Damn I love video games.

Camaero · 04-10-07, 07:13 PM

This may sound strange, but video games are what have brought me to love history. I was just a punk kid in 5th grade when I first played Janes WWII fighters. Not only was the flying incredibly fun, but the game was packed full of video footage of the fighters in action, and of the real WWII aces being interviewed. It was such a cool thing to me at the time. That shot me off into a deep love of aviation. From there I started watching the history channel more and more often, I read aviation books, and I learned more history. That was the first game that really pointed me towards this direction. Later came games like LOMAC, B17II, and IL2. SHIII and DW is what got me into subs. Once I played those games I had to learn all I could by watching naval movies, reading books, and watching more of the history channel. If it wasn't for simulations, I, being 19 right now, would know nothing of history. They don't teach it in school at all. Once you get to the point of the cherry tree being chopped down, history is about over. My sister is in high school right now and she can barely tell me who Stalin is. She gets mostly all A's too.

She doesn't care what happened in WWII, or what has happened even further back. I'm not knocking on her, because that’s how 95% of all youth today is. Why?

It may sound silly to some of you older gents who were raised in a different time, but without this stuff, I would have no way of truly appreciating the incredible importance of what some of our boys in uniform have done for us. Some of you grew up with Clark Gable manning the periscope in Run Silent, Run Deep, or maybe Carry Grant in Operation Petticoat or Destination Tokyo, or maybe it was Das Boot or some other movie you saw that got you interested. Think about my generation who has had nothing but shxt movies that are completely uninspiring. It is only now that I am older that I have discovered those old classics.

Pretty crazy post huh?

bradclark1 · 04-10-07, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camaero

Pretty crazy post huh?

Not at all. I've always been into history but these games magnified my interest.

Platapus · 04-10-07, 07:28 PM

Anything that gets people (not just kids) interested in history is a good thing.

As Harry S Truman was misquoted "the only thing that is new is the history you don't know"

Now only if there was a video game that could peak my interest in Statistics <blach>

ReallyDedPoet · 04-10-07, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camaero

I was just a punk kid in 5th grade when I first played Janes WWII fighters. Not only was the flying incredibly fun, but the game was packed full of video footage of the fighters in action, and of the real WWII aces being interviewed. It was such a cool thing to me at the time.

Great game

I still have it

kiwi_2005 · 04-10-07, 08:14 PM

First flying game i got into was a "Janes" game called Longhorn, you flew in a US attack helicopter, this game totally kept me glued to the screen for months, I went out and brought a MS sidewinder joystick cost me $150 odd bucks at the time which was seriously dear, i would of sold my mum if i had to... well maybe not but u know what i mean. I became addicted to helicopter games, Commache, and a little gem called Hind with crappy graphics triangles for mountains & everything green & brown but nice detail in the Hind and ground troops. It had the russian accent it had good AI. They never made a Hind 2 and the Longhorn series slowly died. They should bring them both back imagine the eye candy we would get now.

Camaero · 04-10-07, 08:19 PM

I forgot all abouct Comanche! I still have that game along with Janes WII fighters. I had some good times with those!

Platapus · 04-10-07, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camaero

I forgot all abouct Comanche! I still have that game along with Janes WII fighters. I had some good times with those!

I have never been very good at flight simulators but I loved Comanche! That was a real fun game.

Does anyone know a good WWI flight simulator/game?

Onkel Neal · 04-10-07, 08:42 PM

I grew up in the sixties, way before video games, but I thrived on paperbacks from the Sanford's Book Exchange (used book store). WWI aces, U-boat and US sub skippers, military and general history, I was lucky. Viedo games are great too, it's sort of like graduating from reading about history to simulations.

04-10-07, 07:13 PM	#1
Camaero The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA, Massachusetts Posts: 1,477 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	Damn I love video games. This may sound strange, but video games are what have brought me to love history. I was just a punk kid in 5th grade when I first played Janes WWII fighters. Not only was the flying incredibly fun, but the game was packed full of video footage of the fighters in action, and of the real WWII aces being interviewed. It was such a cool thing to me at the time. That shot me off into a deep love of aviation. From there I started watching the history channel more and more often, I read aviation books, and I learned more history. That was the first game that really pointed me towards this direction. Later came games like LOMAC, B17II, and IL2. SHIII and DW is what got me into subs. Once I played those games I had to learn all I could by watching naval movies, reading books, and watching more of the history channel. If it wasn't for simulations, I, being 19 right now, would know nothing of history. They don't teach it in school at all. Once you get to the point of the cherry tree being chopped down, history is about over. My sister is in high school right now and she can barely tell me who Stalin is. She gets mostly all A's too. She doesn't care what happened in WWII, or what has happened even further back. I'm not knocking on her, because that’s how 95% of all youth today is. Why? It may sound silly to some of you older gents who were raised in a different time, but without this stuff, I would have no way of truly appreciating the incredible importance of what some of our boys in uniform have done for us. Some of you grew up with Clark Gable manning the periscope in Run Silent, Run Deep, or maybe Carry Grant in Operation Petticoat or Destination Tokyo, or maybe it was Das Boot or some other movie you saw that got you interested. Think about my generation who has had nothing but shxt movies that are completely uninspiring. It is only now that I am older that I have discovered those old classics. Pretty crazy post huh? __________________

04-10-07, 08:14 PM	#5
kiwi_2005 Eternal Patrol Join Date: May 2004 Location: Aeoteroa Posts: 7,382 Downloads: 223 Uploads: 1	First flying game i got into was a "Janes" game called Longhorn, you flew in a US attack helicopter, this game totally kept me glued to the screen for months, I went out and brought a MS sidewinder joystick cost me $150 odd bucks at the time which was seriously dear, i would of sold my mum if i had to... well maybe not but u know what i mean. I became addicted to helicopter games, Commache, and a little gem called Hind with crappy graphics triangles for mountains & everything green & brown but nice detail in the Hind and ground troops. It had the russian accent it had good AI. They never made a Hind 2 and the Longhorn series slowly died. They should bring them both back imagine the eye candy we would get now. __________________ RIP kiwi_2005 Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

04-10-07, 08:19 PM	#6
Camaero The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA, Massachusetts Posts: 1,477 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	I forgot all abouct Comanche! I still have that game along with Janes WII fighters. I had some good times with those! __________________

04-10-07, 07:28 PM	#3
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,361 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Anything that gets people (not just kids) interested in history is a good thing. As Harry S Truman was misquoted "the only thing that is new is the history you don't know" Now only if there was a video game that could peak my interest in Statistics <blach>

04-10-07, 08:42 PM	#8
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,383 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	I grew up in the sixties, way before video games, but I thrived on paperbacks from the Sanford's Book Exchange (used book store). WWI aces, U-boat and US sub skippers, military and general history, I was lucky. Viedo games are great too, it's sort of like graduating from reading about history to simulations.