"Classroom Deathmatch Available at e23 [PX]" Topic

You can express your beliefs without decrying something as being in poor taste or calling it evil. I didn't buy Panty Explosion nor will I buy this latest offering.

I was able to maintain my sense of wrong and right and express my loathing of PDF only game materials. Did I get upset that these are not available in a traditional published format? Yes I did, but I did not feel the need to post a ranting thread about how inappropriate and tasteless PDF only game books are.

Anybody know of some decent sniping rules? I need to find a realistic way to introduce them into my WWII skirmish game, "Bell tower in Campus Square".

I have to admit, the instant assumption that this game is relevant to the VT shootings made me sigh a bit wearily through my bemused chuckle. It didn't surprise me, but I suppose I'd hoped for better.

As has been pointed out ad nauseum, the game's Battle Royale, not Bloodbath Of Innocents. I expect some of you know that, and just find the timing suspect, and I suspect numerous others find the Battle Royale explanation to be some suspicious smokescreen to hide an attempt to profiteer from the worst tragedy this country's ever seen (since the last one).

I'm tired of being expected to live my entire life in one unending moment of reverent silence for everyone who has fallen, is falling, and will fall.

I'm tired of being told I have to walk on eggshells constantly, because it might make somebody's brainvent pucker and cut off the supply of oxygen to their
rear-mounted thoughtbucket.

I'm tired of sheltered-but-self-righteous people trying to tell me what the world's like and how I should live in it.

Buy what you like, play what you like, and just try to use a little common sense. Ignore tenuous similarities, stop trying to find excuses to go running into the street screaming about the acorn that just beaned you, and just live your lives as best you can, while you can.

Christ.

- Monk

I'm amazed at the leaps of faith and assumptions that have been made regarding my political and sexual persuasions, from folks that don't know me and have never met me.

Isn't that kind of what people are doing when they judge the game and condemn it without even taking a moment to find out what the game is about? Really, judging a book by its cover is a poor measure of anything.

For a more educated perspective, below is quote from Jake Richmond, author of the game. You can find the thread here.

Thanks for asking about Classroom Deathmatch.

If you're interested you can find out more about the game on our site atarashigames.com.

You can read about the last 15 days of the Classroom Deathmatch development process on my blog here.

Classroom Deathmatch is available for sale as both a peffect bound 100 page book and as a PDF from the Atarashi Games store. You can also get the game from RPGNOW, Drivethru, Key200, e23, Lulu and IPR.

Classroom Deathmatch is designed just for Battle Royale type games. It uses the Panty Explosion rules engine but adds new elements like flashback scenes, random pre-made characters, kill counts and special techniques to create a game that's not just about murder and carnage but about trust, friendship, betrayal and making tough decisions. Rules for Battleground design allow the Superintendent to craft any kind of arena, and detailed scene creation rules let all the players participate in guiding the game toward it's fatal conclusion.

Something of an unfortunate title, at the moment.

Tell me about it. The game had been on sale for less then a day when the shootings happened. I thought about pulling the game off the market for a month or so but decided against it. Classroom Deathmatch is all about making tough choices and dealing with difficult subjects. Murder and betrayal weren't easy subjects to deal with before the Virginia Tech shootings, and they aren't easy subjects to deal with now. But a good RPG needs to push players to answer difficult questions and deal with uncomfortable situations. Classroom Deathmatch does this damn well (in my opinion), and I think if you tried it you would like it.

Someone asked where to get Japanese schoolgirl miniatures:
TMP link (scroll down)

The game abstracts combat to the point that it would be useless to use it for tabletop miniatures. However, less emphasis on the tactics means more on the roleplaying and exploration of the trust and betrayal issues.

Thanks Bill, I think that was me asking about schoolgirl miniatures ! But after I posted I was thinking any self-respecting "skirmish" ruleset would do – add in something about having to move out of certain regions and you've got Battle Royale.

I'm still anti role-playing but I may part with $20 USD or whatever this ruleset costs. It will look nice next to my Panty Explosion rulebook !

You know I find comments such as those seen here amusing more than anything else. And I should clarify that response in light of living in the UK. I wouldn't have started wailing and gnashing my teeth about bad taste, more bad timing. On the bad taste front it's not as if the authors saying 'okay lets roleplay famous american school massacres from through the ages' instead it's an obvious game which is obviously heavily inspired by Battle Royale and that my friends is somewhat different.

If you want a tasteless game go play 'Pimp: The Backhanding'.

Hey Contrarian

Your school system harbours some unsavoury characters (and I don't mean the students). The people that would have someone arrested for a creative writing project are seriously warped. As warped as some of the instant knee-jerk reactions that have been posted on this thread maybe.

He probably played D&D and had sold his soul to Satan :)

Regardless, this game isn't at fault here, your stupid system is. You need to deal with it and get it changed if you don't like it. I will be behind you all the way and you can count on at least one email of support any time you need it.

Alternatively, if your point was that the game was at fault because it could get you expelled, then you're as bad as the rest of them.

which is it?

"Its in poor taste" – Most of TMPers recently
"How does the Glock 17 compare to…" – A bunch of TMPers during the week of the Virginia Tech and Nasa shootings.
How does the words bunch of hypocrites fit you?

I received my copy in the mail last week. Very "Battle Royale".

In the section under "Influences and Reccomendations" they list "Drifting High School", "Volcano High", "Ikki Tousen", "Heathers", "Battle Royale" and "The Most Dangerous Game".

Regards, the Gorb

I would be interested in seeing a poll so we can see how this balances out, tasteful or not.

I'd also REALLY like to see the demographic info for it: how many folks who think it's tasteless are from the US or not.

"I'd also REALLY like to see the demographic info for it: how many folks who think it's tasteless are from the US or not."

My money is on most of the hysteria coming from the U.S….
Not just because of the location of the shootings (which a lot of folks here seem to WANT to think are represented by this game)… but also because I think U.S. culture is inately 'exciteable'.

sadly, I think you're right. Recently, a 13 year old was suspended and faces hate crime charges for putting a ham-steak on a school cafeteria table in front of some somali muslim students. Federal hate crime charges because the kid digs on some swine. I want a Car Wars expansion that includes drunken senators, bridges, and young women…

That and I don't know how many folks who are thinking this is tasteless have even heard of Battle Royale. I'd never heard of it and didn't know it was a movie until all of this.

While many of the folks who are condoning this game say "It's a Battle Royale game" I'm willing to bet many of the folks who think it's distasteful don't know what "Battle Royale" even is and have no understanding of the Japanese Pop Culture at all.

Coming from THAT perspective, I think it's somewhat understandable, coming from a limited exposure to what a "Battle Royale" even IS, that many would find such a game, specifically the title…distasteful.

The US culture IS exciteable. The US also has a problem with school violence. Our European cousins may not understand this as they don't have the same issues and it doesn't strike home the same as it does for many Americans. Add to that Battle Royale is Japanese Pop Culture…not US pop culture, and likely not understood and taken at face value…which is Classroom Deathmatch, in light of recent events and all…

I'm not saying the perspective of the American who knows nothing about BR, and who finds this distasteful is RIGHT or WRONG. I just think all those who think it's not should consider that not everyone is up to speed on their Japanese Pop culture, and at face value, the title especially could be considered "questionable".

I'm torn on the issue. My initial knee-jerk reaction (never even hearing of Battle Royale before this) is that the name Classroom Deathmatch is probably in bad taste. The game, I don't know. If it were named something else it would probably be less of an issue.

As it has been mentioned, the entire concept of Wargaming is questionable. War is a horrific thing, yet we glorify it with terms like Glory, Honor, Duty and Country…but the reality, for anyone who has been fired at, and fired shots in anger…is that there is no such thing: war is a horrific thing, full of blood, sweat, tears, and other foul bodily waste materials. We use terms like Honor, Glory and the like to buffer our conscience, so that we as human beings can do a horrible thing, and over time, we believe in the stories we tell each other. Machismo is certainly a factor.

Coming back to Wargaming, we keep feeding the lie: the lie of Honor, Duty, Loyalty, Glory, etc…when the reality is fear, reaction, and gore. Not many games get in to the gore factor. Don't see many games getting in to the after effects of war. The permanent disability due to physical and mental trauma, the counseling and ruined lives. We focus on the glorified parts. The parts that make us feel good. The parts designed to cover up the horrific parts of war…and we have a whole hobby dedicated to perpetuating the "shiny" parts of war.

I dunno guys. It's something to consider.
When we look at how horrible any game is, think about what we're doing. What are we recreating? What are we glorifying? I'm not saying don't play. Just on occasion, consider the horrible side too.

Like I said, I'm torn on the issue of Classroom Deathmatch. I figure it is largely the title that is the issue. That with ignorance of the Japanese subculture. That doesn't mean that we aren't desensitized to something horrific. Doesn't mean that we don't glorify far worse things.

Regardless of how some may try their best to rationalize it, some of us simply don't want anything to do with such games nor with the pedophilia fantasies of school girly costumes that this site seems to promote.

It's got nothing whatsoever to do with the hobby in which I participate.

Of course, there's going to be the losers who come back and start bleating about how "gee you play SS or HUns or whatever, so it's OK for me to play games about rape and mayhem, it's the same thing". Yeah, give me a break.

We Americans are the most violent people that ever denied being violent.

Great post Elchimpster…

I think you're right that it's mostly the title that people are reacting too… without reading much further.
When I first saw it and the art for it the Virginia thing never crossed my mind at all… but then I've watched a fair bit of anime and read some manga.

Also, some folks just plain like to take offense at things… and throw around words like 'pedophilia' and 'rape' without bothering to see if the game even involves such notions.

Elchimpster makes some great points, but we are supposed to find the title offensive: it would be wrong if we didn't. The game is demanding the player to consider the choices that come from an absurd situation but that resonate in our real world. I wonder, if changing the name to something less objectionable perpetuates the euphemisms and candy-coated perspective our culture embraces and Elchimpster mentions.

The game clearly walks a fine line, and we should immediately ask: what is it really about? It is our responsibility as reasonable adults to make some small effort in finding that out before passing judgment. For the person who finds it in a store, it's as easy as turning to the back cover. The person who encounters it on the internet can find the info one click away.