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Post by hayleynash on Jan 15, 2018 8:17:22 GMT
What is your passion?
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Post by Soul Samurai on Jan 15, 2018 8:32:08 GMT
Dreaming
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rehho
Baby's First Wargame
Posts: 1
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Post by rehho on Jan 15, 2018 8:36:30 GMT
I love video games. This is my passion. Sometimes I can spend all night at a computer or an i-box. That's why I'm not really getting enough sleep. The last time I suffered from a sleep disorder, I took special pills nootropicboost.com/ to ensure that insomnia didn't affect my cognitive abilities. I try to play video games less and do more useful things, but sometimes I just need to rest for a good game. I also like animals very much, I have two dogs and a cat at home. I like taking care of them.
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Post by CrazyUncleDouglas on Jan 15, 2018 16:53:15 GMT
Stories. Most often this is discovered in reading books, but one of the reasons I've loved RPGs and computer RPGs is because of story and its development. It means I love good cinema and film as well. A compelling story which has something to say and gives one thought is even better.
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Asmoridin
Junior Strategist
Getting back into the game after too long a hiatus!
Posts: 323
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Post by Asmoridin on Jan 15, 2018 17:11:32 GMT
Conflict Simulation.
I love military history, and I worked as a mathematician for long enough that some aspects of simulation are basically second nature to me, and their combination is what I think about all the time. This has applications both in understanding historical scenarios, and in the modern world.
It ties well to the hobby world - there are plenty of board wargames to play, from Advanced Squad Leader to SPQR or the like, and that sort of thing (for almost any era) is what I'm most passionate about.
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germanicus
Junior Strategist
No jokes round ear...
Posts: 358
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Post by germanicus on Jan 19, 2018 17:02:12 GMT
I love military history... Time period & area? I wanna talk shop! OT: Writing... I'm a bad writer, though (in that, the ideas will come into my head... I'll write them down... then I don't expand on them or take them to their logical conclusion). While that's not quite true (I turned into a right hermit for six months Sept 12-Mar 13 and churned out 150000 words, published... then promptly crashed), it is a problem. My imagination is a bit terrifying, but I make letting it out a lot more difficult than it really needs to be. Mostly because I'm convinced that irrespective of any loquaciousness and eloquence, it is never enough, so I can't seem to get myself any dedicated beta readers. Tried getting a couple friends/relatives, but a combination of too much shit to do, my lack of comfort when giving them material that is decidedly heavy, and me not being naturally pushy, it invariably fell apart. Even so, I love writing, even if it's often non-fiction style writing within a fictional setting.
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Asmoridin
Junior Strategist
Getting back into the game after too long a hiatus!
Posts: 323
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Post by Asmoridin on Jan 19, 2018 17:16:46 GMT
I love military history... Time period & area? I wanna talk shop! In general, I try to be pretty broad- everyone and their brother loves World War II, and around here, it's ACW, so although there's a lot of interesting stuff (some that I've read), I try to be well read/researched on other areas where possible. For example, I read a lot of ancients (still a popular topic, but I don't find many people in person who love it). I read a lot of books on World War I and the Cold War (specifically the political side of things- politics is just war on another battlefield!). I've read a decent amount about the seven years war, and keep trying to find more resources about the War of the Triple Alliance in South America. In general, I try to do a mix! What about you?
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Post by CrazyUncleDouglas on Jan 19, 2018 21:03:49 GMT
I love military history... Time period & area? I wanna talk shop! OT: Writing... I'm a bad writer, though (in that, the ideas will come into my head... I'll write them down... then I don't expand on them or take them to their logical conclusion). While that's not quite true (I turned into a right hermit for six months Sept 12-Mar 13 and churned out 150000 words, published... then promptly crashed), it is a problem. My imagination is a bit terrifying, but I make letting it out a lot more difficult than it really needs to be. Mostly because I'm convinced that irrespective of any loquaciousness and eloquence, it is never enough, so I can't seem to get myself any dedicated beta readers. Tried getting a couple friends/relatives, but a combination of too much shit to do, my lack of comfort when giving them material that is decidedly heavy, and me not being naturally pushy, it invariably fell apart. Even so, I love writing, even if it's often non-fiction style writing within a fictional setting. Writing well like so many things is a learned skill. Best thing to do is for one: keep writing and do it often. For another: listen to people who have been on that path or have experience ushering people down that path. Never underestimate yourself and don't be afraid to put yourself out there. May take some lumps, may take a lot of lumps, but there's a lesson in every lump and you'll improve every time.
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germanicus
Junior Strategist
No jokes round ear...
Posts: 358
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Post by germanicus on Jan 19, 2018 23:25:45 GMT
In general, I try to be pretty broad- everyone and their brother loves World War II, and around here, it's ACW, so although there's a lot of interesting stuff (some that I've read), I try to be well read/researched on other areas where possible. ACW is actually pretty interesting (even for an old-worldy European like me). One point that is interesting to make and few academic historians ever bother, for whatever reason, is to compare and contrast the ACW and the German Wars of Unification (mainly the Austro- and Franco-) because they were technologically very similar, but so different. Linking the political, cultural and martial with the respective courses of the two conflicts can be pretty interesting. I'll say now that I'm an utter Second Punic War nerd... as mentioned, I published one book in early 2013... it's a fictional account of the first eight/nine years, no tertiary sources, so I read up on literally virtually everything written before 100AD! Fun times! I re-read AUC Bks 21-30 every so often and laugh at Livy's inconsistencies. In so saying, while I like reading up on pretty much anything that piques my interest (read a news article about something about somewhere, and it'll segue into reading up on said place's history and military conflicts, though the information goes just as quickly as it comes!), my favoured topics are: Roman Republic (280BC - 108BC ish, basically the Pyrrhic Wars until Marius' first consulship); Alexander & the Diadochi; Enlightenment Era Europe through to German Unification (1683 - 1888, Siege of Vienna until the death of Frederick III); and WWII, rather predictably. I would like to read up more on South American history, cos the Portugal-Brazil and Spain-Argentina/other colonies political dynamic is very interesting, considering how much it relates to the Napoleonic Wars and yet is a barely studied subject. Writing well like so many things is a learned skill. Best thing to do is for one: keep writing and do it often. For another: listen to people who have been on that path or have experience ushering people down that path. Never underestimate yourself and don't be afraid to put yourself out there. May take some lumps, may take a lot of lumps, but there's a lesson in every lump and you'll improve every time. Thankee kindly!
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Asmoridin
Junior Strategist
Getting back into the game after too long a hiatus!
Posts: 323
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Post by Asmoridin on Jan 21, 2018 22:39:32 GMT
In general, I try to be pretty broad- everyone and their brother loves World War II, and around here, it's ACW, so although there's a lot of interesting stuff (some that I've read), I try to be well read/researched on other areas where possible. ACW is actually pretty interesting (even for an old-worldy European like me). One point that is interesting to make and few academic historians ever bother, for whatever reason, is to compare and contrast the ACW and the German Wars of Unification (mainly the Austro- and Franco-) because they were technologically very similar, but so different. Linking the political, cultural and martial with the respective courses of the two conflicts can be pretty interesting. Yeah, I admit I haven't read anything that looks at those wars in parallel, or even examined the lessons learned from the ACW on European conflicts soon after (although I believe the latter exists, I just haven't read them). I'd probably read more about the ACW, but I live in a border state (Maryland), and it can be tough at times to have conversations with people without their biases being part of it (in any direction, I mean). That's awesome! Yeah, I've tried to read as many of the ancient sources that I can find- I've recently finished the Campaigns of Alexander by Arrian and Anabasis by Xenophon. A great, interesting era of military history, and I buy a bunch of board games covering these eras (for instance, all of GMT's Great Battles of History series). I really need to read more about Enlightenment Era Europe- there are severe gaps in my knowledge of the world, but hey, gives me something exciting and new to read! And yeah- I've just started to get into the South American history section. It's amazing how big my gaps are, even on major subjects- like Simon Bolivar- I know roughly what he's done, but couldn't tell you more. Something on my list to learn about, for sure.
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germanicus
Junior Strategist
No jokes round ear...
Posts: 358
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Post by germanicus on Jan 22, 2018 18:43:51 GMT
Yeah, I admit I haven't read anything that looks at those wars in parallel, or even examined the lessons learned from the ACW on European conflicts soon after (although I believe the latter exists, I just haven't read them). I'd probably read more about the ACW, but I live in a border state (Maryland), and it can be tough at times to have conversations with people without their biases being part of it (in any direction, I mean). Ouch... pity... Regardless, the lessons were definitely there, but given that the Second Schleswig War was over in a flash, the ACW ended, then the Austro-Prussian War happened and ended in barely seven weeks, the Prussians probably felt so up themselves that they didn't bother. Hindsight, as in other cases, is a wonderful thing, but in this case, I think it's less salutory and more plainly intriguing. The two theatres were so disparate (in virtually all respects: geography; political considerations; cultural congruity; ideological homogeneity etc.) despite using essentially the same technology (less in weapons and more in the logistics, railroads etc.) that I derive my fun from it by pondering hypothetical scenarios (namely, swap all belligerents at various points from key points of political tension to mobilisation, then press go...!). I end up reading more about people than broad periods for the early-mid Enlightenment Era, which then branches out into the particular wars. Hence from John Churchill & Eugene deSavoy anchor my 18th century knowledge to the War of Spanish Succession, and a minor interest in James fitzJames extends it a little to the Quadruple Alliance. After that, it's basically the life of Frederick II, so there are a few gaps here, too. One thing I'd like to know more about is the royal history of Vietnam, because at one point, they did boss south-east Asia and make Imperial China worry, which seems pretty cool. See, this is the sort of thing that I know very little about, bordering on nothing at all, outside of a few articles I read in my old man's collection of War Monthly...! Reading them, then looking at modern football rivalries amongst the South American nations... oh, that's where it came from! I thusly know only a bit on the Chaco War (Paraguay-Bolivia, and a massive case of a David vs Goliath war).
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