Oh yes, I feel so much safer now....

So, just speaking hypothetically, if I wrote the phrase "the base" in a Fark comment, would DHS track me down and interrogate me?

ZAZ: So, just speaking hypothetically, if I wrote the phrase "the base" in a Fark comment, would DHS track me down and interrogate me?

I'm guessing that a LOT of gamer titles have ended up on various terrorist watch lists.

We are safe from role-playing games, but not from Muslim-named state dinner gate-crashers?

Screw the Patriot Act, the DHS, and fear-mongering. Undo them.

Disapproves of government shenanigans.

/hotter than GURPS

"This isn't the first time gamers have had trouble with the law. In a 1990 raid..."

Ahh yeah, I get it, it's not the only time this has happened, but come on, only once before and that was 20years ago..

Dr.Knockboots: "This isn't the first time gamers have had trouble with the law. In a 1990 raid..."

Ahh yeah, I get it, it's not the only time this has happened, but come on, only once before and that was 20years ago..

Gamers (and larpers) have ended up in government crosshairs quite a few times, it just doesn't always make the press. i'm fairly sure that local and some federal agencies watch the larger conventions. Pennsic gets quite a bit of attention from the Pa state police, for example. And I wouldn't be surprised to learn of a federal officer or three at GenCon.

That said, gamers haven't been hit TOO hard recently.

i believe i would like a copy of this game for christmas

ZAZ: So, just speaking hypothetically, if I wrote the phrase "the base" in a Fark comment, would DHS track me down and interrogate me?

All your base are belong to...oh hi officer

This probably happened because DHS actually is preparing for monsters to invade the United States.

Drizzit: i believe i would like a copy of this game for christmas

Privateer press are good peoples. I've met a couple of them at past GenCons, very friendly and they are enthusiastic about their products. granted, i'm just some schlub gamer...but they were pretty nice to me and answered all my questions. Any game designer and/or writer who takes the time to work their own booth at a convention gets +10 cool points in my book.

I'm more a fan of their Warmachine setting though. And the next edition rules come out soon! MOAR CRYX! MOAR steam powered undead! yay!

Only because DHS is a bunch of morons.

Weaver95: Dr.Knockboots: "This isn't the first time gamers have had trouble with the law. In a 1990 raid..."

Ahh yeah, I get it, it's not the only time this has happened, but come on, only once before and that was 20years ago..

Gamers (and larpers) have ended up in government crosshairs quite a few times, it just doesn't always make the press. i'm fairly sure that local and some federal agencies watch the larger conventions. Pennsic gets quite a bit of attention from the Pa state police, for example. And I wouldn't be surprised to learn of a federal officer or three at GenCon.

That said, gamers haven't been hit TOO hard recently.

I can see the local sheriff claiming Modern Warfare 2 is a virtual terrorist trainer.

Weaver95: Dr.Knockboots: "This isn't the first time gamers have had trouble with the law. In a 1990 raid..."

Ahh yeah, I get it, it's not the only time this has happened, but come on, only once before and that was 20years ago..

Gamers (and larpers) have ended up in government crosshairs quite a few times, it just doesn't always make the press. i'm fairly sure that local and some federal agencies watch the larger conventions. Pennsic gets quite a bit of attention from the Pa state police, for example. And I wouldn't be surprised to learn of a federal officer or three at GenCon.

That said, gamers haven't been hit TOO hard recently.

If there's anything that the government needs to be afraid of, it's a bunch of overgrown basement dwellers. Don't they have, I don't know, a couple of WARS to focus on? Or is that too much work?

CrispFlows:
I can see the local sheriff claiming Modern Warfare 2 is a virtual terrorist trainer.

i'm sure that DHS, FBI and Secret Service have people who track down and investigate game titles just to make sure nobody is using them as a cover for something else. And there have been rumors of FBI investigations into the SCA for years now.

CrispFlows:
I can see the local sheriff claiming Modern Warfare 2 is a virtual terrorist trainer.

Nah, it's all about the Counter strike.

/Terrorists win

Looks like they also intercepted the "r" in "intercepting".

Does this mean they get to claim they stopped another terrorist threat at the border?

Weaver95: i'm fairly sure that local and some federal agencies watch the larger conventions.

Which is extraordinarily stupid. Despite their weirdness, those are some of the most harmless people to be found anywhere. The hotel employees always admitted they would far prefer a gamer convention to a group of orthodontists, or God forbid, Shriners.

fotbr:
If there's anything that the government needs to be afraid of, it's a bunch of overgrown basement dwellers. Don't they have, I don't know, a couple of WARS to focus on? Or is that too much work?

well...I can see why someone might want to keep an eye on the SCAdians. Pennsic generally sees something around 10,000 people on the field, in armor and using some fairly advanced infantry tactics. Now would they stand a chance in a 'real' battle? probably not. But any government would be a bit nervous about that many people forming what amounts to a private army once a year.

T-Servo: Weaver95: i'm fairly sure that local and some federal agencies watch the larger conventions.

Which is extraordinarily stupid. Despite their weirdness, those are some of the most harmless people to be found anywhere. The hotel employees always admitted they would far prefer a gamer convention to a group of orthodontists, or God forbid, Shriners.

it's just something that's always been in the background of gamer culture. Everything from wacko fundies trying to censor games to shipments being siezed by homeland security as a threat....it's just part and parcel of the sub-culture.

Weaver95: what amounts to a private army once a year.

an army of nerds.

ZAZ: So, just speaking hypothetically, if I wrote the phrase "the base" in a Fark comment, would DHS track me down and interrogate me?

The NSA would track you, but then it wouldn't share any of the information with anyone who could do anything.

Anyone remember after 9/11 when they wanted to ban the sale of Microsoft Flight Simulator?

DHS is full of fail and needs to go away. They are nothing more than a government PR firm, and they even doing a poor job of that.

Dr.Knockboots: "This isn't the first time gamers have had trouble with the law. In a 1990 raid..."

Ahh yeah, I get it, it's not the only time this has happened, but come on, only once before and that was 20years ago..

It's happened again since then but the raid on Steve Jackson is definitely one of the more notorious instances. Most cases involved a shipment being held for a week or two, much as this one. The raid on Steve Jackson Games involved taking every copy of the book, the computers, multiple "unrelated items"...etc...etc and it took three years to untangle and resolve.

vudukungfu: Weaver95: what amounts to a private army once a year.

an army of nerds.

They might LARP a terrorist or something

T-Servo: Despite their weirdness, those are some of the most harmless people to be found anywhere. The hotel employees always admitted they would far prefer a gamer convention to a group of orthodontists, or God forbid, Shriners.

How about science fiction fans? I think of them as similar to gamers, and for 15 years Boskone was banned from Boston because the con attracted troublemakers.

vudukungfu: Weaver95: what amounts to a private army once a year.

an army of nerds.

My army of infantry, armor, artillery and special forces veterans who game.

Let me show you them.

T-Servo: Weaver95: i'm fairly sure that local and some federal agencies watch the larger conventions.

Which is extraordinarily stupid. Despite their weirdness, those are some of the most harmless people to be found anywhere. The hotel employees always admitted they would far prefer a gamer convention to a group of orthodontists, or God forbid, Shriners.

Especially since they rarely have to clean the bathrooms after a gaming convention.

/You set them up and I'll keep knocking them down.

vudukungfu: Weaver95: what amounts to a private army once a year.

an army of nerds.

well yeah...but 10,000 nerds with body armor and a solid grasp of small unit tactics and hand to hand combat. I'm no longer a member of the society, but I gotta admit - Pennsic is a sight to see. standing on that field and watching all those units on field and marching into combat is an impressive sight.

So yeah, I can see why some of the more paranoid government types might want to keep an eye on 'those people'. Even if there is no way they'd ever present a threat to the US government, it's always someone's job to be paranoid and check up on things like that.

Lots of things get held up in customs. The story is merely a re-write of the publishers PR.

Weaver95: fotbr:
If there's anything that the government needs to be afraid of, it's a bunch of overgrown basement dwellers. Don't they have, I don't know, a couple of WARS to focus on? Or is that too much work?

well...I can see why someone might want to keep an eye on the SCAdians. Pennsic generally sees something around 10,000 people on the field, in armor and using some fairly advanced infantry tactics. Now would they stand a chance in a 'real' battle? probably not. But any government would be a bit nervous about that many people forming what amounts to a private army once a year.

A private army made up of tailors, some mead brewers, and bunch of overweight asthmatics wearing rubber garbage pails with thin aluminum "armor" or boiled leather fighting with duct tape- and foam-covered sticks they broke off of their parent's lawn furniture.

Yes, I can see how that would be terrifying.

Weaver95:
So yeah, I can see why some of the more paranoid government types might want to keep an eye on 'those people'. Even if there is no way they'd ever present a threat to the US government, it's always someone's job to be paranoid and check up on things like that.

The first watch list I was ever placed on was because of Pennsic. We were believed to be a group seeking to overthrew the United States and institute a new monarchy or something to that nature.

Quantum Apostrophe: Looks like they also intercepted the "r" in "intercepting".

Good eye! Good eye! *Butt-pat*

Weaver95: fotbr:
If there's anything that the government needs to be afraid of, it's a bunch of overgrown basement dwellers. Don't they have, I don't know, a couple of WARS to focus on? Or is that too much work?

well...I can see why someone might want to keep an eye on the SCAdians. Pennsic generally sees something around 10,000 people on the field, in armor and using some fairly advanced infantry tactics. Now would they stand a chance in a 'real' battle? probably not. But any government would be a bit nervous about that many people forming what amounts to a private army once a year.

I have been involved in Belegarth for a couple of years, and we never had any problems with the cops. Once they notice that we are merely swinging foam swords at each other, they don't seem to give a shiat.

onebadgungan: A private army made up of tailors, some mead brewers, and bunch of overweight asthmatics wearing rubber garbage pails with thin aluminum "armor" or boiled leather fighting with duct tape- and foam-covered sticks they broke off of their parent's lawn furniture.

Yes, I can see how that would be terrifying.

I didn't say they represented a threat, I said that I could see why the FBI would keep an eye on them.

Also - you might want to check out some of those armor designs. I've seen some incredibly innovative designs and uses of modern materials in some of those suits. Like the guy who worked a camelback water bladder into his brigantine set - he called it his stillsuit....

Inquisitive Inquisitor: Weaver95:
So yeah, I can see why some of the more paranoid government types might want to keep an eye on 'those people'. Even if there is no way they'd ever present a threat to the US government, it's always someone's job to be paranoid and check up on things like that.

The first watch list I was ever placed on was because of Pennsic. We were believed to be a group seeking to overthrew the United States and institute a new monarchy or something to that nature.

You have been on more than 1?

onebadgungan:

A private army made up of tailors, some mead brewers, and bunch of overweight asthmatics wearing rubber garbage pails with thin aluminum "armor" or boiled leather fighting with duct tape- and foam-covered sticks they broke off of their parent's lawn furniture.

Yes, I can see how that would be terrifying.

I've been to Pennsic, there's few tailors, a lot of mead brewers and very few overweight asthmatics.

For starters, most of the weapons at Pennsic are real. So is the armor for that matter. There is a niche industry to provide those 10,000 people with that equipment. Some LARP-ish material is used for the actual fights but that's for obvious reasons.

Secondly, most of the SCA "kingdoms" have classes that teach the use of various weapons. Swords, axes, polearms and the like. The instructor in Dallas has a Ph.D in Medieval History, is built like a tank and combines medieval tactics with saber fencing. If you're skilled in fencing and wielding a longsword, chances are you can do some serious damage.

Inquisitive Inquisitor: vudukungfu: Weaver95: what amounts to a private army once a year.

an army of nerds.

My army of infantry, armor, artillery and special forces veterans who game.

Let me show you them.

Still nerds. My friend was an infantry vet who did role-playing... and while I respected his dedication to the service, he was still a nerd. That's not always a derogatory term, nor is it always a bad thing.

Say it loud and say it proud.

onebadgungan: A private army made up of tailors, some mead brewers, and bunch of overweight asthmatics wearing rubber garbage pails with thin aluminum "armor" or boiled leather fighting with duct tape- and foam-covered sticks they broke off of their parent's lawn furniture.

Yes, I can see how that would be terrifying.

Is your sweatshirt made of Elvin mythril (new window)?

Inquisitive Inquisitor: onebadgungan:

A private army made up of tailors, some mead brewers, and bunch of overweight asthmatics wearing rubber garbage pails with thin aluminum "armor" or boiled leather fighting with duct tape- and foam-covered sticks they broke off of their parent's lawn furniture.

Yes, I can see how that would be terrifying.

I've been to Pennsic, there's few tailors, a lot of mead brewers and very few overweight asthmatics.

For starters, most of the weapons at Pennsic are real. So is the armor for that matter. There is a niche industry to provide those 10,000 people with that equipment. Some LARP-ish material is used for the actual fights but that's for obvious reasons.

Secondly, most of the SCA "kingdoms" have classes that teach the use of various weapons. Swords, axes, polearms and the like. The instructor in Dallas has a Ph.D in Medieval History, is built like a tank and combines medieval tactics with saber fencing. If you're skilled in fencing and wielding a longsword, chances are you can do some serious damage.

Sure, so the FBI watches fencing classes and all those who get degrees in Medieval History should be on a watch list?

I know what you are saying, and I've gone to SCA events. I have some friends who go to Pennsic and I've helped one make armor. It stil seems like a ridiculous waste of taxpayer money.

Inquisitive Inquisitor: Secondly, most of the SCA "kingdoms" have classes that teach the use of various weapons. Swords, axes, polearms and the like. The instructor in Dallas has a Ph.D in Medieval History, is built like a tank and combines medieval tactics with saber fencing. If you're skilled in fencing and wielding a longsword, chances are you can do some serious damage.

Not to mention that you see some fairly impressive (and fully functional) examples of siege engines at Pennsic.

And I'd have captured that damn catapult at Pennsic XXX if I hadn't run into the King of the East and his damn retinue. Fifteen feet, godsdamnit. fifteen f*cking feet....

*sigh*

Weaver95:
And I'd have captured that damn catapult at Pennsic XXX if I hadn't run into the King of the East and his damn retinue. Fifteen feet, godsdamnit. fifteen f*cking feet....

*sigh*

Let's not get into SCA politics, nothing good can come from that.

Fark the King of the East.

Inquisitive Inquisitor:
Let's not get into SCA politics, nothing good can come from that.

Fark the King of the East.

while that's certain true, my point was that I was so fixated on capturing that damn catapult that I forgot to look around and check for enemy reserves rushing in to plug the gap we just blew in their center line.

Wah!

farking fearmongering Republicans.

Welcome to Chairman Obama's United Socialist States of Muslins America. Wake up sheeple!!!!11!!1eleventy

/oblig

Also, keep in mind that gamers and the gamer sub-culture are not 'mainstream'. Anyone that looks/acts/thinks and/or talks differently than 'normal' people tends to attract attention. Given the drift towards militant conformity in our current corporate lead culture, it's only natural that dissident groups of all sorts would be subject to suspicion.

Weaver95: Inquisitive Inquisitor:
Let's not get into SCA politics, nothing good can come from that.

Fark the King of the East.

while that's certain true, my point was that I was so fixated on capturing that damn catapult that I forgot to look around and check for enemy reserves rushing in to plug the gap we just blew in their center line.

This sounds fun... Where is this based?

And when all hell breaks loose the gamers will be the ones that know how to survive when its shiatty out LOL