IMC 2021: Sessions

Session 1312: The Middle Ages in Modern Games, IV: Medieval Worldbuilding through Weather and Climate

Wednesday 7 July 2021, 16.30-18.00

Sponsor:	The Public Medievalist / Centre for Medieval & Renaissance Research, University of Winchester
Organiser:	Robert Houghton, Department of History, University of Winchester
Moderator/Chair:	Robert Houghton, Department of History, University of Winchester
Paper 1312-a	Sublime Mists: Aesthetics of Weather in Medieval Video Games (Language: English) Mario Paul Martinez Fabre, Departamento de Arte, Universitas Miguel Hernández, Elche Kevin Díaz Alché, Departamento de Arte, Universitas Miguel Hernández, Elche Index terms: Computing in Medieval Studies, Medievalism and Antiquarianism
Paper 1312-b	Wasteland Wanderers: 'Viking' Fantasy Cultures and Their Frozen Inhospitable Homes (Language: English) Markus Mindrebø, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London Index terms: Computing in Medieval Studies, Medievalism and Antiquarianism
Abstract	Weather and Climate are well established tools and shortcuts within fictional worldbuilding across media formats. Their use taps in to established tropes and conceptions within the popular imagination which tie particular cultures and cultural stereotypes to specific environments. Thus the frozen north will almost inevitably be inhabited by violent pseudo-Scandinavians while representations of the population of desert regions will often draw on Islamic imagery. The papers in this session consider the ways in which several games make use of this environmental determinism within the creation and development of their worlds and stories.