[Omnirizon]

part 1: West v. East martial arts

there are actually multiple types of weapons and martial arts; there are 'martial arts' like karate or whatever, and then there's martial arts of war. The arts of weapons of war are not significantly different in use between east and west, although the military tactics and strategy in which they are involved may be. weapons of war are the heavy military weapons such as halberds, long spears, and large swords. the colloquial "martial arts" are generally the martial usage of civilian implements, civilian versions of heavier military weaponry, unconventional and concealable weaponry, or ritualized usage of 'gentleman' and 'officer' weaponry. The reason these peculiar types of martial arts exist in the far east and not the west is perhaps due to
1) greater control of weaponry by the state,
2) combined with the celebration of the farmers and peasantry in the Eastern temples that led to the study of peasant weaponry and fighting techniques with
3) early reliance on conscription of peasant-soldiers trained in
4) nationalistic warfare methods.

this is contrasted with West where warfare was less between conscripted armies and more between nobles. focus of warfare was on capturing fortresses, seiges, 'shock' usage of knights and cavalry; rather than open fighting between armies. there was less usage of seasonally conscripted peasantry and more usage of small standing groups of elite warriors. further, any ritualization of warfare existed between these actual warrior-knights, who would use warrior techniques; contrasted with ritualized duels between generals of the eastern armies who were not trained warriors, but actually trained ritualized duelers. Further, in the West, ownership of weaponry was perhpas not controlled, or peasants had no interest in developing makeshift weaponry, or there was no one (such as temple monks) who would commit time to studying, developing, and preserving peasant weaponless or makeshift fighting styles (as opposed to committing time to studying some wanky religion).

so I think that's a pretty good summation, if somewhat essentialized, of eastern and western 'nations' in military and martial stuff. it provides a good ground for providing some instrumental environmental differences that a player can experience.

The new thread 'Making a game system part 3: the setting' will be out shortly.