'Scandanavian Gaming Culture' ???

[Andy Kitkowski]

Hey all- I noticed that in the Diana Jones award shortlist was listed "Scandanavian Gamer Culture" or something to that extent.  I came upon two more references to the Scandanavians as more forward-thinking about gaming.

Can someone explain this to me?  I've never heard of this phenomenon before, and I don't know any Scandanavian gamers that I can ask myself.

Thanks!
-Andy

[Eero Tuovinen]

A good starting place is the monthly column Mike Pohjola does for RPGnet. He has the habit of flagrantly displaying Nordic (the real name of the area) gaming culture. Read carefully, as others write about their view on the matter in the forums as well.

[Mike Holmes]

Yah, there are a bunch here at the Forge you can ask.

In any case, what most amazed me was that they get money out of their governments to support gaming. That's just sweet.

Mike

[Tim C Koppang]

A good starting place is the monthly column Mike Pohjola does for RPGnet. He has the habit of flagrantly displaying Nordic (the real name of the area) gaming culture.

Went to RPGnet.  Found Mike's column.  What was at the top of the list?  An article titled "The Nordic Scene."  Also be sure to check out the follow-up postings below the article.

Update: the Forge is mentioned in the article!

Theory Sluts
It seems that there are two major scenes for roleplaying theory. One is the Nordic scene, and the other the Forge scene. There is, of course, much overlap between the two, but most of the direct theory influence for Myrskyn aika has come from the former.

[Merten]

A good starting place is the monthly column Mike Pohjola does for RPGnet. He has the habit of flagrantly displaying Nordic (the real name of the area) gaming culture. Read carefully, as others write about their view on the matter in the forums as well.

... As well as Juhana Pettersson's No good. If you skip the obvious political rhetorics, it should give some idea about the Scandinavian Gaming Culture, at least the one I think the Diana Jones Award is referring to.

Also, check out Eirik Fatland's comments on Mike's latest column, it should also shed some light to the subject. I've seen Eirik around here, recently, so he might want to pop in at some point and explain more.

From my point of view, the whole "Scandinavian Gaming Culture" should be taken with a grain of salt; there is no movement involving the whole roleplaying culture around here - we have the same sellers and same hit games as everyone else (well, almost so). I'd think that the culture mentioned refers more to some smaller groups, most notably the Solmukohta/Knutepunkt folks, who do have some intresting ideas (and a bunch of less intresting, but that's just me) about gaming in general. Mostly LARP-oriented, but usefull with tabletop gaming as well (especially as the line between them is more than a bit blurred around here).

I've noticed a certain kind of culture forming around some old tabletop geezers (of whom a large bunch is also involved in the movement mentioned before), but I wouldn't call it a movement - more like a mutual trust or unmentioned "social contract". But I'd bet my left nut (not) that similar things happen everywhere where old cliques of gamers exist.

 - JK. Off to sleep, need to go and buy some Forge-esque stuff from Con tomorrow.

[DongMaster]

In any case, what most amazed me was that they get money out of their governments to support gaming. That's just sweet.

I get like several hundred of dollars per month to game...

Not really but you can get funds if you join gaming societies like SVEROK. Though not much it does help and I personally think it is a healthy support (considering how much money is being spent on societies that don't work). I wonder if there is anything else like it in other countries?

And yes I am also from the Nordic countries. :)

[newsalor]

Eero did a very good presentation that touched this subject in Ropecon last weekend. Nordic was one of three influental paradigms in roleplaying theory according to Eero. The other two are Forge and Old School.

Much like people here in the Forge and others who represent the same paradigm, the Nordic view on things has opened new vistas of roleplaying.

Maybe Eero could shed some more light on the subject?

[Eero Tuovinen]

Eero did a very good presentation that touched this subject in Ropecon last weekend. Nordic was one of three influental paradigms in roleplaying theory according to Eero. The other two are Forge and Old School.

Much like people here in the Forge and others who represent the same paradigm, the Nordic view on things has opened new vistas of roleplaying.

Maybe Eero could shed some more light on the subject?

Perhaps later on in the fall. I seem to have a backlog of all kinds of stuff to do.

In general, though, what I'd like to see is one of our hardcore immersionist larp theorists to walk in here and start bashing. I know relatively little about the Nordic theory compared to people who actually develop it, so the optimal solution would be a guest lecture or something like that. Someone who'd care to tell us more about the theoretical underpinnings and to answer questions as well. I would nominate Mike Pohjola myself, but I don't know if he'd have the time...

[Eamon]

I think we need to form an American Political Party that endorses the Scandinavian method of supporting role-playing.  That could be our party platform!

Please, lets not turn this into a current American politics thread.  I'm just wondering what if would take to get our nation down this wonderful path.

[CPXB]

I think we need to form an American Political Party that endorses the Scandinavian method of supporting role-playing.  That could be our party platform!

Please, lets not turn this into a current American politics thread.  I'm just wondering what if would take to get our nation down this wonderful path.

LOL.  I actually have a large number of thoughts and feelings on this subject, but there is no way to articulate them without turning into a thread on American politics.  The reason we don't have public funding for this sort of thing is American politics, and the only way to change it will be through American politics.  The discussion is one of, alas, American politics.

[Valamir]

Unfortunately Public Funds have to come from somewhere.

There's all sorts of things I'd like to see funded with Public Funds.

Until I realize that there is no such thing as "Public Funds".

"Public Funds" is just a Euphemism for "Private Funds the government has appropriated from me without asking my permission".

Funny thing is that if anyone else tries to appropriate private funds from me without asking my permission they call it theft.

[Ron Edwards]

All right, folks, that's enough ... this is turning into one of those internet discussions.

New thread about Scandinavian stuff, please - preferably in a different forum unless it concerns actual play.

Best,
Ron