Why medieval city-builder video games are historically inaccurate (2020)

Summary

This blog post explores the historical accuracy of medieval city-builder video games. IntroductionSince many of us are working from home in these trying times, it seems safe to assume that more people than ever are indulging in playing the occasional computer game. A city builder is a specific kind of computer game in which you design a city, extract resources, set up production chains and ensure that your settlement grows. City builders are very similar to strategy games as they reward patience and strategy. In this article, I will take a look at one sub-genre of the city builder, the medieval city builder, and explain how this gaming genre relates to our knowledge of medieval settlement planning.Historical city buildersThe city builder has its origins far back in the 1990s in the combination of the strategy genre and the management genre, leading to games such as Sim City (1989), Caesar (1992) and Age of Empires (1997). Screenshot: Caesar (1992) It did not take long before medieval-themed city builders popped up. We may think of Settlers (1993) and Knights and Merchants (1998). In addition, the Anno games (1998-2019), although initially set in the 1600s basically had a medieval theme. Screenshot: Knights and Merchants (1998) These games often start with plopping down a village center on a promising location near abundant resources. You then continue to gather these resources which grant you building materials for building new homes and facilities for your settlement. Screenshot: Settlers (1993) Setting up specialized production chains might involve growing grain, milling the grain for flour and turning the flour into bread which feeds your villages. Similarly, another production chain might involve rearing sheep for their wool, turning the wool into cloth and turning the cloth into clothing. When done correctly, the reward of correct investments and planning is that you see your settlement grow. Screenshot: Anno 1404 (2009) This often leads to settlements growing ...