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Showing posts from January, 2015

The 80s WERE Better... If you ignored the religious fundamentalists.

As you all know, I am an unapologetic 80s throwback - actually I can't be a throw back if I never came forward can I?  And as you may also glean from my previous posts I cut my teeth back on Warhammer Fantasy right from day 1, moving on to 2nd and then 3rd edition and merely dabbling with later editions which lacked the feel of creative freedom and the sense that the designers 'cared' about their game. It may have been unbalanced, not really made for competitive gaming until 3rd edition but it was FUN. I can say hand on heart that I never had anything like as many (if any) arguments over WHFB compared to historical games rules - even when we simply turned up en masse to a game with totally unbalanced armies - you know, like real battles. I've spent what little spare time I have had recently, reading my old Warhammer rules and supplements from square one and also reading through the first of my books put out in the 80s by Christian Fundamentalists who th

Replying To 'The Satanic Panic'

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As you know I authored a book on being a gamer in the 80s. At 380 pages it was a monster of a 'geek fest' but I soon realised after hearing from readers that I had, and they wanted more... So, I am slowly working on more memoirs which also branch out into other youth sub cultures I was involved in as well as other back ground stuff. If you've read this blog in the past, you'll know that I also have an interest in the occult connections in gaming and the 'Satanic Panic' of the 80s. Rather than address these topics in the second volume, I am sketching out for ideas for a counterpoint publication taking to task the numerous 'Christian responses' to gamers. My reference material got quite a boost this week when I purchased the following books: Playing With Fire - John Weldon & James Bjornstadt, 1984 A Christian Response To Dungeons & Dragons - Peter Leithart, 1988 Dungeon Master - William Dear, 1984 The Truth Abou

Food for thought... (Originally posted, 4th July, 2014. Republished here as a timely reminder)

In a combined operation, police and security services mounted a dawn raid on a suburban address in Sheffield today. Early press releases stated that a large amount of terrorist literature, military equipment and crude bomb making equipment was recovered. When computers at the property were seized, it is believed that details of combat operations were also found. It was also reported that the subject of the raid was fatally shot when he attempted to prevent armed officers from searching the contents of several tool boxes and failed to comply with the commands of the Officer leading the raid. An official spokesman said later today, ' Whilst loss of life in operations such as the one this morning is regrettable, the nation's security must take precedence and following today's findings it is highly probable that more raids of this type will take place countrywide in the coming weeks.' Now, consider the above; That fictional account could be any of us.