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Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:45 am
by BFenix
Read it today, learned and confirmed a few aspects I had in mind about warfare, might come in handy while Brikwaring. It's funny that a book that is centuries old is still so up to date. I guess war never changes.

I suggest it to you kids and noobs, gives very good and basic information about overall war, like ruling an army, supplying it, commanding it, etc...

Any other ideas on this?

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:25 pm
by piltogg
why is it that people tell me to read this book on every forum I ever participate in??? ...I must be a violent person. WELL.. the degree of complexity in sun tzu is way higher than in your average brikwar game, because the average brikwar game doesn't account for high or low morale. however, it can still be fun to attempt totake actions as if they were based on realistic principles! :D :D

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:32 pm
by BFenix
But piltogg, you're neither a noob nor a kid :wink:

Yes it has very little to do with the Brikwars spirit, but some tactics can be used when fighting larger battles. But isint it a good thing to suggest it to others? Mainly here.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:23 pm
by piltogg
yes, it's a good read. and while you guy's are at it also read Goethe's faust... thats more on the comikal chaos side of things rather than the realistic battle side of things.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:32 pm
by Silverdream
Yeah, I read it two years ago. I reccomend it.

Also, on the fiction side Slaughterhouse Five and All Quiet on The Western Front are a must.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:35 pm
by stubby
It makes a lot of difference which translation you get. I have five on my shelf at home and it's like every one of them is a different book.

I've tried to incorporate different aspects into BrikWars over the years, but I could never get any of the morale and organization effects to be any fun to actually play.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:26 pm
by Keldoclock
I read it when I was in third grade or so, my dad gave me a copy.

Interesting book, although the archaic grammar and the Chinese use of metaphor to explain things that could, you know, just be explained is a bit irritating.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:11 pm
by BFenix
Keldoclock wrote:I read it when I was in third grade or so, my dad gave me a copy.

Interesting book, although the archaic grammar and the Chinese use of metaphor to explain things that could, you know, just be explained is a bit irritating.
I think just directly explaining would make reading it kinda boring.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:18 pm
by RagnarokRose
I still need to read this. All Quiet was a good book though.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:42 pm
by Porphyrogenitus
I'm afraid that I found it to be all generic platitudes and obvious maxims. I prefer the medieval Roman military manuals, which are much more practical books. The Strategikon, for example, and the Nikephoros II era manuals, are all really good.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:04 pm
by Ham
Medieval......Romans. I wouldn't trust that text if I were you, inability to control much territory and all.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:31 am
by Keldoclock
I read the US army FM's. You can get em on the internet as .pdfs, they're informative if boring reads. Some, like the platoon commander's manual, are even applicable to skirmishes like WH40k or Brikwars!

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:32 am
by BFenix
Ham701 wrote:Medieval......Romans. I wouldn't trust that text if I were you, inability to control much territory and all.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:50 am
by stubby
Ham701 wrote:Medieval......Romans. I wouldn't trust that text if I were you, inability to control much territory and all.
The Byzantines didn't do too badly.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:54 pm
by Porphyrogenitus
When the guy who is writing your manuals (Nikephoros II) is called the "Pale Death of the Saracens" by the Arabs then you know he must be doing something right. He's also the guy who retook Crete on his first go, after centuries of the empire failing no matter what it threw at the place.

Maurice Tiberius was pretty good too, and the Strategikon was his.