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The Middle Ages in Computer Games

medievalists.net

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Re: The Middle Ages in Computer Games

#5

Post by krykp »

shreddit wrote: post #2

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…

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

Re: The Middle Ages in Computer Games

#7

Post by delichon »

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.

Re: The Middle Ages in Computer Games

#10

Post by rdlw »

0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #4

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

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)

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