The evolution of gameplay - from antiquity to the present day

The entire history of mankind is nothing more than the evolution of myths that fill the surrounding reality with meaning. Reality is one, it does not change, but, in each era, people structured and explained it in their own way. Each era had its own rules of the game and victory conditions. Let's see what games the people of Western civilization have played for the past 2500 years.





Antiquity

The world of ancient man was predetermined by a higher power, with which it is impossible to fight. Even the gods obeyed the lot. The intended scenario was hidden, so people resorted to the help of oracles, fortune-telling, astrology to find out their fate. A man walked through life within the framework of a linear plot with few forks. (An example of a fork is the prophecy that whoever touches the Trojan land first will perish. Odysseus jumped on the shield and thus avoided the trigger).





Antiquity genre - quest





The meaning of the game is incomprehensible.  The goal of the game is to play the plot to the end, to show heroism and artistry.
The meaning of the game is incomprehensible. The goal of the game is to play the plot to the end, to show heroism and artistry.

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- RPG





The point of the game is to defeat evil.  The goal of the game is to save the soul.
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- RTS





The point of the game is to survive.  The goal of the game is wealth, power, fame.
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With what have we come to this Brave New World? Extreme individualism, depleted resources, the impotence of science to make us happy, but, most importantly, the absence of rules that limit us from the outside. Throughout the previous history, the rules dictated to us the meaning of the game. Now, we must learn to create meanings on our own.





The genre of this world is sandbox





The meaning of the game is to live.  The goal of the game is to create meaning.
The meaning of the game is to live. The goal of the game is to create meaning.

We are like soldiers who returned from the war. We learn to live without orders, we restore our connection with the world through spontaneous activity.





And, finally, a New Year's wish for everyone who has finished reading this opus:





Play, Pray, Love








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