this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2022
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What video games are pure ideology? (hexbear.net)
submitted 3 years ago by wombat@hexbear.net to c/askchapo@hexbear.net
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For instance, the Civ games are basically Whig History: The Game, presenting liberal capitalism as the ideal end point for all societies. It even includes uncivilized "barbarian tribes" whose sole purpose is to be exterminated so you can take their land for the glory of capitalism.

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[–] Frank@hexbear.net 1 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago)

The "Rebels fighting against NATO/CSAT" mod is one of the most popular mods.

My group really leaned in to the "We're all mercenary war criminals" aesthetic, fully and ironically aware that in most scenarios, regardless of which faction we were fighting, we were definitely the bad guys. You can only blow up so many technicals with drones and bleeding edge main battle tanks before you start to question your role.

Funny enough, ARMA is what really broke me out of the idea that war is "Cool". I was playing with like forty people, we were stuck in a ditch with mortar fire coming down on us and a couple of enemy tanks strafing us with machine gun fire. And there was nothing to do except wait to die. No CoD hero moments, no last minute clutch saves, no happy ending. We had no anti-tank weapons, we were pinned, and we all died. And I thought "This has happened to millions and millions of people" and it kind of permanently broke me out of the idea that there's anything noble or heroic about war.

Edit: Also, ARMA is notable for being the only game I've ever heard of that partnered with the International Committee of the Red Cross to make an expansion about unexploded ordinance, mines, and the laws of war. It has a whole mini-campaign where you play as an explosive ordinance disposal expert after the war has ended. I think the opening mission has you playing as a civilian who inevitably dies to artillery fire.