This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Anti-Communist Games?  (Read 5510 times)

Spinachcat

  • Toxic SocioCat
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • S
  • Posts: 14805
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2021, 04:39:22 AM »
Palladium's SYSTEMS FAILURE is allegorically anti-communist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_Failure

America is brought down by bugs moving through our electrical grid and now Patriots have blast the bugs who use things like computers to enslave humans....kinda prescient in light of our current reality.

Very fun game too.


Gagarth

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 635
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #16 on: January 11, 2021, 07:01:25 AM »
Plus take a look at the Bureau of Tactical Management in Feng Shui. Minus the cyber demons this is a world ruled by Biden/ANTIFA/BLM/The Great Reset.

Not sure how subtle you want this to be.

Year of the Phoenix https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/900/Year-of-the-Phoenix

« Last Edit: January 11, 2021, 07:25:20 AM by Gagarth »
'Don't join us. Work hard, get good degrees, join the Establishment and serve our cause from within.' Harry Pollitt - Communist Party GB

 “Don’t worry about the election, Trump’s not gonna win. I made f*cking sure of that!” Eric Coomer -  Dominion Voting Systems Officer of Strategy and Security

Rhedyn
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • ?
  • Posts: 1101
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #17 on: January 11, 2021, 01:13:06 PM »
Any "apolitical" game is anti-communist. Conservative politics aren't considered political.

Shawn Driscoll

  • Role-Play Purist
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2928
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2021, 01:30:12 PM »
Does anybody know of any and could they point me in their direction?  I've been on both drivethru and itch.io for a while and the vast majority of games are politically neutral from what I've seen.  But also from what I've seen, EVERY time a game isn't politically neutral, it is anti-capitalist and anti-"fascist", which I put in quotation marks because it seems they define fascist as being "anybody who isn't a socialist."

Now I don't mind left wing games being out there at all.  But it seems strange to me that with a nation that's almost evenly 50/50 right and left wing, 99% of games are left.  Where are the small government people, the low taxes people, the 2nd amendment rights people?  I'm hoping it's just a perception problem on my part, but I can't find anything these days like Price of Freedom or Freedom Fighters from the 80s.

Aren't any game designers familiar with gulags, Stalin's purges, with the cultural revolution, with the Cambodian Killing Fields, with the summary executions in Cuba, etc?

Why in the world would I ever want to fight FOR a socialist dictatorship?  The few games I've looked thru don't even justify it.  They just assume that everyone hates capitalism and wants a socialist nanny state.  Where are the politically active RPGs for people who want small government and individual freedom?

And note, I'm not asking for a political debate here.  I am asking about the seemingly lopsided amount of games out there.
What's even weirder is that most of the game players agree with the game designers. GURPS will be your best bet. The source books for it read as self-aware.

yabaziou

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 529
  • I am currently creating my own rpg settings
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #19 on: January 11, 2021, 04:12:27 PM »
Paranoïa, any Palladium books since Kevin Siembieda is such a capitalist entrepreneur.
My Tumblr blog : http://yabaziou.tumblr.com/

Currently reading : 13th Age, Cypher System, Polaris

Currently planning : Project Scourge : the battle for the Soul of Mankind using 13th Age

Currently playing : The Chronicles of the Devouring Lands using D&D 5.

Wicked Woodpecker of West
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • ?
  • Posts: 299
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #20 on: January 11, 2021, 04:15:50 PM »
Quote
Didn't he write one of those safety tools that say all play should immediately stop without any explanation is anybody raises their hand for any reason?  Now that isn't related to anti- or pro-communism directly, but it does indicate a lack of commitment to individual responsibility that generally goes with being anti-communist.

Just because you're anti-communist does not mean you're procapitalist libertarian.
I for instance am neofeudalist distributist and I want to see both ideologies formerly mentioned destroyed by fire :3


jhkim

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11746
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2021, 06:28:44 PM »
Paranoïa, any Palladium books since Kevin Siembieda is such a capitalist entrepreneur.

Paranoia is actually a parody of anti-communism, I would say - not actually anti-communist. Yes, the PCs are assigned to go fight "commie mutant traitors", but those orders are from an insane tyrannical Computer. The parody is particularly explicit in The People's Glorious Revolutionary Adventure.



yabaziou

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 529
  • I am currently creating my own rpg settings
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #22 on: January 11, 2021, 08:48:59 PM »
Paranoïa, any Palladium books since Kevin Siembieda is such a capitalist entrepreneur.

Paranoia is actually a parody of anti-communism, I would say - not actually anti-communist. Yes, the PCs are assigned to go fight "commie mutant traitors", but those orders are from an insane tyrannical Computer. The parody is particularly explicit in The People's Glorious Revolutionary Adventure.


You are, of course, absolutely right but if the players and the referee play it straight (but are still it is only a game), they could have the most anti-communist exchange and experience a RPG could offer !
My Tumblr blog : http://yabaziou.tumblr.com/

Currently reading : 13th Age, Cypher System, Polaris

Currently planning : Project Scourge : the battle for the Soul of Mankind using 13th Age

Currently playing : The Chronicles of the Devouring Lands using D&D 5.

kidkaos2

  • Newbie
  • *
  • k
  • Posts: 48
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #23 on: January 12, 2021, 04:53:22 AM »
Now this is a game that sounds like it's right up my alley!  I wish it was released and not pending!
I’m writing the final sections of the final chapter presently (I’d hoped for the end of last year, but my day job conspired to make that impossible... still no more than two weeks to writing completion).

If you don’t mind giving feedback (especially what doesn’t work; that’s been the most help overall) after looking it over, shoot me a private message and I’ll get you a link to the playtest document so you don’t have to wait (the remaining section is basically how to build regions, realms, settlements, ruins and set up background campaign events... stuff experienced GMs can do themselves, but new ones might need help with... so it’s complete as a playable system for a non-newbie GM.

I have no idea how to send private messages.  Never had the need to try before!

Torque2100

  • Cyberpunk Catgirls FTW
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • T
  • Posts: 116
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #24 on: January 12, 2021, 10:06:12 AM »
I think Chris has hit the nail on the head.

Creating works which directly reference current events can easily lead to a work becoming dated.  This is a big reason why the original Star Wars trilogy will remain timeless while the Prequels and Sequels already feel dated.  Audiences in general are likely to be hypersensitized to even the appearance of being preached at, so painting with broad strokes can be wonderfully inclusive.  Instead of alienating your audience by getting on a soap box, a story which focuses on themes like the struggle between freedom and tyranny invites the reader to read their own pet causes into the text and invites audience participation instead of shutting down different readings in favor of bludgeoning the audience over the head with a one-sided message.

I would like to add that whatever you are writing, you should try to keep the themes and values humanist.  Most people  in any era have basic empathy.  Themes like "slavery is wrong,"  "it's wrong to harshly judge others based on their immutable characteristics or something their ancestors did" etc.

Mark me down as quite interested in Ruins and Realms.  In particular, I love the Robin Hood bits.  I feel like I'm the only Yank who's watched Robin of Sherwood and come away a huge fan.

Chris24601

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • C
  • Posts: 3326
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #25 on: January 12, 2021, 12:06:16 PM »
I have no idea how to send private messages.  Never had the need to try before!
Up top on the page there should be an option that says "My Messages." I sent the link to you so there should be a little "1" next to that indicating that you have a new message.

Mark me down as quite interested in Ruins and Realms.  In particular, I love the Robin Hood bits.  I feel like I'm the only Yank who's watched Robin of Sherwood and come away a huge fan.
I'm familiar with that... the idea of Robin Hood as a title that gets passed from one champion to another is something really cool to play with. Hell, you could even revisit that with a modern/superhero setting where the role of The Hooded Man passes to a present-day champion (think "Arrow" with a bit of magic, or, more to my thinking, "Robin Hood through the lens of West Side Story"... i.e. Robert Loxley becomes a vigilante in the city of Sherwood who fights the corrupt Mayor John Prince and his lackey Sheriff Nottingham).

Anyway, the Robin Hood part specifically will be dealt with in a future world book as there's only so much room in the core books (all the rules will be in the two core books, everything else will be setting/adventure books... there may be new monsters, traps, afflictions and vehicles specific to an area, but those will be built using the rules in the core books so the value of the later books is more in saving the GM time designing things themselves than needing additional books just to have all the rules needed).

The idea behind each world book is to present a different style of campaign. Core is classic "Western with Fantasy Overlay" that you see in BECMI and similar. Riverhold Republic is a Robin Hood/Rebels vs. Empire type setup. Ironhold is Noble Households maneuvering against each other (with the option for PCs to play as essentially House Stark if the setting were classic fantasy instead of a crapsack world). Adventures in the Endless Archipelago would be Star Trek-ish exploration themed and really play to using the realm creation rules to create an "island of the week" for PCs to interact with. Etc.

Honestly, I started a thread over in design and development when the process was not as far along. Now that's nearly done maybe I should go put up an "AMA: Ruins & Realms" thread?
« Last Edit: January 12, 2021, 12:13:15 PM by Chris24601 »

Mordred Pendragon

  • All Antifa Are Bastards
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2702
  • Mordred Did Nothing Wrong
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #26 on: January 13, 2021, 12:27:40 AM »
RECON and Twilight 2000 have already been mentioned.

I've honestly thought about doing some "profaning the sacred cows" and running an explicitly anti-communist game of D&D or World of Darkness as well, preferably using older material.
Sic Semper Tyrannis

Null42

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • N
  • Posts: 70
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #27 on: January 27, 2021, 09:39:18 PM »
Slavery was considered OK in quite a few time periods and places...ancient Greece and Rome come to mind as the most familiar, but let's not forget Africa (a lot of American slaves were bought from African warlords), Arabic slave traders, Ottoman janissaries, and so on.

A few games, largely out of print from what I can see, with explicitly anticommunist themes have been mentioned. I think there were explicit attempts to make Christian RPGs but none of them have become popular. Dragonlance actually had some Christian themes--the Hickmans are Mormons. A lot of Mormons have mastered the art of producing Christian-influenced stuff that isn't explicitly preachy, from what I can see.

It's not really anticommunist, but the d20 setting Midnight had a large oppressive evil empire that tries to wipe out clerics. The idea is basically 'Lord of the Rings if Sauron won'. It's pretty dark though, as you might expect.

I believe Steve Jackson is a libertarian and GURPS books often seemed to have a little bit of that in them, though it's subtle.

Espionage-themed modern games could easily focus on the Cold War.

Cold War sci-fi often analogized the Communists to a hive mind (they all think the same and are willing to die for the hive), so any battle against an insect enemy could have anticommunist themes. Formians in particular were lawful neutral and were depicted in 3rd edition as invading places and trying to compel the locals into labor.

Major anticommunist themes included the uniformity and antireligiosity of Communist regimes, so typical monsters might be golems, hobgoblins (militaristic and organized), fire giants (same), or devils (which are lawful evil and probably masters at propaganda).

The drow are pretty organized and sneaky, but with all the infighting are closer to ruthless capitalists--Moscow held a pretty tight rein on Eastern Europe most of the time.  (The matriarchal society could be great for SJW jokes, though.)

(Ironically, the left-wing and quite SJW Sigmata actually has a few right-wing player options--you can be rural libertarians or corporate capitalist types trying to overthrow the fascist government.)

Wicked Woodpecker of West
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • ?
  • Posts: 299
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #28 on: January 28, 2021, 10:50:33 AM »
Quote
I would like to add that whatever you are writing, you should try to keep the themes and values humanist.  Most people  in any era have basic empathy.  Themes like "slavery is wrong,"  "it's wrong to harshly judge others based on their immutable characteristics or something their ancestors did" etc.

Humanist themes are not universal, not eternal, and they are basically result of socialisation within borders of liberal democracies or their strong cultural influence.
In history of mankind - belief in generational fault or lawfulness of slavery is common. Way more common than humanism in history.

Quote
A few games, largely out of print from what I can see, with explicitly anticommunist themes have been mentioned. I think there were explicit attempts to make Christian RPGs but none of them have become popular. Dragonlance actually had some Christian themes--the Hickmans are Mormons. A lot of Mormons have mastered the art of producing Christian-influenced stuff that isn't explicitly preachy, from what I can see.

Yes, but as LDS have some really weird believes compared to all the rest of abrahamic religions - their books usually also delve in them, which sort of weakeness common theme - as there are more gnostic / promethean aspects.

Quote
(Ironically, the left-wing and quite SJW Sigmata actually has a few right-wing player options--you can be rural libertarians or corporate capitalist types trying to overthrow the fascist government.)

Also religious extremists as well IIRC.
That's because while SJW this book was quite smart, and people have not get it at all - Dull Fascism of USA in Sigmata was meant to be direct parallel of Syrian Civil War.
Fascism was of course Ashaad regime. So his enemies were both ISIS, Al-Quada, liberals, democrats, Curdish communists and so on.

So I'll give author this - he was honest. He took his pattern, and he adjusted it to USA honestly without washing factions he did not liked. And did it subtle enough for most people to miss it.

Gagarth

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 635
Re: Anti-Communist Games?
« Reply #29 on: February 04, 2021, 05:59:55 AM »
'Don't join us. Work hard, get good degrees, join the Establishment and serve our cause from within.' Harry Pollitt - Communist Party GB

 “Don’t worry about the election, Trump’s not gonna win. I made f*cking sure of that!” Eric Coomer -  Dominion Voting Systems Officer of Strategy and Security