What is "High Adventure"?

[Gargantua]

Maybe “high” is supposed to imply that there is a challenging mental component to an event, game, or story? And you have to pay more attention, or it’s going to engage “higher cerebral functions”.

I hope that guess is as good as anybodies. LOL.

[LHoffman]

@Gargantua:

Good theory Hoffman, but it the term “high” was supposed to imply something is made up… then why use the word “Fantasy?”

Fantasy is used to define a certain genre; particularly one with magical or supernatural elements, like The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. For our purposes we could replace Fantasy with Fiction, thereby removing the magical element.

“High” is used because you can still write fantasy (made-up events) but have it take place in our Primary World (eg Harry Potter… or even Twilight). Suppose we replaced the word Fantasy with Fiction for a moment. Let’s say that books like Dune and The Lord of the Rings are High Fiction, because they are set in universes/worlds which are not the one we know. A book like Jurassic Park and even The Hunger Games would be examples of Low Fiction; they are still made-up but they takes place in the world that we know, or a future version of it.

In this way, the High terminology may not work for Axis & Allies because it is set in our own Primary World; it is not a made-up place. It could be considered a Parallel World, because the events are on a different plane of “alternate” history. Either way it does get kind of deep… That’s my best guess.

[CWO Marc]

@LHoffman:

In this way, the High terminology may not work for Axis & Allies because it is set in our own Primary World; it is not a made-up place. It could be considered a Parallel World, because the events are on a different plane of “alternate” history. Either way it does get kind of deep… That’s my best guess.

The “high fantasy” parallel you mention is an interesting theory.  Hasbro’s use of “high adventure” may indeed be a combination of marketing and of the concept you mention – though I wonder if the people at Hasbro back at that time would have been familiar with the term “high fantasy.”  The irony here is that A&A’s current manufacturer, WotC, probably would be familiar with “high fantasy” since they also publish Magic: The Gathering.

I once read a book on the advertising industry in which the author illustrates one of his points by imagining a caveman from the Upper Paleolithic setting up a sales booth and putting a sign in front of it that says, “Three-pointed rocks for sale.”  A competitor notices this and promptly sets up his own booth nearby, in front of which he puts a sign that says, “Superior three-pointed rocks for sale.” So I think there’s an element of that too at work here.

[frimmel]

@Clyde85:

I always think of the inter-war years, the 1920-30’s, and characters like Indiana Jones when someone says high adventure.

Exactly. “High Adventure” always brings to my mind a journey to a blank space on the map ala Alan Quartermain, or a Jack London tale, a sort of modern day (meaning 1880-1939) version of a romantic quest. The stuff of pulp novels. Men off doing what men did before all the navel gazing and feminist enlightenment got started.

[LHoffman]

@CWO:

I once read a book on the advertising industry in which the author illustrates one of his points by imagining a caveman from the Upper Paleolithic setting up a sales booth and putting a sign in front of it that says, “Three-pointed rocks for sale.”  A competitor notices this and promptly sets up his own booth nearby, in front of which he puts a sign that says, “Superior three-pointed rocks for sale.” So I think there’s an element of that too at work here.

I would agree. Certainly there is a positve marketing element behind the inclusion of “High Adventure”. I mean it does sound kind of cool and sweeping, exactly what they would want to help sell it.

I bought it. Although I am pretty sure that by the time I got into A&A it did not say “High Adventure” on the cover.

To some degree it fits the “superior” description. It’s the best WWII boardgame out there that I am aware of.

[LHoffman]

@frimmel:

@Clyde85:

I always think of the inter-war years, the 1920-30’s, and characters like Indiana Jones when someone says high adventure. Â

Exactly. “High Adventure” always brings to my mind a journey to a blank space on the map ala Alan Quartermain, or a Jack London tale, a sort of modern day (meaning 1880-1939) version of a romantic quest. The stuff of pulp novels. Men off doing what men did before all the navel gazing and feminist enlightenment got started.

I would say that Frimmel and Clyde describe the emotional reaction to the term “High Adventure” best.  Right on the spot.

[CWO Marc]

@LHoffman:

I would say that Frimmel and Clyde describe the emotional reaction to the term “High Adventure” best.  Right on the spot.

Here’s a question that’s just popped into my mind: If an A&A game were to be marketed as offering “Low Adventure”, what would it consist of?  The only possibility I could think of was Gargantua’s Darkside Rules, but I’m not sure that fits.

[Gargantua]

@LHoffman:

@frimmel:

@Clyde85:

I always think of the inter-war years, the 1920-30’s, and characters like Indiana Jones when someone says high adventure. �Â

Exactly. “High Adventure” always brings to my mind a journey to a blank space on the map ala Alan Quartermain, or a Jack London tale, a sort of modern day (meaning 1880-1939) version of a romantic quest. The stuff of pulp novels. Men off doing what men did before all the navel gazing and feminist enlightenment got started.

I would say that Frimmel and Clyde describe the emotional reaction to the term “High Adventure” best.  Right on the spot.

Well I hate to say it, but you’re all wrong! :P

Fortress America also says “A game of HIGH adventure” on the front,  and that has hover tanks and space lazers etc.  So it’s certainly not a period concept…  Lhoff’s original theorum, or just a plain  marketing strategy is the closest I think.

[Gargantua]

The more and more I read online…

“HIGH Adventure” just seems to imply an activitiy, full of explosive excitement, mostly in reference to a person or group of persons overcoming significant challenge/opposition, like mother nature, science, evil monsters, or the mettle of other men and minds.

To which I can say, I have to agree is true.

We’ve all probably cheered as loud in original, when a transport has sunk an enemy battleship, or it was tank on fighter and you took Berlin/Moscow. Many games for all of you I’m sure, have ended in explosive catastrophe, or epic victory, with emotions high, and every eye in the room on the last slow motion die roll.

After all, that’s why we’re all here isn’t it?

[Gargantua]

I also have to say…

HIGH Adventure seems to imply, a “Journey into the unknown” where unexpected challenge awaits.  For Men who Dare! :P

[CWO Marc]

I especially like the part of the picture which says, “The Sadist Who Ravaged The West”.

[LHoffman]

The perspective on this picture is a little confusing… it looks like he is bayonetting the guy with his Thompson.

[Gargantua]

The perspective on this picture is a little confusing… it looks like he is bayonetting the guy with his Thompson.

What else could you possibly expect from “High Adventure”.  :P

[frimmel]

@Gargantua:

The more and more I read online…

“HIGH Adventure” just seems to imply an activitiy, full of explosive excitement, mostly in reference to a person or group of persons overcoming significant challenge/opposition, like mother nature, science, evil monsters, or the mettle of other men and minds.

To which I can say, I have to agree is true.

We’ve all probably cheered as loud in original, when a transport has sunk an enemy battleship, or it was tank on fighter and you took Berlin/Moscow. Many games for all of you I’m sure, have ended in explosive catastrophe, or epic victory, with emotions high, and every eye in the room on the last slow motion die roll.

After all, that’s why we’re all here isn’t it?

Okay so I describe “high adventure” as the stuff of pulp novels, you say I’m wrong and then provide the cover of pulp novel well pulp styled magazine to prove you are right?  :?

[frimmel]

@Gargantua:

I also have to say…

HIGH Adventure seems to imply, a “Journey into the unknown” where unexpected challenge awaits.  For Men who Dare! :P

Frell man. Did I not say, “a journey to a blank space on the map?”  :roll:

[Gargantua]

I suppose you did lol.

[LHoffman]

@frimmel:

@Gargantua:

I also have to say…

HIGH Adventure seems to imply, a “Journey into the unknown” where unexpected challenge awaits.  For Men who Dare! :P

Frell man. Did I not say, "a journey to a blank space on the map?"  :roll:

We do not believe in giving credit where credit is due on this thread.

[CWO Marc]

@LHoffman:

The perspective on this picture is a little confusing… it looks like he is bayonetting the guy with his Thompson.

It could be worse.  One of the Japanese troops might have looked as if he was trying to shoot the G.I. with his samurai sword.

[Gargantua]

I think those are imperial officers from star-wars, not imperial japanese troops!

[LHoffman]

@Gargantua:

I think those are imperial officers from star-wars, not imperial japanese troops!

Now that you mention it… there is a striking resemblence that I have never noticed before.