Possible new project for James

[James Langham]

After reading "World War Z" by Max Brooks and a number of the "Lost Voices of..." series I am considering a new project for T2K. I am thinking of writing an article featuring interviews with fictional members of a unit chronicling their involvement in WW3. Would anyone be interested in reading this?

[Don't worry I am still working on the usual article types, currently work is mainly on updating British Tanks and Lasers and creating volume 2 of the British vehicles covering other AFVs. Many of the others still get the odd update.]

[Raellus]

Absolutely. In fact, I've several times considered working on a very similar project, also inspired by WWZ. IMO, it's a near perfect format for a wide ranging oral history of the Twilight War.

Not to jump your train, but it also seems like something that multiple members of this community could contribute to. This would eliminate a single author's challenge of having to create an authentic voice for each of dozens of distinct and disparate characters. It would, however, be a good idea, I think, to have one central creative editor. Hey, that could be you! What do you think?

[Cdnwolf]

Great idea James.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by James Langham

Would anyone be interested in reading this?

I'd definitely be interested.

[mikeo80]

I am a great big PLUS ONE on this idea. I do not know what, if anything, I could contribute, but what the hey......


My $0.02

Mike

[James Langham]

Considering all the help and advice I have had from the group I have to say I like the idea of collaboration. I think we might need to limit the scope though, maybe to one theatre of war or one year. I will think about that and see what I can come up with along with a set of notes for what to write (covering format, etc).

Current thoughts for a possible subject:

* Forgotten Voices of the Germany Army
* Forgotten Voices of the National Guard
* Forgotten Voices of 1998
* Forgotten Voices of the Forgotten Division (UK 6th Div)
* Forgotten Voices of the Polish Army
* Forgotten Voices of the Polish People
* Forgotten Voices of the 5th Division
* Forgotten Voices from Korea
* Forgotten Voices from the War at Sea
* Forgotten Voices from the European Air War
* Forgotten Voices of Urban Combat
* Forgotten Voices of the Secret War (SF)

Some of these I know plenty about, others less so. Which ones really catch people's eyes?

I hadn't originally thought of the idea of a big project as I had a more focused idea in mind, probably based around a single UK battalion of infantry. I may well go for this too.

[Rainbow Six]

If you go for a specific time period that leaves options reasonably open for people to select an area that they may have knowledge / experience of. For example, I would have very little confidence in my own ability to write something convincing and authentic about the experiences of a US National Guardsman or a Polish civilian - in my case it's simply a matter of not fully understanding the culture, the language, the nuances, etc. Whilst there is always a challenge in trying something different so I might give it a try, but I'd be concerned that anything I produced would be at best full of sterotypes and and at worst wholly inaccurate. My own 'preference' (for lack of a better word) is British subject matter (whether that be at home, in Europe, the Far East, or elsewhere). Others may have different preferences, so selecting a time period as opposed to a specific location / theme would allow those who wanted to particpate to work with subject matter of choice.

(I hope that makes sense...)

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

If you go for a specific time period that leaves options reasonably open for people to select an area that they may have knowledge / experience of. For example, I would have very little confidence in my own ability to write something convincing and authentic about the experiences of a US National Guardsman or a Polish civilian - in my case it's simply a matter of not fully understanding the culture, the language, the nuances, etc. Whilst there is always a challenge in trying something different so I might give it a try, but I'd be concerned that anything I produced would be at best full of sterotypes and and at worst wholly inaccurate. My own 'preference' (for lack of a better word) is British subject matter (whether that be at home, in Europe, the Far East, or elsewhere). Others may have different preferences, so selecting a time period as opposed to a specific location / theme would allow those who wanted to particpate to work with subject matter of choice.

(I hope that makes sense...)

Having read your material I think you sell yourself short. I too prefer UK material BUT I guess this would be limited in this forum both as a writing base and for interest. My only worry with a year is that it could lose focus. Maybe the Norway campaign might be an option with UK, USMC, Norwegian and Pact troops to choose from?

[Medic]

Norway campaign and the thrust through North Finland? I can help with the material on the Finnish troops in the region.

[Raellus]

Norway's an interesting theater, but it's not one that I know very much about. IIRC, there's really only one official module that deals specifically with conditions in Norway and I'm guessing that not many of us have experience playing in or GM'ing campaigns in Norway. I know that we have at least two Norwegians on the forum, so that could help.

A little known setting could help or hurt a project like this. On the one hand, not much is already written in stone, so one could write with a little more creative freedom. On the other hand, that freedom might make it hard to know where to begin, or it might lead to very disparate visions of the setting with no solid foundation for use in arbitration.

May I suggest An Oral History of WWIII in Poland, instead? Most of us have either played or run campaigns set there and most of us have at least a passing knowledge of Polish geography, history, and culture. There's lots of canonical material to riff on, and nearly every NATO nationality had troops there at some time, so it wouldn't be hard to write for a British, American, German, Dane, Canadian, etc. character. As for WTO forces in Poland, you would at least have Soviets, Red Poles, Czechs, and loyalist East Germans.

[James Langham]

Anybody else willing to help?

[Rainbow Six]

Count me in (although with the caveat that I probably wont be able to start on anything new until the beginning of September - I'm away on holiday last two weeks of August and have a shed load of stuff to try and do before then).