Playing with History

About this series: History is not always kind to a game designer. Playing with History is a column that examines the challenges associated with working in this genre. The author, Michael Karlin, is the project developer for the upcoming Skotos-Seven Theatre, Glory of the Nile. He likes long walks in the forest, travelling to exotic locales, and fighting crime.

Playing with History Column...

The Great Figures of Historical Gaming (2/11/2003) – #19: How to introduce major historical figures into your game--and why not to.
Theocracy 101 (1/14/2004) – #18: Religious rulerships in RPGs.
The Peculiarities of Language (11/12/2003) – #17: The importance of language to culture and history.
Sensitivities & Perception – #16: Controversy and education in historical games.
Artisans in Historical Fiction II: Jewellery & Weaponry – #15: Michael looks at metal-workers in history.
Artisans in Historical Fiction I: Clothing & Furniture (8/21/2003) – #14: Michael dons some new threads for a discussion on props.
History in the Industry (8/6/2003) – #13: Michael finds history sparse at GenCon 2003 & shares some alternate history ideas.
When the Nile meets the Balance (7/9/2003) – #12: Michael looks at balance from another angle for Glory of the Nile.
Settings, Part III: The French Revolution (6/25/2003) – #11: Michael takes aim at revolutionary game settings.
Settings, Part II: The Cold War (6/11/2003) – #10: Michael counter-strikes with a setting of posturing, fear and control.
Settings, Part I: Westerns (5/28/2003) – #9: Michael traverses the American south-west for game setting ideas.
And Justice for Some (5/14/2003) – #8: Michael looks at crimes and punishments in historical settings.
Death and Beyond (4/30/2003) – #7: Michael peers into the afterlife in historical gaming.
Winning and Losing (4/16/2003) – #6: Michael addresses the concepts of winning in historical games.
Social Class (4/2/2003) – #5: Michael examines the role of social class archetypes in gaming.
Anachronisms, Part II: Good Government (3/19/2003) – #4: Michael heralds good governmental systems in gaming.
Anachronisms, Part I: Gender Games (3/5/2003) – #3: Michael emphasizes the importance of gender equality in historical settings.
I believe in yesterday... (2/19/2003) – #2: Michael dabbles in the past with mythology and its historical value.
Games without Frontiers (2/5/2003) – #1: Michael introduces his new column and the challenges of the historical fiction genre.

Recent Discussions on Playing with History: