Delicate subject much?
I'm writing a small setting for use with Risus about the American Revolution and the topic of slavery has reared it's ugly head.
Now, I don't want to write like it didn't happen or be all apologist for the standards of acceptable society and mores of the time, nor do I also want to get all politically correct and revisionist about putting our morals on our forefathers time. If I was writing a massive book on the subject, then I'd certainly get into it...but considering it's no more than 10 pages, I'd like to simply acknowledge it was real, be honest about it, and how it would affect potential game play. This includes language - a former slave at the time was known as a Free Negro. It wasn't until after the Civil War that a free black man became known as Freed Man.
I'm not looking to cause hurt...I just want to be honest about the time period...
...do you think gamers can handle honesty on this topic?
1 comments:
Personally, I feel as though a game can be reflective of the time period it is set in, but that it also should be both fun and entertaining. That being said, I will attempt to express my opinions about the following:
"...be honest about it (slavery)..." Slavery is and was not a fun experience- at least not for those enslaved, and no matter what setting it occurs in, it would take a very mature and open-minded group of gamers to handle it; especially since you are attempting to be "honest" about it. Whether this honesty is from the slave's point of view, or a non-slave's point of view is up to the GM.
At first glance, as a Player, it doesn't sound like fun times for me to play a character who was a former slave in those times- especially since being a former slave was often in name only (to be honest about it).
To have to deal with the stigma of being a "former" slave and looked down upon in almost every social environment and situation just does not sound like fun to me.
"...how it would affect potential game play." I can see a GM dealing with recently abolished slavery in 2 ways. First, by having the Players never deal with slavery and it's lingering racism at all; or by viewing it through rose-colored glasses somehow softening the many degrading aspects of slavery.
The second way could be by attempting to show how frustratingly brutal the times were to recently freed slaves, as they tried to find ways to prove that they were just as humane and had as much potential as everyone else, if given a fair chance to prove it.
I guess my question is: How much honesty needs to be in your GAME? Is it a game or a history lesson, or both?
Post a Comment