[UA] America by Prime Time (was Greetings)

[Kevin Mowery]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stevens Dustin" <zoom2baba at yahoo.com>
To: <ua at lists.uchicago.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 12:53 PM
Subject: Re: [UA] America by Prime Time (was Greetings)

> As far as this whole topic goes, I don't see why its
> important to protray American culture (or Australian
> culture) accurately in your game. I agree that
> roleplaying publications should have a degree of
> accuracy, since they have a wide-spread audience. But
> if all you are worried about is your audience of five
> at your home, I'd say go with the worst of American TV
> shows (say, a combination of Walker Texas Ranger, the
> old Emergency! show, every other hard-boiled cop show)
> and claim it as game reality. How are your players
> even going to know the difference (especially if
> everyone is a criminal hardcase, as it seems UA is
> centered)? I mean, I have little personal knowledge of
> the criminal world, whose gonna say I'm gonna get that
> accurately?

    For TV, I'd go with NYPD Blue with a bit of Law & Order for more
background on procedure.  Earlier episodes of Homicide were good at
portraying the pathetic nature of most criminals, too.  Law & Order, these
days, has too many gimmick episodes.  Law & Order SVU, about a sex crimes
unit, is generally pretty good, too, although it falls victim to what's big
in the news as well.

    What I'd really recommend, though, is David Simon's book _Homicide: A
Year on the Killing Streets_ for police procedure and psychology and the
James Ellroy books I've already gushed about for cops indistinguishable from
criminals.  Viewing "L.A. Confidential" is a good start, and it's a great
movie, but the book has about nine times more plot.

Kevin Mowery________ kemowery at earthlink.net
Visit www.narbonic.com for the best online comic
about mutant gerbils and mad scientists on the
internet!  Updated daily.



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