Winston Smith | 28 Aug 2018 2:09 p.m. PST |
Let's suppose you're playing or putting on a game at a convention, college rec room, shop, etc. Has anyone ever actually come up to you and condemned the mere sight of "Confederate" flags? Swastikas? Other "symbols of hate"? Or even the very idea of gaming war? I can actually see it coming, but I've never heard of an actual incident. I can see a convention venue telling a convention organizer "None of that Confederate flag stuff, OK?" I know that some reenactors have had flags banned. Those who go out of their way to be outraged will not be swayed by patient explanation of history. So. Are they coming for our toys next? |
Condottiere | 28 Aug 2018 2:14 p.m. PST |
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Winston Smith | 28 Aug 2018 2:16 p.m. PST |
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Mserafin | 28 Aug 2018 2:18 p.m. PST |
I can ignore them as well as I can anyone else. |
Nick Bowler | 28 Aug 2018 2:18 p.m. PST |
I have a Korean exchange student. She was shocked when I was playing a WW II boardgame with a friend and the game had Japanese 'Rising Sun' flags. I explained its a game about history, and thats the flag at the time, and all was OK. |
Condottiere | 28 Aug 2018 2:21 p.m. PST |
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Mobius | 28 Aug 2018 2:48 p.m. PST |
A long time ago ladies wondered why playing "War games" with dollies. But, in our computer game we can't use the German Nazi flag to denote goals. Not and be able to sell the game in some European countries. So we have a sort of Imperial German flag. Gamers have made "historic" WWII flag mods however. |
Aethelflaeda was framed | 28 Aug 2018 2:50 p.m. PST |
I have been outraged by fantasy RPG gamers getting just a bit too graphic in their vocal depictions of mayhem. Particularly when necrophilia enters into it. Wargames, not yet, but I sure don't like hearing from some of the player about their real views. Somethings I prefer to not know about my fellow gamers. I am more often outraged by strawman worries about "political correctness" intruding itself on the hobby. |
Glengarry5 | 28 Aug 2018 2:55 p.m. PST |
Way back in the late seventies there was a Canadian Vietnam vet (it was that or prison he said) in the club who did not object but was visibly shaken by a Vietnam wargame that was being played at an event. |
redbanner4145 | 28 Aug 2018 2:57 p.m. PST |
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companycmd | 28 Aug 2018 3:13 p.m. PST |
Yes. Twice in my life I have had disruptive persons. |
saltflats1929 | 28 Aug 2018 3:13 p.m. PST |
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rvandusen | 28 Aug 2018 3:21 p.m. PST |
At a local game convention in the mid-2000s, I was running a scenario based on a battle during the Bosnian civil war in the 90's. A woman approached and began to question me about the morality of running such an incident as a game. The scenario in question featured a detachment of ethnic Croatian police and militia making a surprise attack on Muslim militia HQ. Since I lack the social gene and I'm unable to be shamed, I told her in no uncertain terms that people have different opinions where morality is concerned and she should mind her own business in the future. |
Dynaman8789 | 28 Aug 2018 4:04 p.m. PST |
The most outrage I notice is right here. |
Phil Hall | 28 Aug 2018 4:06 p.m. PST |
Our convention got picketed by anti-war protestors in the early '70's. |
ochoin | 28 Aug 2018 4:20 p.m. PST |
We have put on a Demo game at our local Train & Hobby show for the last 12 years. Admittedly, most of the punters have never heard of historical gaming but the only "heat" we've ever got was from a Polish gentleman, who politely disputed the shape of the Czapkas on Napoleon's Polish troops at Leipzig. I thought there might be a possibility of comment about this year's game set in Mahdist Sudan, given how much like ISIS the Mahdists looked (& acted). Nary a harsh word. I'm not interested in modern periods so I don't think there's much of a chance that our games will strike an emotional cord in the audience. If we were to do something distasteful or confronting (highly unlikely!!), I'm sure the organizers would veto us & rightly so. |
Oberlindes Sol LIC | 28 Aug 2018 4:22 p.m. PST |
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Wackmole9 | 28 Aug 2018 5:12 p.m. PST |
In the early 1970's I was playing Luftwaffe with my Brother. I was the Germans and had a great turn and raise my voice in triumph. My Dad walk into see what the noise was about and we explained. He looked at the counters in the US Discard pile and said " Well son you just shot my Bomber group down" and that was the last time we played that game. |
peterx | 28 Aug 2018 5:24 p.m. PST |
No. I was warned about upset moms and others who might object to fascist symbols in Warhammer or Warhammer 40k. I never heard any outrage except for sticker shock. At conventions, all the gamers seem to have the perspective that it is only a game. |
Thresher01 | 28 Aug 2018 6:26 p.m. PST |
No, but there have been a lot of condemnations of various rules systems by the participants (frequently quite vocally), when odd/rare events crop up, and they seem totally ridiculous due to the way they work. I've even been the one outraged when my tank destroyers on overwatch were not permitted to wheel in place with a certain set of rules (which permitted side-board entry, unbeknownst to me), and due to the movement rates, and turn mechanics, they spent the rest of the game trying to chase down enemy tanks from the rear, due to overly large movement rates per turn, and short gun ranges. That shouldn't happen to long=barreled 75mm cannons. |
Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 28 Aug 2018 6:56 p.m. PST |
I generaqted some outrage in High School when I took my D&D to another High School at a chess tournament to try some pickup gaming afterwards… we had a D&D Club at our school, but D&D was banned at theirs and their faculty advisors were QUITE outraged with me. I met a really nice girl there, and six years later we had a nice romance while it lasted. |
Editor in Chief Bill | 28 Aug 2018 7:12 p.m. PST |
I've seen someone upset by 'occult' fantasy, but it wasn't at a game. Gamer's mother made him trash all his game stuff. |
evilgong | 28 Aug 2018 7:19 p.m. PST |
I was at a convention held on a university campus (late 80s?) and the resident Trotskyite student group plastered the place with posters condemning the con as war-mongering. |
Shagnasty | 28 Aug 2018 7:19 p.m. PST |
No, but it will happen when "they" get around to it. |
Winston Smith | 28 Aug 2018 7:53 p.m. PST |
"They" could very well be the hotel or venue. They don't want any grief or bad publicity. I said that earlier. |
Pan Marek | 28 Aug 2018 7:58 p.m. PST |
Dynaman +2 I've not seen it. "They" are mostly a figment of a certain cable news channel. |
rmaker | 28 Aug 2018 8:21 p.m. PST |
Yes. Not particularly recently, but it HAS happened. And there was the year (early '80's) when Michicon was held on the University of Rochester campus and some of the nut-case leftists beat up an attendee for being a "facist warmonger". Of course, being the brave lads they were, they picked on a 14-year-old RPGer. With the rise of violent leftist militias like antifa, we could easily see that kind of behavior again. |
Aethelflaeda was framed | 28 Aug 2018 8:27 p.m. PST |
I see the wizard of oz is getting reinforcements. |
darthfozzywig | 28 Aug 2018 8:37 p.m. PST |
I've been outraged at the dice before. |
Twilight Samurai | 28 Aug 2018 8:59 p.m. PST |
Do we need another board for this, because I don't want to turn off WWII Discussion? |
Editor in Chief Bill | 28 Aug 2018 9:01 p.m. PST |
I think it's on the WWII board because someone might want to take your "Nazi soldiers" away from you… |
D A THB | 28 Aug 2018 10:12 p.m. PST |
I got told off for not painting my Old West Buildings at my old Club. They were sprayed sandy brown just like ones on DeadWood. "they rotted, so thats why they painted them". I think he was just jealous lol. |
Jcfrog | 28 Aug 2018 11:42 p.m. PST |
Once: answer: "This is to actual war and killing, like watching "The shield" is to praising murders, corruption and so on. And yes the aim of those troops as in history is in order to rape, kill and loot (French militia in FIW game) if you want to be be specifically history accurate. It happened. But the go back in the drawer afterwards, never pissing off any one." |
Vigilant | 29 Aug 2018 2:01 a.m. PST |
Yes at a historical event at a local museum in the late 90s. 2 of us were putting on an ACW ironclad game and a woman dragged her son away saying war isn't a game. She probably prefers something intellectual like chess, but she left so quickly we didn't chance to ask. Everywhere else I've only heard interest and complements, oh and a few war stories. |
Gaz0045 | 29 Aug 2018 2:40 a.m. PST |
I recall the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) picketing the Wargames convention at the Hexagon in Reading (UK) in the late 80's (or early 90's!)……war mongering and baby killers was the charge iirc…….some choice Anglo-Saxon to dissuade them from approaching any closer to us as we entered and exited during the day and the presence of a copper when we packed up and left prevented any real drama. |
Trajanus | 29 Aug 2018 2:48 a.m. PST |
Nope, never happened. All my public gaming has been done at major shows where the vast majority of the "public" are as guilty of whatever as I am and realise portraying history doesn't mean you condone it. I would say that if I played modern conflicts such as Afghanistan or Iraq and got challenged by a Vet, or relative of one, I would have no hesitation in apologising if they felt offended. Making a game out something that has real world pain for others needs to be acknowledged. |
Tgerritsen | 29 Aug 2018 3:08 a.m. PST |
No, I have never experienced this. The only outrage I've seen has been directed at the appalling lack of effectiveness of the dice or the latest rants about how expensive the food was at a particular event. |
uglyfatbloke | 29 Aug 2018 3:12 a.m. PST |
Only once. A buffoon treated us to a mouthful for having a Bannockburn game because we were 'just encouraging the nationalists'. Trajanus makes a good point though. |
Bill N | 29 Aug 2018 3:13 a.m. PST |
In my experience the type of people likely to be bothered by things like Confederate flags or swastikas are going to see what we are doing as "playing with toy soldiers". |
Jcfrog | 29 Aug 2018 3:55 a.m. PST |
I remember Reading😉😆 Came after 8 h driving and ferry, bleak eyed and eager as hell, with another bunch of then young Frenchmen and Belgians. The lone cop there doing nothing to stop my freedom of movement, I quietly, went to what appeared to leader of the obstructing bunch and told them we came from far way (besides for me it way also business) and if in 2 minutes they don't let us in I will organize a wild charge by at least the first hundred of, so far quietly fuming, queuing chaps. The cop told them to let us go. Strangely. |
ScottWashburn | 29 Aug 2018 4:39 a.m. PST |
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Private Matter | 29 Aug 2018 4:44 a.m. PST |
rmaker: There is no University of Rochester in Michigan. MichCon was held at Oakland University located in Rochester, Michigan. OU alumni are a defensive lot. ;-) As for the rest of your comments:
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Extrabio1947 | 29 Aug 2018 4:51 a.m. PST |
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23rdFusilier | 29 Aug 2018 5:59 a.m. PST |
"I am more often outraged by strawman worries about "political correctness" intruding itself on the hobby. " Sums up my feelings. Never been bothered by anyone looking at my games expressing political views concerning playing with soldiers. This goes from high school through college to today. Ok, some people view my hobby as silly but that is not what we are talking about here is it? |
uglyfatbloke | 29 Aug 2018 6:31 a.m. PST |
x2 for 23rd Fusilier – the one time (see above) that I encountered such a thing it was from an idiot…he'd have been an idiot if it had been a bake sale or a flower show, he just thought he had found as excuse to be offended. Also; if my hobby was n't silly I'd ditch it and find one that was. |
T Corret | 29 Aug 2018 7:01 a.m. PST |
I have banned a flag from my home, where my gaming group met. Since I am southern, the yankees in the group thought the sterling banner would be appropriate for a Johnny Reb game. Since my neighbors were black, I disagreed. This was in the '80s. Politeness is not a new thing. |
Old Wolfman | 29 Aug 2018 7:06 a.m. PST |
I've encountered folks who object to our hobby on religious grounds;a small storefront congregation(if dice are used,it encourages gambling,and pacifist notions also,as well as claiming that it's wasted time)in the Dayton,OH area. |
thomalley | 29 Aug 2018 7:15 a.m. PST |
Also; if my hobby was n't silly I'd ditch it and find one that was. Well said! |
BrockLanders | 29 Aug 2018 7:15 a.m. PST |
In the early 80's there was a kid in my neighborhood who's dad threw all of his D&D books into the fireplace because he thought it was satanic. I've never had a problem with anyone myself |
muggins | 29 Aug 2018 7:29 a.m. PST |
I haven't had an issue like this. I have had people express their ignorant historical opinions (it wasn't about slavery!) or make really dumb stereotypical comments about certain factions or races in the game. Usually I try to get past it. |