Why is medieval fantasy the most popular setting in video games?
>>729002717Because Medieval times were the best time for humanity.
>>729002717Because the only way to make scifi good is to include fantasy elements, and while fantasy is enhanced by scifi elements, it is not a requirement for being interesting.
>>729002717>nice architecture>plenty of medieval superstition to work with>far enough away from the modern era that it can come off as foreign while still being familiar>killing a motherfucker with a blade will always feel personal>nice middle ground of advancement and theory without refinement
Best balance of imagination and adversity>can make tiny villages of NPCs instead of having to build bustling cities>can fight monsters as enemies instead of having to invent modern threats or kill humans>traversal is a challenge since you can't fly or drive everywhere>melee combat makes sense instead of being made obsolete by guns >can naturally fit in any magical elements that make for more interesting gameplay >can explore unknown lands because the world isn't mapped by satellite yet >etc
>>729002717Name a more interesting time period
>>729002717Lord of the Rings
>>729003159>setting has to be a past time periodno imagination
>>72900315919th century
>>729002717Fantasy settings tend to have lots of unpolluted nature, something every healthy human subconsciously covets. It is escapism of the highest order. A world untouched by industrialism and the modern medical complex, while also handwaving away all of the downsides like lower life expectancy and plague-like illnesses unless necessary for the plot.
>>729003159BC era
>>729002717It was the most soulful time for humanity. Fighting with swords, spears, and shields is the coolest way to fight. Castles are cool. Cobblestone walls and buildings are soulful. You were surrounded by beautiful nature. It was a time where there were lots of tales about mythical creatures, so it's a good setting for having a lot of enemy variety.
>>729003159Sengoku era
>>729003049Summed it up nicely. Enemy variety and melee combat is a big one. If your game is set in a realistic setting and/or modern day, you're limited to humans and/or guns, which often makes the game lack variety.
>>729003049>>729004213Doesn't explain why it's always medieval and not antiquity
Because medieval combat will always feel more manly than modernsniping a motherfucker from 10000 feet away is certainly more effective, but looking a man in his eyes as you take the life out of him is on a whole another level
Tolkien
>>729004410*snipes you from 10000 feet away with magic*
>>729004503sissy mages have never been manly
>>729004315As far as I know, people could not even comprehend something beyond a polis in Antiquity. Also, the concept of individuality came with Christianity. Then there's the idea of chivalry and chivalrous romance. So going on epic adventures kind of requires going further back in time.
>>729004315Castles, walls, armored knights, dragons, churches, wizards, forests, fairies etc are all far more commonly associated with medieval mythology You could theoretically include all of those in an ancient setting but you'd be limiting your audience by presenting them with less familiar concepts and imagery
>>729004623Tyranny is set in the late Bronze Age (with the evil overlord's armies raping everyone with iron) and it all just looks exactly like Medieval shit
>>729004691I haven't played it. Does it apply the modern industrial mindset to the period or does it actually do something differently?
>>729004623>>729004681>As far as I know, people could not even comprehend something beyond a polis in AntiquityNot sure what you mean, antiquity had some of the largest empires in human historyAs far as the other elements, he question is why are castles, churches, knights, chivalry etc the standard and not a more even mixture of bronze age / late antiquity / medieval. Why is chivalry a more common element than kleos? You are applying circular logic here rather than getting to the root of it
>>729004858>Why is chivalry a more common element than kleos? You are applying circular logic here rather than getting to the root of itIt simply happened to be more popular given the development of history and culture, it was more recent, better documented, more relatable, closer to our own values and ideas, it just captivated people moreEven before video games medieval/fantasy media and fiction was more common than ancient media and fiction
>>729004858>Not sure what you mean, antiquity had some of the largest empires in human historyI read that in Revolt of the Masses.>Why is chivalry a more common element than kleos?I suppose you're right, there must be a different answer. It could have to do with Romantics idealising Medieval times and Japan aping that from Romantics.
>>729002717Swords are cooler than guns, magic is cooler than tech and big open planes are cooler than cities.
>>729002717because there is nothing more soulful than Europa
>>729004681We all know Rome, Ancient Egypt and Greece so its not that limiting.Iron Age fantasy is cool and I am so tired of pretending that it isn't.
>>72900315920th century
>>729005252I would say that the issue IS that we know them too well, you're limited to settings that are either literal history or too inspired by literal history Meanwhile medieval fantasy has been turned into a generic commodity, when you see a castle and walls and knights in Dragon Quest or Baldur's Gate, do you think of British medieval history or culture? Or French? German? Polish? It's a universal setting not beholden to the specific identity of any real civilization
>>729005491>Industrialization>Masses coming to the stage>Total wars>Aggressive scientism20th century sucked balls. So did 19th, for that matter.
>>729003049opinion on gun in medieval fantasy
Because smartphones solve like 99% of all jrpg problems
>>729002717that's early modern though
