I have had the best time playing Pre-Dynastic Egypt, which is a strategic, turn-based history game from Clarus Victoria. www.gog.com/game/predynastic_egypt The game provides a virtual encounter with the rise of the city of Hierakonpolis in the Nile Delta. The player isn't any individual member of the at-first-small tribe, but rather the tribe and eventually the civilization itself. Players are given turn-based choices on how to best utilize the population and resources of the budding city in encounters with foreign tribes, weather challenges, illness and other signs of the whim of the gods. Ancient technologies such as the discovery of agriculture, the domestication of animals and the ability to build with brick and eventually stone, develop alongside evolving faith, political and social systems. The player starts as a part of a very small group of settlers along the Nile. The map of the region is entirely obscured under clouds and as the player progresses, the clouds part and fields, dwellings and sanctuaries can be built. I approached playing this civilization simulation from the perspective of one of James Paul Gee's 13 Principles of Empowered Learning: Customization. According to Gee, Customization in a game allows a player/learner to create their own unique path through the levels of a game based upon personal preferences and play style. This is evident from the very first moves of the game. The player is given a choice of whether to start at a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced level (basically, (1) the weather is good and other tribes like you, (2)the weather is bad and other tribes are a little more hostile, and (3) the winds of the Sahara will desiccate your bones!), which will rule your fortune throughout play. From there, each turn is filled with decision-making challenges: do you send your population to work the fields or build houses? Do you spend an extra turn or two exploring the borders of your land or time dedicated to venerating your gods? If your lush lands lead to overpopulation, do you try to quickly build more dwellings or exile members of your population? Each of these decisions has the weight of a developing civilization on its shoulders. Informative history tabs let the player know the consequences of their choices alongside real historical developments of the civilization. Players who prefer action can seek out conflict with foreign tribes - will you shower them with gifts to encourage good will or will you attack their forces with your own military? Each choice comes with consequence - if the foreign tribe is stronger or more hostile, you stand the chance of losing lands, wealth and population. Prompts invite the player to constantly try new approaches - did you lose troops to an enemy? perhaps you should try reaching out to them with gifts next time. No one player style (passive or aggressive) seems to provide the best or only path to civilization stability. I'm looking forward to getting back into the game to see what comes next! Check out the slideshow to see several opportunities granted to the player along the way. The player can customize their experience by simply informing themselves of the consequences of the options, choosing an aggressive or a passive approach to their neighbors and moving forward with conquering the lands of the Nile! Victory goals are established; however, a player can continue beyond failed goals, such as the loss of a tribe or failure to appease the gods within a certain number of turns.
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And because I won't be able to sleep if I don't correct a grave error. The gorgeous image of the courtly youth playing a game of chess comes from the wonderful manuscript Les voeux des Paon (vows of the peacock) by Jacques de Longuyon. New York, Morgan Library, MS G.24, fols 25v-26r. The kids knew how to throw a game night back in the day ... complete with squirrel pets!
I'm excited to start this journey as a student of game design. I've chosen as my first game one with a rather unprepossessing title, "Pre-dynastic Egypt." If I didn't really love the history of actual Pre-dynastic Egypt, I might not be attracted to this game just based on the title. My guess, though, is that there're a lot of people just like me who are history buffs and interested in the topic outside of an Ancient Aliens episode. I'm looking forward to seeing how the designers of the game lead us through the development of the civilization. I wonder if they're going to call our king Menes or Narmer? I'll get back to you on that.
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Maureen the Gamer
Professor. Administrator. Gamer. Cat Lady. Not necessarily in that order. Blogging the game design process since 2020. Archives
January 2024
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