Using video game engines to create historical reconstructions

[DreadfulSorry]

I am an archaeology graduate student, and I came across this abstract while doing some research for a paper:

http://www.pompeiana.org/research/CAA_Abstracts/CAA_M.Anderson.htm

Basically the thought Anderson is posing is that not only can video game engines provide the means for academics to reconstruct ancient cites, but they can utilize these engines to reconstruct the environment as well, i.e. the sounds, changing daylight, and interaction with other people. As both a lover of ancient history and video games, the idea made me feel practically giddy (imagine, exploring a Pompeii reconstructed with the Source engine!) and, naturally, I had to share it with the Escapist.
I'm curious to see what you all think about this idea? Do you think there can be other applications for this kind of technology? Also, how do you feel this will influence (if at all) the way that other people might view the medium of games; would it be beneficial or harmful?

 

[MarcFirewing]

There's only so much reconstruction that can be done of an olden period of history. We can't map out everyday lives but only estimate. There IS brilliance in the idea and that it can be used for various academic purposes in discovering how people acted back in those days. But we're limited by our literature and what anyone has discovered, other than that, it's beyond our control.

We can't manipulate free-will because if we attempted to do that into a video game we'd have to script what they can "freely" do. Thus meaning if some random person wanted to go up and start a war with a king and suddenly the whole city's in uproar but there's no periodically set record of it.

The idea is fucking brilliant, especially if you could control a character that's there just to observe and study. When used for class assignments it can actually increase attention spans because most children play video games these days. So do teens and young adults obviously, thus increasing it more in High School and College as well.

Influence on video games will never change. There's people that will always believe it beneficial, but the other half will believe that the Video Games are showing in graphic and violent details of how life used to be in such days. Ultimately, it's a great chance for video games to prosper and possibly increase different views on it, but in the end, they'll always be the same.

For the TL;DR fags: Basically we're limited to what we know historically, and attempting to increase knowledge by putting human logic into the thoughts of an AI would be ultimately imagination. It's a great theory in concept, but there's hardly any money to be made in the idea and it's doubtful game companies will make games due to how much money is needed to actually build them.

 

[DreadfulSorry]

Snip

Those are some great points. I agree that the practical applications of this kind of thing in a classroom type setting would be excellent! I also agree that many game developers might not be interested in creating this type of game; but I think that there would be plenty of students as well as professors and scholars who would be interested in seeing something like this be made. It would be an invaluable medium by which many people could come to a greater understanding of ancient history, in much the same way as a museum can expose people to material culture which they would otherwise not have the chance to learn about.

Also, the beauty of reconstruction in something like a video game is that it could be changed and reshaped as new information and discoveries are made. This eliminates the problem of physical reconstruction, which if it is done incorrectly, is much more difficult to correct.

 

[MarcFirewing]

-.Snip snip.-

Of course it'd be a great asset to the academic community, and reconstruction would make people love history's architecture even more. Assassin's Creed II made me enjoy Italy's architecture of its inner walls of all it's beauty, and makes me more inspired to go to Italy myself one day and experience the beauty of it. But it's the attempt to talk to people to get information about the area and such that you pointed out which is much more difficult to manage.

Converting new language to older language is difficult, not to mention having to gather the facts. The game would require constant updates with details on architecture and its creators. It's a magnificent idea, and I think that if people devoted time into the idea, it'd be extremely enjoyable for classrooms because they'd be more focused into it. The only problem is creation and a giant team dedicated to getting every single little fact right. Even a single number or detail out of place and everything could go haywire. There has to be a team that makes sure there's absolutely no room for error, which is hard to find.

I wouldn't have minded it for my history class indeed. =]