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Mar 31st, 2018 at 00:29:32 - Comancheria (Other) |
Wow. Just, wow. I learned that my abilities are a bit limited when it comes to solitaire board games. Comancheria nearly required me to have my own dungeon master in order to make it through the easiest round. At least that’s what I keep telling myself, because I never actually finished the easiest round. I just want to be completely clear about my apparent lack of tabletop gaming ability.
Still, gaming ability is not the point of this log. The point is the ethics of making a board game based on a Native American nation that was nearly wiped out through war and disease. I find my answer to the question of whether or not the game is ethical to be a resounding “Yes“. The games designer Added painstaking detail, and used legitimate reference materials to craft a game that serve not just as diversionary entertainment, but as a brutal history lesson centered on the trails and tribulations of the Comanche nation. I know I mentioned this multiple times in the previous log, but the inclusion of a required/recommended reading list is a good example of the designers intentions for the material. That said, I’m not sure that this particular material lends itself towards any other form of gaming media. What I mean by this is that I could see a video game version proving to be less well accepted. The table top experience does away with streamlining that you would see in a digital version of the game, almost giving one the feeling that the difficulty is there to purposely make you struggle. The bottom line is that the game treats the material with the upmost respect, and therefore I find its use as a backdrop for a military strategy game to be ethical.
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Mar 30th, 2018 at 00:37:05 - Comancheria (Other) |
Mother of God. What have I gotten myself into. Day two of Comancheria has brought me to the realization that the game was made by a detail oriented sadist. This game is almost brutally impenetrable in both play AND preparation. The designer actually included a recommended reading list to help players fully understand the material. About half of the books are available as either an e-book or audio book. The rest require good old fashioned libraries access.
The game is incredibly deep, using action, preparation, time, and culture phases to move the game along. A twenty-three page rule book is accompanied by a twenty-three page "play" book, six page of "quick reference" material, and finally, the aforementioned seven book recommended reading list. The terms and names used within the game have led to a great deal of Googling. To my surprise, I have yet to find an incorrect cultural reference. If anything, this game was made with the utmost respect for the titular tribe.
Huh. I think I like this game.
No seriously. I found myself searching for the audiobooks earlier today. I looked for my own copy on Amazon. More importantly, I went down the Comanceria Youtube rabbit hole. I left a link below in order to trap anyone fool enough to follow it..... Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHVcCkOu7yU
JOIN. US.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Mar 30th, 2018 at 00:45:22.
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Mar 28th, 2018 at 23:49:34 - Comancheria (Other) |
Comancheria. Where to start? Comancheria is a single player (solitaire?) board game that uses the lands controlled by the Comanche Tribe in the American Southwest prior to 1865 as a setting. My initial reaction was a bit of a raised eyebrow. The idea of a game about Native American tribal warfare feels as if it can be done extremely poorly, but more on that later. The game is a military strategy game, to be sure, but requires a SERIOUS dedication to learn. The rules alone took me multiple hours to learn. I was limited by the games pristine state however. I went the the majority of the game resources, including decks of cards that frequently mention actual events and individuals. This game, more so than any number of other games I have played recently, led me to do an inordinate amount of research. I found myself pouring through a great deal of historical texts in order to get a better feel for the material on which the game is based. I'm not sure if this is necessary, but it definitely seems as if it would be beneficial. After a few hours of pouring through the material (both game and self-inflicted supplementary material) I am left wondering if my reaction is a result of reviewing the game in relation to an ethics class, or if this was the game creators actual intent. The game is so varied and dense that I hard time believing the game creator's intent is in anyway malicious.
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Feb 16th, 2018 at 23:03:02 - This is the Police (PC) |
I logged on today planning to anger the game's resisdent mob boss by playing the game using a minimum of criminal tactics. I was surprised to find that this wouldn't be an option. I was immediately shot dead by an assassin's bullet while reading the paper. At first, I was a bit upset by this turn of events. After all, how am I supposed to play the game my way, if I am punished for my good acts. That is when I came to a realization: Maybe the game developer wanted me to experience a different take on the material.
I feel as if the dev wanted to tell a specific story. I use the "Fire All Black Cops" scenario as an example. Personally, I found this scenario to be a bit heavyhanded, but I think that is the kind of commentary that the Weappy is going for. The idea that players should experience the lifestyle of a dirty cop is not something that I am completely against. I think whether This is the Police (TITP) is consdered comentary, fiction, or any combination of the two, it can be enjoyed. It was actually a little shocking when I died violently during what is basically a management sim. I restarted the game and decided to fully embrace the role as a dirty cop, seeing where the twists and turns to would take me.
I have to say, it really is fun to watch the story unfold, having to deal with the eventual repurcussions of skirting the law that Jack is supposed to uphold.I liked taking a path that I would normally avoid, and trying to deal with issues that I normally would not be presented with in more straight-laced playthroughs. I do, however, think that an argument could be made that the setting and backdrops of racial strife could be seen as exploitative. In the end, I feel that the game dev is actually using exagerated versions of real issues to make a statement, and ask the player to experience something a bit more uncomfortable than standard good/bad guy situations.
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JChambers has been with GameLog for 6 years, 10 months, and 8 days |
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