may be a bit of both and rather murky, but to give an example:
Bob the bureaucrat works at the Acme-Reneé-GøsHüffån Company™ (NASDAQ: ARGH!) ™ filing paperwork. However history is a hobby of his, and he especially loves reading anything related to the American Civil War and has read many books on the subject (everything from historic novels such as Killer Angels by Michael Shaara to scholarly history Upton and the Army by Stephen Ambrose to personal narratives such as Reminiscences of the Civil War. by John Brown Gordon, and even (thanks to the wonder of the internet) the letters & dispatches of Robert E. Lee &tc.) He is what some might call an "armchair historian." He plays games with his friends, but isn't really a gamer per se. Eventually it led him to paint matching armies for both Union & Confederate forces. In doing so he reads several sets of rules and settles on "Musketoons & Minié Balls"™ because he feels it is the most accurate game for depicting the events of that conflict. Knowing his friend Alexander loves games he invites him over to play a few games, which they both enjoy. Bob decides to expand his armies. He wants to include his favorite units like the "North-West Missouri Militia Fusilier-Hussars"™ even though it is a very poor unit in the game, and it allows his opponent to use the "Tone Deaf Bugler"™ rule. In all of this his driving force is really his love of history.
Alexander the accountant is Bob's friend and fellow worker at the Acme-Reneé-GøsHüffån Company™. Alexander loves games of all sorts from dice games like Yahtzee to video games such as Mario Cart to tabletop miniatures games such as Warhammer 40k. Alexander plays them quite frequently. He plays a few games of "Musketoons & Minié Balls"™ with Bob because he is Bob's friend and because he loves games. He especially loves "Musketoons & Minié Balls"™ and decides to paint up a force. He includes the "West New York State Volunteer Zouave Mounted Highland Volunteer Regiment"™ (also known as the WNYSVZMHVR to those interested in the conflict) in his force because they are can use both the "Dash it All!"™ and the "What in the Tarnation?"™ special rules. This makes them especially effective in "Musketoons & Minié Balls."™ He reads a few webpages on the WNYSVZMHVR and enjoys what he reads, but his driving force is really to play (and to a lesser extent win games).
Bob is clearly someone who is driven to game by his love of history and Alexander is driven to read history by his love of games. Later Alexander wants to use the "Who can say no to such a Somdetch?" ™ optional rule which would allow him to field elephants, but Bob objects, pointing out that historically the King of Siam's offer of elephants was rejected by Lincoln.
Most of us will fall in the middle, but still more to one side or the other; almost no person splits the difference exactly.
Where do you fall? Does it vary by period? What is more important to you historic accuracy or effectiveness under the rules, and what role does each play?