You cannot win, only cope

Videogames dealing with wars are ­often recognized as violent and inaccurate. At the HistoryCampus, some participants show that you can connect games and war in a different way. by antonio basilicata

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bead of sweat appears on the young soldier’s forehead. His weapon is ready in his hands. Drenched with rain, he stands behind the crumbling wall of a house. On the other side, the enemy is waiting with his own weapon and the will to take the life of his opponent. The young soldier knows what awaits him. Scenarios such as this come to mind when people think about videogames that deal with wars, especially with World War I. But does it really have to be such a bloody, cruel and deadly scene? “The heroes in many World War I games are presented as a collection of madmen. This is because most producers only have one intention: to sell their games”, explains Christian Huberts, 31, who is organising the workshop “Gaming the Great War” at the HistoryCampus. In this workshop, fourteen participants try to develop alternatives to existing games. “Until now, the producers have seldomly thought about being historically accurate. Our workshop is not only about understanding individual historical facts, but also about having fun with history and representing it in new ways,” odds Mr. Huberts.

Different Games same enthusiasm At the back of the room, two desks with laptops are put together and a group is working on their project: They are creating a map showing the trenches of World War I. In these trenches, the player assumes the role of a soldier and needs to survive and stay sane. This task is impeded by quests, which can influence the player’s level both negatively and positively: Getting caught in an explosion, for example, will make your sanity go down and sending postcards back home can push it back up. “You have to keep your level of sanity”, says Clemens Weinbrenner, 23, who is one of the creators of this game. “The atmosphere also plays an important role: There is less light, fewer sound effects and a wobbly screen. You cannot win, only cope with this game. That is our message concerning wars.” All in all, three groups are working on different games with various backgrounds – a completely different example from Clemens’ approach is a new version of the well-known game “Angry Birds” that includes World War I weapons.

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Clemens Weinbrenner while he is testing his own game

With the help of a software called “Unity Tool”, the participants are able to create detailed and realistic characters and landscapes, from overgrown woods to a mountainous and rocky terrain. Once you enter the workshop room, you can feel the intensity and enthusiasm and get a real sense of the teamwork involved. “Yes, that is exactly what a sky should look like!”, somebody shouts in excitement. His group built a character and made him walk through green grasslands and golden fields, but until now, the colour of the sky had not been convincing enough.

New Way of rememberance Trial and experimentation are the basis of this workshop: You can explore different possibilities and piece for piece, tree for tree, finally create a detailed work of art. But the historical circumstances and facts are not forgotten. In Clemens Weinbrenner’s opinion, the software simply gives participants the

chance to deal with World War I in a new way, despite the limited time they have in Berlin. The workshop gives participants an active role and conveys the emotions and impressions of people fighting and living during World War I – it is simultaneously telling a story and explaining history. “With our game, we want to change the prejudice that videogames about wars always glorify violence. Games can help to understand other people´s mentality and their actions – and inspire people to reflect on their perspectives on World War I,” Christian Huberts explains. “The workshop is a chance to create a new way of remembrance with which you can engage directly.” On one side of the room, right next to the windows, stands a large flip chart with a mind map on it. Looking at the keywords, ideas and inspirations jotted down on the white paper, you can see the meticulous preparation and feel the passion of the participants that went into the games. War may not be

Photo: Maximilian Gens

a game, but the workshop “Gaming the Great War” shows that it is possible to use games as a means to explain and understand it.

Antonio Basilicata 18, Bremen ... is looking foward to a more open and united Europe with an exciting future.