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Buckeye Game Fest will be held May 2-5, 2024, with The War Room opening on 29 April ~~ More Info here

Author Topic: NYT Covers Scramble for Africa Controversy  (Read 28710 times)

mirth

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on: August 01, 2019, 09:11:22 PM
Not a great article, imo. It also doesn't bother me in the least that SoA was pulled. I thought it was a poor choice for a game regardless and is not anything I would have owned or played.


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/style/board-games-cancel-culture.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

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bayonetbrant

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Reply #1 on: August 01, 2019, 09:12:33 PM
They covered all the same ground we did back in April

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mirth

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Reply #2 on: August 01, 2019, 09:14:42 PM
They covered all the same ground we did back in April

Slightly wider audience though  ;)

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bayonetbrant

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Reply #3 on: August 01, 2019, 09:16:19 PM
They covered all the same ground we did back in April

Slightly wider audience though  ;)


Yep. Plus they were able to get quotes from people we never could


https://www.armchairdragoons.com/feature/conflicts-around-the-table-gmt-gets-to-publish-whatever-they-want/

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Random acts of genius and other inspirations of applied violence.
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bbmike

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Reply #4 on: August 02, 2019, 08:59:32 AM
Not a great article, imo. It also doesn't bother me in the least that SoA was pulled. I thought it was a poor choice for a game regardless and is not anything I would have owned or played.


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/style/board-games-cancel-culture.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

I completely agree with your assessment about the article and the game.

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BanzaiCat

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Reply #5 on: August 02, 2019, 09:17:29 AM
Including the Klan rally picture really pissed me off. That just completely misrepresents the hobby to that wider audience and/or reinforces those that look at board games with derision and disdain. A picture/thousand words/etc.

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mirth

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Reply #6 on: August 02, 2019, 09:21:00 AM
It annoys me a little to have the perception be that I somehow sympathize with Nazis Germany or Confederate South if I play as those sides in games. OTOH, I have actually seen assholes at cons wearing ball caps with SS divisional emblems as though they were their favorite fucking baseball teams. The Wehrmact world tour t-shirts are classy AF too.

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bbmike

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Reply #7 on: August 02, 2019, 09:24:00 AM
Yeah, the bit about you are being sympathetic to whoever you are playing as was just plain ignorant. There did seem to be a lot of ignorance in the article.

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
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mirth

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Reply #8 on: August 02, 2019, 09:37:03 AM
The article seemed to be directed toward the more casual boardgaming audience. SoA definitely seemed to targeted toward more casual gamers.

I thought this was completely accurate:

Quote
"Most eurogames are designed to maximize the gameplay, or mechanics, with the theme an afterthought. A common criticism of many games is that the theme feels pasted on. With such little attention often paid to the story, the ranks of historically inaccurate or outright racist modern games are lengthy."

That's a big reason why I dislike and don't play eurogames. They are mechanic focused with a "theme" bolted on top.

Being able to Google shit better than your clients is a legit career skill.


bayonetbrant

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Reply #9 on: August 02, 2019, 09:37:07 AM
There did seem to be a lot of ignorance in the article.


I promise you that it is dwarfed by the ignorance in the ongoing FB discussion in the WGers group right now.

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Random acts of genius and other inspirations of applied violence.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Six Degrees of Radio for songs you should know by artists you should love


bayonetbrant

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Reply #10 on: August 02, 2019, 09:38:18 AM
The article seemed to be directed toward the more casual boardgaming audience. SoA definitely seemed to targeted toward more casual gamers.

I thought this was completely accurate:

Quote
"Most eurogames are designed to maximize the gameplay, or mechanics, with the theme an afterthought. A common criticism of many games is that the theme feels pasted on. With such little attention often paid to the story, the ranks of historically inaccurate or outright racist modern games are lengthy."

That's a big reason why I dislike and don't play eurogames. They are mechanic focused with a "theme" bolted on top.


Alongside this, the author does take the time to discuss how a game like Puerto Rico has some obvious racial issues in its theme that everyone seems to want to ignore.

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Random acts of genius and other inspirations of applied violence.
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Six Degrees of Radio for songs you should know by artists you should love


bbmike

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Reply #11 on: August 02, 2019, 09:41:18 AM
There did seem to be a lot of ignorance in the article.


I promise you that it is dwarfed by the ignorance in the ongoing FB discussion in the WGers group right now.

I don't doubt that.

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
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mirth

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Reply #12 on: August 02, 2019, 09:44:12 AM
There did seem to be a lot of ignorance in the article.


I promise you that it is dwarfed by the ignorance in the ongoing FB discussion in the WGers group right now.

It's difficult to defend the hobby when many of its participants are misogynists and racists.

Being able to Google shit better than your clients is a legit career skill.


Barthheart

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Reply #13 on: August 02, 2019, 10:14:06 AM
There did seem to be a lot of ignorance in the article.


I promise you that it is dwarfed by the ignorance in the ongoing FB discussion in the WGers group right now.

It's difficult to defend the hobby when many of its participants are misogynists and racists.

But that just points out what is wrong with society today... if you happen to do activity A and some who also do activity A are assholes then EVERYONE who does activity A is an asshole because you do activity A.

The human race is fucked and we don't deserve Mars....  :buck2:

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bbmike

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Reply #14 on: August 02, 2019, 10:23:13 AM
^ Spot on.  :2thumbs:

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
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