Indeed, i tried three times to write something about the article in the Kathimerini newspaper, i just didn't knew what to write about it, plus my friend - Antipope in his blog - who discovered in the first place the article covered almost everything that there is to say about it.
In the case that you didn't read the article or you haven't visited so far Antipope's blog then do so here:
http://cadia122.blogspot.com/2011/11/bad-journalism.html?spref=fb
First of all lets see again the conversation i had with the journalist back then at the tournament, lets see what she (and me) had to say.
Taken from the 2nd part of the report from the independent club tournament.
Invulnerable Reporter (I.R): What do you think of all this?
I.R: it's a game that looks more like an advancement from chess.
I.R: Everyone in this story has his version of right.
IR: It's a racial war between the various races of the game, its more like Cortez exterminating the Mayans (and the Mayans fighting back in this case). Who you fight as a race in warhammer is totally alien to you (most of the time). They usually do not have political or cultural differences (there is no time for it).
I.R: Yet it is presented on a game, look the situation on the Warhammer world is so bad that it turns out to be ridiculous. the bad guys in this story - actually everyone is bad in this world - are so bad that turn out to be more like cartoons...
I.R: For example, humanity in this game, is so evil - that is unacceptable to us.
IR: they just present such information for the enjoyment of the fans. In the history of the game the space marine is so much an evolved human that ceases to be human anymore.
I.R: they are evolved in regards to their biology, obviously they are not better as humans, mutants would be a far better title for their condition.
Our conversation continued about collecting the miniatures and their cost, someone mentioned to Miss Lemou that he would have got a very good car if he had not bought all the miniatures he has, that led me to ask her how she sees spending all this money for miniatures:
Our chat led to talks about my choice of an army, i told her i got Blood Angels and when she asked me why i chose them i told her that because they are red, interestingly enough she told me that i could have bought any army and paint it red - as i told her another reason was that the first thing i ever bought about warhammer was the second edition main box and that came with a lot of Blood Angels.
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Obviously the journalist had (at the time?) a positive look towards the game as a board game and a completely negative attitude towards the fluff of the game - how the story is actually formed to justify all the wars that happen in this fictional universe and how it is perceived by the gamers (at least how she sees it).
The warhammer story (or fluff) is geared in such a way so that everyone can fight over anyone so that all the players can play against all the players without saying that in their "fluff" their armies wouldn't play (fight) against each other because they are allies, this is - i believe - the main reason behind the motto: in the grim darkness of the far future there is only war - and whatever goes with it.
There is so much "Hate" and "Anger" in this game for a reason, and that is not to make players hate more anyone or be more angry. It is shown is such a way and in so much density that a intelligent reader will not agree with it, I don't think that anyone who is at least a bit reasonable can agree with the ideas presented in the warhammer fluff.
Warhammer players know a little bit more about racism, xenophobia, war, anger and how bad a human can be because of those articles - the fluff - if they are intelligent enough they will filter it, learn from it, they will not copy it and wont agree with it, actually in most cases the exaggerated fluff has been used mostly for humor between the players - because it is so much exaggerated - as i also told her in our interview - so that it looks more like a dark comedy.
The best thing that people from the press should do is to make a more thoughtful search into the community, see what the majority of the players really are, the good things about the hobby and the good things that it gives back at them.
Sincerely yours
For the Invulnerable
Panayiotis.
In the case that you didn't read the article or you haven't visited so far Antipope's blog then do so here:
http://cadia122.blogspot.com/2011/11/bad-journalism.html?spref=fb
First of all lets see again the conversation i had with the journalist back then at the tournament, lets see what she (and me) had to say.
Taken from the 2nd part of the report from the independent club tournament.
Invulnerable Reporter (I.R): What do you think of all this?
Georgia Lemou (G.L) : All those things look extraterrestrial to me, completely.
I.R: it's a game that looks more like an advancement from chess.
G.L: If you see it that way yes, its more like chess, its a game that require strategy and brains, but if you see it ideologically - if you read the notorious "fluff" (yes she even mentioned the word: fluff!) you will discover that there is a world in it. And why this world has to be evil, disfigured and problematic? So far wars have been raged only by humans and there are wars who are justified and wars who haven't been justified, or an alliance of nations who go and wage war because of their perception of justice. In this story there isn't such a thing.
I.R: Everyone in this story has his version of right.
G.L: I don't know if there is a issue for right here, or anger.
IR: It's a racial war between the various races of the game, its more like Cortez exterminating the Mayans (and the Mayans fighting back in this case). Who you fight as a race in warhammer is totally alien to you (most of the time). They usually do not have political or cultural differences (there is no time for it).
GL: There is some cultural difference in this war, the Spanish waged war on the Mayans to get their gold and transfer it back to their king while the Mayans conceived treasure differently, in the case that you mention there is racist issue that is even more intolerable.
I.R: Yet it is presented on a game, look the situation on the Warhammer world is so bad that it turns out to be ridiculous. the bad guys in this story - actually everyone is bad in this world - are so bad that turn out to be more like cartoons...
G.L: ...Caricatures, from wherever they might be?
I.R: For example, humanity in this game, is so evil - that is unacceptable to us.
G.L: Its a bit idiotic (referring to humanity on the wh40k world) for example someone mentioned that the marine prays four times a day and has only 15 minuets of free time in 24 hours. How do you explain that?.
IR: they just present such information for the enjoyment of the fans. In the history of the game the space marine is so much an evolved human that ceases to be human anymore.
G.L: You are using positive words for something that is completely negative, someone told me that the space marine is more like a war machine, whats good on a human turned into a war machine?
I.R: they are evolved in regards to their biology, obviously they are not better as humans, mutants would be a far better title for their condition.
Our conversation continued about collecting the miniatures and their cost, someone mentioned to Miss Lemou that he would have got a very good car if he had not bought all the miniatures he has, that led me to ask her how she sees spending all this money for miniatures:
G.L: I am not troubled by this, it is a different choice to them - instead of meeting up every weekend and go for "bouzoukia" they meet and get to play their favorite game, its far more healthy and humane to spend your money to a social game even if this game in some of its ethics has its "bad turns" (μπάζει) than to go and spend your money to night clubs.
Our chat led to talks about my choice of an army, i told her i got Blood Angels and when she asked me why i chose them i told her that because they are red, interestingly enough she told me that i could have bought any army and paint it red - as i told her another reason was that the first thing i ever bought about warhammer was the second edition main box and that came with a lot of Blood Angels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obviously the journalist had (at the time?) a positive look towards the game as a board game and a completely negative attitude towards the fluff of the game - how the story is actually formed to justify all the wars that happen in this fictional universe and how it is perceived by the gamers (at least how she sees it).
The warhammer story (or fluff) is geared in such a way so that everyone can fight over anyone so that all the players can play against all the players without saying that in their "fluff" their armies wouldn't play (fight) against each other because they are allies, this is - i believe - the main reason behind the motto: in the grim darkness of the far future there is only war - and whatever goes with it.
There is so much "Hate" and "Anger" in this game for a reason, and that is not to make players hate more anyone or be more angry. It is shown is such a way and in so much density that a intelligent reader will not agree with it, I don't think that anyone who is at least a bit reasonable can agree with the ideas presented in the warhammer fluff.
Warhammer players know a little bit more about racism, xenophobia, war, anger and how bad a human can be because of those articles - the fluff - if they are intelligent enough they will filter it, learn from it, they will not copy it and wont agree with it, actually in most cases the exaggerated fluff has been used mostly for humor between the players - because it is so much exaggerated - as i also told her in our interview - so that it looks more like a dark comedy.
The best thing that people from the press should do is to make a more thoughtful search into the community, see what the majority of the players really are, the good things about the hobby and the good things that it gives back at them.
Sincerely yours
For the Invulnerable
Panayiotis.
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