I disagree on the "*Germans* being culturally OK" part. It's a nice stereotype, but that's it, IMHO.
First and foremost I guess most of the time anyone welcomes "bureaucracy work faster/better". After all anyone benefits form a more efficent bureaucracy.;-)
And while it may be true that we got way too much official/administrative laws/directives, it seems totaly different when it comes down to the private/corporation sector.
I, for example, work for an international company that has its headoffice located in London. Boy, I can tell you, the bureaucracy enforced upon us by tho Brits is sheer unbelievable. And while it may help that guy over there to produce some good looking reports for management (which the anglo-saxon steming part of the world seems to have a faible for), it helps us in no way in solving our current problem.
but the Germans are ok with ID cards because they're comfortable with anything that they perceive as making bureaucracy work better/faster
Nice explanation attempt, but it's far more simple: With the age of 16, Germans are required to carry a ID card by law. And that's no new law (read: post 9/11), but has been in place for decades. Another thing we have: central registration. You're required to register yourself with local administration when permanently moving to a new city. This has also been in place for ages.
I love WWII games as much as the next guy, but I don't recall a single one where you were an SS officer incharge or part of running a Nazi death camp.
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything forbidding enough that some perverted minds don't abuse it for their own amusement/propaganda. German neonazis did such a... i dare to say "game"... back in the mid 80s.:-(
> Are you sure about this? It would really surprise me.
Yes, I can confirm that. And, you know, we Germans try to regulate everything. It is considered private copying (and therefore legal) if you make no more than 7 copies. No joking here, I'm serious! And you need to share it with people you know (which excludes uploading to any P2P service) and you don't charge any money for it.
But, as already pointed out, they changed that latley with that "if you not circumvent a working copy protection".
Another point, although alreday mentioned but ignored more or less completly later on in this discussion: We all pay fees on CD writers, CD-R discs and the like for *exact* that reason: as an compensation for copying. So even with "pirated" music, the music mafia makes money. Heck, they even make money from me or the company I'm working for by collecting money from those medias that are solely used to copy *my* *own* data/work. Talk about stealing...
But it stems from religion. The jews were considered to be "Murders of Jesus Christ" by christians. Because of this they were not liked (to put it mildly). They were even banned to learn and work in any craftsmanship in Europe in the Middle Ages. Therefore - which leads to another prejudice - they had to find other occupations to earn their daily food: Loaning money. That lead to "jews = greedy".
So, yes, in the end it's again about religion(s), even if that (the original reason) has been long forgotten.
I agree with what you said, but I guess you left out an important piece (important, at least to me): Involved parties.
Yes, WW II seems to be the perfect balance between "single infantry man can win the battle" and "WMDs available". Everyone can find a field he enjoys to play. Drive a tank, fly a plane, shoot your artillery, be a sniper. Most modern wars are really more geared towards "use those big weapons", clean up later.
Korea (and even Vietnam) might technology wise be comparable to WW II. But both conflicts lack the mass of different parties (countries) involved. I, as a German, although *very* happy that we lost that war and got rid off that regime, find it most enjoyable to play the Germans in a WW II scenario. And I don't like playing the American or Russian side. I do play them, actually, to get "everything" out of that game, but most of the time I'm having not that much fun as if I'm using my 8,8 or Pz IIIg. That's we I find Korea (or Vietnam) unintersting in the first place, having the choice between GI or Vietcong only.
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I disagree on the "*Germans* being culturally OK" part. It's a nice stereotype, but that's it, IMHO. First and foremost I guess most of the time anyone welcomes "bureaucracy work faster/better". After all anyone benefits form a more efficent bureaucracy. ;-)
And while it may be true that we got way too much official/administrative laws/directives, it seems totaly different when it comes down to the private/corporation sector.
I, for example, work for an international company that has its headoffice located in London. Boy, I can tell you, the bureaucracy enforced upon us by tho Brits is sheer unbelievable. And while it may help that guy over there to produce some good looking reports for management (which the anglo-saxon steming part of the world seems to have a faible for), it helps us in no way in solving our current problem.
> Are you sure about this? It would really surprise me.
Yes, I can confirm that. And, you know, we Germans try to regulate everything. It is considered private copying (and therefore legal) if you make no more than 7 copies. No joking here, I'm serious! And you need to share it with people you know (which excludes uploading to any P2P service) and you don't charge any money for it.
But, as already pointed out, they changed that latley with that "if you not circumvent a working copy protection".
Another point, although alreday mentioned but ignored more or less completly later on in this discussion: We all pay fees on CD writers, CD-R discs and the like for *exact* that reason: as an compensation for copying. So even with "pirated" music, the music mafia makes money. Heck, they even make money from me or the company I'm working for by collecting money from those medias that are solely used to copy *my* *own* data/work. Talk about stealing...
> It's not about "religion".
But it stems from religion. The jews were considered to be "Murders of Jesus Christ" by christians. Because of this they were not liked (to put it mildly). They were even banned to learn and work in any craftsmanship in Europe in the Middle Ages. Therefore - which leads to another prejudice - they had to find other occupations to earn their daily food: Loaning money. That lead to "jews = greedy".
So, yes, in the end it's again about religion(s), even if that (the original reason) has been long forgotten.
I agree with what you said, but I guess you left out an important piece (important, at least to me): Involved parties.
Yes, WW II seems to be the perfect balance between "single infantry man can win the battle" and "WMDs available". Everyone can find a field he enjoys to play. Drive a tank, fly a plane, shoot your artillery, be a sniper. Most modern wars are really more geared towards "use those big weapons", clean up later.
Korea (and even Vietnam) might technology wise be comparable to WW II. But both conflicts lack the mass of different parties (countries) involved. I, as a German, although *very* happy that we lost that war and got rid off that regime, find it most enjoyable to play the Germans in a WW II scenario. And I don't like playing the American or Russian side. I do play them, actually, to get "everything" out of that game, but most of the time I'm having not that much fun as if I'm using my 8,8 or Pz IIIg. That's we I find Korea (or Vietnam) unintersting in the first place, having the choice between GI or Vietcong only.