| From: | Mad Hamish h_laws@**********.utas.edu.au |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Shadowrun and Butality (WAS: Getting nasty to your PCs) |
| Date: | Wed, 08 Sep 1999 13:39:05 +1000 |
>> I doubt that there are too many places in the world where you'd just wander
>> past them killing people in the street.
>
>This is the most hopelessly naive statement I've ever heard.
I should state that I'm talking about crime rather than warfare, rebellions
etc.
I should _also_ point out that I was replying to your comment
" When one walks in the streets of Seattle, he will see crimes happening all
the time. Murders, robberies, rapes..."
Now I feel that in context my comment makes more sense.
>
>> Yeah, that doesn't mean that I want them to be happening on screen in my
>> game. I play Shadowrun (and other roleplaying games) for enjoyment. I
>don't
>> get enjoyment from hearing about rapes.
>
>I won't even open my mouth about this again. I think my opinion on this
>issue is well known. I have to keep saying to myself, "It takes all types."
>That allows me to drown out the voice that says, "These people are so very,
>very funny."
>
>> There's a difference between handling violence, handling 'cinematic'
>> violence and rape, torture etc.
>
>Is there? Is there really?
Of course there's a difference. Superman does commit violence, I've never
seen him rape or torture.
Ditto for Bugs Bunny.
Oh, and you might want to read up on the Geneva convention and see what
they allow.
> Why, exactly, is that?
Because different ways of presenting things have different effects on
people. Consider the battle scenes in Saving Private Ryan versus the battle
scenes in Star Wars and see which one's affect people more.
Consider the rape scene in The Accused and compare it to a fist fight in
the A-Team.
They have different impacts on people.
> And where does that line get drawn?
That's up to the people who write the particular book, film the particular
movie or are GMing & playing the particular game.
> When is murder okay and not okay?
Real world or in RPGs?
Real world very few. RPGs and fiction it varies depending upon your exact
definition of murder and also the genre you are in.
> What age is too young to kill?
All of them.
>In game and out? For what reasons are rape and torture justified?
Rape is never justified to happen. It might be justified to include the
issue in particular fiction or roleplaying sessions but it is _also_
justified to choose _NOT_ to read those books or play in those settings.
> In game and out?
>
>You see black and white.
No, I state that you don't _have_ to play Shadowrun in the manner that you
state it has to be played. That doesn't mean that I see everything in black
and white terms, it means that I don't agree with your statement.
> You seem to think there's a line in between them.
>Well, there isn't. There is only grey. Sometimes I feel, as I get older,
>that everything gets more grey, until sooner or later, I won't even be able
>to tell the difference anymore. I don't know if that's good or bad, but I
>sure as hell would rather that than this naive inexperience that some people
>seem to display.
What? You state that people are naive because they
a) play roleplaying games for enjoyment
b) believe that particular things happening will stop them enjoying the game
c) don't want to play in games where those particular things happen on screen.
Or because people argue that you can _choose_ to play Shadowrun in a
lighter world setting than the one that you present.
In either case I don't see how it justifies you assumption of naivity.
--
****************************************************************************
The Politician's Slogan
'You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all
of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
Fortunately only a simple majority is required.'
****************************************************************************
Mad Hamish
Hamish Laws
h_laws@**********.utas.edu.au
h_laws@******.net.au
