Smithereens! (1982)

http://www.mobygames.com/game/odyssey-2/smithereens

Joust (1980)

http://www.mobygames.com/game/pet/joust_

Analyse: Die Gilde (2002)

Intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik9XZGxaxOg

Outttro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV3YdIblEC4

Game: Castles

http://www.homeoftheunderdogs.net/game.php?id=2438

Perhaps the first truly accessible strategy game about the Middle Ages, Castles is a classic from Interplay that offers many hours of addictive gameplay. As a prominent English noble living in the 12th century, your mission is straightforward: build a castle and defend it from the Celts.
What makes Castles a lot of fun is the variety of castles parts (walls, gates, towers, etc.) that effectively allows a limitless number of designs you can implement. There are some inconsistencies in the times it takes to build different parts, but they do not detract from the fun. True to the intense political turmoil of that era, you will also have to make decisions (by answering multiple-choice questions) that will affect your favor with the Church, nobles, and peasants. Throughout the game, your constant task is to maintain a strong military and a large workforce while watching the level of your treasury.
Although Castles is easy to learn and lacks complicated options, it is by no means an easy game. The game is quite long, and if you don?t build up your army early in the game, you will find yourself at a severe disadvantage in later stages when each new invasion by the Celts brings more and more soldiers. Worse, battles are not as much fun to watch as when you are building a castle. Every battle take place on your castle grounds, where you can watch your tiny animated archers rain arrows from the towers and walls and foot soldiers engage in close combat. Watching is pretty much all you can do, though?some tactical options a la battles in Kingmaker would have been a welcome addition.
Still, with all its inconsistencies and some weaknesses, Castles is an immensely enjoyable game that should please anyone who wants a fun, not overly complex game set in the Middle Ages. Castles requires more strategic muscle than Defender of the Crown, yet is not as sophisticated as Machiavelli The Prince. Two thumbs up, way up!

Read and Weep: Briten glauben an Hobbits und Elfen

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=237691

T.A.G. - Text Adventure Generator

Wohl die deutsche alternative zu TADS:

http://www.martin-oehm.de/tag/index.html

Assoziationen mit dem Thema "Mittelalter"

Zum Thema "Abgrenzung zu Fantasy-Spielen":

http://www.cosmiq.de/qa/show/1337809/was-verbindet-ihr-mit-dem-mittelalter/

http://www.strategie-zone.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&p=172294

Computer Games Museum

http://www.thelegacy.de/Museum/

Rezension "Wollten Sie auch immer schon einmal…"

http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/rezensionen/2011-2-117

Pro Tools

Corey Arcangel on re-using Code

Best PC Games of all times!

http://www.pcgamesdatabase.de/bestofalltime.php?PHPSESSID=d2a3ai7vbjs91duaq7vukota84

Mittelalterbegriff

Der Begriff "Mittelalter" (im historischen Sinne) ist nicht eindeutig bzw. unterschiedlich definiert.

In der europäischen Geschichtsschreibung wird mit "Mittelalter" die Zeitspanne zwischen dem 6. bis 15. Jhd. n. Chr. bezeichnet, wobei die Grenzen hierbei nicht exakt abgesteckt sind.

Im Gegensatz dazu wird beispielsweise das Japanische Mittelalter von ca. 1200 bis 1600 n. Chr. datiert.

Wiederrum ergeben sich abweichende Definitionen wenn man die Mittelalter-Definitonen verschiedener Länder betrachtet. So Bezeichnet man in Skandinavien bzw. Schweden die der Eisenzeit nachfolgenden Epochen als "Vendelzeit", "Wikingerzeit", "nordisches Mittelalter".

Der unterschiedlich definierte Begriff "Mittelalter" muss also mit einer gewissen Vorsicht verwendet werden und mit einem Bewusstsein für seine "Mehrdeutigkeit".

Überlegungen zur praktischen Arbeit

GameModification:


Inhalt:
inerhalb eines (grafisch) modifizerten Spiels sollen die Ursprünge der visuellen ästhetiken Verdeutlicht werden.zB voher stammt das Pouläre Bild des Tempelritters aus Assasins Creed? Warum sieht er so aus wie er aussieht? Was ziegen die historischen Quellen?

Präsentation:
in Form einer (interaktiven?) Installation, Beamer auf Leinwand projeziert, xBox oder PC zum "spielen"

Fragestellungen

Wie funktioniert Mittelalter in Verschiedenen Spielgenres?

Wie hat sich die Geschichtsdarstellung in Computerspielen im Laufe der Zeit gewandelt?

Was veranlasst Spielentwickler, neben den Verkaufszahlen, ihre Spiele mit historischem Inhalt zu füllen?

Welchen Mehrwert können Computerspiele durch die Beschäftigung mit Geschichte über
den reinen Unterhaltungswert hinaus generieren?

Practical Part

Once again, I had a tutorium with Olia today.

We came to the agreement that the practical part of my Bachelor work will be an artistic approach towards narration and aesthetics in computer games.

Therefore she advised me to watch the 2006 documentary "8bit" by Marcin Ramocki & Justin Strawhand, that also comments on game art.

List of Books

Intersting Book with greatest title ever:

Wollten Sie auch immer schon einmal pestverseuchte Kühe auf Ihre Gegner werfen?: Eine fachwissenschaftliche Annährung an Geschichte im Computerspiel

http://www.amazon.de/Wollten-einmal-pestverseuchte-Gegner-werfen/dp/3643102674/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306423026&sr=1-16

kurze Frage…

Welchen Stellenwert spielt das Setting/Thema/Context im Computerspiel, analysiert am Beispiel von Mittelalterspielen?

List of Games (4)

The Kings' Crusade
The Kings’ Crusade is a real-time strategy game that places you in the era of the Third Crusade, spanning the years 1189-1192. Control and upgrade the leaders and their armies, lead your men into fierce battles, complete the objectives of the campaign by guiding various historical factions through political events, collect relics, and unlock new content on your crusade.

1193 Anno Domini: Im Schatten der Kreuzzüge

Dieses Computerspiel beinhaltet eine historische Wirtschaftssimulation für 1 bis 4 Spieler, die im Mittelalter zur Zeit des 3. - 7. Kreuzzuges angesiedelt ist. Man startet seine Karriere als junger Mensch im Alter von ca. 18 Jahren. 

Stronghold Crusader

The second installment, Stronghold: Crusader, was released in September 2002. The gameplay is similar to the first game, but with enhanced RTS elements and with all maps and missions set entirely in the Middle Ages in the Middle East. The focus was radically influenced by fortification and siege technologies developed during the Crusades. The entire campaign, as well as the 'Conquest Trail' game mode, takes place during the Third Crusade.
Unlike the original Stronghold, however, there are four separate, linear campaigns. The game does take history into effect: Saladin and Richard I of England are present as the game's AI characters for the player to side with or against, together AI personalities. In addition, the player is allowed to play either as an Arabic lord or as a European king with little effect except which units the player begins with.

 

List of Games (3)

Today was a very successfull day, I did some "infield" research on current computergames with medival settings.

This is the list:

The First Templar

Hack n Slay role playing game situated in the 13th Century (including Fantasy Elements)

Medieval II: Total War

Medieval II: Total War provides epic mass battles. It's a tactical game that puts the player into the role of a army commander. You have access to a variety of races, Knights, Vikings, Aztecs, etc…

 Die Sims: Mittelalter

The famous live simulation series "The Sims" recently came out with it's newest version that allows you to move your avatars through a medival setting

Real Warfare: 1242

Real Warfare 1242 erzählt die Geschichte von Alexander Newski, einem russischen Nationalhelden, der sich im 13. Jahrhundert gegen die mongolische Besatzung auflehnte. 

 Remark:

due to games like Shogun: Total War, that are situated in the same timeline but play in Asia, It might be wise to focus on Medival studies in Europe!

List of Games (2)

Viking: Battle for Asgard

The game is based on Norse Mythology, where the war between the gods has sparked further conflict in the mortal realm of Midgard, where Freya's champion Skarin must lead Viking forces against that of the Goddess Hel.

List of Games

possible games to consider for thesis:

1. Assassin’s Creed

Historische Korrektheit

Die Entwickler betonen die historische Genauigkeit in Assassin’s Creed, stellen allerdings den Felsendom in Jerusalem mit seiner heutigen goldenen Kuppel dar. Die Orte im Spiel sollen charakteristische Modelle der Handlungsorte zu jener Zeit darstellen. Jedes von Altaïrs Zielen ist (ebenfalls historisch belegt) eine Führungsperson, die um das Jahr 1191 entweder starb oder verschwand (wenn auch nicht zwangsläufig durch Mord). Die Assassinen werden in diesem Spiel jedoch als atheistische Organisation dargestellt, die den Frieden im heiligen Land zum Ziel hat und sich nur von einigen Grundsätzen leiten lässt, was historisch nicht zutrifft, da die Assassinen eine ismailitische Vereinigung waren. Hinzu kommt, dass die Assassinen zwar Mordanschläge verübten, bei der anschließenden Verhaftung aber keinerlei Gegenwehr leisteten, sondern sich einfach in ihr Schicksal ergaben.
Im Spiel selbst werden derartige Anachronismen in der Rahmenhandlung thematisiert und erklärt: Die Geschichtsschreibung ist fehlerhaft, nicht die Erlebnisse im Animus

 

Interview with Patrice Désilets, Creative Director of Assassin's Creed: Link

Beta Table of Contents

Dear Blog,

tuesday was a very good and inspiring day. I had a talk with Yvonne concerning my bachelor thesis. She gave me good advice on what to focus on and what to leave out.

The topic will be: "engagement with medieval times in computer games"- "Auseinandersetzung mit dem Thema "Mittelalter" in Computerspielen"

In the end, we came up with the following "beta-version" table of contents:

1. Elements of the Game

• What "basic" elements / principles does a computer have / need? 
•  i.e. Rules, Characters, Environment
• immersion of the user, identification with the protagonist (avatar)
• picture language, plot, spoken language, sound design

2. Assortment of games

• due to a uncountable amount of games available, I need to focus on a specific genre: Games with medieval context
• Choose one presentable game or choose 2-3 and make a comparison
• What is special about medieval games?
• Do they follow the elements exposed in Chapter 1? Are there differences?
• Why Is there an fascination for medival games? (compare with Chapter 1) 

3. Description of Methods (Methodenbeschreibung)

• Diskursanalyse (in der Literaturwissenschaft) -> Michael Foucault
• Is there yet any Diskurs about gaming?

4. "State of the art" in Medieval studies

• what does studies really know about medival ages?
• France -> Ecole D'anales
• if it's too much, select sub-category like "military in medvial ages"
• what Is know about medieval society? 

5. Introduction and Description of chosen game(s)

• which game(s) did I chose and why?
• what makes them specials, what is the content?

6. Transfer and Analysis

• Compare game(s) from 5. with outcome from 4. and use 3. to do so
• what Image of Medival Ages is portrayed in the game(s)?
• what is left out?
• Why is there an discussion (Diskurs) about Medival Ages? 
• What for? (i.e. Flucht->wie werden die Spiele beworben?, erleben von "Einfachheit") 

7. Conclusion & Summary

• what do we learn from all that?

Practical Part:

Concerning the practical part of my bachelor project, I'm starting to see things clearer.

An essential part for the content of the practical part will be the outcome of my thesis (Chapter 7).

I want to make an Indie-Like game, a short sequence (due to the amount of time I have). I picture it to be similar to Tale of Tales game "The Graveyard".

Content of my game will be to break away from the stereotypical portrait of Medieval Ages in games and to give insight from a very different point of view.
For example, you play a beggar or a peasant instead of a knight or warrior.

Due to third person perspective, immersion of the player and identification with the persona is granted.

For the realisation I will use Unity 3d Game engine and a 3d rendering program like Cinema 4D

First colloquium

Today I had the first talk with my Prof Olia about my bachelor project.

I had several loose ideas in mind what could be the topic of my work, but nothing fixed yet. I like to go from an vast, abstract field of topics to an precise formulated thesis.

The topics I came up with where:

Values of the immaterial

One thing that fascinates me is the economics of "digital products", i.e. WoW-Goldcoins that you can buy on ebay
For me as an non-WoW-Player, it's interesting that user buy gold (or credits, as in other games) to progress in a game and especially how the value of it is defined. Also exciting to see is the industry of "gold-herding-kids" that collect the money with is then sold on ebay (and other platforms).

Internet Archeology

A topic, that I already discussed in 4th semester was the question of "what will be left of our digital culture in 1000 years". Since digital culture by it's definition draws it's most… so to say "contents" or "definitions" from digital media, the amount of content to be preserved apears to be dramatically little.

So world, what will be left?


After discussing these topics with Olia, it appeared to me that we both weren't a 100% satisfied. For me, it's clear that I want to write about something that I'm really interested in. So I came up with a topic, that I already had buried:

(new formulated after discussion with Olia):

How Is (military-) history represented in today's Videogames (Ego Shooters)

There is obviously a huge difference between the Images of Soldiers and Warriors in Videogames (often glorified as heroes) and there "real-life" counterparts in Military-History.

I want to focus either on the WWII or the Viking age Warrios (or both).



Stuff to read / watch:

• Shooter - eine multdisziplinäre Einführung, Book by Matthias Bopp
• "Get Lamp" - Movie by Jason Scott (->Trailer)

Stuff to do:

• ask Yvonne if she wants to support the project

Hello world

Hey me,

this is my personal blog for collecting and archiving stuff for my bachelor thesis and work.

I will post results, thoughts and frustrations and in the end this will lead to an ultimate project dokumentation :)

Lets get started…