Semester in Review

This final blog post is supposed to be a review of sorts. A review of the class HIST-494, History Through Gaming. To my understanding this is a brand new class at St. Bonaventure and it’s easy to understand why. It’s new because video games as a whole are a relatively new idea. Video games have only came to promanece within the last 30-40 years and they certainly have not found their way into the classroom, yet. This class introduces the idea that video games can be used as a method to teach history. We have touched on many different games over the semester all with benefits and drawbacks when used in the context of the classroom. For example, a game like Call of Duty does not really explain any larger historical concepts, it’s played from the point of view of an individual soldier. Whereas in a game like Civilization, the player controls an entire country playing over many centuries. This gives the player a much broader view of events and therefore historical concepts and theories are much clearer. However Call of Duty will give the player a better idea of the experience of a soldier in the period of the game is based upon. This sort of learning experience has value as well, having a better understanding of the experience of individuals in the period can be quite useful when teaching history.

A city in “Civilization 6”

Call of Duty WWII-POV of player

Personally, I think it would be beneficial to focus on a fewer number of games, and then to dive deeper into each. We covered some great games and I think the class could be more effective if we were to have focused solely on; Civilization, Tropico, any of the FPS, and Ultimate General Civil War. I think these are some of the best games we played and this group touches on each type of game we played in class. So, the number of games is one thing I would change about the class. However, I very much enjoyed the individual project aspect of the class. I was able to use one of my favorite games and forced me to really look at what matters in a video game when learning history. My game Crusader Kings II for example would be great in teaching someone about the politics of European monarchy in medieval times.

Crusader Kings II map of France

I think this class has great potential to be a fantastic, interesting class for the History Department to offer. While there are some kinks to work out because this was the first time the class was offered. This is absolutely the direction the history department should be moving. Towards innovative and interesting new ways of studying history.

Battlefield 1 Blog

Battlefield 1 is probably my favorite first person shooter. I got it right after it was realized in 2016 for Christmas. I played it a lot during that winter break and realized that it was a very unique game. Often times in FPS games you get the feeling you’re special or even a superhero, as the game revolves around you. Also when playing online the maps are small and confined, with people from both teams/sides scattered everywhere.

Tsaritsyn (Map from In The Name of The Tsar DLC)

Most FPS cast the player as a hero, Battlefield 1 does not. This is to their credit, astray have created a game that i think gives the player an experience closer to actual war than ever before. Online games consist of 60+ players on large detailed maps laden with vehicles. Players die often as just about everything in Battlefield 1 feels unwieldy. Planes that are much less agile than the jets of previous games, slow moving tanks pale in comparison many recent FPS, the developers really attempted to hammer home the authenticity for the period.  

Italian WWI Fighter

Guns also feel like they’re from the era, they are frustratingly inaccurate and take forever to reload. This obviously changes the way everyone plays online, and it makes everyone take a step back in terms of skill. It must’ve taken some time for people who are ridiculously good at FPS to get used to the big changes.

Sniper Rifle

This is where many feel the authenticity of the game gets in the way of “fun”. The randomness and uncertainty that exists in the game with the inclusion of vehicles and harder to use guns can frustrate those who spend lots of time getting really good. If someone who just started playing can get more kills then the best in the game with a tank, plane or even a behemoth vehicle. However I think this is the best selling point the game has. There isn’t a game out today that requires players to use teamwork, a lot of that has to do with the unpredictability of the battles. Also I have the most fun playing from the steering wheel, bridge or cockpit of a vehicle.

Ultimate General: Civil War

Ultimate General is a battle strategy game set in the Civil War. The player plays as a self created General and can choose whether to fight for the Union or the Confederacy. This game focuses heavily on battle tactics. 80% of the game is managing and moving units on a battle map.

Battle Map

However there is a strategy aspect that I really like. The player does not command the entirety of the union or confederacy. He/she commands a single army and is responsible for the growth/upkeep of it. Winning battles earns the player money and prestige which can be spent on more troops, better rifles, new units, commanders, etc.

Army Staging Screen

This strategy aspect may be limited in scope and seem insufficient when compared to a game like Total War. However I enjoy this game much more than Total War. The strategy component is small but effective. When your fighting you feel like you know the commanders the battalions are named after. It gives you a vast vested interest in your army. You really do all you can to win but are always thinking about the long term welfare of your army. As for the battle gameplay, it’s almost flawless. This game is extremely well made, especially for having such a small time developer. Troop movements feel smooth and for the most part everyone goes where you want them too, when you want to. Elevation advantages are clear and seem accurate to my untrained eye. The maps themselves are fantastic, easy to understand and nice to look at. The developers did their research as well, all the maps are replicas of actual towns where the battles occurred. Also, the storyline your general follows is a well crafted, accurate timeline of the war. Complete with descriptions of impending battles and a roster of real Civil War generals. Overall this is my favorite game we’ve played this semester and will defently continue playing.

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Shogun: Total War Blog

This game is set in 16th century Japan where the Shogun rules with total power. The player plays as the leader of a clan that either supports the Emperor’s claim or the Shogun’s claim. There are 9 clans to choose from and each have different strengths and weaknesses.

Choosing your clan

The game requires you to use knowledge of politics, military strategy, economics, and diplomacy. One of the key aspects of the game is the balance between military and nonmilitary development. It may seem intuitive to focus heavily on military advancement because the goal of the game is to conquer your neighbors. However this will become increasingly difficult if non military advancement is neglected. This highlights the historical importance of the home-front during war. If domestic conditions are not kept up through the domestic tech tree the clan will not have the economic power to grow their military.

Tech Tree

Much of the game however is directly leading your troops into battle. Whether in the field, on the seas, or during a siege the player has full control of all units in their force. This part of the game requires the player to put to use their knowledge of military tactics and strategy. I really enjoy how sieges are played in this games. In most video games I’ve played sieges are simulated. The siege gameplay brings about really interesting attack and defense situations. This is a result of the unique defensive features of a castle; walls, battlements, towers, gates, etc. Sieges were a crucial aspect of early military stratagy until walls became obsoslete with the advancement of artillery. People forget the power a castle brought to its inhabitants. Feudal lords could retreat their forces to their castles and wait out the enemy for years at a time because of the defensive features. I think this is a fantastic game. The balance between playing grand and battle strategy is unique to total war. There are games like Ultimate General: Civil War that are only a battle strategy game that are better battle simulators. And games like Civilization that I think are a better grand strategy experience.

Siege in progress

Age of Empires Blog

Age of Empire is a medieval strategy game where the player plays as one of thirteen civilizations. At the helm, the player guides their civ through 4 ages, starting in the Dark age. In the Dark Age not many building and units are available at the beginning of the game. Every player starts with 3 villagers and a scout as well as a town center. Technological and military development is difficult during this age, so its good strategy to focus on economic development early on.

Village during the Dark Age

The ages replicates the overall advancement of all civilizations. As civilizations develop they advance in the ages and get access to new units and buildings. In the Feudal age many more military units are available and with economic growth militaries should grow during this age. As the ages change the player must adapt to collect certain resources needed for each age. In the Dark Age players operate a hunter gatherer system to produce food to grow the population. When the player enters the Feudal Age he/she must transform food production from boars and berries to farms. To build farms the player must also have lumber stocked up. When the player reaches the Castle age he/she must focus on mining stone as well as lumber in order to continue building infrastructure.

Farms

Castles

From the Castle Age a player enters the Imperial Age. The age progression is very similar to Civilizations. It mimics the way we have organized history into eras and periods through links in technology, population size, and economics. However its progression matches that of Europe’s development. Civilizations like China and the Mayans did not progress through these ages at the same time as the Europeans. This is one minor inaccuracy that can be overlooked for the sake of inclusion of civilizations from all over the world.

Assassins Creed Blog

This week we played Assassins Creed Odyssey in class. I have been playing this game since around Christmastime and had it mostly finished before the semester. In this post I want to break down the Historical accuracy of the game and run through some of the important historical figures in the game. From what I understand Assassins Creed’s creators employ many historians and academics to craft their virtual world as close to a real past world as possible. And they haven’t always got it right. There have been several versions of Assasins Creed that have been denounced as “nonsense”. AC never claims to be totally accurate and certainly take liberties for the sake of fun and excitement. For example this version completely accepts mythology and has Alexios fight several mythical creatures including a cyclops, minotaur, and Medusa.

The game also includes many real historical figures. Alexios ends up meeting most of these real characters in Athens. This is a reflection of the fact that many of the most famous greeks were Athenians. Alexios runs into Socrates, Alcibiades, Pericles, Cleon, Hippocrates and others. King Leonidas of Sparta even plays your Grandfather. Herodotus follows you around basically the entire game documenting the history you “create.”

Discussing Philosophy with Socrates

Pericles speaking to the Athenian people

Something that the game does fantastically in my opinion is the portrayal of Athenian and Spartan Culture. Alexios is born in Sparta and his backstory reveals a story of heartbreak caused by the rigid Spartan Code. There are also several missions around Sparta that show its extremely militarized culture. In one mission you are given the choice to help a group of young Spartan Boys facing off against a pack of wolves. Spartan law dictates that the boys should be left alone to fight the wolves as a way to train them. Also while exploring Athens you really get the sense of a rich theater culture. There are theaters all around the city and you do several missions in Athens for or with theater operators and playwrights. You are also confronted on many occasions with the democracy of Athenian politics. Alexios is tasked with the challenge of changing public opinion of Cleon who is a rising political figure in the game who works with the evil cult. Socrates aids you in this effort and you end up with a full fledged experience into Ancient Greek democracy.

Alexios defeating Cleon

Gaming Blog 1

This week I’ve been playing Civ 5 as The United States. The map I started on was comprised of only small to medium sized islands. I was put on a relatively small island however it was located near many other islands. I started playing this particular game 2 weeks ago and just finished a few days ago. I usually pick the marathon game speed because i really enjoy playing the same game for days sometimes weeks at a time. I lost to Saladin, he won a time victory meaning he won based on his game score when the game reached the year 2050. However the game was close and to give myself some satisfaction I’ve continued past 2050 and begun playing to see if I can manage surpassing the 2 nations more successful than mine, the Iroquois and Arabs. So far it’s not going well, Saladin just became the world leader, which means he would’ve won a diplomatic victory if it was before 2050. However I already control 3 former capitals and will attempt to take over using military forces, which would’ve given me a domination victory before 2050. I spent the game observing the many different systems that dictate gameplay. The main ones are the victory conditions. Culture, Science, Domination, and Diplomatic. Culture and Science not only can lead you directly to victory but they will be necessary, along with a sufficient military and a decent economy, to merely survive. This is a fantastic way to simulate how nations struggle to juggle all the necessities of a good civilization throughout history. The reason I focus on culture and science as vitally important to success in the game because the production of culture and science must be tended to throughout the entire game in order to survive. They also have direct effects on all of the other important systems in the game. For example culture production allows you to adopt social policies which have massive economic, technological, religious, agricultural, and diplomatic effects. Another example is; if a civ neglects its science production, it will not only not have a chance at a science victory but it will fall behind militarily. Advanced technology greatly enhances military power. Other nations will take advantage of this and the civ will be doomed. This is a fantastic way the game systems simulate actual historical systems. No matter the century, new technologies dictate the outcome of most military conflicts.