Re: sniper weapons for SGII

>Tom spake thusly upon matters weighty: 
>
>>	Sooner or later (he said irrelevantly) I am going to use some of

my 
>> Ral Partha war dogs to make some dog mines.	Just for laughs.  They 
>> might be fun for a few odd scenarios, as well....
>
>Now, I'm fully in favour of the simulation of war as opposed to the 
>execution of it. I'm fully in favour of the use of neat ideas. But 
>the above idea just seems like an idea spawned by a cat lover.....
>and I think its a pretty crappy way to treat man's best friend, even 
>in an imaginary game. I'd make a real point of taking no prisoners 
>when I caught up with the units responsible and the commanders 
>deploying such a revolting weapon. 

     Actually, I do admire cats more than I do dogs.  Cats have grace, 
dignity, and style--all things that my dogs have been lacking.	On the 
other hand, I like dogs more than I do cats.  Dogs are friendly.  Dogs 
are fun.  Dogs are (on rare occasions) useful.	Cats just...are.

     And when you get right down to it, no I would not strap a bomb to a

dog and send him off to die under a tank's treads.  But neither would I 
pick up a loaded gun, point it at a living being, and pull the trigger. 

When I am playing a game, however, I can do simulate either thing 
without a qualm.  We are, after all, playing with pieces of metal.  They

cannot feel pain, or hate, or anything at all.	On the other hand, the 
Russians did come up with the idea of dog mines in WWII, and they did 
make use of it.  Unfortunately, the dogs, having been trained with 
Russian tanks, promptly ran under Russian tanks when they were deployed 
in the field.  Tanks go boom.  And yes, I do find that funny, as well as

Ironic.  I'd say that they got what they deserved, wouldn't you?  (No, 
no, not the dogs--the Russians.)  And as new weapon debacles go, it is 
second in my estimation only to the American Bat Bomb Fiasco, which 
(although it involved the deaths of an untold number of bats) I also 
find quite funny.  I game with adults, and none of them are likely to go

out and strap a firecracker to Fido after we use Dog Mines in a game.  
They can distinguish between fiction and reality without too much 
trouble.  Mostly.

>Out of curiousity, do you consider Kamikazes funny too? 

     Oy.  You forgot to ask me if I've stopped beating my wife.  To 
answer your question, though, it depends: I find the "Crack Suicide 
Squad" from the final moments of "Monty Python's Life of Brian" to be 
most amusing.  As for real Kamikazes, I can't say that I have much 
feeling for one way or the other.  They made their choices, and they 
lived or died with them.  I do not, however, spend any time wondering 
about the fate of the crew when one of my ships rams an opponent in Full

Thrust.  Do you spend a lot of time wondering about the families of the 
troopers who die upon your table?  Do you shed a tear for poor Pvt. 
Funk, as he eats hot plasma for the umpteenth time?  And should you?
>
><To each his own. But it sure ain't for me!> 
> 
     To sum up--it's a game.  Lighten the hell up.  And trust me, oh 
list a large, I have no intention of carrying this discussion any 
further.

>/************************************************
>Thomas Barclay

Tom Sullivan
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.  Inside of a dog, it's

too damned dark to read."

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