Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

From AsenRG:

Thank you, this helps a lot!
BTW, did theatre of the mind come naturally to your wargamer players?

Oh, yes, very much so! Because of the time and budget limitations, we tended to imagine quite a lot in our games, of all kinds. Keep in mind that we operated on a one-week cycle between games, so the build time was short and sweet - we had to think outside the lines, and imagine that the drawing on the table was the Mos Eisley cantina...

That's interesting, thank you for sharing it.

It's the time focus. I knew the same thing at an early age, despite being born in the 80ies in a major city centre.
Admittedly, I knew it from reading, but still!

Agreed; but you did read!!!

I tried to imagine what my life would have been without reading.
The words "nasty, brutish and short" popped up in my mind!

Originally Posted by AsenRG

That's interesting, thank you for sharing it.

I tried to imagine what my life would have been without reading.
The words "nasty, brutish and short" popped up in my mind!

I dunno; imagination was always a huge component of our games, back in those far-off days when one couldn't simply pop down to the local game store / e-mail Amazon and get everything you needed for a game 'off the shelf'. Which may be, in some part, why I like Tekumel and the other obscure settings that I like to play in; one has to use one's imagination a lot. In our historical games, though, the same philosophy applied; that little Airfix kit of a tank is the fearsome what-ever-it-is, because I couldn't get a MkIV in time for the game.

So, yes, theater of the mind was always a part of our games, and my ability to astonish people with my models a big part of that.

Agreed. I can't imagine life without my books.

Not to mention that the Shermans were 1/87 scale, the Honeys and Mk. Is and IIs were 1/72 scale, and the Grant was 1/76 scale, because THAT'S WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

Cool.
Did Phil observe you DM, or did he play in your campaign? If so, do you remember what character type he played?

Shemek

He played in at least two different campaigns, at least one as a fighter (I think a fighter in both but I couldn't swear to it.)

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Not to mention that the Shermans were 1/87 scale, the Honeys and Mk. Is and IIs were 1/72 scale, and the Grant was 1/76 scale, because THAT'S WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.

Yes, indeed. No 'official' and 'authorized' lines of merchandise, no 'directed play', no 'sanctioned play', none of that. We, to quote somebody, "made stuff up and had fun." Is it just me, my General, or are those days long gone?

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Yes, indeed. No 'official' and 'authorized' lines of merchandise, no 'directed play', no 'sanctioned play', none of that. We, to quote somebody, "made stuff up and had fun." Is it just me, my General, or are those days long gone?

Not gone, no. However, they are no longer the emphasis of the mainstream path of the hobby.

Just like there are still folks out there who still build model locomotives by starting with brass sheet, bar, and rod stock and carving away everything that doesn't look like a C&NW class R-1 4-6-0, but Model Railroader no longer runs the "Kitchen Table Locomotive" series like they did in the 1950s.

Convenience sells, and the mainstream of any hobby will tend to move towards greater convenience. You can still build a model airplane out of balsa strips and tissue paper and a drawing, but you can also buy a complete ready to fly radio control plane.

Originally Posted by Greentongue

Yes, I believe so.
Now we must only use our imagination in pre-approved ways.
Accept how things are and feel helpless to change them.
If you must imagine, imagine escape not rebellion.
=

That is the way it seems, from what I've seen at conventions and the local shops. I find it pretty daunting, especially after all this time in the hobby. But then, there may be hope yet...

I had kind of a wild moment the other weekend with the D&D group I'm playing in; we visited Lord Chirine and his family, and the group was astonished at the 'free kreigspiel' / 'open sandbox' play style, where I - the 'deputy GM' - had all the world-setting details at my fingertips, and it was up to them to have an adventure. They did, had a lot of fun, got some goodies, and are thinking about coming back every now and then. They know nothing about the setting, but had fun with it and would like to know more.

I thought that it was pretty fun to run for them, myself. We'll see what develops...

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Not gone, no. However, they are no longer the emphasis of the mainstream path of the hobby.

Just like there are still folks out there who still build model locomotives by starting with brass sheet, bar, and rod stock and carving away everything that doesn't look like a C&NW class R-1 4-6-0, but Model Railroader no longer runs the "Kitchen Table Locomotive" series like they did in the 1950s.

Convenience sells, and the mainstream of any hobby will tend to move towards greater convenience. You can still build a model airplane out of balsa strips and tissue paper and a drawing, but you can also buy a complete ready to fly radio control plane.

Agreed, on all points. I mean, I do have lots of ready-to-run locomotives and rolling stock, but I still enjoy a bit of scratch-building now and then. I'm just bemused at the people who look at my little efforts on the game table and insist that they could never do anything like that.

Maybe I should start doing paint-and-take sessions? It'd go a long way to clearing out all that unpainted lead that's been piling up for decades. (Although, if the Missus finds that her vintage Ral Partha 'Elfquest' and RAFM 'Dr. Who' figures - in their original TARDIS boxes, no less- have gone missing, I will find myself lovingly immersed in boiling oil in no time flat.) Something to think about...

EDIT: I can see it now: Blue Peter does a Tekumel episode. Auntie Beeb would never be the same again.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

He played in at least two different campaigns, at least one as a fighter (I think a fighter in both but I couldn't swear to it.)

He was a scholar, a gentleman, and a man with a good taste in classes he played, evidently!

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Agreed. I can't imagine life without my books.

And it's a good way to set yourself apart from the masses.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Not to mention that the Shermans were 1/87 scale, the Honeys and Mk. Is and IIs were 1/72 scale, and the Grant was 1/76 scale, because THAT'S WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Yes, indeed. No 'official' and 'authorized' lines of merchandise, no 'directed play', no 'sanctioned play', none of that. We, to quote somebody, "made stuff up and had fun." Is it just me, my General, or are those days long gone?

No sanctioned play here, either.
I still find the idea baffling.

Originally Posted by Greentongue

Yes, I believe so.
Now we must only use our imagination in pre-approved ways.
Accept how things are and feel helpless to change them.
If you must imagine, imagine escape not rebellion.
=

I haven't got the memo, though, so I'm going to stick to my old ways.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Convenience sells, and the mainstream of any hobby will tend to move towards greater convenience.

...I'm afraid you're right.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

That is the way it seems, from what I've seen at conventions and the local shops. I find it pretty daunting, especially after all this time in the hobby. But then, there may be hope yet...

I had kind of a wild moment the other weekend with the D&D group I'm playing in; we visited Lord Chirine and his family, and the group was astonished at the 'free kreigspiel' / 'open sandbox' play style, where I - the 'deputy GM' - had all the world-setting details at my fingertips, and it was up to them to have an adventure. They did, had a lot of fun, got some goodies, and are thinking about coming back every now and then. They know nothing about the setting, but had fun with it and would like to know more.

I thought that it was pretty fun to run for them, myself. We'll see what develops...

Great news, Uncle! Keep us informed!
But that's what I kept thinking you should be doing in order to start a group and teach those people the ways of the old masters...

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Maybe I should start doing paint-and-take sessions? It'd go a long way to clearing out all that unpainted lead that's been piling up for decades. (Although, if the Missus finds that her vintage Ral Partha 'Elfquest' and RAFM 'Dr. Who' figures - in their original TARDIS boxes, no less- have gone missing, I will find myself lovingly immersed in boiling oil in no time flat.) Something to think about...

EDIT: I can see it now: Blue Peter does a Tekumel episode. Auntie Beeb would never be the same again.

Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead, into the boiling oil? Or maybe you can just stash the vintage stuff away while doing the "paint-and-take" sessions?
It might not be a bad idea, really - not that I would know much about this business, I've just got my gut feeling!