Does anybody play Killer any more?

[MazeMonster]

I know the game is long out of print, but does anybody play Killer or other assassination games any more at cons or on college campuses? The last game I played was way back in 1993. An especially fond memory was a Friday night game at a local hobby shop in the mid 80's. Does anybody else have any fun Killer stories?

[sir_pudding]

The political climate has made it basically impossible here. The last time we played was in the early oughts and we were banned from playing on the local CC campus.

Considering that a major metropolis was shut down by some cartoon character LiteBrite art, I can only imagine what an alarm clock or water balloon actually labeled "bomb" would do today.

[MazeMonster]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

The political climate has made it basically impossible here. The last time we played was in the early oughts and we were banned from playing on the local CC campus.

Considering that a major metropolis was shut down by some cartoon character LiteBrite art, I can only imagine what an alarm clock or water balloon actually labeled "bomb" would do today.

Sad, really. I'll never forget the game played at Dragon Con '88, chasing our quarry from top to bottom of the (then) Pierremont Plaza Hotel, dodging Con security all the while.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by MazeMonster

Sad, really. I'll never forget the game played at Dragon Con '88, chasing our quarry from top to bottom of the (then) Pierremont Plaza Hotel, dodging Con security all the while.

Honestly I was a bit surprised there were no horrible incidents at the time. All it would take was one confused armed bystander deciding to be a hero. And imagine the risks a bunch of black kids would have been taking to play somewhere the general public might see, or maybe worse just overhear, them.

[Anders]

Yeah I remember Paul Chapman (former Marketing Director, I think) said he had nightmares about what that game could do to the company.

[trooper6]

Students played it in the resident all I'm a scholar-in-residence in up to a few years ago. They used bean bag socks rather than guns or other exotic methods of murder, and murder was only allowed in the residence hall.

They stopped, but not because of it being dangerous, but because the students weren't really into it anymore.

[MazeMonster]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Honestly I was a bit surprised there were no horrible incidents at the time. All it would take was one confused armed bystander deciding to be a hero. And imagine the risks a bunch of black kids would have been taking to play somewhere the general public might see, or maybe worse just overhear, them.

Malloyd....There was a magical era before the 90s when you could have a good time and play games in the gamist (as opposed to the now trendier narrativist or experientialist) paradigm. Nobody got hurt or arrested during the entirety of my formative years in fandom. Even better, there were no shrill, priggish Thought Police who expected you to self flagellate in a spasm of Maoist self criticism for the mere act of enjoying yourself. Modern fandom's PC enforcers put outfits like Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons to shame with their outlook. Did we have as many consumer choices between games and publishers back then? No, but we also had a lot more freedom before we voluntarily relinquished it.

[Andrew Hackard]

And this is about to get derailed into irrelevancy, so I'm closing the thread.

MazeMonster, if you want to discuss the game without the screed, feel free to start a new discussion.