From: rickm@kpc.com (Rick Meneely)
Subject: Re: Colored tape
Organization: Kubota Pacific Computer
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 01:50:15 GMT


I wish to respond to several ideas that have been put forth on this topic:

Deaths from friendly fire are indeed period however there would be some
striking differences (hey..a pun :)) between what happened historically
and what we would see on the SCA battlefield:  Most medieval armies dressed 
and spoke very differently - French and English armies wore different types of
armor, spoke different languages and even groomed themselves differently
(Saxon haircut anyone?).  I doubt any Roman legionnaires had too might 
trouble identifying the Visigoth within their ranks.  In addition they were 
not constrained to small battlefields; I don't think Charles V's archers had
trouble identifying the French cavalry at Agincourt :).  In the SCA we do not
dress according to Kingdom (although there might be some SLIGHT differences),
but according to personal preference (Viking, Norman, Saxon, Frank, Saracen,
Mongol, etc.).  We _currently_ do have deaths from friendly fire.  I was 
killed from behind at Estrella about three or four years ago by His Majesty
Dietrich while wearing the same color tape (Have you ever seen an upset
spearman trying to teach 'colors' to a king?).  Who do you hit?  The Viking
behind shield #1 or the Saxon behind the curtain wall?  We _need_ some
identifying symbol to distinguish Friend and 'evil, cruel, badguy type person'
in order to make up for our non-homogeneous armies...

Banners are good, but only for distinguishing units, not that Frank two feet
in front of you.  

Tabards would work, but do you want to make (and REQUIRE) people to wear
tabards at each battle.  I certainly don't know how to make a tabard that fits 
all sizes of person and armor, doesn't constrict a persons' movement and still 
allows them to show off their spiff' new lorica.  And what about the three
units that just switched sides to even out the numbers?  Oh, and those two 
fighters that showed up later this afternoon. 

Torques will work, they were used in period tournaments, but must still be
_taped_ on to varying shapes of helms - Barbutes, Pot Helms, Persian, English
Lobster tail, Spangenhelm (Torques don't look very Viking...you might get
hit simply suggesting such a thing).  Also someone has to make them and then perhaps recollect them after all battles are fought.  If I am going to spend X
number of hours improving our battles, then I would rather create walls for the
town battle, or towers for the castle - it's a question of the 'best bang for
the buck'.
					- Anatar

-- 
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|             "We have met the enemy...and he is too close!"                |
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| Rick Meneely  rickm@kpc.com      |        Kubota Pacific Computer Inc.    |
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