tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post6792889779213320910..comments2024-03-19T02:11:32.628-07:00Comments on Experience Points: Barbarians at the GateJorge Alborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857765716032886965noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-91724120172554319982013-06-28T17:45:17.580-07:002013-06-28T17:45:17.580-07:00i never played
civilization, because the time scal...i never played<br />civilization, because the time scale is preposterous.mr poyosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-5015890673860428882013-06-28T17:43:57.148-07:002013-06-28T17:43:57.148-07:00can i quote you on this?can i quote you on this?Mr Pollosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-73231267629384166072011-01-20T13:49:36.604-08:002011-01-20T13:49:36.604-08:00While _Civilisation_ may rest on some pretty inter...While _Civilisation_ may rest on some pretty interesting ideological assumptions, the narrative in which 'barbarians' are crushed beneath the iron boots of progress is pretty historically accurate- and not necessarily 'teleological'. This aspect of the game (ironically, perhaps) suggests a kind of dialectic, in which progress is bought by bloodshed, chauvinism and borg-like assimilation. This may be shocking, but then, so is history.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-29501577484053807582010-12-20T12:59:08.914-08:002010-12-20T12:59:08.914-08:00@ Rik
City-states are a weird addition to Civ. In...@ Rik<br /><br />City-states are a weird addition to Civ. In my view, they act a bit like "civilized" barbarians, meaning they have their own motivations that do not mirror expansion, but they can also be bought off or mostly ignored. They are also more or less important for certain victories.<br /><br />@Jonathan<br /><br />I would really like that. I just recently read James Scott's 'Seeing Like A State' and loved it. In fact, I'll likely write about Civ next week and bring in some of his thoughts.Jorge Alborhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04857765716032886965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-46665969479869702042010-12-20T01:52:15.354-08:002010-12-20T01:52:15.354-08:00I suggest you take a look at James C. Scott's ...I suggest you take a look at James C. Scott's recent book The Art of Not Being Governed. It looks at the uplands of South East Asia and presents them not as ungoverned barbarian outposts but places that have actively resisted the encroachment of the state.Jonathan McCalmonthttp://ruthlessculture.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-8354590593953139932010-12-19T10:43:23.643-08:002010-12-19T10:43:23.643-08:00My first WTF moment playing Civilization IV: the r...My first WTF moment playing Civilization IV: the roaming animals that kill your first scout (well, that always kill my scout) are labeled 'Barbarian'. I think historical xenophobia is well-modeled in the Civilization games both with the barbarians and with Civ IV's reputation system, although I wonder what the designers were thinking about this name choice for the animals. Because my civilization has formed into cities and walled itself from nature, is nature my enemy now as well?<br /><br />I haven't had a chance to dive into Civ V yet, but I wonder how the new City-States fit in the game. Are they a third world available for the main Civs to dominate/exploit? How different are they in their actions from the Barbarian tribes?Rik Eberhardthttp://rikeberhardt.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-61141092231718859162010-12-18T00:33:06.434-08:002010-12-18T00:33:06.434-08:00@Alysandher
I have never heard that 4X term befor...@Alysandher<br /><br />I have never heard that 4X term before. How very blunt. One strange thing about writing a bunch about the game though, is that it actually makes me want to play it. <br /><br />@Christopher<br /><br />I could buy that. Of course, so of those people on your list are completely backwards. Who could argue with that. ;)<br />@Ben<br /><br />Ya know, me at Strategy games generally don't mix. Which I why I usually keep Civ games at arms length, that was until I decided to write a twenty-five page paper digging into the game's ideological components. Barbarism being one of the most forthright and unsettling examples.<br /><br />Great article linkage too. Although another thing I should mention, me and metaphysics don't generally mix either. I always feel like me and the author/writer/speaker are talking about different things and we just haven't realized it yet. In this case, I'm a little more hopeful that Eagleton. Of course, that could just be because I'm uncivilized.Jorge Alborhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04857765716032886965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-27687115198245264842010-12-15T21:45:56.095-08:002010-12-15T21:45:56.095-08:00Oh, and here's a link to an excerpt:
http://co...Oh, and here's a link to an excerpt:<br />http://commonwealmagazine.org/culture-barbarism-0Ben Abrahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146790136740709664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-29033809802738116872010-12-15T21:44:10.727-08:002010-12-15T21:44:10.727-08:00New flash! Jorge Albor discovers Civilization game...New flash! Jorge Albor discovers Civilization games contain a teleological narrative!<br /><br />I kid, I kid! =P Very interesting insights into CivV and Barbarism. Terry Eagleton has a chapter in his latest book 'Reason, Faith and Revolution' called "Culture and Barbarism" which touches on some of the islamaphobia stuff you seem to be hinting at with your reference to Bush.Ben Abrahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146790136740709664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-86902353223463867242010-12-14T23:11:11.979-08:002010-12-14T23:11:11.979-08:00Ruby Ridge, Waco, libertarians, the Tea Party, hip...Ruby Ridge, Waco, libertarians, the Tea Party, hippies, Mormons, fundamentalists, anarchists, bohemenians, gays, Ralph Nader voters. It ain't a right/left thing so much as a counterculture thing. Being against either traditionalism or progressivism leads to thinking like those ugly marginal "cultures" that are impeding social evolution and progress. There's probaly at least one group on the above list that makes someone cringe and shake their head at their "backwards" thinking. Everybody believes in barbarians. They just define them in accordance with their own principles of a proper order or society or state.G. Christopher Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07458080412232351676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-11889703550128275362010-12-14T18:53:21.315-08:002010-12-14T18:53:21.315-08:00Well, they're called 4x games.
4x stands for...Well, they're called 4x games. <br /><br />4x stands for "explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate."<br /><br /><br />That's why I can't play civ games. I find the premise that the proliferation of civilization and culture occurs through those four x's to be pretty disturbing in this context. <br /><br />I did love Alpha Centauri, though. In that game you were fighting with other factions to create your vision of a utopia. I'm willing to kill some greedy capitalists to get the job done, but I'm much less comfortable wiping out the Egyptians.Zaygne Torkmarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13056739527658217429noreply@blogger.com