The Weekender XLBS: Gaming Feminism and the Glory of Risk!
December 15, 2013 by dracs
For some website features, you will need a FREE account and for some others, you will need to join the Cult of Games.
Or if you have already joined the Cult of Games Log in now
What difference will having a FREE account make?
Setting up a Free account with OnTableTop unlocks a load of additional features and content (see below). You can then get involved with our Tabletop Gaming community, we are very helpful and keen to hear what you have to say. So Join Us Now!
Free Account Includes
- Creating your own project blogs.
- Rating and reviewing games using our innovative system.
- Commenting and ability to upvote.
- Posting in the forums.
- Unlocking of Achivments and collectin hobby xp
- Ability to add places like clubs and stores to our gaming database.
- Follow games, recommend games, use wishlist and mark what games you own.
- You will be able to add friends to your account.
What's the Cult of Games?
Once you have made a free account you can support the community by joing the Cult of Games. Joining the Cult allows you to use even more parts of the site and access to extra content. Check out some of the extra features below.
Cult of Games Membership Includes
- Reduced ads, for a better browsing experience (feature can be turned on or off in your profile).
- Access to The Cult of Games XLBS Sunday Show.
- Extra hobby videos about painting, terrain building etc.
- Exclusive interviews with the best game designers etc.
- Behind the scenes studio VLogs.
- Access to our live stream archives.
- Early access to our event tickets.
- Access to the CoG Greenroom.
- Access to the CoG Chamber of Commerce.
- Access the CoG Bazarr Trading Forum.
- Create and Edit Records for Games, Companies and Professionals.
Happy Sunday!
Like!
Superb show this week guys. Really loving the informality of the setting these last few weeks.
I missed the Raging Heroes comments but I think I resemble the 300 thread. I still blame Romain :p. I never took that to be a flame war as it managed to remain a fairly well articulated discussion rather than a descent into name-calling. I get that not every stereotype is sufficiently in the public consciousness for the issues to be obvious to everyone, and I’m fine with disagreement. A well thought-out and articulated set of counterarguments is vital for progress on any issue.
Hear hear, we’ll said. I was one those at the centre of the apparent Raging Heroes “flame war”. In my mind it was anything but a flame war, simply a reasoned discussion. Unfortunately I would say that some people who joined in were making comments which were perhaps less reasoned and less reasonable. When comments are coming thick and fast there is a natural it is very difficult to keep track of the fact that two people may be disagreeing with you for very different reasons and with very different arguments. It all gets a bit muddled and people get… Read more »
My typing sucks at this time on a Sunday. Some of that is barely coherent 🙁
Have to smile at the Risk talk. It’s over 20 years since I last played it yet I’ve still got opinions on what you were doing (approving nod at holding Australasia, sharp intake of breath at trying to control Asia too early).
I missed the Raging Heroes thread, and have just read it I won’t make any comments about it! However there is another aspect to the presentation of women in gaming and that is the lack of representation. In WW2 the soviet army had women in combat roles including as snipers, yet you cannot find a decent representation of a female sniper in 28mm. Lyudmila Pavlichenko was one of 1500 women who served in the Red Army as a sniper, she was wounded four times in battle and credited with 309 confirmed kills – the majority German soldiers. Here’s an article… Read more »
Happy Sunday! Following those kind of discussions sometimes is really hard for me – as being English not my mother tongue – I’v to translate everything. And due to translation some nuances get lost. It’s even more complicated to make substantial arguments If I constantly search for the right words. I try, but I don’t try to do this as often as other members. So I followed both discussions but thought everything one could say was already written down. I will not call them flame war, cause in general the arguments are “redden” and “erastus” pointed out in some way… Read more »
Tuskar, English is not a language but a series of dialects separated by a common tongue. The nuances get lost in translation for many of us, and this leads to even more confusion.
Your approach is admiral and should be followed.
In the interests of lightening things up. Head over to http://www.vogue.co.uk and type –
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A
Then keep pressing A
amazing
haha. That’s brillaint. 😀
Cool! Now I have to go try that with every site I visit.
Go to Google Maps, select Walking, input The Shire into A, and Mordor into B. Heed the warning!
Go into Google Search and type Do a Barrel Roll
It wants to send me from The Shire, London to Mordor, Alkmaar (the Netherlands). I guess that isn’t the exciting journey you intended.
It’s the not the journey or the destinations. Select walking directions and look for the warning.
If you want risk with a bit more have you tried Supremacy? (which came out in the early 80’s). It has the map, superpowers and armies, but also has navies, nukes and laser satellites, and you need to collect resources by controlling areas in order to buy your units and wage war. Supremacy Games also brought out expansions for nuclear submarines, tanks and even killer satellites. The game usually ends in total nuclear destruction of the planet but hey what a way to go!
Happy Sunday fellas, always a pleasure 😉
HAPPY SUN-whenever you actually filmed it-DAY!
😀
I’ve got to say, a lot of the female infinity minis have always felt somewhat… In my own personal opinion, slightly sleazy to me. It’s the same feeling with one of the last rounds of the Knight Models Batman minis. – “She is a police officer, going to a hellish prison completely uncontrolled city sized prison… Why does she have her shirt unbuttoned?” On the other hand, you have, say, the Catwoman mini and I’m quite happy to say, “hey, she’s Catwoman” cause that’s what she does. Mantics probably one of the best (large-ish) companies right now for treating female… Read more »
I couldn’t agree more. Infinity in particular.
Although, to be fair, it is a bigger thing than just minis. If you like a bit of a laugh, have a google for the ‘Hawkeye Initiative.’
It’s worth a minute or twos thought.
My Great uncle bought me and my brother Risk in the early 60’s. I still have it, minus some of the wooden pieces. Brilliant game, glad you’ve discovered it and promoting it.
As for the Raging collection of Tough Girls. There were so many comments I genuinely thought I’d somehow misread the article the first time and it was leave a comment for a chance to win one.
This right here! Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd.
As with most games, Risk is even better when you add a narrative to it. Also, I think Sam spent a little too much time thinking about Carrie Fisher in the Slave Leia bikini.
I reckon the majority of backstagers have spent too much time thinking of Carrie Fisher in the Slave Leia bikini 😉
As the BoW cultural attache I’m sure Sams thinking was on a higher level than the rest of us.
As a women who games and a mother of two girls being brought up as gamers, let me add my two cents. Are there some sleazy minis/games out there? Yes. Am I offended by them? No, not really. Will I ever buy or play them? No, but they are not aimed at me. I get that it is a business and stereotypes are not limited to miniatures, you find such depictions throughout fandom. Just look at a comic, video game and certainly anime. Difference is I do not dwell on the images and neither do my girls, their self esteem… Read more »
How dare you dictate how much time a man is allowed to think about Carrie Fisher and her golden bikini. 😉
It surprised me to find these heated discussions underneath some minor news items. But I actually found both these ‘flame wars’ quite entertaining, and at some points even informative.
I like my Risk with moonbases! Also on the RH thing I had the pleasure of participating in the art direction webinar last night (it was one of the options on the Kickstarter) and I did not got a bad feeling from the team at all. I certainly got the impression that nothing was accidental about the design of any of the characters (take that how you will). They cited their inspirations, made it clear that they had a very particular style in mind, and they went for it. I even broached the topic with Benoit and he was very… Read more »
Well, to be entirely frank, Sam posted the actual news of the last kickstarter update that included slightly modified new renders of the old renders.
So it was really news, but could pass as old news if nobody noticed.
Hate to be the pedant, but Sam actually posted a single two month old image originally. It was only after this was pointed out that the post was updated with new images from the latest update.
OK as a female who has been a gamer since I was a youngster and a former member of the military and a retired police officer (early retirement due to military time) I have been around in a male dominated profession since I was 18. How this relates to minis is it is what it is. At least you’re seeing characters (female) being portrayed as fighters/warriors/magic whatever and so what if they are blessed in assets. As Warren stated a most people who buy minis are males and lets face it companies are in the business to sell products and… Read more »
Never fight a land war in Asia
I love Risk the very first war game I played. Still have that St and picked up an original Axis & Allies w high I haven’t played. I bet we could for a great grip of players for risk via a forum or chat room
On a more important note, why does Sam look likes he’s been green screened in?
I hear Sam is actually a 3D rendering of one of Warren’s alternate identities. That’s what I heard anyway.
I think you mean alternate personalities.
You’re right. Warren would never fit into a Sam suit.
Like! 😀
I just can’t believe someone was called a fascist, and I didnt see a single ‘Young Ones” reference. So disappointed.