Historical Simulations and the Mechanics of Conquest: How Game Mechanics Tell Stories About the Past
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Date
2020-01-20
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Department
History
Program
Historical Studies
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Distribution Rights granted to UMBC by the author.
This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is made available by UMBC for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please see http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/specoll/repro.php or contact Special Collections at speccoll(at)umbc.edu
This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is made available by UMBC for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please see http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/specoll/repro.php or contact Special Collections at speccoll(at)umbc.edu
Abstract
Over the past decade, historical simulations have become one of the most popular genres of video games. With audiences in the millions, these historically themed games represent mass-market works of popular history. This paper studies the kinds of historical narratives that tend to predominate within the genre through an analysis of game mechanics. Using the philosophy of experiential game design, this paper contextualizes four games within the broader historiography. An emphasis is given to comparing Tory and Whig histories and also the limitations of the medium in conveying historical narratives.