The Middle Ages in Computer Games

The Middle Ages in Computer Games(medievalists.net)

52 points by tailefer 1 year ago | 13 comments

delichon 1 year ago |

I'm playing the KCD2 middle ages simulator and maybe the most surprising finding is that one or several bandits will try to kill you every few kilometers as you travel down the road. I suspect that the distance per murder statistic may be inflated a bit for entertainment purposes. But from a quick check it does look like feudal Europe had around 10-150 homicides per 100k, where currently Europe is around 2. For comparison Dodge City in the 19th century was around 150 and Chicago is currently at around 22. So while the game is wildly exaggerated it's in the right direction.

vanderZwan 1 year ago |

I wonder if the book features anything on medieval pigs

https://www.leidenmedievalistsblog.nl/articles/whats-wrong-w...

zeroq 1 year ago |

related: Advice for time traveling to medieval Europe (https://youtu.be/-aSdFrPnlRg?si=p_zG9hwrfEZX_5yP)

shreddit 1 year ago |

Does this book dive deep into medieval economics? I would really like to simulate a somewhat advanced approach on the flow of goods and currency between the upper and lower classes…

krykp 1 year ago | |

I was somewhat interested in this book but the answer seems to be no per the contents from https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781805434504/the-middle-ages-i...

$30 definitely isn't much for a niche book, I would've preferred a short preview or a longer brief.

As an aside, an idea I find underrepresented is gift economies[0]. There's some representation of it in the form of `goodwill` and `relationships`, but this was [likely] a huge part of the economy. Consider the consumption of the average person, and it's going to be more fish and eggs and less MacBooks, and you wouldn't be buying eggs the same way you buy them on the market today[by barter or trade]. You would be definitely using currency for the highly specialized armor, though.

All of this doesn't matter too much in the grand scope, it's perfectly fine to trade 2 shoes for 5 eggs in Skyrim, but some additional depth would be interested if incorporated correctly.

0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_economy

klik99 1 year ago | |

The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England goes into some detail about logistics and the flow of goods, how town markets operated to distribute goods to people in remote areas, and the role of cities and towns.

I don’t know how much detail you’re looking for, but it’s a fascinating look at daily life for the lower classes

jmiskovic 1 year ago | |

I enjoyed the "Medieval Demographics Made Easy" (as well as other materials from John Ross). It is a 6-page article made for GMs to aid in crafting believable medieval worlds. It's not enough on its own for your needs but it touches on relevant topics with just the right amount of details.

https://gamingballistic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Medie...

0cf8612b2e1e 1 year ago |

I am quite unlikely to ever read this, but I would love to hear of some medieval tropes which are hilariously incorrect.

rdlw 1 year ago | |

You might enjoy the wonderful channel Lindybeige: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3A44729FA673EBFF (playlist: "Lindybeige Rants on History")

I especially like this video: https://youtu.be/lZfpQzV2GnM ("Ropes and Hollywood", a rant about the value of rope and the silliness of cutting one 1-4 times every 90 minutes)

0cf8612b2e1e 1 year ago | | |

Great example. It is easy to forget how expensive everything was prior to mechanization. Every bit and bob required untold hours of human labor. Senseless destruction would have been unthinkable.

magicalhippo 1 year ago | |

I enjoy watching the Modern History TV YouTube channel, which does have some videos along those lines, like the medieval myth busting[1] one, if fashion could be a crime[2], or that they all had bad teeth[3].

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViV6VmI9g0U

[2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmTXiVfas7Q

[3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcVwcvWePhU

wrp 1 year ago |

This seems to be an expansion on a previously edited volume from the same author, Playing the Middle Ages: Pitfalls and Potential in Modern Games (2023).

4ndrewl 1 year ago |

Checks Amazon - £76.45?!?!