A Question About Mongoose Advertising

[Razuur]

Real world politcs notwithstanding, I must say that I believe Mongoose_Matt's position.

Being from america, I would say that the Eiffel is probably the msot identifiable landmark in Europe to your average american.

I *never* made the french connection.

And in the book, America is HARDLY the good guy. The "Bush Doctrine" has made several more aggressive actions than the real world. If someone has a problem with the current Bush policies, then A2089's version of US gov't is going to seem like downright totalitarianism.

There are no good guys in A2089. And the games is unapologetic on this stance with this being a game about warfare in a realistic future. The only heroes are people who do little things to make a difference, but even that is not necessarily the point.

This is a game about WAR, not politics.

And the Eiffel was simply a target.

Razuur

 

[sotterraneo]

Hi guys,

First off, any discussion about Armageddon 2089 that does not revolve around the Meks themselves is likely to involve politics - that is just the nature of the game. So long as we all remember that it is just a game and that no one is the 'good' or 'bad' guy, we can all keep cool in these threads

I'd like to point put that my question was not an attempt to bash Mongoose (God forbid), it was only a curiosity. More, I suppose it's true that this is a game about War but considering the fact Armageddon 2089 is a science fiction game, it has to give some 'explanation' about the reasons of figthing, right?

I'd like to add that my comments about the EU's portrait in the game's background were not an attempt to talk politics here, simply a comment about the designers' choices. If a fantasy RPG may be commented on about its sources of inspirations in fantasy novels (Tolkien, Moorcock, Pratchett, Vance, etc.), why shouldn't a 'realistic' game be commented on about its own (possible) sources?

I I should review any 'modern' or science fiction game, I'd most surely use examples and situations from the real world to better describe the game's background and help readers to get a better idea of it.

 

[Ian Sturrock]

Hmm. Well, I wrote most of the book, and IRL I'm broadly pro-European, anarchist, anti-war, and an eco-activist. But I'm not here to talk about politics. Just to point out that a game designer's personal politics may apear to have little or nothing to do with the game he produces.

We aimed for realistic technology, but the politics TBH are all exaggerated, not especially 'realistic.' Without said exaggerated politics, emphasising the worst aspects of all the countries and cultures involved and ignoring the best aspects, there would be no rationale for a 'Total War.'

One of the intentions though was always to ensure that if anyone was going to be uncomfortable with their nation's portrayal, it should be everyone -- hence the aforementioned 'no good guys' stance. To my mind the UK should come across as fairly unpleasant -- we tried to emphasise the racism, the Europhobia, the national identity confusion. . . that said, ISTR that the sections on the UK in the core rulebook were written by the American writers on the team, and so may have ended up more complimentary than a sufficiently honest and bitter Brit would have written them!

A truly realistic world war RPG set in 2089 would likely be no fun at all -- too much starvation, thirst, and ethnic cleansing. Moreover, though, future politics are notoriously impossible to predict. Think of all the great SF games and books created in the 1980s that so foolishly failed to predict the end of Communism and the destruction of the Berlin Wall! Hindsight is always 20/20, eh?

Anyway, all in all, I think I'd rather blow up some national monuments with tacnukes than talk politics again. . .

 

[direheroics2]

The song is from "Gods of War", right at the end. First song on the second side of Hysteria (or Track 7 for those with CDs).

Although many people believe it is a lifted Ronald Reagan quote (since the voice used sounds like the Gipper) it really is just one of the crew.

Does knowing that make my prize the "Booby Prize?"

direheroics