'Take it from me, it's better to be...lying dead with honor, soldier, than to never be free'
-The Beatnuts, from the song 'No Escapin' This'
Hey folks, SinSynn here.
Now I don't want anyone to...freak out or anything, but this week there will be no Megan Fox pics, no tentacle hentai, no clever catchphrases....
Fear not, gentle readers, I promise those things will return...probably next week.
Heh.
This week, I've got something I'd like to discuss, if you don't mind indulging me.
Please, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and sit with me a moment, won't you?
...
You cool? That's what's up....let's jump in.
Sadly, I could find no pictures of Megan Fox jumping whilst being molested by tentacles....DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!
...I'm weak....
:P
Does life in the 41st millennium interest you?
Would you be cool working on a Manufactorum Planet?
Would you REALLY wanna be an Imperial Guardsman? No?
Yeah...me neither...short life expectancy aside, I'm not exactly 'Military Material.'
I...don't respond well to having orders barked at me....
How 'bout being a Space Marine then?
Well...I'm not really cool with the whole 'I am inevitably fated to die in some conflict somewhere...it's only a matter of time' thing that Space Marines have.
I prefer to be master of my own destiny, thanks...Although I have no idea where that destiny will take me, or what's in store, I'm OK with that.
I have this sneaking suspicion that my 'outlook on life' would be declared 'Heretical' on most Imperial worlds, and I'd quickly meet the business end of a Bolter, or Laspistol, or whatever.
I mean, seriously, the Grimdark is a cold, unforgiving look at the 'future,' is it not?
Does it sound like a lotta fun to live in?
Oh, hell no....but I'll be darned if it isn't friggin' compelling, and an awesome backdrop for a game....with cool models.
;)
I, mean, sure....anyone born with some kind of birth defect would most likely be declared a 'mutant,' and pretty much killed, but whatevs....it's a game, right?
It's all made up, right?
So it's cool, right?
Right?
*We so totally PURGED that Heretic!*Ok, so far, so good...40k is like, completely made-up, so it's underlying 'unpleasantness' can be ignored, I suppose.
So...whatevs.
*shrug*
Flames of War, on the other hand, has....real-life 'baddies' in it.
Please, take a moment to view this (it's funny...trust me and watch it):
*Taken from the show 'the Mitchell and Webb Look,' which is da awesome*
THAT, brothers and sisters, is EXACTLY my reaction to the German 'fluff.'
Maybe cuz it's not so much 'fluff' as it is genuine HISTORY.
It's not made up. It's real. It happened.
So...would I want to actually play with models that represent genuine, real-life 'baddies'?
Truthfully?
No.
Do I want an Army Bag with a 'SS Waffen' symbol on it, or dice with the symbol on it?
Do I want that symbol on my lil' tankies and half-tracks?
Do I want to write up a 'background story' for that army to bring to events?
Uh...no, to all of the above.
Would I be offended if I bumped into someone with that bag, those dice, and a historically accurate background story for their own Waffen SS army?
Truthfully?
No.
It's a game, after all, right?
Right?
Clearly, however, I AM playing 'the baddies' in FoW, although I'm just as clearly 'put off' by the legacy they've left behind.
I just 'disconnect' the connection to history, and enjoy a strategic, tactical tabletop game.
*shrug*
I don't know any other way to explain it.
I certainly don't associate THOSE 'Germans' with...Germans, even. I just don't see it that way.
FoW isn't about the 'fluff' for me, because the fluff is, quite frankly, beyond unpleasant.
It's WWII, for cryin' out loud. We've read the book and seen the movie, as it were.
Do I put a *shrug* here?
I'll tell you what, I think the game, as it's played on the tabletop (meaning with no historical context, necessarily), is terrific.
So...*shrug*, I guess?
I suppose we could play a scenario based on Episode 9 of 'Band of Brothers,' and really make it 'historical,' if we so chose, but....why?
In review, somehow I have ZERO issues with some wacky Inquisitor performing Exterminatus on an entire PLANET in an attempt to clear out that pesky Genestealer Cult...but I take umbrage to Nazis.
Because Nazis are real, and the unfortunate billions of fictional Imperial citizens being exterminated are...fictional, I suppose that it's...OK, right?
Does that even...make sense, really?
'Purge the Heretics/Xenos/Whatever,' and it's associated trademarks, does not offend.
'Heil Hitler,' well that's a different story, isn't it?
Tell me, what does this image invoke in your mind when you see it?
*no funny quip here*
Yeah, nuthin' good, am I right?
In fact, this image might provoke extreme reactions from many.
Some people are understandably horrified by this image, and rightly so.
Some people still believe in this image. They're out there.
Yeah, it's a little scary.
For the record, the Swastika is outlawed in many countries on this planet.
I live in one country where it's not, but that's how SEVERE a reaction this symbol produces.
And yet...here we are, discussing this.
That's cool, right?
We can exchange ideas, or rant 'n' rave about this, if we choose.
We can agree, or disagree, or agree to disagree, even.
We can even...make light of it, as shown in the clip above.
Heck, the Nazis are pretty much the de-facto 'baddies' in everything they appear in, from video games to a classic episode of 'Seinfeld' involving soup....they're SO BAD, it's like, laughable.
So, while the reaction to these symbols, jokes and such may vary, clearly we can DISCUSS it, right?
What's wrong with discussion?
If we never discuss 'issues,' will they ever be resolved?
No, they won't.
If we can't discuss things, what do we do?
Fight about them or sweep them under the rug? Until what? Until we fight about them?
So...are there things we SHOULDN'T discuss...period?
Here, in the realm of Hobby and Gaming?
I'll be honest- 40k has pretty much trained me, Pavlov's Doggie-style, to believe that 'never shall fluff and game interact.'
Meaning, basically, that the 'fluff' doesn't necessarily reflect what occurs in-game, more or less.
And as for the Flames of War 'fluff'...well, no thanks (saw book, read movie...no, wait...).
At this point in my 'Hobby Journey,' I'm FAR more concerned with rulesets, balance and fun.
Yes, pretty models are all fine and good, but if I grind my teeth over poorly written rules, or balancing issues, and I'm not having fun actually playing the game...well, then, that's three strikes.
You're out.
So when confronted by the myriad of 'hot new tabletop games' that are springing up, I tend to skip right past the 'fluff,' and pounce upon the rules, lists, etc.
I'm not kind about it. I look for loopholes, exploits and things of that nature.
If I'm going to invest considerable time, money and effort on a system, I want to ensure that I'll enjoy it.
No matter what the fluff is about, I'll be stuck making army lists and using the rules during the actual game, so...that's what matters to me.
After all, I'll be playing the game long after I've memorized the fluff.
;)
If I'm looking at all, it's because I already find something interesting about the models, setting, etc.
But hey, I'll discuss the fluff surrounding either game, because 40k and WWII are generally considered 'safe for conversation.'
Well, 40k is 'fictional,' and Flames of War is 'historical,' so we've got firm ground for discussion.
And...they're just games,right?
Right?
But...what if you were to combine a little fiction with a little reality, and mix it up?
What if you threw in a dash of Anime/Manga, and made a tabletop game out of it?
Now, what if you also tossed in something...religion-ish, for whatever reason?
Enter Infinity the game.
*Potential coolness overload, IMHO*No, Infinity doesn't have Nazis in it....it has....brace yourself....
Muslims.
Here is an excerpt of the Infinity fluff, which I have been told is potentially LETHALLY offensive:
NOTE- the phrasing of the statement above is mine, and we will return to it shortly.
"Haqqislam, the New Islam, is a smaller power which possesses a single star-system only, Bourak. Separating itself from fundamentalism, Haqqislam bases its culture on an Islam which is humanist, philosophical and in continuous contact with nature. Biosanitary Science and Earthformation are the two major strengths of Haqqislam, which includes the best schools of medicine and planetology in the Human Sphere."
(this is copy/pasted DIRECTLY from the Infinity website, with respect)
Time for another Author's Note, before we proceed:
-Folks, I make no claims of being an expert on either Infinity (which I know little to nothing about, other than that I need, very badly, to try it...cuz it looks so damn cool), or of Islam and the Muslim faith.
I have no intentions of disrespecting, belittling, or minimalizing ANYONE, or their beliefs, or otherwise provoking hostility and/or anger in any way.
If anything I say does offend, I humbly apologize in advance.
I would merely like to discuss this, if I may.
Thank you.
In my opinion (note the emphasis here. This is an 'opinion.' Please consider them a constant throughout this discusssion, if you please), Infinity seems to have a similar 'confluence of hawtness' to 40k, in a lotta ways.
There's nothing startlingly new there, but, similar to what GW has done with the infamous Grimdark, the makers of Infinity have taken a variety of ingredients from 'geek culture,' and combined them in such a way as to...well, basically be irresistible to me.
I'm a sucker for this game, already...and all I've done is look.
Corvus Belli, please....take my money.
Infinity is 'sexy' in a whole buncha different ways than either 40k or Flames of War is.
I may not like Nazis, but I definitely have an attraction to German engineering. Heh.
*A proper solution for morning gridlock...and so sexy, too*
For a while now, I've been interested in a variety of systems.
Call it 'Space Marine Malaise,' or whatever, but I've been slowly drifting away from 40k.
It is what it is.
I'm interested in Infinity, and greatly attracted to it's style, art-wise.
The skirmish-based, low model count 'thingy' it's got goin' on has me curious as well.
I...never considered there may be 'issues' with the 'fluff,' of all things.
Here's where it gets...touchy, and here we return to the 'lethally offensive' statement I made above.
I have had it put forth to me that that little bit of Infinity fluff alone could potentially cause Muslims to riot in certain parts of Europe.
Can this be....true?
Would people really...hurt other people over something so insignificant as fluff in a Tabletop Game rulebook?
Are you surreal?
O_o
I am fully cognizant of the fact that there are Religious Zealots of all makes, shapes and sizes, folks.
This discussion is not about them.
If history has shown us anything, it's that any and all forms of evil can and will be performed in the name of whatever God, Deity or 'Cosmic Being' you care to mention, most likely....in the past, present, and maybe forever.
This discussion isn't about that, either.
I've also had it put forth to me that this ENTIRE subject is taboo, actually.
Apparently, we shouldn't even discuss the 'Haqqislam faction' in the game of Infinity for some reason, or how it relates to...anything. At all. Period.
Y'know what?
This discussion isn't even necessarily about Muslims, it's really about THE DISCUSSION.
So now, lemme ask you something:
Do you like these models?
If you were to ask me, with no context whatsoever, if I liked these models purely as models, I would very definitely say 'yes.'
Emphatically, even.
I mean, c'mon...I'm a guy, these are 'hot chick' models, and I'm not gonna play myself.
However, there are things here that make me curious:
-I deliberately picked what I thought were the two sexiest character models. The Haqqislam faction contains 50 models that I counted, of which about a dozen are so are female.
Some units have male and female models in them.
Apparently, the women fight shoulder to shoulder with the men.
-The lady on the right is wearing a Burka, or something similar. A quick review of the model line reveals that not all of the female characters do, however.
-While searching for images of the character on the left, I quickly discovered her name is a play on words, of sorts.
Go ahead and try- her name is 'Hassassin Fiday.'
Curiouser and curiouser, no?
In recent years, I've witnessed the stereotypical 'terrorist guy' begin replace the stereotypical 'nazi guy' as the ubiquitous 'baddie,' in many forms of media.
It's fairly common now, and mostly it's pretty thinly veiled in it's intent.
Due to the recent events in our world, the stereotypical 'terrorist guy' is scarier that those crusty old 'nazi guys,' and the stereotypical 'terrorist guy' is apparently...Muslim, right?
While the Haqqislam Faction certainly doesn't appear to be 'the baddie,' is it any more or less of a disrespectful portrayal of Muslims as the 'terrorist guy'?
Would it be OK if there was some sort of 'Judeo-Christian' faction in Infinity? Would anyone maybe...riot if there was?
Or are we cool with some religions being misinterpreted and/or misrepresented, but not others?
Did Corvus Belli deliberately or unwittingly offend with the Haqqislam Faction?
Well it doesn't offend ME, but I'm not Muslim, and I'm pretty easy going, regardless...
...However....
If it did offend me, for any reason, does that give me the right to potentially hurt the person who's responsible for it?
Well, in most of the civilized world that would likely be considered a crime of some sort, right?
So...no then...
...Although....
On the flip side, people can and will be offended by virtually anything in this world, and in a free society, are well within their rights to do so.
That's usually where the discussion begins, right?
And after all...this is just a GAME we're talking about here, right?Right?
So...can we discuss this?
I'd like to think so, to hope so, to believe so.
I'm not really sure where I'm going with any of it, honestly.
I'm going to cast this out upon the internet like a stone in a pond, and watch the ripples.
Whatever happens, well...
*shrug*, I guess. Otherwise, we can sweep it under the rug, right?
:P
Final Author's Note:
No matter what I read in the comment section, I promise to:
-Respect any and all readers responding to this post.
-Never insult my readers. Any and all of you are capable of teaching me something.
-Never, ever to delete or edit your comments in any way. Period.
Thank you for reading!
Until next time, folks....
Be eezy.
-SinSynn
For a while now, I've been interested in a variety of systems.
Call it 'Space Marine Malaise,' or whatever, but I've been slowly drifting away from 40k.
It is what it is.
I'm interested in Infinity, and greatly attracted to it's style, art-wise.
The skirmish-based, low model count 'thingy' it's got goin' on has me curious as well.
I...never considered there may be 'issues' with the 'fluff,' of all things.
Here's where it gets...touchy, and here we return to the 'lethally offensive' statement I made above.
I have had it put forth to me that that little bit of Infinity fluff alone could potentially cause Muslims to riot in certain parts of Europe.
Can this be....true?
Would people really...hurt other people over something so insignificant as fluff in a Tabletop Game rulebook?
Are you surreal?
O_o
I am fully cognizant of the fact that there are Religious Zealots of all makes, shapes and sizes, folks.
This discussion is not about them.
If history has shown us anything, it's that any and all forms of evil can and will be performed in the name of whatever God, Deity or 'Cosmic Being' you care to mention, most likely....in the past, present, and maybe forever.
This discussion isn't about that, either.
I've also had it put forth to me that this ENTIRE subject is taboo, actually.
Apparently, we shouldn't even discuss the 'Haqqislam faction' in the game of Infinity for some reason, or how it relates to...anything. At all. Period.
Y'know what?
This discussion isn't even necessarily about Muslims, it's really about THE DISCUSSION.
So now, lemme ask you something:
Do you like these models?
If you were to ask me, with no context whatsoever, if I liked these models purely as models, I would very definitely say 'yes.'
Emphatically, even.
I mean, c'mon...I'm a guy, these are 'hot chick' models, and I'm not gonna play myself.
However, there are things here that make me curious:
-I deliberately picked what I thought were the two sexiest character models. The Haqqislam faction contains 50 models that I counted, of which about a dozen are so are female.
Some units have male and female models in them.
Apparently, the women fight shoulder to shoulder with the men.
-The lady on the right is wearing a Burka, or something similar. A quick review of the model line reveals that not all of the female characters do, however.
-While searching for images of the character on the left, I quickly discovered her name is a play on words, of sorts.
Go ahead and try- her name is 'Hassassin Fiday.'
Curiouser and curiouser, no?
In recent years, I've witnessed the stereotypical 'terrorist guy' begin replace the stereotypical 'nazi guy' as the ubiquitous 'baddie,' in many forms of media.
It's fairly common now, and mostly it's pretty thinly veiled in it's intent.
Due to the recent events in our world, the stereotypical 'terrorist guy' is scarier that those crusty old 'nazi guys,' and the stereotypical 'terrorist guy' is apparently...Muslim, right?
While the Haqqislam Faction certainly doesn't appear to be 'the baddie,' is it any more or less of a disrespectful portrayal of Muslims as the 'terrorist guy'?
Would it be OK if there was some sort of 'Judeo-Christian' faction in Infinity? Would anyone maybe...riot if there was?
Or are we cool with some religions being misinterpreted and/or misrepresented, but not others?
Did Corvus Belli deliberately or unwittingly offend with the Haqqislam Faction?
Well it doesn't offend ME, but I'm not Muslim, and I'm pretty easy going, regardless...
...However....
If it did offend me, for any reason, does that give me the right to potentially hurt the person who's responsible for it?
Well, in most of the civilized world that would likely be considered a crime of some sort, right?
So...no then...
...Although....
On the flip side, people can and will be offended by virtually anything in this world, and in a free society, are well within their rights to do so.
That's usually where the discussion begins, right?
And after all...this is just a GAME we're talking about here, right?Right?
So...can we discuss this?
I'd like to think so, to hope so, to believe so.
I'm not really sure where I'm going with any of it, honestly.
I'm going to cast this out upon the internet like a stone in a pond, and watch the ripples.
Whatever happens, well...
*shrug*, I guess. Otherwise, we can sweep it under the rug, right?
:P
Final Author's Note:
No matter what I read in the comment section, I promise to:
-Respect any and all readers responding to this post.
-Never insult my readers. Any and all of you are capable of teaching me something.
-Never, ever to delete or edit your comments in any way. Period.
Thank you for reading!
Until next time, folks....
Be eezy.
-SinSynn
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