Below is a selection of games that stood out to us while browsing kickstarter.com.
Backing a project can be a great thing, but please do the research on a game before you put money into it. Happy exploring!
Below is a selection of games that stood out to us while browsing kickstarter.com.
Backing a project can be a great thing, but please do the research on a game before you put money into it. Happy exploring!
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@coltsfan76… No, you made my point. You assume innocence as long as you are only controlling the troops or rats (blind to innocent people who die in their wake). The description of Rattus is that 1/2 the population of Europe is getting destroyed by the plague, and you use various characters to manipulate who gets killed… plain and simple.
Circular: The original comment I made was in defense of Boardgaming’s right to advertise a game that may have material you object to… but you have games that are pretty darn close to the same subject matter. I do not scold you for making distinctions. We all do. However, I think you were scolding Boardgaming, because they crossed an imaginary line in your head. A line that I don’t have, because I don’t see any actual content in the ad itself. I do suggest they could maybe keep adult-themed game ads in adult-themed game pages. I see this as a nice compromise…. but it’s up to them.
As far as the Deathstar analogy… that’s a completely different subject, and I don’t think it has a direct correlation. I don’t argue your right to make distinctions. I just disagree with your stand.
BTW My friends and I have a rule that as soon as you bring up Jews and Nazis… you lose the argument.
Merry Christmas to All!!!!!
Which is my whole point I was making. M44 has combatants who chose to fight and that game focuses on those combatants – there is no innocent native citizens portrayed.
Rattus was a natural disaster, not some malicious plan to reduce Europe’s population. In the game, people are going to die as is historically accurate. You are just nudging it away from you and towards others.
Tomorrow is the deliberate decision of “leaders” wiping out other people. Innocents who did nothing wrong but be born. This isn’t an abstract game focusing on one aspect of war (the combat between combatants) and ignoring the collateral damage, this is a game focusing on that collateral damage and how to maximize it.
You are scolding me for making a distinction, yet go on and make the exact same point. I am saying the games I “enjoy” are those contractors going to Iraq/Death Star and the game I “abhor” are those focusing on killing the natives. See, it is obvious and you proved my point I was making from the beginning! 😀
So since we have come full circle, I’ll step off this ride. Merry Christmas!
@coltsfan76… Yes… we disagree… which is fine. I see as many adult-oriented games as I do kids games… but, then again, I consider WAR an adult theme.
As far as the difference between the Deathstar analogy and a native citizen goes… the contractors made the choice to leave their home and go work on the Deathstar… where as a native citizen lives in the nation he is born to (and may not have the means to leave). I had a lot of friends go to Iraq for contract work. That was their choice. Many of the people who lost their lives in the war were born in Iraq, and didn’t ask for the conflict that took their lives. There’s a huge difference between the two, and I’m not sure how that is not obvious.
Nevertheless, I could see Boardgaming making the choice to not have ads with non-family-friendly games show up on family-friendly pages. I leave that up to them.
Happy Gaming!
@Granny Then we agree to disagree. I know that innocent people die in war and that is not my point. I am not defending war and this is not a conversation about it – at least on my side.
All I am stating is there a difference in how *games* are portraying what they are doing. The emphasis is shifted from the strategy of war to just plain killing as many people as you can.
I think that is a bit hypocritical on a site that is promoting more family-oriented games and reviews. My initial statement was “I don’t agree with it being here” and “it seems” contrary to what this site represents.
It seems to me that you are going against your own logic when you try to tear apart the Death Star analogy. Somehow contractors can get killed is OK? Seems to me like the difference between someone signing up to be a soldier vs someone getting bombed because they live in an over populous state…. Just saying….
@coltsfan76… I disagree with your logic, and believe this is why we have so many wars today (currently one still going on… longest in US history). Out of sight – out of mind. If we don’t acknowledge the individual (innocents) impact of war, it just looks like we are attacking a “nation”… like maybe just an outline on a boardgame with cardboard pieces. Notice, the media does not show the dead bodies anymore to supposedly “protect” us. Pretending innocent people don’t get killed during war is a way more dangerous lesson to teach our children. Again, I’m not saying you play Tomorrow with your kids… but, I think it’s OK for a site that supports a full range of games to advertise the game as long as they don’t show graphic scenes of violence… the same way it’s OK to advertise an R movie as long as they don’t play an R-rated scene to promote it. As far as the Clerks scene goes… there’s a big difference between choosing to actually go to a country for contract work or living there when the bombs start dropping on your home… or someone decides to introduce smallpox infested blankets onto your reservation.
@Jim, nice reference to Clerks.
@Granny, I do not see it as whitewashing but respecting the history, learning from it, hopefully not repeating it. War and games are intertwined from the earliest board games to sporting events. Perhaps we are too desensitized to the connection to care until something new comes up. I will have no problem with any WWII game that comes along. But if someone made a game were you are the Nazis and competing to kill the most Jews, I would hope everyone would be outraged at that.
Again, the difference it what you say about Rattus and M44 is that Civilians are not represented. I am not killing a bunch of collateral damage. If those games had civilians as figures or objectives, then I would object to them as well. One can also “play nice” and just envision those little army men going to their little hospital and making a full recovery. It is different to say the objective is to kill as many as you can and people are dying because you want them to.
Regardless, it is gone. So I don’t have to see the juxtaposition of yet another Family Focus Review with that backdrop cutting their lives short.
Very intriguing discussion. This got me thinking about Star Wars and the Death Star. We cheered when it was destroyed, yet didn’t think about the millions of innocent people that would have been on board. It’s almost like the helmets and armor the storm troopers (and many other imperials) wore made it so we wouldn’t grow attached to them or feel sorry for them.
It’s an interesting topic about where one draws the line on things, especially if you dig deeper into what a game is about and what actions you are performing while you “play.”
@coltsfan76… I guess I find whitewashing topics such as war or the plague just as “offensive”… if not more. I get just as irritated by meat-eaters who are against hunting… but have no problem buying plastic-wrapped meat in supermarket aisles. I see this as a problem in our society… people like to have layers that shield them from reality of their decisions… making it more palatable. I appreciate transparency and reality. I will not let my kids play the game… but I might with a few friends. Should Boargaming not advertise a Rated R movie? I guess I’m not sure of where you draw the line. We have a philosophical difference of opinion. No problem.
BTW War always includes collateral damage. Spreading the plague is a conscious decision to kill innocents as well.
@Granny
Completely different context. M44 represents actual historical battles where combatants are going after combatants. Rattus boils it down to such an abstract level, making it almost whimsical and tongue in cheek.
Tomorrow is quite up front about “forced global de-population via biological and nuclear horrors” making the mass killing of innocents its primary focus. Too strong of a political statement. Doesn’t seem to reduce it to enough of an abstract level and looks more to focus on the shock and awe of the theme.
It is similar to how War on Terror and Labyrinth tackled the same subject: one was over the top offensive while the other handled it with more maturity.
On top of that, neither of the other games are paid advertisers, which is more of my concern. I understand the site needs/wants money, I just think they may want to filter a little more of what they accept.
@coltsfan76… not sure how Tomorrow is that much different than two of your favorite games… Memoir 44 simulates killing through war, and Rattus simulates spreading the plague to other communities on purpose. Are the subject matter of these games much more “family” oriented? Feel free to pass on the game… but…
Not sure I agree with the plastering of Tomorrow on this website. Seems to go against the grain of what this site stands for in its family orientation. The conversations I am hearing, I will pass on this game and hope that the (assumed) paid advertisement will expire soon.
Another interesting array of games. I’ll have to look into them somemore…
Battle for Souls looks like it will be a riot and the artwork is very cool.
“Battle For Souls is an epic medieval card and dice game for 1 to 4 people ages 13 and up. The game allows players to choose the side of heaven or [heck] in a fight over the immortal souls of humankind.
The side of darkness can coax souls to [heck] by playing Temptation, Sin, Devil and Unholy Relic cards, while the side of light can help souls to heaven by playing Virtue, Intercession, Archangel and Holy Relic cards. Souls are worth victory points and when the last soul is reaped, the player with the most victory points wins.”
And Kingdom Death: Monster is also running. I bit too pricey for me but the quality of this looks amazing!
Link >
Some folks may also be interested in Hexels, an intriguing looking solution to the problem of the disintegrating Catan board: http://kck.st/SSUF9s