Oct 11, 2006

Little Wars. Or how H.G. Wells created pop wargaming.

Playing with toy soldiers is apparently as ancient a hobby as playing with ones self (well ... almost). Ancient Egyptians did it, the Romans did it, Indians did it and the Chinese must have surely entertained the thought.

Playing with toy soldiers in a modern context, on the other hand, is -as expected- a rather more recent development, and as such a more cruel one too. The whole thing, you see, didn't start as playing per se, but more of as a way to train Prussian military officers in the subtleties (?) of war (Kriegspiel they called it, and it used dice to simulate random battlefield events). The concept didn't actually evolve into something less blood thirsty till H.G. Wells decided that a game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books would be a nifty idea.

A game that would be the first modern miniature wargame not intended for being used in slaughtering actual people in particularly gruesome ways. A game Mr. Wells would cunningly name Little Wars. Also a game (published in the most traditional of book formats) lovingly preserved by the good people of Project Gutenberg and thankfully available in full and for free right here. Go on. Read the thing. It's brilliant and you'll get to feel all 1913 too. Seems pretty playable, mind you.

Related @ Gnome's Lair: Mutant Chronicles Update, Dungeon Dark and Dangerous, Class Struggle: the board game

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26 comments:

  1. Wow! Free books to download... Never even knew! I guess when I want to read I will go here instead of there...

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  2. Leonardos notebooks online ..readable ..translated.. scussi I may have to get back to ittle wars.....

    (elderly salutes gnome, who remains blissfully unaware of the bountifulness of project gutenburg.......)

    Christmas just came early!!!

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  3. Come on boys. Don't tell me you didn't know project gutenberg...

    Must have been the first site people recommended to me... years ago... back in 1996... Dear! That's ten years...

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  4. ....erm.... don't we silly... jeez.... i mean how could we not have known about project gutenberg..? i mean it's been around for like ages.... pah!....


    ....

    ....

    okay i never knew......!!

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  5. Project Gotha... no wait.., project whatdu' say again..?

    Oh funny- the word verification I have to type is "sfarty"...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, dear...

    (gnome locks thread, making sure Deitrix and Elderly are locked outside)

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. but i hadn't finished.... (attempts to pick comment lock......

    first lock pick snaps

    damn!

    ReplyDelete
  8. (the other will snap too, a voice sais)

    ReplyDelete
  9. (elderly ignore voice.....tries last lockpick....)

    snrflliiitlick snrfillicktlic

    snap!

    damn!.........

    (kicks comment lock.....)

    ReplyDelete
  10. So, you've made it this far... Now let's see you overcome the thread guards and their thread guard dogs..

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  11. (dog barking can be heard in the distance.....elderly runs away... gnome turns off dog barking CD)

    ReplyDelete
  12. (gnome summons a horned daemonette... just in case...)


    :)


    Nice and quiet. Guess I'll listen to some opera now...

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  13. (elderly hiding under the bed in his house.. hears a great wailing.... tonight sleep will prove an illusive comfort)

    Πρέπει να ήξερα καλύτερα για να δοκιμάζεται και να επιλέγεται μια κλειδαριά στοιχειών

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  14. Οι ψηφιακοί τρόποι μετάφρασης, μπορούν να έχουν τα πλέον παράξενα αποτελέσματα... Όπερα... Γκαααααακ!

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  15. ο ήχος διαπερνά τον παλαιό ανθρώπινο εγκέφαλο, το αίμα εμφανίζεται από τη μύτη του

    (bloody nose)

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  16. Εμπρός της γης οι κολασμένοι
    της πείνας σκλάβοι
    εμπρός εμπρός!

    Οι μεταφράσεις είναι πραγματικά έκτακτες!

    ReplyDelete
  17. σας ευχαριστούμε

    έκαψα μόλις τα χείλια μου σε ένα γυαλί να φλεθώ του καυτού tequila

    ReplyDelete
  18. Bitte sehr, lieber Freund. Aber wie war die Tequila heiss? Kann's nicht verstehen...

    ReplyDelete
  19. jemand legte Feuer auf mein tequila

    ReplyDelete
  20. That's the vilest of acts... Still, quite impressive!

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  21. (elderly has difficulty speaking with blistered lips, but the old timer bravel continues.....)

    ib iblle kathc ne plucker il mumbler him.... are muy licks ery mwollen?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Well... what's left of them...

    ReplyDelete
  23. ...dat blad huh..... i sluposh u dlont kno a good blaplick clurgeon......

    ReplyDelete
  24. Uhmm... I guess any plastic surgeon will do. I have a friend specializing in titties... Sure he'd love to do some lips. Tit can be so absolutely boring (so he tells me).

    ReplyDelete
  25. ...blits... woring... nebler....

    slept on a wudnist weach, dlam the wmellingshh glettin woss

    ReplyDelete