Orientalism in Dominions

[TheMenacer]

I think the problem with this is that, while you are absolutely right that the eastern nations are definitely represented via a western lens, so is pretty much ever other nation. I mean look at a nation like Man, they're a highly romanticized notion of medieval England replete with their own (arguably) nonhuman past in the various faerie peoples. Granted, many of these nations aren't nonhuman, so there's something that could probably be said about that, but you can hardly claim that even nations with the veneer of the familiar aren't highly exoticized (or however you spell that). I think the only one that isn't might be Marignon, if only because anyone with even the slightest experience with western history is going to instantly recognize the Christian Fanaticism/Spanish Inquisition themes and there is only so much a developer can play with something like that.

[Poopsi]

Originally Posted by TheMenacer

I think the problem with this is that, while you are absolutely right that the eastern nations are definitely represented via a western lens, so is pretty much ever other nation. I mean look at a nation like Man, they're a highly romanticized notion of medieval England replete with their own (arguably) nonhuman past in the various faerie peoples. Granted, many of these nations aren't nonhuman, so there's something that could probably be said about that, but you can hardly claim that even nations with the veneer of the familiar aren't highly exoticized (or however you spell that). I think the only one that isn't might be Marignon, if only because anyone with even the slightest experience with western history is going to instantly recognize the Christian Fanaticism/Spanish Inquisition themes and there is only so much a developer can play with something like that.

Anyone familiar with western history would know that "pop. culture images" hardly are realistic representations of western history, or nations.

On the other hand, popular culture images of nations, cultures, and mythologies are a great way to make familiar themes for a fantasy computer game, without having any pretension of it bearing any relationship to actual events except by coincidence.