![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jducoeurOne of the frustrations about being a Games specialist in the SCA is that I keep having to explain the difference between "a period game" and "a modern game that is set in period". Fealty may be a great game with a period setting (and admittedly, I've taught it in-camp at Pennsic), but that's not the same as being actually SCA-appropriate.
However, I think I've just found the closest I've ever come to the perfect blend of "totally modern game" and "seriously true to period", in Audatia, a new game currently running through IndieGogo. (Basically the same model as Kickstarter.) Audatia is a modern two-player turn-based card game -- but the game play is entirely based on Florio's 14th century manual of swordfighting techniques. The game was basically created (by a teacher of historical swordfighting) as a teaching tool to learn the moves and terminology: the two players have decks of cards representing all of the described moves (including an apparently-documented "kick in the nuts" card), and use moves from their hands to parry and thrust.
The campaign's long since blown past its main goals (apparently in part due to somebody giving a 25k donation to the project!), but I decided to pick up a set -- it sounds like the game is interesting and different, educational, and quite possibly fun to play. I can't really say it's appropriate to play at an event, but it's one heck of a lot better than most of what I usually see at the War. SCA folks who are into either gaming or swordplay may want to check it out...
However, I think I've just found the closest I've ever come to the perfect blend of "totally modern game" and "seriously true to period", in Audatia, a new game currently running through IndieGogo. (Basically the same model as Kickstarter.) Audatia is a modern two-player turn-based card game -- but the game play is entirely based on Florio's 14th century manual of swordfighting techniques. The game was basically created (by a teacher of historical swordfighting) as a teaching tool to learn the moves and terminology: the two players have decks of cards representing all of the described moves (including an apparently-documented "kick in the nuts" card), and use moves from their hands to parry and thrust.
The campaign's long since blown past its main goals (apparently in part due to somebody giving a 25k donation to the project!), but I decided to pick up a set -- it sounds like the game is interesting and different, educational, and quite possibly fun to play. I can't really say it's appropriate to play at an event, but it's one heck of a lot better than most of what I usually see at the War. SCA folks who are into either gaming or swordplay may want to check it out...