A slight difference

Every now and then, I get in the mood for some particular historical era. It can be the renaissance, the 1920's, you name it. Lately, I've been looking into World War I, The Great War, or the War to end all Wars (yeah, right). 28.06.1914 – 11.11.1918. Four years that killed more than nine million people. And that's just the death toll from the fighting. Then you have to factor in the deaths from disease, starvation and bombing. The first really big mechanized war in history. Heavy stuff.

But I'm not writing this to contemplate the horrors of war. Others have done that far more eloquently than I can. No, this is about entertainment, believe it or not.

You see, when I get into one of my moods, I like to read books, watch movies and play games set in that specific era. It doesn't have to be historically correct either, as long as the ambiance is there.

That's when I ran into something interesting. Bookwise, from fact to fiction, there's a wealth to choose from when it comes to WW I. But when I looked into movies and games, I was quite surprised. Lets look at movies first.

According to Wikipedia, there are ninety movies set in WW I. Granted, the list is incomplete, but it gives a good indication of the amount of movies depicting the great war. Now, let's compare it to the Wikipedia page for WW II. That's 229 movies and TV series since just 1990.

And the same trend continues with games. Wikipedia lists 31 games set in WW I, and looking at WW II, we get through A, B and four games into C before thirtyone games are listed.

My question is, why? Why is the second world war so much more popular? Is it because it came later? Maybe, but only by twenty years. And considering that the Vietnam War was even more recent but get about the same number of movies as WW I, that can't really be it. Could it be because of the higher death count? Possibly, but I doubt it. To be sure WW II was bigger than anyhing before or since, but there has to be more to it.

Perhaps it is that WW II had clearer lines than most wars. It's easy to point at the nazis and say; there are the bad guys, let's all go shoot them in the face.However, there are some kind of bad guys in every war.

Or could it be something else that fascinates us so much about this conflict that we to this day can't let go? I don't know, but it is a really interesting question, don't you think?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

If you want to watch a great cold war spy drama, you can't do much better than Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, based on the original novel by John Le Carré. However, make sure you watch the right one, or should I say, watch the right one first. The TV show was made in 1979, while the movie came out 2011. You should definately watch the TV show first, and there are several reasons why.

First off, as much as I love Gary Oldman, Alec Guiness fits the role of the main character, George Smiley an MI6 veteran, better. There's something subtle Guiness brings to the role, that I didn't find in Oldmans performance. This pretty much goes for the rest of the cast as well.

Second, because the story is set in '79, the film makers had to try to recreate the seventies, instead of just being there like the show was, and it's obvious. The film just can not feel as authentic, no matter how hard they tried. And they tried very hard. But at the end of the day, a copy can't beat an original.

The third and most important reason is, the show had seven 45 minute episodes to tell an intense and dramatic story set in the cold war, while the movie had just over two hours to try to do the same thing. It's no surprise the movie felt both confusing and rushed at the same time. If I hadn't seen the show first. I wouldn't have understood half of what was going on.

Do by all means watch the movie, it's good, but the original show is so much better.

The List of Seven

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of rereading one of my favourite books, The List of Seven, written in 1993, by Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost.

The story is told from the point of view of a young Arthur Conan Doyle in his pre Holmesian days. The young doctor suddenly finds himself embroiled in a sinister conspiracy full of occult horrors and murderous, shadowy figures. The only way out, is through to the other side, and Doyle's only hope is the royal agent Jack Sparks, who is already on the case.

Not only is The List of Seven very well written, but Mr. Frost has created a very intense and creepy Victorian atmosphere, sprinkled with famous historical figures. Another testament to the skill of the writer is his constraint with these figures. It would be all to easy to succumb to temptation and over use them, but the appearance of both Madame Blavatsky and Abraham Stoker, Bram to his friends, makes sense in the context of the story, and serves well to spice things up.

I won't spoil anything, but if you want to read a fantastic Victorian horror adventure, look no further. Exciting, gripping and very satisfying, The List of Seven should please any fan of Victorian fiction.

Choosing the System

Choosing the right system, a.k.a. The Rules, can be just as crucial as getting the right setting. For some players the system is of no matter as long as they understand it, for others it's life or death.

Since there are so many different systems, D20, D10, percentage (D100), ORE, D6, etc. it pays off to discuss which system to use with your players well in advance. Some players are pretty indifferent, while others can harbor a deep dislike for certain mechanics.

If you really like a setting, but the system is in the way, you can always divorce the two, and use a system from another game. Not always an easy task, but it can readily be done. A quick google search can sometimes reveal that others have already done it for you, so do check before you put down hours of unneccesary work.

Which ever system you end up using, try to learn the rules as thoroughly as possible, and be prepared to house rule a little bit. No rule is so important that it can't be modified a bit or just eliminated. The most important thing is that everyone is on the same page, and are having fun.

What else is there to consider? Lots. Is it a level based system with hitpoints and a set of skills gained per level or is it more fluid? Again, your players will have opinions, and this is important. You don't want to end up having an unhappy player endlessly complain throughout the game. It'll kill the mood in no time.

Of course, certain systems lend themselves to different kinds of games more readily than others. Take D&D as an example. It's old school, with classes, hitpoints, spells per level and all that, but for a quick pick up game with little or no notice, it's rather good. No need to worry about what to play and where to put skill points. It's 1-2-3 and play can start.

The flipside for many is the lack of ready customisation options to make just the right character. Yeah, D&D can do that, but the class/level boundaries makes it harder. Other systems will come out to shine if that's what you and your group wants. Ultimately you should go with what feels right.

Finally, some GM's find after a while that they are dissatisfied with all their published systems, and that mere house rules aren't enough anymore. For these brave souls, writing their own system from scratch is the only logical course of action.

The process of creating your own system is tough, and it will probably never be quite finished. As you get used to thinking creatively about rules, you will most likely not be able to stop. There is always a greener rule on the other side of the fence.

So why do it? The short answer is that you will likely end up with a system that's ideal for the playstyle of your group. The long answer, only you will ever really know. What ever your motivation may be, you should prepare yourself for long debates with your players. Maybe it's something in our psyches that makes us more likely to gripe and complain about minute things if we know the author of the rules personally, but players who will happily live with ”official” rules they don't like, will argue for hours with you about the smalles minutiae.

Don't take it personally though, all creative processes require feedback.

Happy gaming!