ERASMUS UNIVERSITY ROTTERDAM
Appropriation & Motivation in
Game Modification
Analysing modders and historical mods
Coen Weeke
Master’s thesis
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
Student number: 458121
Date: 29-06-2020
Word count: 26288
Supervisor: Pieter van den Heede, MA
2
Abstract
The videogame industry is enormous, growing and extremely lucrative. To illustrate the industry's
revenue in 2018 was close to 140 billion dollars. It is essential to research the cultural value of such a
booming industry, which affects millions of people over the globe. The participatory culture
surrounding videogames includes users who aim to modify videogame content in order to alter the
videogames. Altering videogames is known as 'modding', and these players produce, what is known
as game mods. This thesis on games, modders and mods helps to understand the game industry, the
participatory culture surrounding it and reflects on contemporary historical culture. Research into
videogames has been relatively new in the academic field; even more so is the research into game
modifications. Central in this thesis is the question how players appropriate the content of the
historical digital entertainment game Mount and Blade through the practice of modding. Mods are a
way for players and communities to react against the dominant historical representation put forward
in commercial games.
The research focusses on Mount and Blade, two game modifications and modders to study
how the past is represented in videogames and mods and what motivates modders to create
alternative narratives of the past. The application of the formal analysis model defined by Óliver
Latorre has shown that the mods The Independence of Chile Mod and the American Civil War Mod:
Revived! display counter-hegemonic properties. Furthermore, the modders state in the interviews
that to them modding, similar to re-enactment, is a tool for history education. To the modders,
modding is a way to keep history alive and to carry the lessons with us. Additionally, the modders
deal with historical subjects not often seen in videogames and reiterate the importance and longing
for their culture, traditions, country, and history to be represented in virtual interactive media.
Keywords: Game modifications, mods, modders, videogames, participatory culture, Mount and
Blade, historical culture, representation, appropriation, motivation
3
Table of contents
Chapter 1: Set-up .................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Research question and sub-questions....................................................................................... 6
1.2 Main theoretical concepts & literature review ......................................................................... 6
1.3 Nature of sources and methods .............................................................................................. 15
Chapter 2: Mount & Blade .................................................................................................................... 20
2.1 Player/Character; Representation of the medieval man ........................................................ 20
2.2 Gameworld; Representation of the medieval 'Calradia' .......................................................... 25
2.3 Gameplay activities; Representation of the medieval struggle .............................................. 29
Chapter 3: Mods .................................................................................................................................... 32
3.1 American Civil War Mod: Revived! .............................................................................................. 32
3.1.1 Player/Character; Representation of 19th century American ............................................. 33
3.1.2 Game world; Representation of the American Civil War ..................................................... 34
3.1.3 Gameplay activities; Representation of struggles of man in war ........................................ 37
3.2 Independence of Chile mod ........................................................................................................ 38
3.2.1 Character/player; Representation of the 19
th
century South American .............................. 38
3.2.2 Game world; Representation of South America .................................................................. 39
3.2.3 Gameplay activities; Representation of the struggles of war .............................................. 42
Chapter 4: Motivations .......................................................................................................................... 44
4.1 Mount and Blade Modders ......................................................................................................... 44
4.2 Existing literature ........................................................................................................................ 47
Chapter 5: Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 49
5.1 The American Civil War Mod ................................................................................................... 50
5.2 The Independence of Chile Mod ............................................................................................. 51
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................... 53
Appendix ................................................................................................................................................ 57
A. Participation Consent Form ....................................................................................................... 57
B. Interview Questions .................................................................................................................. 59
4
Chapter 1: Set-up
Virtual, interactive media constitutes one of the major ground-breaking inventions of the digital
revolution. During the 1970s virtual, interactive media, or gaming became more and more accessible
for the general public through arcade machines, home gaming consoles and desktop computers.
From this point on the videogame industry saw a meteoric rise alongside the steep development of
hardware and software.
1
The global games market is expected to generate total revenue of 159.3
billion U.S. dollars in 2020.
2
To put this in perspective, in 2018, the videogames industry’s revenue
was 138.7 billion U.S. dollars, and the global music industry’s revenue was around 54 billion U.S.
dollars.
3
Given the increased significance of the gaming industry, research into the cultural value of
the booming industry is increasingly important. In the gaming industry, some of the most influential
and highest-grossing videogames are set in historical periods or based on historical events. In recent
years these historical games have emerged to become one of the most prominent expressions of
history in popular media. Initially, academic discourse surrounding historical videogames revolved
around the question if analysing the relationship between the past and the present is solely the task
of the historian. The book Playing with the Past: Digital Games and the Simulations of History by
Matthew Wilhelm Kapell and Andrew B.R. Elliott illustrates this perspective. The authors raise a few
concerns with the way digital games approach the past. One of such issues is their perspective that
popular history and videogames do not follow the academic perspective of studying history. They
believe that history in videogames is inadequate in portraying the past.
4
The former perspective rests
on the assumption that written histories are the only appropriate method of understanding the past
or present and that these written texts reflect history truthfully.
5
Adam Chapman, in his book Digital
Games as History, argues that thinking about written narratives as the main source of history
underestimates the power of different sources such as oral histories or pictures to constitute, rather
than express history and culture.
6
Chapman objects to the formerly mentioned assumptions of Elliott
and Kapell by stating that their perspective is based on different problematic assumptions. Firstly,
the current practice of writing history and the study of the past is the only possibility of
understanding the past is wrong. Secondly, the wrongful perspective that solely written history can
reflect reality.
7
Chapman in Digital Games as History objects this perspective and argues that the
different types of engagement with the past allow for different understandings; therefore history
does not have to be in the form of an academic text.
8
Chapman views history as not solely
constructed by historians but also by those involved in the production of multiple different cultural
products and engaged in a variety of historical practices, as well as the local discourses with which
they connect. Moreover, popular forms of history have the potential to be powerful precisely
because more than often, they are accessible, engaging and widely experienced.
9
Thus Chapman in
1
Angenitus Arie Andries Mol et al., eds., The Interactive Past: Archaeology, Heritage & Video Games (Leiden:
Sidestone Press, 2017). 8.
2
“Global Games Market Revenue by Region 2020,” Statista, accessed June 22, 2020,
https://www.statista.com/statistics/539572/games-market-revenue-by-region/.
3
“Global Music Industry Revenue 2023,” Statista, accessed January 8, 2020,
https://www.statista.com/statistics/259979/global-music-industry-revenue/.
4
Matthew Wilhelm Kapell and Andrew B. R. Elliott, Playing with the Past: Digital Games and the Simulation of
History (Bloomsbury Academic, 2013). 3.
5
Adam Chapman, Digital Games as History: How Videogames Represent the Past and Offer Access to Historical
Practice (London: Routledge, 2016). 15.
6
Chapman. 14.
7
Chapman. 13.
8
Ibid. 14.
9
Ibid. 17.
5
his work argues that videogames are a (new) form of history and that these historical representations
are an important expression of historical culture as well.
10
In the article Historical Culture: A Concept
Revisited the historians Maria Grever, and Robert-Jan Adriaansen denote that the study of historical
culture requires a proper framework of analysis to categorise the study on three different, but
interactive, levels; historical narratives, mnemonic infrastructures and conceptions of history.
However, (historical) games appear to challenge this analysis. Due to the active role players have
while playing the game; for instance, in other expressions of historical culture such as texts, the user
has a rather inactive role. Next to the active role of the players in (historical) videogames, there is a
strong virtual community of users. This participatory culture is an essential aspect of the gaming
industry and the culture surrounding it. In their book The Interactive Past Angus Mol et al. describe
the developments of the participatory culture as similar to the process of a historian.
11
A specific
expression of the participatory culture are game modifications. These modifications, known as mods,
are an interesting and enduring form of player production and are an essential part of gaming.
12
Mod
makers, or “modders”, add or alter games to better suit the need of the players, themselves. By
modding games, players actively appropriate the content of these games and transform it as their
own.
13
In order to study games and game modifications, the historical videogame Mount and Blade
is analysed. The game is developed by TaleWorlds and published by Paradox Interactive and has a
pervasive user-generated database of game modifications. To investigate this the game Mount and
Blade is used as a case study. Mount and Blade provides an interesting and relevant case study due
to several reasons. Firstly, the game is a unique blend of genres. This blend allows for an exciting
narrative to analyse through the lens of historical culture. Secondly, the game was designed
TaleWorlds with modding in mind. Therefore, it provides an excellent framework of analysis
regarding the modding community. The original game is situated in the fictive medieval land of
Calradia, where the player can create its own character and story from a noble to a bandit. However,
the mods for Mount and Blade are incredibly varied. The mods range from a Modern Warfare setting
to a Second World War setting to the Roman era as well as a scenario set in the Ottoman Empire.
Completely altering the original games historical setting. A case study such Mount and Blade raises
interesting questions to relations within historical culture as well as those within the world of
videogames. Such as the question ‘how do modders appropriate these (historical) videogames?’
Although the mods of the Paradox Interactive game are varied, it is interesting to look at how
radically they transform the contents of the original game. For example, mods can drastically change
the nature of the original game, essentially creating a whole new product. Additionally, modders can
also aim only to tweak, alter or change a few specific aspects of a game. Questions such as these
require a thorough analysis of modding, videogames and historical culture.
10
ibid.
11
Mol et al., The Interactive Past. 24.
12
Olli Sotamaa, “When the Game Is Not Enough: Motivations and Practices among Computer Game Modding
Culture,” Games and Culture 5, no. 3 (2010): 239–255.
13
Julie Sanders, Adaptation and Appropriation, The New Critical Idiom (London ; New York: Routledge, 2006).
1.
6
1.1 Research question and sub-questions
To guide and focus the research process the following research question is formulated:
How do players appropriate the content of the historical digital entertainment game Mount and
Blade through the practice of ‘modding’?
The goal of this research question and this study is to gain insight into gaming and mods as an
expression of contemporary historical culture. A critical aspect to trace and consider is the way
modders appropriate certain historical representations through game modifications. Do these mods
differ from offered commercially? What motivates these modders? Additionally, this research aims
to reflect on the implications of this research for the nature of the concept of (contemporary)
historical culture.
Several sub-questions have been formulated to assists in answering the research question.
1. How is the past represented in the videogame Mount & Blade
2. What historical representations can be traced in the mods for popular digital games, such as
Mount and Blade?
3. What motivations do the creators of Mount and Blade mods present?
The first sub-question aims to contextualize the original videogame. The different game mods are
based on the original game, thus to fully understand what the modder alters, Mount and Blade and
the representation of the past must be analysed. The second sub-question primarily deals with the
historical representation of historical game modifications. Concerning the main research question
this sub-question intends to aid in examining the first part; “How do players appropriate the content
of historical digital entertainment games”. The third sub-question intends to provide more insight
into the concept of modding and deepen it by a thorough analysis of the motivations behind
modders. The combination of these three sub-questions is aimed to suitably answer the proposed
research question.
The research question and subsequent sub-questions are going to be analysed through a
number of theoretical concepts. These underpinning theoretical concepts to this research are going
to be described in the following paragraph in depth. After the theoretical concepts, the methodology
and the nature of the analysed sources are going to be discussed.
1.2 Main theoretical concepts & literature review
The following part consists of a thorough discussion of the theoretical concepts relevant to the
research. Due to the nature of the thesis being an expression of current historical culture and not a
historical subject this chapter includes a combination the main theoretical concepts and a literature
report. Thus, this chapter will position the research topic in academic discourse, whilst
simultaneously examining the theoretical concepts. As an expression of current historical culture, it is
a logical starting point to begin this chapter with the concept of historical culture. The chapter will
then continue with an examination of additional concepts related to the research question such as
participatory culture, appropriation, (historical) digital games and lastly game modifications.
1.2.1 Historical culture
The concept of historical culture is a main concept throughout this research. The general
understanding of historical culture is as a meta-historical concept that investigates how people deal
7
with the past.
14
In a paper entitled ‘Historical Culture: A Concept Revisited’, Maria Grever and
Robert-Jan Adriaansen dissect the term in-depth. According to the authors, the 'historical' part in the
term refers to past events, thoughts and ideas while the term "culture" relates to the various
perspectives of different groups.
15
The term emerged during the 1970s when history educators
started to examine the sources which influenced historical thinking of pupils in schools. In order to
study the concept Grever and Adriaansen discern three connected levels of analysis for the concept
of historical culture. Historical narratives and performances of the past, mnemonic infrastructures
and underlying conceptions of history.
The first level of analysis; historical narratives and performances of the past combines a
description of the past and the recreation of the past. Important to note is Frank Ankersmit’s
understanding of a description of the past in his work Truth and Reference. In this work, the author
delves deeper into the concept of historical representation and a description of the past. According
to him, it is vital to discern between description and representation.
16
Whereas a description can be
either true or false, a representation's case is different. A (historical) representation is neither true
nor false; instead, it can provide the reader with different aspects of the event represented.
17
Ankersmit explains that similar to a shadow, a representation carries its own representative along
with itself.
18
Keeping this in mind, the re-creations, descriptions and representations of the past are
according to Grever and Adriaansen embodied in texts in history schoolbooks, myths, re-enactments,
travel guides and much more. These substantive interpretations require some form of configuration
through the process of narrative emplotment. These narratives generate identities by arranging
facts, experiences, and events into a plot. Grever and Adriaansen continue by stating that the
majority of representation relies on a plot which makes the past meaningful to the audience and
creator.
19
The plot has a mediating function on a number of levels. Beginning with the mediating
function of the individual experiences and the whole story, which means that every event or
experience gains significance in the manner, of configuration in the plot. Secondly, emplotment
ensures that a large group of heterogeneous actors, objects, situations, interactions, and results are
tied together.
Lastly, the plot mediates between the actual passing of time and the time experienced by the
narrative.
20
Another form of substantive interpretations is a (historical) videogame. Similar to history
texts in schoolbooks, videogames provide the reader, or user, with a description and recreation of
the past. Moreover, videogames also require some form of configuration through the arrangement
of facts, events, and experiences in a plot. However, videogames are different from schoolbook texts
in the sense that their story, or plot, requires the interaction of the user in order to progress the
narrative. In all cases, the process of narration allows for the creation of identities which in turn
produce different stories, which can confirm, alter or undermine other (grand) narratives. For
videogames and game modifications, this development can clearly be observed as game
modifications often alter a video game's setting to something else than the grand narrative produced
by the industry, which will be discussed later in this chapter more thoroughly.
The second level of analysis are the mnemonic infrastructures. These infrastructures enable
14
Maria Grever and Robbert-Jan Adriaansen, “Historical Culture: A Concept Revisited,” in Palgrave Handbook
of Research in Historical Culture and Education (New York, NY: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2017). 73.
15
Grever and Adriaansen. 77.
16
Frank R. Ankersmit, Meaning, Truth, and Reference in Historical Representation, Licensed ed (Leuven: Leuven
Univ. Press, 2012). 65.
17
Ankersmit. 70
18
Ibid. 72
19
Ibid.
20
Ibid. 79.
8
people to tell specific stories about the past or to express historical experience. These structures are
set in time and space and can include a variety of different expressions such as annual ceremonies,
national calendars, museums and mnemonic sites.
21
These mnemonic infrastructures allow people to
tell specific stories about the past. In relation to videogames, it is important to explore milieux de
mémoire(environments of memory). These social environments, such as a church or a peasant
village, actively transmit memory through noticeable traditions and customs. In real life, modernity
removed more and more of such places.
22
However, videogames provide the option to recreate such
environments in their digital worlds.
Thirdly, there are the underlying conceptions of history. Historical cultures always presume a
particular conception of history. These conceptions are interpretations of the relationship between
the past, present and future. A conception of history is a specific interpretation of the connection
between the past, present and the future. These three temporal dimensions determine the
epistemological possibilities of knowing the past and the degree of human agency.
23
Grever and
Adriaansen pose three different articulated conceptions of history, passeist, futurist and a presentist.
In a passeist regime of historicity, the past is determined by the present and future. In such a regime,
the past serves as storage for moral lessons to guide us in the present.
24
This relates strongly to
historical consciousness which is understood to be the ability to explain the present with knowledge
about the past. Often historical consciousness is based on past experiences, interpretations and
historical knowledge and orientation within (historical) cultures. The combination of the different
levels of analysis aims to show that historical culture is a dynamic and inclusive concept which has
meaningful implications for understanding the changing relationship that people have to the past
1.2.2 Participatory culture
Technological developments in computers, gaming consoles, personal devices and social media (e.g.
smartphones, social networking sites and multimedia recorders) give way to a new era of
information and communication technologies.
25
These new inventions, characterized by participatory
activities, have a significant impact on heritage discourse, memory frameworks, the experience of
history and the understanding of the past.
26
. This paragraph is aimed to explore a different concept
that deals with the relationship that people have to the past, through participatory culture.
According to author Elisa Giaccardi, participatory culture, fostered by digital technologies, changes
how we experience and think of history, heritage and historical representation.
27
The phrase
participatory culture was introduced in 2006 by Henry Jenkins in the book Confronting the Challenges
of Participatory Culture. It is defined as a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and
civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing creations, and some type of informal
mentorship whereby experienced participants pass along knowledge to novices.
28
This approach to
history and memory poses a challenge for historical culture. Whereas, historical culture’s mnemonic
infrastructures, which allows people to tell stories about the past, relies on different institutions.
Participatory culture aims to enhance the role of ordinary people to (co)produce narratives of public
memory, instead of experiencing them as interactive extras or spectators. Participatory culture sets
21
Grever and Adriaansen. 79.
22
Grever and Adriaansen. 80.
23
Grever and Adriaansen. 82.
24
Ibid.
25
Elisa Giaccardi, Heritage and Social Media: Understanding Heritage in a Participatory Culture (Routledge,
2012). 1.
26
Giaccardi. 1.
27
Giaccardi.
28
Henry Jenkins, Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century
(MIT Press, 2009). 11.
9
itself apart from historical culture through the emphasis on inclusiveness, diversity, and access.
29
In
participatory culture members feel that their contributions matter and feel some degree of social
connection with one another.
Jenkins further argues that participatory cultures provides benefits such as opportunities for
peer-to-peer learning, alters the approach to intellectual property and diversification of cultural
expression. The last two of these benefits are especially vibrant in the gaming and game modification
culture.
30
Intellectual property within the video game industry has changed in the sense that mods
represent an opportunity for the industry to learn from experimentation and innovation. A great
example of this experimentation and innovation through mods is the game Counter-strike. Today this
game is one of the best FPS-games (first-person shooter) available on PC, with its origins as a mod for
the game Half-life. A first-person shooter is a videogame genre which revolves around weapon-based
combat, often firearms, through the perspective of the eyes of the game’s character. For the
modding community, however, the participatory culture is slightly unclear. Postigo mentions that the
modding community is in a sort limbo of existing within the participatory culture as well as outside of
it. This is due to modding still existing as a hobby as well as being a professional production process.
31
Recently, participatory culture, as defined by Jenkins, has received critique. Christian Fuchs, a
professor at the University of Westminster, has concluded that the definition of the concept of
participatory culture is problematic due to a number of reasons.
32
According to Fuchs, Jenkins only
has a culturalist understanding of participation and ignores the notion of participatory democracy, a
term directly associated. Participatory democracy has political, economic, and cultural dimensions.
Whereas, according to Fuchs, participatory culture ignores aspects such as platform/company
ownership, collective decision making, profit and the distribution of material benefits.
33
These
aspects need consideration seeing as the cultural expressions of internet users are strongly
influenced by different companies such as Facebook, Google and others. This critique is important to
consider while using the participatory culture as defined by Jenkins. As certain different community
websites or modding tools are connected to game developer corporations.
In The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies the authors Mark J.P. Wolf and Bernard
Perron further describe the ongoing theoretical and methodological development of game studies
and the related concepts such as participatory culture. The chapter ‘Community’ by Carly Kocurek
examines the widespread desire among these individuals to build connections, participate in
community activities, the importance as well as the functioning of participatory culture of modders
and the game industry. Kocurek describes the industries perspective of the manner in which player
shaped communities form. Although the community activities by video gamers is not a highly
debated part of game studies, many of the existing literature pays attention to the gaming
community. According to Kocurek, official websites and forums are vital for most games and serve as
a primary platform to communicate and interact with developers and users.
34
The concept that
games stimulate the growth of communities is not new. In 1938 Johan Huizinga noted that playing
games "promotes the formation of social groupings which tend to surround themselves with secrecy
29
Ekaterina V. Haskins, Popular Memories: Commemoration, Participatory Culture, and Democratic Citizenship
(Univ of South Carolina Press, 2015). 4.
30
Jenkins, Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture. 12.
31
Hector Postigo, “Modding to the Big Leagues: Exploring the Space between Modders and the Game
Industry,” First Monday 15, no. 5 (2010), https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v15i5.2972. 1.
32
Fuchs Christian, “Against Henry Jenkins. Remarks on Henry Jenkins’ Participatory Culture,” accessed January
23, 2020, http://fuchs.uti.at/570/, http://fuchs.uti.at/570/.
33
Christian.
34
Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron, eds., The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies, Routledge
Companions (New York, NY: Routledge, 2014). 368.
10
and to stress their difference from the common world by disguise or other means".
35
In the
Routledge Companion to Videogame studies Frans Mäyrä adds that today's digital players are not
usually wearing special clothes to mark them as members of a particular community, but also that
the gaming community can undoubtedly be characterized as a contemporary sub-culture.
36
These
online player communitiesare also visible among modders, such as on the website 'Moddb' which is
an abbreviation for the mod database.
In the article User, Communities and Social Software in the Video Game Industry by Thierry
Burger-Helmchen and Patrick Cohendet the tight relationship between firms and user communities
in the videogame industry is analysed. The authors describe the user communities and their
relationship with game designers in-depth as well as determining different types of communities in
the industry. Burger-Helmchen and Cohendet's types range from original developers to player types
such as tool developers and content builders to tester types such as beta tester. An example of a
game modification community with a tight relationship with game developers is the 'Steam
Workshop'. The workshop is a part of the larger ‘Steam’ platform a digital content distribution
website, webshop and social/gaming platform. The 'Steam Workshop' is part of the Valve
Corporation a large game developer which launched 'Steam' a digital content distribution, web shop
and social platform surrounding games. The PhD dissertation Modders: Changing the Game Through
User-Generated Content and Online Communities by Kyle Andrew Moody. Explores community
dynamics of modders on the Steam Workshop Channel for the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
(Bethesda Game Studios, 2011) in order to examine the identity politics of the community, as well as
the tensions between innovation and control within the community. The dissertation delves even
further and studies how digital media produces, such as Steam, attempt to control the fan-made
productional spaces and how it affects the existing user-generated communities. The author also
conducted interviews with modders in order to explore the motivations for participating in the mod
group and their perceptions of norms, rituals and values in the group. An interesting addition to the
current historiography as well as this thesis.
1.2.3 Appropriation
Closely tied to the participatory culture as well as the proposed research question is the term
‘appropriation’ which is an important concept throughout this thesis. Grever and Adriaansen already
mentioned this term, but in this paragraph, we will consider the understanding of this term in-depth.
Julie Sanders, in her work Adaptation and Appropriation, explores different definitions of
appropriation, the cultural politics behind the term as well as the diverse ways of such
reimaginations. Although the exploration of appropriation mainly focusses on literature, it can also
be applied to the videogames as well as game modifications and different types of media. Sanders
defines appropriation as taking something from one's own use and sometimes also allows for a
possible shift in media type. Additionally, appropriation has a greater distance from the source than
the strongly related term, adaptation. Moreover, appropriation allows for a possible shift in media
type. The concept moves between the extremities of homage and plagiarism as it shifts the original
source into a new cultural product and domain.
37
Sanders broadly defines appropriation as an
intersecting and interrelating concept with adaptation. According to the author, adaptation can be
defined as a trans-positional practice, which moves a specific genre into another generic mode. Often
adaptation can be perceived in an amplificatory mode is, in the sense that it can add, expand,
accredit, and interpolate the work.
38
In Repositioning Shakespeare Thomas Cartelli provides a
35
J. Huizinga, Homo Ludens (Taylor & Francis, 2003). 12.
36
Wolf and Perron, The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies. 297.
37
Sanders, Adaptation and Appropriation. 26.
38
Ibid.
11
supplementary definition for the difference between appropriation and adaptation. According to
Cartelli, the act of appropriations is differentiated from adaptation due its more critical nature. In
addition, appropriation often serves a social or political agenda.
39
According to the author Alexander
Unger in the article Modding as Part of Game Culture appropriation of digital games through
modding can be regarded as “the soil on which new cultures with their unique ways of usage and
interpretation can grow.” Unger sees appropriation as an important and multi-layered part of the
game culture. According to him the appropriation through game modification is heavily under-
researched.
40
Concerning videogames, Hector Postigo in Video Game Appropriation through
Modifications explores the relationship between modders, supporters of the game and owners of the
works. Postigo focusses on the copyright laws interfering with the possibilities of modders and
provides different justifications for appropriation. Such as the possible beneficial relationships
between modders and owners. The relationship between modders and the game industry will
further be analysed later in the theory and literature report.
1.2.4 Videogame studies
In order to analyse game modifications theoretically, videogame studies, digital games and
historical games need to be considered. Research into videogames is a relatively new phenomenon.
The academic research into videogames emerged around the beginning of the 21st century. Central
to game studies is the digital game. Alexander Galloway defines a digital game or videogame as
follows; a cultural object bound by history and materiality consisting of an electronic computational
device and game simulated in software. The computational device is the machine with the input
devices and other physical interfaces.
41
Galloway further adds that games should not be equated
with a theory of interactivity or the active audience theory of media. Whereas active audience theory
states that audiences bring their own, personal interpretations and receptions of the work does not
apply to games. Games, rooted in cybernetics and information technologies, are active and the
videogames materiality moves and restructures itself. Therefore, instead of games being just
interactive, they can also be thought of as an 'action-based' medium.
Formerly, game studies primarily revolved around the question of computer games are
digital forms of play or interactive stories.
42
As argued by Stephan Günzel in Computer Games and
New Media Cultures: A Handbook of Digital Games Studies, the major shift in the field of videogame
studies came in 2001. Before 2001 game studies was torn between the ludological and narratological
approaches on research. These two different approaches both attempted to categorize videogame
within an existing frame: a text or a game. Narratological approach viewed games as a text medium
developed into an interactive text, and the ludological approach saw a game becoming an interactive
form of play.
43
In 2001 Mark Wolf published The Medium of the Video Game in which he argued that
a videogame is categorically different from existing mediums and that videogames are a new specific
kind of medium with its own mediality.
44
One of the leading secondary pieces of literature is the work of Adam Chapman, Digital
39
Thomas Cartelli, Repositioning Shakespeare: National Formations, Postcolonial Appropriations (Psychology
Press, 1999). 3.
40
Alexander Unger, “Modding as Part of Game Culture,” in Computer Games and New Media Cultures: A
Handbook of Digital Games Studies, ed. Johannes Fromme and Alexander Unger (Dordrecht: Springer
Netherlands, 2012), 509–23, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2777-9_32.
41
Alexander R. Galloway, Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, NED-New edition, vol. 18 (University of
Minnesota Press, 2006), www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttss5p. 10.
42
Johannes Fromme and Alexander Unger, eds., Computer Games and New Media Cultures (Dordrecht:
Springer Netherlands, 2012), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2777-9. 31.
43
Fromme and Unger. 32.
44
Mark J. P. Wolf, The Medium of the Video Game (University of Texas Press, 2001). 13.
12
Games as History. The book provides the first in-depth exploration of videogames as history and sets
out multiple theories and concept relevant for this research. In this book, Chapman utilizes aspects of
both narratological and the ludological framework in order to create methods for analysis and looks
at how videogames produce representations of the past.
45
The book is generally regarded to be an
important foundation for historical research into videogames as a historical form, due to the number
of theoretical concepts linked to videogames as history and different methodological approaches
analysed. In the book Digital Games as History, Chapman notes that historical videogames go beyond
the conventional perspectives of history and historical narratives. History itself is always partly
determined by form in which it is constructed, disseminated, and received. Videogames offer next to
the more common interpretation of representation also a manipulation of the narrative. The
possibility of actively 'doing' history is, according to Chapman, what allows historical games to not
only function as representations of the past but also as a way of accessing historical practices.
46
Additionally, Chapman defines digital historical games as digital games which make meaning out of
the past. He notes that they are not bought as histories but that this does not matter since historical
digital games expose players to an engagement with history and historical representations.
47
In
combination with the immense popularity of digital games, Chapman argues that therefore this
expression of popular culture holds a significant degree of power.
48
William Uricchio also explores videogames and historical representation. In the article
Simulation, History and Computer Games Uricchio explores the matter representation of history and
the effect videogames, enactment and simulation can have on the concept.
49
Historical
representation is an extensively debated concept. Covering the entire historiography of
representation is out of the scope of this thesis. Therefore, only the representation directly related to
videogames and game modifications will be analysed. Uricchio adds to the debate on the historical
value of videogames by discussing whether the notion of mediation beyond language, enactments
and simulation, allows us to move beyond the current conceptualization of historical representation
in the domain of videogames.
50
Uricchio also aims to indulge deeper on the interactive role of the
use. According to the author, there is a stark difference to other historical representation in popular
media such as movies. Movies, similar to books, are bound to a particular singular rendering of the
past, whereas videogames allow for a significant influence of the user in the process of historical
simulation and representation.
51
1.2.5 Game modifications and modders
The following part of the combined literature report and theoretical concepts will focus on
the historiography and different approaches in the study of mods. Current academic research on
mods and modders is largely consistent with the abovementioned game studies. As video games are
a relatively new phenomenon are game modification a relatively new phenomenon too. However,
players have modified games for virtually as long as videogames themselves have existed.
52
Within
the world of video games, the word mod, short for ‘modify’ or ‘modification’ is common knowledge
among the players and developers. Hector Postigo defines mods in his work From Pong to Planet
Quake: Post-Industrial Transitions from Leisure to Work as fan-made changes to a video game with a
45
Chapman, Digital Games as History. 11.
46
Ibid. 14.
47
Ibid.
48
Ibid. 19
49
William Uricchio, “Simulation, History and Computer Games,” in Handbook of Computer Game Studies, 2005.
332.
50
Uricchio. 332.
51
Uricchio, “Simulation, History and Computer Games.”
52
Mol et al., The Interactive Past. 187.
13
range of complexity from simple adjustments in-game variables to 'total conversions' where an
entire game is redesigned.
53
Alexander Galloway defines several varieties between different
adjustments that a mod can make. Firstly, game modification can solely revolve around visual effects,
such as altering character models or artwork to the game. Secondly, the game can be altered based
on the rules of the game, changing game objectives, for example. Thirdly, mods can alter the original
game's software technology such as game physics, character behaviour and more.
54
In nearly all
cases these mods are a ‘new’ free version of an original game, supplying the player with new gaming
experiences. Research into modding began with the economic aspects. Although not entirely related
to the thesis topic, it is important to consider this aspect of game modifications briefly as stated by
many different scholars, such as by Olli Sotamaa, who is a postdoctoral research fellow at the School
of Information Sciences at the University of Tampere. In Sotamaa's article Have fun working with our
product he states that computer games are a multi-billion-dollar business, which profits from the free
consumer labour of modders.
55
The free labour of the modders benefits the industry in multiple
ways. One way is that these mods boost the value of games by contributing to the product branding
of the game without additional investment from the original developer.
56
Another benefit for the
publisher is that mods can extend the ‘shelf life’ of games and increase the customer loyalty of a
game.
57
The loyalty increases because players tend to stick to games with large mod communities
because the options for new and different material are abundant and increasing. For the modders
themselves, a benefit is also present. Often game publishers recruit prolific and talented modders
into their developer teams.
58
As can be seen in the earlier mentioned example of mod turned
videogame, Counter-strike.
Scholars such as Peter Christiansen in Between a Mod and a Hard Place elaborates on why
people design mods, the value of modding and how modding is carried out. It is an important and
exciting work which lies close to the research set out in this thesis. In his, work, Christiansen states
that mods have significance not only due to their technological achievement, but also because they
were never a commodity. This freedom in modding allows modders to create games that the
industry is not making and dubs it a counter-hegemonic process.
59
The hegemony being the
videogame industry which is a complex network of people, technology and ideas. Christiansen
denotes a problem within the industry; the flow of power has privileged certain groups while others
are marginalized. This leads to no authority telling us what games should be made and which groups
matter.
60
According to the author, modding can be seen as a way to address and diversify the gaming
industry and the expressions of history. This counter-hegemonic view holds a central role in this
thesis as it is a significant to the manner in which mods relate to historical culture as defined by
Grever and Adriaansen. In the article, Christiansen also sets out the perils of modding, while the bulk
of the existing literature focusses on the benefits of game modification. One of which is the unequal
distribution of the benefits of modding. Even though all parties gain something, the existing capitalist
structure aids the large corporation and exploits the community.
61
53
Hector Postigo, “From Pong to Planet Quake: Post-Industrial Transitions from Leisure to Work,” Information
Communication & Society 6, no. 4 (2003): 593–607.
54
Galloway, Gaming. 107-108
55
Olli Sotamaa, “‘Have Fun Working with Our Product!’: Critical Perspectives On Computer Game Mod
Competitions.,” in DiGRA Conference, 2005.
56
Jonathan Corliss, “Introduction: The Social Science Study of Video Games,” Games and Culture 6, no. 1
(January 1, 2011): 11.
57
Corliss. 12.
58
Ibid.
59
Erik Champion, Game Mods: Design, Theory and Criticism (ETC Press, 2013). 18
60
Champion. 37.
61
Ibid.
14
From this perspective, in the aforementioned work From Pong to Planet Quake Hector
Postigo investigates the motivations modders have in joining in on this exploitative relationship. He
discerns three main motivations for modders; mods are a way to break into the industry, a way of
artistic (self)expression and, simply, a way to enjoy their favourite game more.
62
Here some form of a
debate between scholars can be seen. Christiansen states that the possibility of a modder “breaking
in” the game industry is as slim as a college football player to be recruited by the NFL. He thinks that,
at best, modding should be considered an unpaid, informal internship with no promise for future
employment.
63
The previously mentioned Olli Sotamaa in his article When the Game is not Enough:
Motivations and Practices among Computer Game Modding Culture also analyses the attitudes and
practices of modders. The game Sotamaa uses as a case study is Operation Flashpoint, a game set in
the near future where the USA is at war with Russia. The author discerns five different motivations;
the need to expand the game, interest in the inner workings of the game, increasing the number of
playable scenarios and different battlefields and modders who enjoy the cooperation with other
modders or the community. This article is highly relevant. The article delves into the motivations of
modders of an FPS-shooter. Although this research can be seen as similar to the proposed research,
the research is focused differently; namely, Sotamaa works with a different type of game, a shooter.
Additionally, the scope of When the Game is not Enough, and this research is different, whereas this
research intends to delve deeper into these motivations described by Sotamaa.
Historical mods, at the centre of this thesis, tend to be designed in order to give the player a
more extensive historical experience, usually by adding historically accurate characters, events,
symbols or other objects from the past to a videogame. There is no guarantee that the new content
indeed more accurately historically represents the game; it is important to note that this is often the
goal.
64
A term coined to represent this historical act is the ‘developer-historian’, referring to those
who try to make meaning of the past through the form of digital games.
65
In addition to making
sense of the past, developer-historians also challenge the authority posed by the official
representations of history found in the original videogames. These developer-historians thus create a
dialogue between their experience of history and that portrayed in popular media.
66
Within this
thesis, the ‘modder’ will be attempted to be linked to the term developer-historian.
Lastly, a prominent scholar, which requires additional attention is Gareth Crabtree's and his
work Modding as Digital Reenactment: A Case Study of the ‘Battlefield’ Series. This work is an
essential point of reference for the analysis of the proposed research. Crabtree investigates modding
through three strands of inquiry. The first mode of inquiry is through placing them in their context as
both an element of video game culture and as a collaborative media practice. Secondly, the
investigation revolves around the range of motivations for creating historical mods. The final mode of
inquiry is the further analyzation of the working mechanics of this representation in order to chart
historical narratives.
67
The author further explains that the majority of the academic literature has
focused on how modding facilitates the dynamic between producer and consumer.
68
An example is
the analysis of the previously mentioned Between a Mod and a Hard Place. This leads to mods being
primarily presented as a connection between the consumption and production of digital media,
62
Postigo, “From Pong to Planet Quake.” 309
63
Champion, Game Mods. 38.
64
Mol et al., The Interactive Past. 186.
65
Chapman, Digital Games as History. 20.
66
Tom Apperley, “Modding the Historians’ Code: Historical Verisimilitude and the Counterfactual Imagination,”
Playing with the Past: Digital Games and the Simulation of History, 2013, 195.
67
Gareth Crabtree, “Modding as Digital Reenactment: A Case Study of the Battlefield Series,” Playing with the
past. Digital Games and the Simulation of History. London: Bloomsbury, 2013, 200.
68
Crabtree. 201.
15
allowing the audience to have an active role in shaping their own experience of play.
69
The
production of these mods is an extremely time-consuming business and yields little personal
economic gain. This aspect of modding has sparked the interest of some scholars to explore what
makes modding worthwhile for modders. Although Crabtree reveals little of his methodological
approach to his research into motivations of modders, he concludes several motivational aspects. He
states that modders enjoy seeing other play with their work, showing off technological skill,
teamwork and the pursuit and educational purposes of historical accuracy.
70
A different critical
aspect described by Crabtree is the conservatist definition of game modification. Modding reflects a
largely male-centred historical world view as well as an over-representation of war.
71
However, the
historical orientation of these modders Crabtree concludes that they are a new form of digital
reenactment. Similar to traditional reenactment groups, modding is enabled through a network
driven by creativity, ambition and the desire for authenticity.
72
This thesis aims to build upon the
perspective of Crabtree and utilize his perspective of modders and the respective community as a
guideline for further exploration of the phenomenon. Although Crabtree's notion of the conservatist
nature of modding and modders is relevant, it will not be a leading concept in this thesis. In this
research, there is the intent to study the motivations and historical representations of game
modifications. If, however, a modder or game modifications exhibits strong notions of conservatism,
then Crabtree's research will undoubtedly provide a helpful foundation for more in-depth
investigation.
1.3 Nature of sources and methods
In this paragraph the methodological point of departure, as well as the nature of the sources is stated
and explained. As can be derived from the research question "How do players appropriate the
content of historical digital entertainment games through the practice of ‘modding’?” this research
intends to analyse the practice of game modding, a form of appropriation of games as historical
representations, and as such, an expression of contemporary historical culture. This research rests on
a qualitative approach. Qualitative research is a form of research which deals with the non-numerical
side of research. In the case of this thesis the data studied is derived from the (electronically)
available texts and documents on videogames and mods as well as data from (online) interviews.
Through an analysis of the content of historical mods, the research aims to find out how the past is
represented. The study intends to adhere to an inductive view of the link between theory and
research. This entails that this research stresses the understanding of the social world is through the
interpretation of the world by its participants.
73
In the case of this research, the participants can be
seen as all of those connected to videogames, such as the players and modders as well as the related
communities. Alan Bryman’s Social Research Methods denotes several criteria for upholding the
quality of qualitative research which will be considered frequently throughout the thesis research.
The criterion is founded in the research of L. Spencer in Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A
framework for assessing research evidence and was the result of a commissioned report of the
United Kingdom’s government Cabinet Office aimed to provide a framework for the assessment of
the quality of qualitative research.
74
The full list of criterion consists of eighteen different criteria.
According to Bryman, these criteria are at the basis for other schemes for appraising qualitative
69
Ibid. 202.
70
Ibid. 203.
71
Ibid. 207.
72
Ibid 208.
73
Alan Bryman, Social Research Methods, 4th ed (Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2012). 380
74
Ibid.
16
research.
75
Adhering to these different themes and criteria will aid in upholding the quality of this
research.
The examination of mods will be through formal content analysis; this type of analysis aims
to explain how the formal elements of a videogame modification affect the representation of the
subject matter and the expressive content and is characterized by objectively and systematically
identifying specified characteristics
to draw conclusions.
76
Mount and Blade and the game mods are
assessed through the systemic formal content analysis model as constructed by Óliver Pérez Latorre
in The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study: GTA IV.
77
The author argues in
favour of studying videogames due to their increasing importance in our collective imagination.
Additionally, Latorre believes that understanding the discursive potential of popular videogames on
the social world is beneficial. In order to fully grasp the social discourse of videogames, Latorre
proposes to analyse the relationships between game design, the transmission of ideological values
and the construction of social reality.
78
The author developed an analytical model based on three
aspects of video game discourse. The first aspect is the representation of the character/player.
Secondly, the game world and thirdly the main actions carried out in the game world. These three
aspects are determined to be fundamental in videogame representation culture. According to
Latorre, these three entities are at the centre of a videogame.
79
The following table illustrates the
three different videogame aspects and shows the subsequent rules which need to be analysed in
order to study a videogame.
75
Ibid. 396
76
Bryman. 289.
77
O. Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study: GTA IV,” Games and
Culture 10, no. 5 (September 1, 2015): 415–37, https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412014565639.
78
O. Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study: GTA IV,” Games and
Culture 10, no. 5 (September 1, 2015): 415.
79
Perez Latorre. 420.
Formal analysis model by Óliver Latorre
Representation of the character/player
Game design resources
1. Performance rules
2. Operation rules
3. State rules
4. Rules for inducing behaviours
5. Game mechanics
Representation of the game world
Game design resources
1. Spatiotemporal design
2. Rules for blocking/unblocking areas
and states of the game world
3. Patterns of behaviour of non-player characters
4. Rules of objects of the game world
5. Rules for inducing behaviours
Representation of the game play activities
Game design resources
1. Patterns of action regarding final objectives
2. Winning and losing conditions
3. Degree of redundancy versus variability
4. Game mechanics
5. Chains of actions
6. Strategic/tactical dilemmas
17
As can be seen in the table, the representation of the character/player is shaped through five types
of game rules: the performance rules, operation rules, state rules, rules for inducing behaviour and
game mechanics. The second design factor is the representation of the game world, which is
composed by the environment and those existing in the environment or non-playable characters
(NPCs). Essentially and NPC is a character not controlled by the player which ‘inhabits’ the game
world. Again there are five factors crucial to design the game world: the spatiotemporal design, the
rules for blocking/unblocking areas and states of the game world, the game rules related to the
design of NPCs, the rules of objects of the game world and the rules for inducing behaviour. Thirdly,
the table shows the representation of the game play activities. Alongside the character/player and
the game world the possible in-game activities construct the videogame. There are six game design
resources associated with the representation of the game play activities: the patterns of action
regarding final objectives, winning and losing conditions, the degree of redundancy versus variability,
game mechanics, the chains of actions and strategic/tactical dilemmas.
A final remark surrounding the analysis of mods is that, aside from the analysis model, the
strategy for the mod analysation is not fully set-out. Instead, I aim to approach the mods inductive. In
the sense that the study will move from observations to more empirical generalizations and then
move on to different theories.
80
William Trochim in Research Methods Knowledge Base explains
inductive reasoning as moving from specific observations to broader generalizations and theory.
Informally known as the "bottom-up" approach which aims to observe and find patterns or
regularities between the different game modifications.
The selection for the game 'Mount and Blade' has been for multiple purposes. The game
itself is a genre all of its own, its characterized by its different elements of action, roleplaying and
simulation. In Mount and Blade, the player can experience and simulate medieval combat and
kingdom building in a sandbox world map. A 'sandbox' or open-world game is a type of game where
the player is free to roam the entire world map, without a set-out way to progress, it is all up to the
player. Also, in terms of roleplaying the player can create their own character. The character creation
rests on a large variety of different aspects such as creating your own background, gender, nobility,
skills, attributes, equipment and renown. Mount and Blade is developed by Taleworlds and published
by Paradox Interactive. Originally, the game is set in the fictive land of Calradia, based on the 17
th
century Eastern Europe but the mods can immerse the player in many different centuries. The game
has relatively been unstudied by other academics in game studies or game modification studies.
Additionally, the game has a vast number of historical mods available for research. The mod
database Moddb includes a total of 683 Mount and Blade mods, 359 mods of the total deal with a
variety of historical subjects such as the Second World War or feudal Japan. In terms of non-historical
mods on Moddb there are various mods such as Lord of the Ring mods, soccer mods and Dragonball
Z mods.
81
However, the website Moddb is more than a mere mod database. Next to the option to
find and download game mods, the website is a social platform. Moddb is the oldest community
website on video game modification and aims to unite developers, players and their ideas.
82
The
social platform supports online participation for co-creation through which (historical) game
modders can reflect on (cultural) heritage and historical representation.
From this platform two game modifications were selected and serve as a case study in this
thesis.The mods were picked due to the following selection criteria. The first category considered
was ‘history’. For the purpose and aim of this thesis, it would be unhelpful to analyse a mod dealing
80
William MK Trochim and James P. Donnelly, Research Methods Knowledge Base, vol. 2 (Atomic Dog
Publishing Cincinnati, OH, 2001).
81
“Mods - Mount & Blade,” Mod DB, accessed June 24, 2020, https://www.moddb.com/games/mount-blade-
warband/mods.
82
“About Us,” Mod DB, accessed January 9, 2020, https://www.moddb.com/groups/moddb.
18
with unrelated subjects. Secondly, the rating of the mod was considered, only dealing with historical
Mount and Blade mods with a community rating above seven on ModdB. The third criterion deals
with the historical subject of the mod in relation to the game. The thesis aims only to consider mods
that alter the original game's medieval setting. Next to drastic changes in the historical setting, the
study aims to research historical mods that deal with 'unique' historical periods, periods not often
found in videogames. In the videogame industry, the supply of historical games generally focusses on
a few historical periods such as the Second World War, the Roman era and the Napoleonic wars. The
first Mount and Blade mod selected is the mod “The American Civil War Mod” by the modder King85.
The mod alters the combat completely, where the original game is set in medieval times, the mod
allows the player to fight in different formation with soldiers bearing muskets.
83
Moreover, the mod
has a community rating of 7.5 and surprisingly, the historical period of the American Civil War is
rather unrepresented in historical videogames. Furthermore, the American Civil War is an incredibly
contested historical period giving an additional dimension to the analysis. The second mod selected
is The Independence of Chile mod which is an excellent example of a mod which drastically alters the
original game’s medieval era. The modder explicitly mentions the absence of the representation of
this historical period in commercial video games. Additionally, the mod is rated with an 8.3 and the
conventional supply of video games seriously overlooks the historical period. Also, what should be
mentioned is that the responses of the mod creator also influence the decision of selecting a mod—
preferring the research of historical mods with responses of the creator. The following paragraph will
explain this further.
This thesis aims to explore the different motivations of members within the videogame and
modding community in order to find out what drives these (amateur) developers. An excellent way
to explore different motivations is through an interview, although this might be difficult to
accomplish due to various constraints such as COVID-19, location, language, and the willingness of
the interviewee. Therefore, the first thing to consider is how to establish contact with the modding
community and its members in order to assess the possibilities. Since both mods are found on the
community website ModdB, it is a logical step to approach the modders through this website. The
site allows for comments on downloadable mods as well as private messages, allowing for direct
contact with the creator of the mod. It is important to note that within the gaming community, the
online medium is the primary form of communication, so therefore, online messaging is likely the
most appropriate for this research. The Appendix includes the ‘Participation Consent Form’ sent to
the participants of the interview and states the adherence of this research to the Ethics Board of the
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC).
The result of the interviews is analysed in accordance with the thematic analysis defined in
Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology by Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke.
84
The thematic
qualitative research method is used to identify, analyse, locate and categorize patterns within the
data. In this research the following method regarding the interviews is going to be applied. The first
step in the thematic analysis model is be familiar with the interview data. Secondly, generating initial
codes, in the case of this research this translates to marking interesting features of the data. The
third step is the analyzation of the different identified coinciding or clashing codes. Then these
themes are reviewed. The final two steps of the thematic analysis include the defining of the themes
and the production of the report. After completing the categorization and observations the analysis
83
“The American Civil War Mod: Revived! First Public Release News,” Mod DB, accessed January 10, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-american-civil-war-mod-revived/news/the-american-civil-war-mod-
revived-first-public-release.
84
Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke, “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology,” Qualitative Research in
Psychology 3, no. 2 (January 2006): 77–101, https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
19
will be compared and related to the research question and literature.
85
In Cases in Online Interview Research by Janet Salmons the challenge of (online) data
collection is mentioned. According to Salmons this is challenging due to the technological dimension.
The addition of technology creates a different stage between the researcher and the participant due
to the different experience caused by the form of communication.
86
Using these different works on
methodology aids in shaping the credibility and potential contribution to the knowledge of the field
of game studies. What should be noted is that modders are not representative of the entire gaming
community. These content creators make up a small portion of the video gaming community. This is
due to the number of resources; hardware, programming skills, motivation and available time
necessary to construct game modifications.
87
If the responses on Moddb disappoint or do not fulfil
the proposed goal, then the following ways of reaching out to modders will be applied. Firstly, a
message will be posted on Reddit. Reddit is a website which can be characterized differently, but in
sum, it can be considered to be an online community, message board, and a site to share (social-
)news.
88
On this website, several 'subreddits' exist, which are essentially different forums for a
specific subject. In the case of this thesis, it is intended to post a message on the subreddit
'r/mountandblade'. Another way to reach out to modders and the participatory culture of the game
is through the website 'Fandom'. The website is a global entertainment media brand powered by
fans. It is a collection of over 400.000 different communities surrounding different pop culture
expression. The community relevant to this thesis is the 'Mountandblade wiki' a collection of
gameplay guides, additional game information, blogs, and a forum. The last feature allows for the
posting of different messages. Reddit and Fandom are picked due to their immense popularity,
allowing for a large audience to be reached.
The selected sources and analysation methods have several advantages and disadvantages.
The decision to research Mount and Blade as a case study limits the study to a single historical game.
This allows for an in-depth exploration of the videogame. However, it also constrains the research
outcomes to represent historical games in general. Given this constraint, this research considers the
games specificity in presenting the research outcome. The same can be said for the assessment of
the two historical game mods. The mods are two examples of a large amount of different (historical)
mods for the game Mount and Blade. Research into these two examples certainly remains valuable
although it is possible that the results cannot be applied to the broad spectrum of (historical) mods.
Similarly, the interviews consist of a small sample size. The possibility exists that there is a large
amount of variability in the interview results of this thesis and all modders. Although it should be
noted that the research aimed to interview more modders. Unfortunately, several modders initially
agreed to join the study, but failed to send answers to the asked interview questions. The decision to
use a formal analysis model proves useful in structuring the different instances of Mount and Blade
allowing for a clear comparison. On the other hand, strictly following a certain analysis model
85
Braun and Clarke. 87.
86
Janet Salmons, Cases in Online Interview Research (2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United
States: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2012), https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506335155. 2.
87
Corliss, “Social Science Study.” 14.
88
Adrienne Lynne Massanari, “Participatory Culture, Community, and Play,” Learning From, 2015. 19.
20
Chapter 2: Mount & Blade
The previous chapter provided an overview of academic discussions that relate to this research as
well as the research questions, relevant theories and the methodology of the research. The following
chapters will be more of an analytical nature; the relevant theories are going to be connected to the
videogames Mount & Blade as well as to the different game modifications. This chapter will focus on
the videogame Mount & Blade before the following chapters delve into the game modifications of
this videogame. The focus of this chapter corresponds with the following part of the first sub-
question 'What historical representations can be traced in the mods for popular digital games, such
as Mount and Blade?’. Central in this chapter will be Mount & Blade. The game is an immersive
medieval action/tactics game which takes place in the fictive country Calradia. The game offers the
player a vast amount of freedom to roam the detailed environment of different castles, towns, and
villages. It was developed by TaleWorlds Entertainment and published by Paradox Interactive in
2008. TaleWorlds is an independent video game development company, founded in 2005. The
company started with its two founders and now employs over ninety developers with the game
Mount & Blade as its most popular product.
89
Recently, the team released the sequel for the game
named Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. The publisher Paradox Interactive is one of the leading global
publishers of PC strategy games. The company has published different established and popular
franchises such as Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron and more.
90
In 2010 TaleWorlds
and Paradox released an expansion of Mount & Blade called Mount & Blade Warband which added
multiplayer, extended political options and finetuned combat.
91
The games Mount & Blade and
M&W: Warband do not fall within a particular genre; instead, they incorporate different genres such
as 'open-world' and 'RPG's' into a unique blend. The research will apply the formal analysis model as
defined by Óliver Pérez Latorre in The Social Discourse of Videogames Analysis Model and Case
Study: GTA IV.
92
The model is constructed following the idea that the growing importance of
videogames can be seen in the configuration of the collective imagination, which calls for an
understanding of their discursive potential. In the following paragraphs, Latorre's model of analysis
is going to be applied to the videogame at the core of this thesis, Mount & Blade
2.1 Player/Character; Representation of the medieval man
Before delving into these game designs, the character part must be clarified. In Mount and Blade,
there is no character in the traditional sense of a game character. This is due to the genre of the
videogame, as mentioned, the videogame Mount and Blade is a combination of videogame genres,
for a large part the game is an ‘RPG’ or a roleplaying game. Such a genre allows the users to play a
more substantial and different role in relation to the character than other videogames. The main
feature of RPG’s and Mount and Blade is that the character of the game is customizable, allowing for
the player to set their own cosmetic attributes in any way they like: name, gender, hair colour, age,
but even more specific, such as "eyebrow-width" and "nose-length". Additionally, Mount and Blade
lets the player pick their character's background. Although most of the cosmetic attributes of the
player-created main character do not matter, the character's gender and background strongly affect
the game. For example, the option to pick a female character significantly impacts the games
difficultly. As a female character, the player is required to do more work in order to obtain approval
89
“Company - TaleWorlds Entertainment,” accessed March 6, 2020,
https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Company.
90
“About Us | Paradox Interactive,” accessed March 6, 2020, https://www.paradoxplaza.com/about-us-static-
info-ca.html.
91
“Mount&Blade Warband - TaleWorlds Entertainment,” accessed March 6, 2020,
https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Warband.
92
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.”
21
of (male) NPCs. The character creation can be understood as a way for the developers to touch on
the gender roles in medieval society. As explained by Jennifer Ward in Women in Medieval Europe
1200-1500 the late middle age woman was viewed inferior to men, and were treated as daughters,
wives and widows rather than as individuals.
93
As illustrated by the following Mount and Blade quote
which provides context to the player.
“Welcome, adventurer, to Mount and Blade. Before beginning the game you must create your
character. Remember that in traditional medieval society depicted in the game, war and politics are usually
dominated by male members of nobility. That does however not mean that you should not choose to play a
female character, or one who is not of noble birth. Male nobles have a somewhat easier start, but women and
commoners can attain all of the same goals – and in fact have a much more challenging early game.”
The quote illustrates that the videogame perpetuates the perspective of women in the middle ages.
The developers even add that the game becomes more challenging en enjoyable because of the
additional challenges a female character faces.
Thus, in Mount and Blade, there is no predefined main character, rather the main character
can be customized in terms of cosmetics, gender, and background. Apart from the looks of the
character, the choices made by the player alter the character's statistics and competencies. This is
important to understand regarding the first game rule type defined by Latorre; the performance
rules. According to the author, performance rules define the possible actions of the character and
the links between actions and their effects in the game.
94
In Mount and Blade, the main character is
able to perform are a large variety of actions. The more experience points a character has in a
particular action, the better the character can perform the action. For example, the player chooses to
create a character whose parents were a nobleman, the characters early life was spent as a page and
later the character became a squire. Then as an effect, the characters leadership skills, strength,
horse riding skill, charisma, weapon handling, and persuasion skill would be boosted. Amplifying
these competencies would then nudge the player into further developing these skills as well as those
closely associated. However, the player retains his/her freedom to do whatever the player desires
and work on every skill. Figure 1 on the following page, shows the possible skills, attributes and
proficiencies of Mount and Blade characters that can be attained. To illustrate, the player who
chooses the character's background as mentioned earlier would have fewer experience points in for
example the "Trade" skill, low experience in this skill means that the character is unskilled in
bargaining a profitable selling/buying price when buying food or horses. However, if the player keeps
on performing many transactions, known as training the skill, trade proficiency improves. Mount and
Blade’s character creation thus implies, but not limits, the player to a single playthrough.
93
Jennifer Ward, Women in Medieval Europe 1200-1500: 1200-1500 (Routledge, 2016). 4.
94
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.” 420
22
The second game rule type are the operation rules; these rules shape how the actions of the
player outside of the game world connect to the actions triggered in the game world. In other words,
these operation rules regulate the ways of manipulating the keyboard, mouse or gamepads and
visual interfaces in the videogame.
95
Mount & Blade is a videogame released for Windows, Linux and
MacOS.
96
PC games are developed with the requirement of the player regulating the actions of the
character through a keyboard and mouse in mind. In Mount and Blade, the operation rules are
relatively straightforward. Outside of combat the game is "point and click" meaning that the player
moves on the map by selecting a point on the map. If the player selects and moves to another
character, the player is given different conversational options. Figure 2 provides a clear illustration of
several options the player has when speaking to a nobleman. If the player chooses to “deliver his
demands" the characters "persuasion" skill is taken into account. The higher the character's skill, the
easier it is to make NPCs comply with the demands. However, if unsuccessful, the NPC can react
hostile, possibly initiating combat. When in combat, the operation rules are different. When in
combat the player no longer points and clicks. During combat, the player moves the character
through manipulating the keyboard and mouse. Several keys on the keyboard are connecting to
moving forwards, sideways or backwards additionally the player is able to make the character jump,
kick, (dis)mount horses, drop/pick up weapons and position the characters army through the
keyboard. The mouse controls the movement of the camera and the use of the weapon(s) or shield.
95
Perez Latorre. 421
96
“Mount&Blade Warband - TaleWorlds Entertainment.”
Figure 1 Mount & Blade character creation screen
23
Regarding the state rules, the third type of game rules. The game rules govern the types of
states in which the character can find themselves. Moreover, the rules also regulate how these are
structured as well as the game conditions that produce them. An example is the design of the
characters health bar, experience point, or reputation/status.
97
A low reputation with a certain
faction can lead to the character becoming persona non grata, although not physically barred from
entering the faction’s territory, the character is attacked by the faction’s members and blocked from
entering cities, towns and villages, except through siege or combat. In combat, the head-up display
highlights the characters health as well as displaying the health of the horse. Additionally, the heads-
up display shows which unit dies by whom as well as showing the damage dealt, received and the
experience game. At the bottom of the screen the player can find the character’s health bar,
ammo(arrows) and gained experience points.
The final type of game rules are game mechanics; these constitute the core of the game
experience. These game mechanics are the set of actions of the character and the related skills of the
player in connection to achieving objectives in the videogame. A great example of a game mechanic
is found in the 'shooter' genre. In shooter games shooting at enemies, dodging their bullets, and
taking cover behind scenery elements by the character is achieved by the player's application of
visual-motor skills, reflexes, and spatial orientation.
98
In Mount and Blade the game mechanics
surrounding the player/character centre on similar combat aspects; however, the game also includes
strategic elements. Important for the combat game mechanics is that the creators fill the historical
setting with historically influenced soldiers and their equipment. The different weapons and armour
in Mount and Blade vary from swords, maces, hammers, scimitars to lances and crossbows designed
to slash, pierce, or bludgeon the enemies. Each of these different weapons has a different set
statistic. Robert Houghton in World, Structure and Play: A Framework for Games as Historical
Research Outputs, Tools, and Processes describes the manner of how the Mount and Blade creators
have tied these item statistics to the game world and the game mechanics.
99
Each weapon has its
97
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.” 421.
98
Perez Latorre.
99
Robert Houghton, “World, Structure and Play: A Framework for Games as Historical Research Outputs, Tools,
and Processes,” Práticas Da História, accessed March 30, 2020,
Figure 2 Communication
24
specific characteristics pertaining to the weapon such as weight, type of handling (one-handed, two-
handed). These characteristics are combined with the player's character, which possesses quantified
physical attributes such as weapon handling, strength, and agility. In combat, these mechanics
translate to different effectiveness, where stronger characters with heavy axes deal more damage
than the same weapon in a character hands with lower strength statistics.
100
The different character
and weapon characteristics have implications for the representation of medieval warfare in the
game. The characteristics enrich the representation of warfare through the ability of the player to
experiment with and adhere to the tactics and strategy of medieval warfare.
Mount and Blade adds another dimension to these mechanics, namely, speed. In the game, a
mounted combatant receives a damage bonus based on the speed at which the attacker is moving. In
historical theory, it is discussed whether medieval troops were more effective when charging. The
dimension of speed added to the combat mechanics by Mount and Blade confirms this academic
historical interpretation of medieval combat in their game.
101
Aside from running up to the enemy
with a melee weapon, the player can choose to equip a ranged weapon. To effectively use these
weapons a character needs experience points in skills, attributes, and proficiencies in stats such as
"Power Draw", "Horse Archery" and "Archery", "Crossbows" and "Throw" as can be seen in Figure 1.
Weapons include a variety of bows, crossbows, javelins, throwing axes, knives and even rocks. Using
ranged weapons includes a practical problem, namely the need for ammunition. The use of spatial
conditions is another important tactical game mechanic in Mount and Blade. It is crucial for players
to be aware of the tactical advantage terrain can have to their units. As illustrated by Sun Tzu in The
Art of War written around five hundred BC, it is important for the character and their units to
"occupy the raised and sunny spots and wait there for the enemy to come up".
102
The game
developers have translated this by decreasing the moving speeds of units moving uphill, making it
easier for characters to engage these units with ranged weapons as well as engaging with these units
due to the range advantage of melee weapons uphill.
Besides combat, the game boasts a variety of more strategic game mechanics relevant to the
player/character. Being a roleplaying sandbox game, the objective of Mount and is up to the player.
These objectives can be military, political, or simply immersion. It is up to the player to reach these
objectives through managing four different in-game concepts: Money, Renown, Honour and
Reputation. in Mount and Blade money or 'Denars', is used to pay for equipment, items, troop
upkeep, bribes and troop recruitment. Denars can be made through quests, taxing fiefdoms, trading,
pillaging, winning battles, tournaments and from ransoms. Secondly, there is 'Renown' this is the
characters personal fame. Renown is needed for a character to become a lord or lady, to marry, to
become marshal and the ability to start their own kingdom. Moreover, NPCs react differently to
players with high renown. To gain renown the player has to win (large) battles and succeed certain
quests given by NPCs. In Mount and Blade the game tends to reward high risks with great rewards,
thus 'punching above your weight class' in battles and political endeavours can be particularly
rewarding; however, failure is also punished by diminishing the player's renown. Alongside, the
management of renown and money the player has to balance their honour. Honour can work in
favour or against the character. Having honour affects the reputation gain with other nobles. Honour
can be gained by releasing prisoners, saving villagers from raids, and completing quests without pay.
Having little to no honour degrades the reputation with lords and ladies across Calradia. The
https://www.academia.edu/40250398/World_Structure_and_Play_A_Framework_for_Games_as_Historical_R
esearch_Outputs_Tools_and_Processes. 32.
100
Houghton. 32.
101
Ibid.
102
Sun-Tzu and Nigel Cawthorne, The Art of War (Arcturus Publishing, 2015). 88.
25
different game mechanics represent the feudal political system of the middle ages. Where a high
status of renown, honour and reputation were esteemed.
103
In sum, the combination of videogame genres in Mount and Blade leads to different features in the
representation of the player/character. The game allows for the complete personalization of the
character. Illustrated by the difference in the game’s experience in the case of a female character or
male character. In the game the female character is subject to a more difficult game experience. This
difference is due to the historical view that in the middle ages women were viewed as inferior to
man. Furthermore, the player is able to shape the character’s background which strongly influences
the ability of the character to interact with items, NPC and the game world. The focus on different
aspects leads to the character being more successful in the preferred traits. For example, the
background of a character as a squire leads to a character being more proficient in using weapons.
In Mount and Blade the use of weaponry is a central game mechanic. Through the different
effectiveness of weaponry in the hands of (un)skilled characters a strategic element is added to in-
game combat. The different effectiveness of weapons is based on medieval warfare and represents
the period neatly. The effectiveness of mounted combatants is a great example of the academic
interpretation of medieval warfare and the representation of medieval warfare in Mount and Blade.
Besides the representation of combat, the game represents the feudal medieval society through the
implementation of Money, Renown, Honour and Reputation. Especially Renown is a particularly
interesting mechanic. The renown stat is increased through winning battles and completing tasks
given by other noblemen. Having a high renown stat aids in dealing with other nobles, (political)
marriages and becoming a lord.
2.2 Gameworld; Representation of the medieval 'Calradia'
Latorre in The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study: GTA IV explains that
next to the player/character, the game world is composed by the environment and the inhabitants of
the environment. Inhabitants are otherwise referred to as "non-playable characters" (NPCs).
Important to note is that objects, as well as natural and cultural elements, are understood to shape
the game's environment. Latorre denotes five different factors that are crucial to the environment.
The spatiotemporal design, the rules for blocking/unblocking areas and states of the game world, the
game rules related to the design of the nonplayer character, the design of the interactive objects and
the relationship between rules that induce behaviour.
104
In the following paragraph, these different
design factors will be explained as well as applied to the videogame Mount and Blade.
The first design factor is the spatiotemporal design. Latorre defines this factor as visual and
scenic designs. Additionally, attention should be paid to active and reactive environments. Active
environments are environments where the off-screen game spaces act independently from the
player. In reactive environments, the game spaces are inactive or waiting for the player's interaction.
The game world created by the TaleWorlds developers is aimed to represent Europe in the late
twelfth and thirteenth century. The game starts in 1257; however, as the game takes place in the
fictive country of Calradia, there are several inaccuracies between the historical year of 1257 and the
created and fictive year. Calradia is a vast territory with many different villages, towns and castles all
belonging to a different faction. In Calradia, there are six different factions, each with different visual
components and characteristics. All these different factions are aimed to represent a medieval
kingdom with a specific culture. In the desert located in the South there is the 'Sarranid Sultanate'
this faction is based on the historic northern regions of Africa. The units represent Arabic soldiers,
and the nobles carry the Arab title for ruler 'Emir'. Over the mountains, there are the steppes ruled
103
Marc Bloch, Feudal Society (Routledge, 2014). 133.
104
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.” 422
26
by the 'Khergit Khanate', which are portrayed as a semi-nomadic group of horsemen. The Khergits
closely resemble the historic Mongols as the units mainly consist of horse archers; moreover, the
lords of the faction are called 'Noyan' a Central Asian title for rulers. The third faction which can
clearly represent a particular historical region is the 'Kingdom of the Nords', located on the coast. The
faction shows strong Scandinavian influences. The rulers are 'Jarls' a Scandinavian term for high
nobles. Moreover, the faction's units wear Viking helmets and use battles axes. The fourth faction,
'The Kingdom of Rhodoks', is harder to pinpoint to a specific historical counterpart. The kingdom is
located in a densely forested as well as mountainous area. The faction’s speciality are their
crossbowmen which might reference the Genoese crossbowmen of Northern Italy. The fifth faction is
the 'Kingdom of the Vaegirs' this kingdom strongly parallels the historical Russian knights and other
Eastern European warriors. The title used for lords; 'boyar' is the word used in many Slavic languages
to denote rulers. The final faction is the 'Kingdom of Swadia'. This faction boasts heavy armoured
knights and cavalry, similar to German forces around the twelfth and thirteenth century. However,
many of these different represented factions and cultures have certain anachronistic properties. For
example, the ‘Kingdom of the Nords’ represents Vikings. The historic Viking age is generally
understood to be around the eighth century until the early eleventh century.
105
Another example is
the use of 'kite shields' in 'the kingdom of Swadia'. These cavalry shields helped protect a knight's leg
while he attacked from horseback; however, these shields were only used around the tenth and
eleventh century.
106
The author Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar in The Other Possible Past: Simulation
of the Middle Ages in Videogames provides a possible explanation to the perceived anachronisms in
the historical world shaped by Mount and Blade. According to Alcázar, the possibility of being
attacked in Mount and Blade by a band of Vikings while travelling through Calradia in 1257 fulfils a
vital role in terms of modelling the past. The author explains that the historical imprecision of being
attacked by the anachronistic Vikings is not perceived as such by non-specialists.
107
For the non-
specialists the medieval era is most strongly associated with violence, fighting to the death with
bows, swords, catapults and maces. These items bear a much stronger mnemonic infrastructure than
the anachronism of bands of Vikings using them. Moreover, it is simpler to use Vikings who strongly
bear these violent associations than the actual 13
th
-century mercenaries who require explanation
and contextualization.
108
Alcázar concludes by stating that in creating a successful commercial
videogame, it is important to assess the player's prior idea about history in general.
109
The abovementioned kingdoms and towns are part of the active environment of the game
world. The active environment of Mount and Blade can be seen in the streets of towns and villages.
These in-game locations are freely accessible for the character to stroll the tavern, marketplaces,
farms and blacksmiths, city walls and guard towers. These towns modelled after real-life examples of
medieval towns are filled with NPCs going about their business. Next to farmers and townsman, the
game's active environment can also be perceived in the military and political actions of the factions
and nobles. The different kingdoms wage wars, towns and villages are conquered, and nobles change
their allegiance. Events such as these happen independently from the player, which adds to the
roleplaying aspect of the videogame. An active environment generated by the AI-driven NPCs creates
a unique Calradia where the player can choose to partake and attempt to control.
The second design factor relating to the game world are the rules for blocking/unblocking
areas and states of the game world. More than often a videogame has a system in place which
105
Else Roesdahl, The Vikings (Penguin UK, 1998). 25.
106
Joshua Allfree, John Cairns, and Brian Todd Carey, Warfare in the Medieval World (Pen and Sword, 2006).
107
Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar, “The Other Possible Past: Simulation of the Middle Ages in Videogames,”
Imago Temporis. Medium Aevum, 2011, 337.
108
Alcázar.
109
Alcázar.
27
determines the order of different states for the player. For example, in Civilization IV, the "tree of
technologies" implies the order of different evolutionary states in history that are part of the game.
Different strategies can be adopted, but there is an underlying path that must be followed an cannot
be skipped. Such as the states beginning with mysticism before moving to polytheism and
monotheism.
110
In Mount and Blade, this design factor is different from the example given by
Latorre. In Mount and Blade, the player can reach every location on the map. However, the player is
only able to effectively interact with lords and nobles if a certain level of renown is reached. Before
the required level of renown, the character is seen as unimportant.
The third design factor are the patterns of behaviour of nonplayer characters. According to
Latorre, these game rules regulate the behaviour profiles of NPCs, the game conditions that activate
these profiles and effects within the game. As briefly mentioned earlier, the behaviour of NPCs is
based mainly on the renown of the NPC. These NPC's will then act independently from the player and
try to extend their power by forging relationships with other lords, fight battles, conquer villages and
patrol their territories. The NPC can also serve a different function. As a lord or mercenary, the player
can engage with NPC and ask NPCs for quests and information of the game world. The different lords
and nobles of Calradia represent a different medieval noble related to the kingdom they swore fealty
to, for example, a Jarl of the Kingdom of the Nords will be named and equipped according to this
culture. Figure 3 (on the next page) shows an example of an interaction with Jarl Gundur. As can be
seen in Figure 3, the Jarl wears a helmet. This type of helmet closely represents the Gjermundbu
Helmet, the best-preserved Viking Helmet in the world.
111
The representation of NPC’s through items ties closely to the fourth design factor, namely
the rules of objects of the game world. Latorre explains this rule as similar to the previous, but this
rule relates to objects and material instruments. Concerning different objects, different rules define
the actions, the way they function and the effects of these elements in the game.
112
As mentioned
earlier, there are several different weapon types in Mount and Blade, and these weapons work
differently in relation to their handling, type, weight, agility, movement speed and the skills of the
character. However, Mount and Blade includes a wider variety of items and objects. All of these
items and objects provide the player with an image of the medieval era. The game includes four
different item/object categories: weapons, armour, goods, and horses. The earlier mentioned
armour and weapons have been explained adequately, the two other object categories, goods and
horses require some further explanation.
110
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.” 423
111
“Helmets,” National Museum of Denmark, accessed May 7, 2020, https://en.natmus.dk/historical-
knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-viking-age/weapons/helmets/.
112
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.” 423
28
The object category ‘goods’ can be split into foodstuffs/consumables or tradeable items. The
different consumable items are required to feed troops and maintain a player's party's morale. Some
food types of 'fresh' foods such as beef, chicken and pork will rot over time, rendering them useless.
The options for food are aimed to represent the idea of a medieval diet. In Mount and Blade, the
following foodstuffs can be found bread, cheese, fruit, cabbage, butter, olives, sausages, pork, beef,
chicken, dried meat, grain, and smoked fish. Each type of food has different stats. An example can be
seen in Figure 4. The image shows the quantity, sell price, weight, and morale bonus for the
character’s party. The second type of objects in Mount and Blade is the tradeable items. These items
can be obtained through trade or by pillaging or looting. These types of objects cannot be used for
anything other than trading. The only stats relating to these items are the selling price and the
weight. The weight stats affect the characters travelling speed, slowing down the character when the
inventory is full of items. Examples of such in-game goods are dyes, flax bundles, oil, furs and iron.
Figure 3 Interaction with Jarl Gundur
Figure 4 ‘Food’ statistics in Mount and Blade
29
The final design factor regarding the game world are the rules for inducing behaviour. The
game rules are most often incentives and disincentive systems. Systems such as there influence the
representation of the character/player as well as the game world.
113
In Mount and Blade, we saw
earlier that there are multiple strategic game mechanisms, namely denars, reputation and honour.
The last two are strong incentive systems. These game mechanics strongly incentivize the player to
behave "honourably" and to increase their reputation if they want to "survive" in medieval courts. In
this case reputation, but especially honour is seen as a representative aspect of the medieval era.
The design strengthens the romanticized idea of the medieval past as a time of honourable knights,
lords and nobles.
To conclude, in the representation of the game world the spatiotemporal design of Mount and Blade
is significant in supporting the narrative of the medieval world. Mount and Blade’s active
environment aids in creating a ‘living’ world for the player. In Calradia the NPCs are following their
own AI-driven lives. The NPCs are able to fight and wage wars, conduct business and are politically
active in the different factions. The addition of the of six factions that represent different medieval
cultures and areas is an important feature of medieval representation. In common historical thinking
the medieval era is shaped through violence. The developers achieve a violent world through the
addition features such as the ‘Kingdom of the Nords’. The faction is characterized by Vikings, which is
anachronistic to the period represented in the game, but strongly bears violent connotations.
Another significant aspect of Mount and Blade to represent medieval history are the rules
and objects of the game world. In the game there are four different item types which are all based on
items and goods found to objects found at the time. To enhance the realism of the videogame
certain items, have a limited durability. For example, beef might over time rot and become useless.
In Mount and Blade the management of foodstuffs and goods are important in order to sustain the
character and his party. Additionally, the items can be bought and sold in the videogame’s virtual
trade economy.
2.3 Gameplay activities; Representation of the medieval struggle
Alongside the game world and the character/player, there is the representation of activities in the
gameplay. Every gameplay unit of the videogame involves performing certain activities in order to
attain a specific goal or objective. Latorre defines five different design elements that shape and give
meaning to the activities represented in gameplay.
114
The first design element to consider are the
patterns of action regarding final objects. According to Latorre, the meaning of a gameplay activity
largely depends on the relation between the actions that compose the activity and the goal reached
by these activities. For example, during the game, the player discovers that certain behaviours are
ideal for reaching certain objectives or goals, as opposed to other behavioural activities that lead to
unwanted results. Due to the open-world nature of Mount and Blade, there is no clear single, set
storyline or pattern of action regarding final objectives. If the player chooses as their objective in
Mount and Blade to conquer all the different towns and castles, then the pattern of action is
characterized by a link between military activity, strategy, and tactics. However, if the player aims to
become a successful merchant than the patterns of actions revolve more around trading and
producing goods. However, from a different perspective, all these different objectives the player sets
for him- or herself can be characterized as survival. Whatever goal the player sets for their character,
it all revolves around the survival of their character in a medieval world. Although it is not possible
for the character to die, the player does suffer severe penalties when losing combat, whether by and
opposing army or when ambushed by bandits. The character loses its reputation, the party loses
113
Perez Latorre. 424.
114
Perez Latorre. 424.
30
morale, denars, and some items are lost. Thus, whatever role a player's character fulfils in order to
survive and prosper the actions of the player are linked to sustaining or improving the characters
living conditions, whether these are economic, social or political. The large degree of personal
freedom in Mount and Blade can also be linked to neoliberal ideals, such as the construction of the
individual through (unlimited) freedom, connected to the flexibility of one’s identity and the
possession and consumption of goods.
115
The second game design factor relating to gameplay activities is the degree of redundancy
versus variability in gameplay. Latorre explains this as an activity having a single way of reaching an
objective. Alternatively, the design can include a variety of different ways to reach a goal.
Additionally, the same activity represented in a gameplay unit can conform to a model of redundancy
or a model of variability. These different models lead to different semiotic connotations, such as
'fate' versus 'freedom'.
116
The great freedom found in freely roaming through Calradia provides a
high degree of flexibility and variability to Mount and Blade. The variability found in the gameplay
design also aids the developers in representing their vision of the medieval era as free,
unpredictable, violent, and unforgiving. The final three design factor the author Latorre defines are
game mechanics, strategic/tactical dilemmas, and chains of actions. The first two, game mechanics
and strategic/tactical dilemmas have been covered earlier during the discussion of the
representation of the character/player. In the earlier paragraph, we saw that the characteristics of
the game mechanics require the player to select the appropriate equipment for his character to fulfil
his goals. As we saw, Mount and Blade boast many different types of armour, weapons and even
horses. The decisions regarding the moulding of the character link the game mechanics to tactical
and strategic dilemmas since every weapons or piece of equipment has particular advantages and
disadvantages.
However, the final game design factor, the chains of action, is yet to be discussed. Latorre
explains this element of representation of gameplay activities as the design of a process through a
sequence of interconnected actions. This often occurs in games with a predefined "script". This type
of design creates meaning through constructing cause-effect relationships which lead to a particular
ending.
117
Usually, videogames provide the scripted narrative to the player through cut-scenes. These
cut-scenes are non-playable, movie-like, scenes that move the story forward often through dialogue
between the different game characters.
118
However, in open-world videogames such as Mount and
Blade, there is little to no scripted plot. The lack of such a scripted narrative does not entail that
these videogames provide the player without a narrative.
119
In Mount and Blade, the developers
have decided to approach the story in a more interactive form of storytelling. The author Chris
Crawford in The Video Game Theory Reader argues that achieving 'true' interactive storytelling is
nearly impossible, although TaleWorlds has made an effort. Crawford mentions that in order to
obtain interactive storytelling, the player must be able to make dramatically interesting choices.
However, he also notes that the universe of dramatic choices is endlessly rich and varied that no
coding system exists that permits to such an extent of possibilities.
120
So although reaching true
interactivity is impossible the Mount and Blade developers do try to reach some form of interactivity
be providing several, but limited, options such as hostile, friendly and neutral communicative
115
Perez Latorre. 431
116
Perez Latorre. 425.
117
Perez Latorre. 426.
118
Mark J. P. Wolf, Bernard Perron, and Routledge, The Video Game Theory Reader (Psychology Press, 2003).
260.
119
Gordon Calleja, “Narrative Involvement in Digital Games,” accessed April 4, 2020,
https://www.academia.edu/3374382/Narrative_Involvement_in_Digital_Games.
120
Wolf, Perron, and Routledge, The Video Game Theory Reader. 263.
31
options. These different options can be applied to nearly all factions/entities that follow an artificial
life model in the environment they populate. This approach is far from the scripted narratives of
different videogames, and thus players experience a narrative that feels more like their own.
In conclusion, this paragraph studied the representation of the gameplay activities. Important in the
representation of the gameplay activities are the patterns of action regarding final objectives. In
Mount and Blade there is no end-goal or objective, it is up to the player to set and achieve goals. Due
to the open nature of the game the focus on certain background choices is helpful for the player to
increase attributes and skills suitable for his preferred objectives. In other words, Mount and Blade
lacks a script or predefined narrative. Instead the developers rely on an interactive narrative through
the great variety of options available to the payer alongside the freedom of setting economic, social
or political goals. Mount and Blade represent the medieval era as free and unpredictable in addition
to being violent, as discussed in the previous paragraph.
32
Chapter 3: Mods
The previous chapter showed us how the past is represented in the videogame Mount and Blade.
Additionally, the chapter included the different manners of the player/character functions as well as
illustrating how the game world and the activities therein function and aid in representing the
medieval past. The representation of the past through the medium of a videogame does not limit
itself to the representation of the past by the author, or in this case, the developer. As seen in the
paragraph on the theoretical concepts, the boundary of whom represent the past in videogames is
becoming increasingly indistinct. In videogames, there is a 'problem' with authorship and narrativity.
This issue emerges from the interactivity that distinct games and other texts. The interaction gamers
have through the interface allows the players to influence the narrative. This interactive feature
permits gamers to extend agency into the text. In more traditional representations of historical
culture, the user has a rather inactive role. The increasing indistinct boundary is highly observable in
the case of game modifications and modders. Modders aim to alter the game in accordance with
their personal views. The changes made in-game modifications can range from highly complex
adjustments completely overhauling the original videogame or to simpler small adjustments to
finetune variables. During the act of modding, the users creating these adjustments are actively
appropriating the content of the original videogame to make it their own. Fans have been making
their own versions of industry produced videogame since the release of Wolfenstein
3D and Doom.
121
Henry Jenkins in Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture defined such a
culture with low artistic barriers, support for creations, sharing of creations and some type of
informal mentorship as a participatory culture.
122
The mods generated by this participatory culture
provide new content by launching the mods into gaming communities where it is then downloaded
and played by other gamers.
123
The following chapter will focus on these game modifications, modders and the participatory
culture surrounding the videogame Mount and Blade. The section aims to explore the second sub-
question, namely. What historical representations can be traced in the mods for popular digital
games, such as Mount and Blade? Notable are the differences between the historical representation
in the original game as opposed to the historical representation in the game modifications. The
analysis of the sub-question will also be supplemented through comments and remarks of the
modder themselves.
3.1 American Civil War Mod: Revived!
The first mod to be analysed is the American Civil War Mod: Revived! The mod is created by King85
and alters the videogame Mount and Blade. It was released on December 20, 2019, on the
community website Moddb. The previous chapter illustrated that the original Mount and Blade is set
in the fictive country of Calradia around the medieval 13th century. As the title The American Civil
War Mod: Revived! suggests this mod is set during the historic events taking place around the 1860s.
The mod almost wholly overhauls the original Mount and Blade. Following the analysis model
defined by O. Perez Latorre in The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study:
GTA IV and used in the previous chapter, several major differences in between the mod and the
videogame will be highlighted.
The mod maker King85 is from the United States and has been active on Moddb since 2015.
The mod includes ‘Revived!” in its title due to it being a revamped version of a different Mount and
Blade mod which dealt with the American Civil War. This original mod, A House Divided was lost after
the modders computer crashed causing a data loss. The American Civil War Mod: Revived! Is based
121
Hector Postigo, “Video Game Appropriation through Modifications: Attitudes Concerning Intellectual
Property among Modders and Fans,” Convergence 14, no. 1 (February 1, 2008): 59–74,
https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856507084419.
122
Jenkins, Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture.
123
Postigo, “Video Game Appropriation through Modifications.”
33
on a copy of A House Divided found online and has been actively modded ever since. The game
modification is rated with an average of 7.3 by the Moddb community and is ranked 456
th
of the total
42.261 game modifications on Moddb. In total the mod’s webpage has been viewed over 80.000
times and has 176 active followers.
124
3.1.1 Player/Character; Representation of 19th century American
Regarding the representation of the player/character, there are no significant changes by the
modder. The game still allows for the player to create their own character although the options for
the character's background differ. Where the previously the character's background could revolve
around being a nobleman and a squire the mod changes these medieval options to a "wealthy
landowner". Different options such as, "steppe bandit" and "hunter" are changed to "Native
American" and "Frontiersman". The game modification does not include any different rules or
limitations for such choices. Moreover, the game modification only slightly touches on the subject of
slavery, a crucial aspect of the American Civil War. The mod only mentions slaves but does not
provide any deep or extensive representation. Instead the mod solely focuses on the Confederacy
and Union. This focus implies a white, militarist and western perspective of the American Civil War.
Similar to Mount and Blade the choices made by the player would translate to different
statistics for the character. Interestingly, as seen in Figure 1, the names of the different statistics are
not changed, leading to a character with a high archery skill to be proficient in shooting muskets. The
operation rules for the mod and the original videogame are similar. Travelling the map and
communication with NPCs still function as "point and click". In combat, the player uses the same
mouse and keyboard options in the mod to move the player. The mod does expand the possibilities
to move and position the character's units. The modder expanded the tactical options in battle
according to the nature of military battles at the time. During the American Civil War, the
commanders often applied linear tactics. Linear tactics, or otherwise referred to as shoulder-to-
shoulder lines, emphasized the regiment as a tactical unit and enhanced the command and control of
the troops and the battlefield. At the time, the linear tactical system was still relevant and allowed
officers to train their citizen-soldiers successfully.
125
The modder also added the option of the units
to perform "firing by file". King85 elaborates on this tactical option as being a drill whereby the line
maintains a continuous fire by firing in turn and reloading in between turns.
126
But the most striking
addition to the operation rules is the modder's addition of voice commands. The modder's addition
of voice commands introduces the feature for the player to fight with the character while
consequently shouting orders to their units. Moreover, the modder added the correct bugle calls,
short military signal tunes, to respond to these orders. According to King85, "It gives a greater feeling
of immersion to hear cavalry bugle calls when commanding cavalry and infantry bugle calls when
ordering infantry.".
127
The extensive military and strategic options of the mod seem to further
indicate the modder’s militarist view of the American Civil War
The third and fourth game rules are the state rules and the game mechanics and are similar
in the game modification and the original game, although some additions and alterations were made
to the game mechanics. The most notable additions to the game mechanics are the extended tactical
124
“The American Civil War Mod: Revived! For Mount & Blade: Warband,” Mod DB, accessed February 28,
2020, https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-american-civil-war-mod-revived.
125
Kathryn Shively Meier, “Civil War Infantry Tactics: Training, Combat, and Small-Unit Effectiveness by Earl J.
Hess (Review),” The Journal of the Civil War Era 6, no. 1 (March 12, 2016): 117–19,
https://doi.org/10.1353/cwe.2016.0005.
126
“The First Patch Is Released! News - The American Civil War Mod: Revived! For Mount & Blade: Warband,”
Mod DB, accessed May 20, 2020, https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-american-civil-war-mod-
revived/news/the-first-patch-is-released.
127
“The American Civil War Mod: Revived! Full Release Version 1.5 News,” Mod DB, accessed April 14, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-american-civil-war-mod-revived/news/the-american-civil-war-mod-
revived-full-release-version-15.
34
options as discussed above and the addition of firearms. The firearms added to the game range from
rifles, muskets, revolvers and carabines and are originally not included in the game. Similar to the
different weapons in the original game such as spears and swords, each firearm has different stats to
represent the utilization and use of the weapon. The game modifications addition of firearms
requires the player to use more of their spatial orientation, visual-motor skills, tactical insight, and
reflexes in order to take cover and engage the enemy effectively. Other game mechanics such as the
in-game currency and renown mechanics are similar. Although the game modification renamed and
changed the setting of the game. For example, the currency is no longer 'Denars' but has been aptly
altered to Dollars.
In sum, in the mod The American Civil War: Revived! the representation of the player/character
differs from the original Mount and Blade in several ways. Most of the changes applied however are
relatively superficial. Seeing as the mod changes the historical period several things such as names,
and background stories are simply renamed to fit the period. Interestingly, the role of the female in
the historical period is largely unaltered. No additional attention is divided to the discourse of slavery
during the American Civil War. Instead the modder focusses on aspects concerning warfare and
strategy. This is exemplified by the modder addition of several operation rules, namely voice
commands and 19
th
century military tactics. The new voice commands in the mod further immerse
the player into Civil War battlefields and creates a more authentic historical representation. In terms
of game mechanics, the modder included a new weapon type, firearms. Evidently, this is a necessity
in the combat of the historical period.
3.1.2 Game world; Representation of the American Civil War
Alongside the representation of the player/character, the analysis model defined by Latorre states
that to understand a (historical) videogame the representation of the game world must be examined.
As we have seen in the previous chapter, the understanding of the game world revolves around five
different factors in the game. The five different factors are the spatiotemporal design, the rules for
blocking/unblocking areas and states of the game world, the game rules related to the design of the
nonplayer character, the design of the interactive objects and the relationship between rules that
induce behaviour.
128
Regarding the spatiotemporal design the mod The American Civil War:
Revived! completely alters this aspect. The world designed by the modder "King85" represents the
late nineteenth-century United States. Where previously the game map showed a non-existing
territory the modded map shows a map from the American East coast up to the Eastern border of
Texas. Roughly the map contains the modern territories of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, West Virginia,
Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri
and Illinois. The game map is filled with cities, towns and villages bearing the well-known names such
as Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Boston, Nashville, Gettysburg, St Augustine and many more. Similar to
the original game these historic sites are all modelled after their real-life counterpart and free to
traverse. Although the map is not a perfect model of the United States, the map does clearly
resemble the US. The map of the mod is noticeably larger than Calradia. The mod includes six
different factions, the army of Northern Virginia, the army of Pensacola, the army of Tennessee, the
army of the Mississippi, the army of the Potomac and the Plains Nation. At first glance, this might
seem like an unusual decision. Popular history often denotes the American Civil War as a war
between the Union and the Confederacy. However, the modder King85 has represented the
American Civil War as a battle between six different belligerents.
To explain this, the modder provides the following explanation on the game modifications webpage
on Moddb:
128
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.”
35
“… From the historical perspective, there was no giant blob of Union and Confederate armies
in real life. America is a very large country and no single army was going to be able to fight effectively
across such an enormous landscape, especially with the kind of technology they had available at the
time. Logistics and communications alone would be impossible over such a large are for one single
entity to command. That’s why there were all these separate armies with their own generals, such as
the Army of the Potomac, the Army of Northern Virginia, and so on. The different “factions” portray
this aspect of history fairly well …”.
129
The modder King85 clearly states his preference for historical accuracy. According to him, there
never was a centralized Union or Confederacy army; rather, there were separate armies. The reason
for the division between generals was the communication and logistical challenge of the nineteenth
century. The historian Richard McMurry specializes in the history of the Civil War and provides
similar arguments in his work the Two Great Rebel Armies. In this work, the McMurry compares the
two largest Confederate armies to assess which of the twenty-five Confederate armies was most
successful.
130
Thus, five of the six different factions can be separated between the Union; the Army
of the Potomac, the Army of the Mississippi and the Confederacy; the Army of Northern Virginia, the
Army of Tennessee and the Army of Pensacola. The sixth faction in the mod is the 'Plains Nation'; this
faction is best categorized as a Native American faction. Even though the Native Americans were
never unified as a single bloc, their presence in the mod is justified. As the historian, Megan Nelson
argues in her work The Three-Cornered War. In this book, the author elaborates on the role different
Native Americans tribes played in the Civil War. To illustrate, Nelson states that the Navajos and the
Chiricahua Apaches were a serious threat and challenge to the Union Army's campaign of New
Mexico.
131
Additionally, the historian Ashley Dunbar, in Native Americans: A Study of Their Civil War
Experience states that the Native Americans played a vital role during the unrest and upheaval of the
Civil War. Their pledged allegiances played important roles in the outcome of several battles and the
eventual war's outcome.
132
Unfortunately, the role of the Native Americans in the American Civil
War is often overlooked. According to Dunbar, this is due to the fact that most of the sources on the
history of the American Civil War are written from a Western perspective; thus the voice and
representation of the Native American more than often lacks from these histories.
133
These six different factions are a stark difference to the different factions found in Mount
and Blade. Where the original game uses fictional factions inspired by history and uses anachronisms
to represent the medieval past. The game modification includes factions based on historical
counterparts, aiming to represent the historical setting more closely. The six different factions act
similarly as the original game. The original game's active environment is similar to the mods.
However, the only change is an increase in the relationship between the armies of the Northern
states and between the armies of the Southern states, to ensure that the AI-led generals and
commanders do not fight amongst themselves.
The second design factor to be discussed are the rules for blocking/unblocking areas and
states of the game is unchanged in the mod; therefore, no attention will be paid to this design factor.
The following design factor, however, the rules of objects in the game world do require additional
attention. As explained earlier, these rules mainly govern the way items look, work and the effects of
129
“The American Civil War Mod: Revived! Full Release Version 1.6 File,” Mod DB, 6, accessed May 20, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-american-civil-war-mod-revived/downloads/the-american-civil-war-mod-
revived-full-release-version-16.
130
Richard M. McMurry, Two Great Rebel Armies: An Essay in Confederate Military History (UNC Press Books,
1996). 1.
131
Megan Kate Nelson, The Three-Cornered War: The Union, the Confederacy, and Native Peoples in the Fight
for the West (Simon and Schuster, 2020). 17.
132
Ashley Dunbar, “Native Americans: A Study of Their Civil War Experience,” Journal of Interdisciplinary
Undergraduate Research 3, no. 4 (2011): 19.
133
Dunbar. 20.
36
these elements in action. The mod and the game both include the four same item categories:
weapons, armour, goods, and horses. However, the mod completely changes these items. To begin
with the weapons. Mount and Blade included swords, polearms, axes, maces, hammers, and many
more medieval style weaponry. The modder removed items that are inappropriate to the Civil War
era. The weapons that remain are a few weapons such as axes, hatchets, knives, and some bows.
Instead, the modder added a very large variety of ranged weapons appropriate to the historical
period. Such as the Merrill Carabine, Richmond Rifles, and the Fayetteville Rifle. or the sake of
immersion, King85 also included different sounds for the different weapon types. The modder pays
close attention to the design of these weapons as well as ensuring that the correct weapons are
included in the mod.
The modder also added a new type of 'weapon' to the game, flags. During the Civil War flags
had great importance to soldiers. The historian Robert McNamara explores the significance of flags
during the historic period. According to McNamara, soldiers on both sides of the conflict would give
their lives defending the regimental flag.
134
The respect for the flag was partly a matter of morale
and pride, but additionally, it symbolized the regiment's identity. In battle, the flags were practical,
marking the position of the regiment in the fog of war.
135
The combination of the symbolic meaning
and practicality of the flag required the designation of 'colour guards' carrying the flag. Typically, a
regiment would consist of two colour guards, one carrying the national flag and another carrying the
regimental flag, a mark of great distinction.
136
Figure 5 shows the mod's rendition of the "Iron
Brigade", also known as the "Black Hats" or "Black Hat Brigade", according to the author Alan Nolan,
one of the most famous units of the Union's Army of the Potomac. The modder is keen on adding
many different regiments and their unique flags and uniform. More examples of such regiments
included in the mod are the "The Red Legged Devils", "Garibaldi Guard", "Stonewall Brigade" and
"Thomasville Zouaves". Important to notice in Figure 5 are the two-colour guards. Additionally, the
unit's uniforms and equipment accurately depict the soldiers at the time. The seen uniform is only a
small example of the many uniforms the modder added to the mod. With every update, the modder
aims to add new and additional uniforms to "truly reflect their historical counterparts" and "to no
longer look like other generic cavalry units.".
137
The characteristics also apply to the other two item types, the horses and the goods. King85 added
different horse models reflecting the horses used at the time. Additionally, the mod adds several
134
Robert McNamara, “Why Civil War Flags Were So Important,” ThoughtCo, accessed May 20, 2020,
https://www.thoughtco.com/flags-importance-in-the-civil-war-1773716.
135
McNamara.
136
McNamara.
137
“The American Civil War Mod.”
Figure 5 The Iron Brigade
37
different types of good that typify the late 19th century, such as whiskey, cotton, and corn. The
mod The American Civil War: Revived! does not alter the final design factor, the rules for inducing
behaviour. The only difference is related to a change in the historical setting from the medieval
courts to aristocratic/military society.
To conclude, the modification of Mount and Blade’s game world is altered through many different
changes. The original map is reshaped and fitted to resemble a large portion of United States
territory. The modder altered the original factions to several historically accurate Civil War
belligerents. In the modification of the different factions the modder chose to intricately create
factions that accurately portray the belligerents of the Civil War. The same attention to detail is given
to the alteraction of the objects and items in the game world. The complete item list of Mount and
Blade is changed to the many different sorts of muskets and rifles of the Civil War era. Furthermore,
in order to further immerse and deepen the experience of the Civil War the modder added flags and
uniforms to the mod, important aspects of the time period. Which further underlines the focus of the
modder to portray the military aspects of the American Civil War.
3.1.3 Gameplay activities; Representation of struggles of man in war
In the previous chapter, the representation of the activities in the gameplay was introduced. Again,
five different design elements were explained and applied to Mount and Blade. This paragraph aims
to apply the same design elements to the mod The American Civil War: Revived!. The first element to
consider for the mod are the patterns of action regarding final objects. Similar to Mount and
Blade the mod there is no single storyline, it all depends on the player. The difference between the
original game and the mod is the (historical) setting. However, this difference does inspire more to a
specific end goal. As the mod is set in a Civil War, the player is more strongly influenced to resolve
the war between the North and South. Although in the game mod the player remains free to do as
he/she likes, the setting does push more towards participating on either side of the conflict. The
second element, the degree of redundancy versus variability in gameplay is also unchanged by the
game modification. The third design element, the game mechanics, has already been discussed
sufficiently earlier in the chapter. The fourth element, however, the strategic/tactical dilemmas do
significantly differ between the mod and the original game. As mentioned, the mod adds many
different tactical formations to the game as well as different options for the units to fire on the
enemy such as firing by file. Moreover, the addition of guns replacing medieval warfare is a huge
tactical difference. Alongside these added tactical options the mod includes different strategic
options too. In the mod the Confederate and the Union factions are unable to declare war against
themselves, generating a different realm than the original game. In Mount and Blade, the six
different were all able from attacking everyone which would often lead to increased renown among
the court of a faction fighting a common enemy. In the mod The American Civil War: Revived! there
are two sides and a third party. This division of factions inclines the two parties to side with the
"Plains Nation" to gain the upper hand. The final game design factor, the chains of action does not
differ strongly from the original game. Therefore, this design factor will not be discussed.
In conclusion of the representation of gameplay activities there are several important altercations of
the mod to the original. In the commercial Mount and Blade there was a large degree of freedom and
different playthrough options. In the mod, these options remain, however they are less extensively
detailed and changed in comparison the changes in military playthrough. The mod ‘s patterns of
action regarding final objectives are focused on experiencing the American Civil War, instead of
experiencing life in the Middle Ages.
38
3.2 Independence of Chile mod
The second mod that is going to be studied is the Independence of Chile mod for Mount and Blade.
The modification's creator is Mauromagno_Patriota and was first released in 2011 and posted on the
community website Moddb. As mentioned earlier the original game revolves around the historical
medieval period, this mod, however, changes the historical setting to Chile in the early nineteenth
century during the independence war against Spain. The mod can be considered as a total conversion
of the original game. Mauromagno_Patriota is a modder from Chile who has been active on Moddb
since 2013. His mod The Independence of Chile Mod is rated with an 8.3 on Moddb and is ranked 800
of the total 42.262 mods on Moddb. The game modification webpage has been visited a total of
270,569 and has 180 active members.
138
The historical mod The Independence of Chile is a great example of a modder's work that
goes against the hegemony of the game's industry. The counter-hegemonic mod goes against the
industry in the sense that the videogame covers a heavily underrepresented part of history, which
exemplifies Christiansen's argument discussed in Between a Mod and a Hard Place. Even more so
than the American Civil War mod, which deals with a slightly more common theme. In this article, the
author argues that game modifications are a way of diversifying the historical representation in
videogames.
139
Christiansen argumentation is illustrated by the comment seen below. The quote is
from a review of the user Cloudieallover on the historical mod The Independence of Chile on the
website Moddb.
“Really well done, I love this topic it’s not really a war that is talked about much and it’s just
great to see it come to life like this and be able to be a part of it so kudos.”.
140
The user praises the game modification due to the mod’s representation of the underrepresented
Chilean independence wars in popular culture. The following paragraph aims to show the major
differences between the historical representation of the videogame Mount and Blade. Furthermore,
the paragraph aims to show how the historical representation of the Chilean independence wars is
constructed in the game modification following the analysis model defined by O. Perez Latorre in The
Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study: GTA IV. The use of the same analysis
model for the original game, the American Civil War: Revived! and The Independence of Chile allows
for a structured comparison between the representations of history.
3.2.1 Character/player; Representation of the 19
th
century South American
The systemic analysis model explained by Oliver Latorre starts by analyzing the player and character
in the videogame. The author denotes four types of game rules that influence the representation of
the player and character. The four types of game rules: performance rules, operation rules, state
rules and game mechanics do not need further definition as they have been aptly dealt with in the
previous paragraph and chapter
141
. Instead the most striking features between this game
modification and Mount and Blade are going to be highlighted. Remarkably, the modder did not
make many significant changes regarding the game rule types of the character/player. Which means
that in relation to the more specific rules of Mount and Blade, which refer to the medieval era, are
still largely present in the game modification. In relation to the performance rules, the mod The
Independence of Chile retains the original choices for the character’s background as well as keeping
Mount and Blade’s variety of skills, attributes and proficiencies. However, the modder did include the
138
“Independence of Chile Mod for Mount & Blade: Warband,” Mod DB, accessed January 10, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/independence-of-chile.
139
Champion, Game Mods. 37
140
“Independence of Chile Mod for Mount & Blade.”
141
Perez Latorre, “The Social Discourse of Video Games Analysis Model and Case Study.”
39
possibility of crouching. In the original game the only options the character has are jumping and
running. The modder added the movement option of crouching in order to add new formation
options for soldiers during battles. The new formation options are the most notable additions to the
operation rules. Mount and Blade has limited orders for troops such as ‘move here, ‘follow me’ and
‘stand your ground’. The historical mod adds more and different formation options similar to the
American Civil War Mod: Revived! the Independence of Chile mod includes more tactical options
relating to nineteenth century rifle-based warfare. To illustrate some of the added options are
commands such as “Left flank fire now” or “All fire now”. The effect of this new operation rules is an
even stronger emphasis on the military, tactical and strategic aspect of the game Mount and Blade.
Regarding the third game rule type, the state rules the mod and Mount and Blade do not
differ aside from updating the icon next to the health bar to represent a more nineteenth century
style. However, in relation to the game mechanics the modder adds functioning rifles which is
something that the medieval Mount and Blade does not include. The addition of firearms to the
game expands the skills required of the player and is comparable to the discussion of the firearms in
the analysis of the American Civil War Mod: Revived!
To conclude, like the American Civil War Mod: Revived does the Independence of Chile Mod not alter
the representation of the player/character in a major way. The modder does make several superficial
changes such as renaming and refitting the medieval themed background stories. The game
modification does have additional operation rules, namely the ability for the character to crouch. The
modder added this movement option due to the tactical options it provides in rifle-based warfare. In
terms of the other game design rules there are no significant changes applied either, apart from the
addition of firearms to the videogame.
3.2.2 Game world; Representation of South America
According to Latorre’s analysis model the game world consists of the virtual environment and the
inhabitants of the virtual environment. Latorre sees inhabitants as more than just NPCs, the game’s
objects, natural and cultural elements are also considered as inhabitants and part of the game
world.
142
There are five design factors important in relation to the representation of the game world.
The spatiotemporal design, the rules for blocking/unblocking areas and states of the game world, the
game rules related to the design of NPCs and objects and the rules that induce behavior in the
character/player.
143
These different design factor are going to be considered in relation to the mod
the Independence of Chile and the original Mount and Blade. The first design factor discussed is the
spatiotemporal design. Clearly the Independence of Chile mod alters the spatiotemporal factor of
medieval ‘Calradia’ considerably. The modder Mauromagno_Patriota recreated the independence
wars of nineteenth century in Chile. The independence wars of Chile began around 1810,
surrounding the upheaval of the Napoleonic wars engulfing Spain and Europe.
144
The mod starts on
the 23 Augstust 1814, a key year during the struggle for independence. The year is understood to
mark a turning point in terms of militarization and military action.
145
To recreate the historical setting
the modder changed Mount and Blade’s map of Calradia to the continent South America. The map
includes the territories of modern-day Chile, Argentina and Peru. The creator Mauromagno_Patriota
incorporated twenty-two cities, eighty-four forts and one hundred ten villages. All the locations on
142
Perez Latorre. 420.
143
Perez Latorre. 422.
144
Simon Collier, Professor of History Simon Collier, and William F. Sater, A History of Chile, 1808-1994
(Cambridge University Press, 1996). 33.
145
“1808 – 1814 The Revolutionary Civil War in Chile,” War and Nation: identity and the process of state-
building in South America (1800-1840), accessed June 1, 2020,
https://research.kent.ac.uk/warandnation/1808-1814-the-revolutionary-civil-war-in-chile/.
40
the game map are named after their real-life counterpart, including cities such as Cordoba, Talca an
Mendoza.
146
Chapter 2 included an analysis of the representations of the towns in Mount and Blade
following the conceptualization of what medieval cities and towns look like. In the mod the
Independence of Chile the modder aims to accurately recreate forts and cities. The different towns
includes many representations of Spanish colonial architecture, following Spanish city planning and
building styles. The modders adherence to architecture is seen in the cities as well as the militaries
fortifications. Figure 7 below illustrates the modders work of recreating the architecture at the time
of Chilean independence. The figure shows the mods rendition of the Palacio de la Real Audiencia de
Santiago or the Royal Court Palace of Chile. The palace is located the Plaza de Armas in Santiago,
Chile. In 1818 the Chilean Declaration of Independence was signed in the palace and afterwards it
hosted the Chilean government. Today is houses the Chilean museum of national history and
represents the nation’s past, present and future.
147
The original Mount and Blade’s architecture was
fictional, although based on the medieval period. In The Independence of Chile Mod it can clearly be
seen that the modder aims to accurately recreate important buildings in order to increase the mod’s
authenticity in representing the history of Chile.
Figure 7 The Royal Court Palace of Chile
As Grever and Adriaansen argue, historical sites, such as this palace, are important in shaping a vision
of the past. Especially in the case of a nation state, sites of memory generate collective, national
identities. Seeing the palace ‘in action’ in the mod is a way to emphasize the role of the palace in the
Chilean national identity and history.
The game modification includes six different factions: the Chile Army, the Viceroyalty of Peru,
the Mapuches, the Andes Army, the Upper Peru Army and the Río de La Plata’s United Provinces.
These six factions are the main actors during the wars of independence in South America. The wars
of independence mark a major historical turning point. In Spain, the turning point translated to a
massive decline of power, rendering the European state to a ghost of its former self. In Spanish
America, the wars sprouted new, modern and constitutional states.
148
On one side of the conflict the
146
“Independence of Chile Version 4.0 News,” Mod DB, accessed May 31, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/independence-of-chile/news/independence-of-chile-version-40.
147
“History - National Historical Museum,” accessed June 25, 2020,
https://www.mhn.gob.cl/sitio/Secciones/Quienes-somos/Historia/.
148
Anthony McFarlane, War and Independence In Spanish America (Routledge, 2013). 1.
41
Viceroyalty of Peru, Upper Peru Army and a large portion of the Mapuches fought on the side of the
Spanish Crown against the rebelling Chilean Army, Andes Army, and the Rio de La Plata’s United
Provinces(Argentina).
149
The quote below shows Mauromagno_Patriota comment on a user asking
him why he does not add the Liga Federal or the Banda Oriental, two Uruguayan independence
organizations.
“Amigos, como dice Malotun, el mod trate de la independencia de Chile, pos eso esta
Argentina, el Ejercito de los Andes, las 2 facciones españolas y los mapuches, historicamente, se
relacionava todo... ore eso puse mas paises, ademas porque hice el mod solo...”
Translated the top half of the comment states the following:
“Guys, as Malotun states, the mod is about the Independence of Chile. Which is why
Argentina, the two Spanish factions and the Mapuches were added. Historically, all these states
relate. That is why I did not add more factions. Also, I made the mod alone….”
The comment illustrates the modders understanding of history, what he aims for his game
modification and his goal for historical accuracy. The different factions in the mod act in the same
manner of active environment as in Mount and Blade, aside from the historically factions refraining
from attacking each other.
Regarding the rules for blocking and unblocking areas and states of the game the
Independence of Chile mod does not add, modify or remove anything. Therefore, this design factor
will receive no further attention. The third design factor, the rules of objects in the game and the
NPCs do require additional attention. Mount and Blade and the Independence of Chile both include
the same item types and the functioning of these items are relatively similar. Visually, however, the
mod completely modifies the original game’s items. The modder removed all the obsolete and
unused weaponry, leaving swords for the Mapuches natives and the cavalry used in the armies. To
replace these weapons the mod creator adds a wide variety of different firearms. Additionally, the
correct uniforms are used in accordance with the time period. On the mod’s webpage
Mauromagno_Patriota elaborates on his research in picking the right equipment fitting the historical
era. The mod creator relies on the study Breve studio sobre los uniformes usados por las tropas
colonials e independientes de Chile by the author Nicanor Molinare. The research written in 1914
deals with the different uniforms and equipment of the colonial overlord and the Chilean
independence fighters. To provide the user of the mod with additional information on the Spanish
American Independence Wars the modder posts short stories on highlighted events or troops. Figure
6 is a screenshot of the modder used in one of the ‘short stories’ on Chile’s infantry grenadiers.
150
The figure shows the historically accurate uniforms and weapons utilized by the Grenadier Regiment
of Infantry of Chile. Moreover, the figure shows the modders additional operation rules, crouching.
149
McFarlane. 347
150
“Chile’s Infantry Grenadiers News,” Mod DB, accessed May 31, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/independence-of-chile/news/grenadiers-of-infantry-of-chile.
42
Figure 6 Chile's Infantry Grenadiers
The final game design resource to be discussed are the rules of inducing behavior. Similar to Mount
and Blade the game still allows the player/character to pick every faction and to design their own
playthrough. However, the player is stimulated to pick the anti-colonial Chile and to adhere to a
combat focused military play through of the videogame. This is due to that unlike Mount and Blade
the mod is less polished to follow other playstyles. For example, in the original game the economy
and the different items and goods were all functioning properly and suited for the different playstyle.
In the case of the Independence of Chile the items, goods and economy received less attention and
detail in refitting it to the relevant historical period. Likely, this is due because the mod’s setting is
during a civil war, whilst the setting of Mount and Blade is ‘medieval’ not a specific medieval war,
allowing more peaceful playthroughs.
In sum, the representation of the 19
th
century game world in the Independence of Chile is shaped
through various important game design rules. In the spatiotemporal design the modder made the
most significant changes. The original game map is reconstructed to the southern half of the South
American continent filled with accurate cities, towns and villages. To the modder the details of
locations such as cities and forts is important. As illustrated by focus on architecture in these cities,
such as the mod’s rendition of an important building in Chile’s history, the Palacio de la Real
Audiencia de Santiago.
Furthermore, the modder aims to accurately represent the Chilean struggle for
Independence through the six different factions active during the war. The modification shows a
tendency to accurately depict the military/combat aspect of Mount and Blade. The other objects,
items and good are altered to fit the historical period, but no major modifications in the functioning
are made.
3.2.3 Gameplay activities; Representation of the struggles of war
This paragraph will focus on the third and final fundamental reference in videogame representation
structure, the game play activities. In order to analyze the activities in videogames the following
game play units are going to be considered the patterns of action regarding final objects, the degree
of redundancy versus variability of the game play, the game mechanics and the chains of action. The
modification the Independence of Chile does not change the original videogame’s open world
structure. The mod adheres to a similar structure regarding final objects as Mount and Blade. For the
player this means that there is no single set objective, the player can choose their own objectives
freely. For example, in the Independence of Chile mod the player can pledge allegiance to the
different factions such as the Chilean army and follow the course of history. However, the player may
also decide to join a faction sided to the Spanish crown following the concept of counterfactual
history.
43
The degree of redundancy versus variability of the game play hardly differs from Mount and
Blade in the mod. Between the mod and the original there no great differences. Both the games
include a great amount of freedom and variability in their game play. Similar to the developers the
modder retains the unpredictability and freedom in the game modification. The third game play unit,
the game mechanics has been sufficiently covered during the analyzation of the player/character
earlier. Furthermore, the chains of action are not altered significantly so require no further
analyzation.
To conclude, in the representation of the gameplay activities only a few modifications can be
observed. Most of the original game’s gameplay activities were only changed in terms of appearance,
instead of adding or removing functions. The most striking modification is that in the historical mod
the modder emphasizes a playthrough as Chile. The main objective being fighting against Spanish
colonial rule. Although the user remains free to join other factions or roam free across the map.
44
Chapter 4: Motivations
The first chapter introduced several different authors and works that researched the rationale
behind modders to create game modifications. As shown by several authors, such as Sotamaa in
Have Fun Working with Our Product and Christiansen in Between a Mod and a Hard Place is the
unequal distribution of benefits and disadvantages between the game industry and modders. Both
these authors explain that the gaming industry benefits from the free labour provided through game
modifications. The benefits of the gaming industry can be seen in several different aspects. Sotamaa
argues that one aspect of the benefit of the industry is through a boost in the value of the industry
game through the contribution of the mods to the branding of the product, allowing the game to
stand out against competitors and fosters stronger brand loyalty.
151
Furthermore, the gaming
industry benefits through the increased duration of the videogame's life cycle leading to higher
profits. In addition, Christiansen argues that the game industry occupies a hegemonic position in
relation to the marginalized position of modders.
152
However, both the authors also establish that
there are some benefits in creating game modifications, although it seems that the disadvantages
outweigh the advantages for modders and the surrounding participatory culture. However, as
illustrated by the game modifications of the videogame Mount and Blade and the great number of
mods on Modb, the modding community remains very active. The following chapter aims to explore
the seemingly irrational act of modding. Through a thematic analysis as described by Braun and
Clarke. This method is used to identify, analyse, locate and categorize patterns within the data. The
data consists of the respective Moddb page of the mod and an interview with the modder. The
appendix includes the different interview questions asked. The thematic analysis aims to gain more
insight into the following sub-question: “What motivations do the creators of Mount and Blade mods
present?". The sub-question intends to enhance the understanding of modding through an in-depth
analysis of the motivations different modders present as a result of an (online) interview in
combination with some of their online statements on Moddb.
4.1 Mount and Blade Modders
Among the different answers and statements of the modders several interesting features were
traced. The following recurring themes came to the fore after the initial coding of the data. Firstly, a
high general interest in history was noticeable among the modders. On a 1-10 scale of general
interest the modders averaged around a 7.5. Additionally, one of the modder stated that “warlike
periods” and “how they lived in certain times” interests him the most. Unsurprisingly, seeing as the
mods deal with a historical game and are historical mods.
Regarding Mount and Blade the modders were generally positive. As the only problems that
came up were “some of the engine limitations” and limited use of language and animations.
Although these limitations can be explained due to the fact that Mount and Blade “is an older game”
launched over a decade ago. However, the modders seem to actively change the aspects of Mount
and Blade which they resent. For example, the creator of the Independence of Chile Mod finds it
frustrating that “the player can only walk and stand and has few animations … “. As the analysation
on the historical mod has shown, the modder has included a new operation rule to the game,
allowing the player to crouch.
The main reason for the modders to play Mount and Blade is because they enjoy the “replay-
ability and freedom” of the game as well as that the “game recreates the story in an almost real way
… most of the games are controlled. The AI is directing you to certain scenes or leading you to
missions and at the end they are finished.” The most interesting aspects according to the modders is
151
Sotamaa, “Have Fun Working with Our Product!”
152
Champion, Game Mods. 37.
45
Mount and Blade’s realism and that “the game has commercialization, different cultures, a system of
honour, loyalty and betrayal.”. Interestingly, in the case of the mod The Independence of Chile and in
The American Civil War Mod: Revived the commercialization and the system of honour and loyalty is
hardly altered. On the other hand, the medieval culture is totally changed to realistically represent
the early 19
th
century Chile and the bordering countries as well as the United States.
Researching the modders view on their own work as most significant or interesting shows the
modders focus on the particularities of their work. To illustrate, Mauromagno_Patriota sees the most
important characteristic of his mod as:
“My mod is historical, which recreates the Independence of Chile, where you can find the
characters of all the countries involved that made the disassociation of the Spanish Empire possible,
historical towns and cities, historical architecture, ancient culture like the Mapuche people who brings
and motivates children and young people to study history.”
The characteristics mentioned by the modder are very clearly visible in the Independence of Chile
Mod. As mentioned in Chapter 3, the mod includes several different factions active during the era of
the independence war as well as the modders focus on historical architecture. On the mod’s
webpage the modder provides insight in his process of creating the models of the mod. In Figure 7
two of the modders added images can be seen. The images show a picture of the Fuerte de
Nacimiento near Concepción, Chile and the work-in-progress rendition of the military fortress.
The modder states that to him attention to detail is something he sees as one of the most significant
aspects of his historical mod. He states that “It may only be a detail for me, but for a 12-year player,
it’s something great.” In addition, the modder hopes that the inclusion of the different details in
culture and architecture leads to (young) people playing his mod to studying history.
This example indicates that modders view videogames and mods as serious forms of
historical expression. The serious approach of modders is illustrated by the efforts modders present
in creation an authentic representation of history through modding. The effort of recreating history
authentically in videogames reinterprets the traditional values held by ‘real’ reenactment. As
explained by Crabtree in Modding as Digital Reenactment modding and reenactment is a ritual of
performance, the ritual is created by generating a closer simulation of the past. Supposedly,
videogames and game modifications provide an even closer simulation to history than other forms of
reenactment can offer.
153
The modder King85 who created the mod The American Civil War: Revived!
offers adjacent motivation for his modding. As can be derived from the game modification’s
description on ModdB. The description ends with a statement on why the modder recreated the
American Civil War:
153
Crabtree, “Modding as Digital Reenactment.” 204.
Figure 3 Fuerte de Naciemiento
46
“In solemn memory of all those who gave their lives in the American Civil War, on both sides
of the conflict. One of the greatest tragedies of that war is that whether they were fighting for the
Union or for the Confederacy, they were all Americans, and we should not soon forget the lessons of
that bloody and brutal war. We honor the sacrifice of those brave men who gave their lives for what
they so strongly believed in, when we ourselves attempt to catch a glimpse of our past and step into
their shoes, even in such small ways as this. Let us strive to keep our history alive and carry the
lessons with us always. May they rest in everlasting peace and may we all look toward a better future
for ourselves and for those who will come after us”
154
.
Important to note is aim of the modder to “not forget the lessons of that bloody and brutal war” and
to “carry the lessons with us always”. This idea is, according to Crabtree, is a key part of
reenactment. Crabtree states that reenactment is the expression of “living history,” an exercise
centered on the belief that reliving the past is the best way to learn from it.
155
However, King85’s
main motivation was not only to teach and re-live history. As mentioned in Chapter 3, the mod
started as a different mod, “A House Divided”, because of this King85’s motivation was based on the
goal to redevelop and improve the mod. The modder redeveloped the game modification as a hobby.
A hobby that derived from his “love for the game, for the history and for the gaming community.”.
The motivation of the modder Mauromagno_Patriota adds a different motive. As can be
deducted from the reply of the modder:
“I am a lover of everything old and of the history of my country, especially the period of
independence, of the important characters and of culture and traditions. I really like the game and I
really like my mod, I wanted there to be a mod from the Chilean Independence, I wanted to have
something of my own, that my compatriots felt proud to have, something from my country,
something that represents them in traditions and culture.”
The motivation of the modder exceeds the re-enactive and educational motivations of King85. The
modder wants his nation’s struggle for independence to be represented in videogames. He wants to
make his fellow countrymen proud of the history of their country. This strongly nationalistic
motivation is a new and different type of motivation than found in existing literature. The motivation
of Mauromagno_Patriota to represent Chile’s history goes against the narrowing selection of
commercial videogames. The modders motivation can be regarded as going against the
overrepresentation of the Second World War in the game industry.
156
The overrepresentation stems
from the beginning of the game industry. In the beginning, the soon-to-be industry was incredibly
diverse. Videogames were loosely defined, which allowed developers to experiment with new forms
of gameplay and new ideas freely. However, as the industries profit began to increase through the
establishment of multinational gaming organizations, these organizations erupted in accordance with
the development of better graphics, faster functioning computers and bigger audiences. As the
budgets increased, so too did the need for increased returns.
157
This turned the industry from its free
and experimentative origin to become increasingly more risk-averse. For the player, this meant that
the selection of games is becoming narrower. As the industry is focused on 'hits', marketing young,
white males and over-representing certain popular selling situations. The hegemony of the industry
in videogame marginalizes other groups whose preferences and opinions are ignored. Modding as a
154
“The American Civil War Mod.”
155
Crabtree, “Modding as Digital Reenactment.”
156
Yannick Rochat, “A Quantitative Study of Historical Video Games (1981–2015),” 2019, 3–19,
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429345616-1.
157
Champion, Game Mods. 37.
47
counter-hegemonic process than provides an option to diversify the selection of games by creating
videogames that normally would not be developed.
158
4.2 Existing literature
The following part of the chapter is aims to compare the motivations found by this study to the
motivations found in existing literature. As mentioned in Chapter 1 in From Pong to Planet Quake by
Postigo three different motivations for modders are defined. The first motive Postigo discerns is that
some modders engage in modding in order to gain experience and recognition in working in the
gaming industry.
159
According to Postigo, the status modders gain by participating in a successful
game modification ensures a position in a commercial development team. The second motive
Postigo establishes is that modding is regarded as an artistic undertaking, allowing the modders to
have a creative outlet. This motive relates strongly to the community of the mods since the
participants in the community strongly credit modders who provide exemplary work.
160
The final
motivation found by Postigo is that modders identified more with the technical complexity of games,
thus increasing their joy in playing the game. The author Olli Sotamaa in When the Game is Not
Enough researches the shooter-game Operation Flashpoint and its modding scene. In his research
into the motivations of the Operation Flashpoint modders, Sotamaa establishes that the same three
motivational themes as Postigo can be discerned. However, Sotamaa aims to explore the modders
motivations further by formulating a larger number and more detailed groupings.
161
Sotamaa
formulates these extended motivational groupings through two steps. Firstly, the author considers
the output of Operation Flashpoint’s modding scene. Sotamaa divides the mods of Operation
Flashpoint in three different categories: mission makers, add-on makers and mod makers.
162
The
second step is to analyze the different roles a modder, or mod-team can possess as the different
roles inside mod development can also indicate different motivations among modders. Although the
author focusses on a single videogame, he believes that the proposed categorization can be
identified among other games.
Following the research of Sotamaa in When the Game is not Enough an analyzation of the
different Mount and Blade mod categories can be made. The different categories of game
modifications will be based on the different type of game modifications found on Moddb. This is due
to the Moddb being one of the biggest and most popular platforms to share game mods. Moddb
includes 683 Mount and Blade mods, and although some of these mods may overlap categories, the
division helps in providing an overview of the different type of mod makers for Mount and Blade. The
first category that is clearly noticeable is ‘extension’ mods. Mods that fall under this category are
mods that aim to improve or add to the original game. The most popular example of mod in this
category is Bannerpage. The mod aims to "significantly improve areas in which the game has not
aged well."
163
The mod overhauls graphics, factions, improves animations, tweaks AI, adds diplomacy
and much more.
164
The second category found for the game Mount and Blade are ‘frolic mods’. Mods
that fall under this category are aimed to amuse player in a ludicrous way. The Mount and Blade mod
that strongly represents this category is the Calradia Football WorldCup. As the name implies the aim
of the mod maker is to change the game from the original medieval fighting and killing to football
158
Champion. 38.
159
Postigo, “From Pong to Planet Quake.” 600.
160
Postigo. 601.
161
Sotamaa, “When the Game Is Not Enough.”
162
Sotamaa.
163
“BannerPage Mod for Mount & Blade: Warband - Mod DB,” accessed May 26, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/bannerpage.
164
“BannerPage Features and Installation,” Mod DB, accessed May 26, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/bannerpage/features/bannerpage-features-and-installation.
48
matches deciding who wins wars.
165
The third and largest category are the game modifications that
fit the more traditional and conventional understanding of mods. Game modifications in this
category are, for example, the mods explored in the previous chapter the American Civil War Mod:
Revived! and The Independence of Chile Mod. These mods are generally aimed to alter the historical
setting of Mount and Blade. This category also includes mods such as A World of Ice and Fire, which
changes Mount and Blade to the fictional world of Game of Thrones.
166
These game modifications
embody the more conventional understanding of mods in the sense that they are total conversion
mods, overhauling the art and gameplay assets to generate an entirely new experience. The three
different Mount and Blade categories; extension, frolic and conventional differ slightly from the
categories identified by the author. The videogame studied by Sotamaa, Operation Flashpoint
provides potential modders with and in-game mission editor. This option explains the lack of such a
category in Mount and Blade. The second category defined by Sotamaa, the add-ons differ are similar
to the extension mods found in Mount and Blade.
167
The final category of the Operation Flashpoint
and Mount and Blade can be considered similar.
Sotamaa's conceptualization of the different motivations for modders can be seen in Table 1.
The left column illustrates the category, whilst the column on the right the categories description.
The five mentioned motivations for modders do not seem to fit to the motivations stated by the
modders in this research. Looking at the motivation for King85’s mod revolved more about the
reenacting, educational and remembrance properties of the American Civil War. Therefore, this
research argues that an additional category to modder’s motivation can be defined. A category which
more clearly resonates the expression of “living history” that centers on the belief that reliving the
past is the best way to learn from it.
168
Furthermore, the motivation of the modder
Mauromagno_Patriota also falls outside of the categorization of Sotamaa. The modder mentions that
he created The Independence of Chile as a way to make himself and his countrymen proud of the
history of Chile and to represent them and their past. Evidently, this motivation is dissimilar from
what King85’s motivation. Thus, it can be argued that there is a more nationalist motivation among
modders to create game modifications. It can be argued that the cause for this motivation lies in the
Eurocentric and western over representation in (historical) videogames.
165
“Calradia Football WorldCup Mod for Mount & Blade: Warband,” Mod DB, accessed May 26, 2020,
https://www.moddb.com/mods/calradia-football-worldcup.
166
“A World of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) Mod for Mount & Blade: Warband,” Mod DB, accessed May 26,
2020, https://www.moddb.com/mods/a-world-of-ice-and-fire.
167
Sotamaa, “When the Game Is Not Enough.” 6.
168
Crabtree, “Modding as Digital Reenactment.”
Playing
Viewing the game as ‘incomplete’, thus adding new features such
as playgrounds, objectives, weapons, etc.
Hacking
Modding in order to crack the complex code system of the original
game
Researching
Research in order to clarify, improve or alter the game’s details.
Artistic expression
Using the game as a medium of expression, or creative outlet.
Co-operation
Communal aspects such as the goal to find like-minded people,
making friends or working towards a shared goal
Table 1 Sotamaa’s key modder motivations
49
Chapter 5: Conclusions
The growth of videogames and the videogame industry has been tremendous over the last three
decades. The virtual forms of interactive entertainment started from humble coin-operated
machines and rose to the desktop computers and PlayStations we know today. The most popular and
highest-grossing videogames, such as Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption and Battlefield are all based
on historical events or deals with an historical subject
169
Even when the original game has no or
barely any historical influences, the participatory culture surrounding videogames has users who aim
to modify game content in order to (completely) alter videogames to historical settings. Altering
videogames is known as 'modding', and these players produce, what is known as game mods.
170
This
research aims to gain more insight into videogames and game modifications as expressions of
contemporary historical culture. Although the field of study has undoubtedly developed over the two
decades since the beginning of videogame studies, there are still lots to explore, and the academic
community can certainly benefit from additional research into videogames and game modifications.
This thesis devotion to videogames and game modifications will contribute to the developing field of
study. Especially, the focus on game modification is important as it is a relatively unresearched
aspect of videogames. Mods are also a way for players and communities to react against the
dominant historical representation put forward in commercial games. To aid in focusing and
structuring this thesis, the following research question was formulated; How do players appropriate
the content of historical digital entertainment game Mount and Blade through the practice of
'modding'? to contribute to focusing the research question, several sub-questions were formulated.
First, the sub-question 'how is the past represented in the videogame Mount and Blade?'. This sub-
question aimed to contextualize the videogame Mount and Blade. The continuation of the research
relied on a thorough analysis of the videogame in order see how and what the game modifications
changed. The second sub-question is as follows 'What historical representations can be traced in the
mods for popular digital games, such as Mount and Blade?' this question was aimed to highlight what
different historical representation can be found in mods for Mount and Blade. The second question
was studied through an in-depth case study of two historical Mount and Blade mods; The American
Civil War Mod: Revived! and the Independence of Chile mod. The third and final sub-question deals
with the motivations of the creators of historical Mount and Blade mods. The question 'What
motivations do the creators of Mount and Blade mods present?' intents to provide a deeper insight
into the motivations of modders to modify historical videogames. The answer to this sub-question is
based on existing literature as well as empirical evidence.
In the second chapter of my thesis, I analyzed how the past is represented in Mount and Blade. The
representation of the past in the videogame was assessed through the systemic analysis model
proposed by Óliver Pérez Latorre in The Social Discourse of Videogames. The model states that the
design of videogames influences the representation in the game. The exploration of Mount and
Blade through this model has shown that the representation of the character/player the videogame
provides the player with a strong role in relation to the performance rules. Moreover, the game
provides the player with extraordinary customization options. These customizable features provide
the player with the option to influence how the game interacts with the character and how the
character interacts with the game. The player defines the background of the character, which in turn
defines the skills, an attributes of the character. These skills manage, for example, how accurate a
169
Kevin Anderton, “The Business Of Video Games: Market Share For Gaming Platforms in 2019 [Infographic],”
Forbes, accessed January 8, 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinanderton/2019/06/26/the-business-of-
video-games-market-share-for-gaming-platforms-in-2019-infographic/.
170
Sotamaa, “When the Game Is Not Enough.” 242
50
character follows the operation rules. Analyzing the state rules of the game has shown how the
videogame represents the health, experience points or the reputation states of the character.
At the core of the representation of the character/player are the game mechanics. The most
important game mechanics in Mount and Blade are combat mechanics and the game mechanics
governing the games currency, renown, honour and reputation. These mechanics are aimed to
represent the way how humankind during the medieval period fought and functioned politically and
economically. The assessment of the representation of the game world has shown significant
relevance in order to recreate the medieval past in Mount and Blade. The spatiotemporal design, in
addition to the rules of objects in the game world and the active environment generated through the
behaviour of NPCs, most strongly influenced the recreation of the medieval. The game world includes
different factions based on historical counterparts. Additionally, the cities, towns, castles and
landscapes of these factions are based off the faction's culture. The nobles of these factions compete
with each other in order to rise politically and economically, similar to the thirst for power found in
the ruling class throughout history. The game world is filled by four categories of items: weapons,
equipment, goods and horses. These categories of items are filled with historically accurate or items
reminiscent of the medieval era. The videogames gameplay activities are what tie the
character/player and the game world together. The design factor relies on many different activities
that govern the winning conditions, final objectives and chains of actions. Import to note is that
Mount and Blade does not include a goal, winning condition or final objectives. Instead, the game
aims to give the player a sense of freedom and medieval simulation by giving the player the option to
create their own character, armed by their own equipment and reaching their own goals. This is
achieved through the large degree of variability and flexibility in the game. Moreover, the game also
lacks a set chain of action or scripted narrative. It can be concluded that in relation to Mount and
Blade the following factors are paramount in the representation of the past: the game mechanics,
the spatiotemporal design, the game rules in relation to objects in the game world and the chains of
action.
The second sub-question 'What historical representations can be traced in the mods for popular
digital games, such as Mount and Blade?' is answered through an assessment of two cases studies.
These two examples of historical game modifications were analyzed using the same model applied to
the videogame Mount and Blade. This allowed for the ability to uncover the biggest differences
between the historical representation in the mod and in the original videogame.
5.1 The American Civil War Mod
The first case study explored is the American Civil War Mod: Revived! by the modder King85. The
mod is set during the conflict between the American Northern and Southern states. Following the
analysis model proposed by Óliver Latorre, it is evident that in relation to the player/character, the
most significant changes were made to Mount and Blade's operation rules. The modder expanded
the command option of the character in order to recreate the warfare of the early modern period
such as the mod's inclusion of line infantry tactics. Moreover, the operation rules of the original
game were expanded by the addition of voice commands, further immersing the player. In relation to
the game mechanics, the modder included firearms which are not included in Mount and Blade, thus
making this addition very technically difficult. Noticeably, the other game rules were only slightly
altered to ensure that the game fits the historical setting. For example, the modder changed the
background option from hunter to frontiersman in terms of the game's functioning nothing changes,
but the name. Regarding the representation of the game world in the mod and Mount and Blade,
many differences are noteworthy. The mod's spatiotemporal design is unrecognizable to the original.
Instead of the original's fictive Calradia the mod's map shows the United States. On the map, the
51
modder aims to accurately depict the different cities, towns, rivers and landscapes. The map's
different locations are divided between six different factions—each of these factions representing
their historical counterpart. The factions the modders chose to add are not the typical belligerents
often thought of in popular history. Instead, the modder chose to pick more historically accurate
factions. The modders also strived to represent the objects recreated in the game in accordance with
history. The rules of objects of the game world are altered nearly completely although the same item
categories the different weapons, horses, goods and equipment were changed to fit the historical
American Civil War period. Moreover, the mod includes battle flags. During the American Civil War,
there was great emphasis on the use of flags in battle, making the addition of these flags very fitting.
Concerning the mod differences from Mount and Blade's gameplay activities are relatively few. The
most significant difference is the increased difficultly in strategical/tactical dilemmas in the game
modification. The difference is because of the mod's slightly different functioning in faction relations
and the different style of warfare.
5.2 The Independence of Chile Mod
The second case study explored is the Independence of Chile mod by Mauromagno_Patriota. The
mod deals with the Spanish American Independence Wars, centering on the Independence wars of
Chile around 1810. The historical setting of the historical modification is an exceptional example of a
break from the gaming industry hegemonic overrepresentation of historical videogames. Similar to
the previous case study, the mod's representation of this historical era is assessed through the
analysis model proposed by Latorre. Regarding the player/character, there are a few interesting
differences noticeable. In relation to the performance rules, the mod does not change any of the
background options, which is an odd choice of the modder. However, the mod does add to the
operation rules. The mod includes the option of the player to crouch, besides jumping and running.
This seems like a frivolous addition; however, the mods crouching combined with the expanded
tactical formations for the infantry greatly increases combat strategy options. Regarding the game
mechanics, the mod introduces firearms to the original game. Similar to the American Civil Mod, the
operation rules alterations and the addition of firearms to Mount and Blade improves the
representation of the style of warfare of the historical setting. The Independence of Chile mod
incorporates several major changes in the representation of the game world. Especially the mod's
spatiotemporal altered. The original map of Calradia is changed to represent the south side of the
South American continent. Similar to the American Civil War mod the map is filled with locations
matching the real world such as cities, terrains and towns. Additionally, the towns are recreated to
resemble Spanish colonial architecture. The factions of the original are swapped with six different
factions relevant to the independence wars of Chile. A uniformed user of the mod might assume the
inclusion of the Spanish empire fighting rebellious Chileans, however, the modder decided to
represent the conflict through the inclusion of the many different and complex factions.
Mauromagno_Patriota effort to represent the objects in the game world is also a signification aspect
of the historical mod. The original game's outdated medieval weaponry and equipment are swapped
with early 19th century firearms, swords and uniforms. As the mod description shows, the modder
referred to scholarly sources in order to accurately present the user with the different soldiers of the
past. In terms of the representation of gameplay activities, the game modification changes little.
Regarding the overarching representation of history in both the case studies of game modifications,
several corresponding observations can be made. Both the historical mods intricately change the
operation rules, adding to the already existing ways in which the player actions are linked to actions
of the character—improving the player's immersion into their respective historical periods.
Furthermore, the two case studies also show extensive alterations to the spatiotemporal design and
the way objects act, affect and look in the game world. Interestingly, two game design rules coincide
52
with the most important aspects of Mount and Blade, such as the spatiotemporal design and the
game rules in relation to objects in the game world. Which suggests these two design factors are the
most important in representing history. Moreover, both the modders illustrate their effort in
researching and depicting history, often choosing the more difficult and unknown representation of
their historical periods educating the users of the mod.
Both game modifications deal with historical periods that are underrepresented in
commercial videogames. However, the mods refrain from dealing with the underrepresented
histories of these historical periods. Using the American Civil War mod as an example we see that the
mod portrays a historical period not often found in commercial videogames. Although the
underrepresented historical period is depicted the mod does not include the history and
representation of slavery during the American Civil War, only depicting the struggle of the white
American military activities and battles. Which would have tremendously increased the depth of the
counter-hegemonic features of the game modification.
The final sub-question revolved around what motivations do the creators of Mount and Blade mods
present seeing as the benefits for creating modifications are more apparent for the gaming industry
than for (individual) modders. The sub-question is intended to enhance the understanding of
modding through an in-depth analysis of the motivations different modders present as a result of an
(online) interview. The motivations of the modders in literature are widespread. Different academics
such as Postigo and Sotamaa delve into a motivational study of modders. Postigo's research
concluded that there were three main strands of motives for modders. The first is that modders
engage in modding in order to gain experience and to be recruited into professional mod teams.
Secondly, the modders motivations revolve around the artistic expression of modding, rendering it a
creative outlet. The third motivation centers on increasing the joy from playing the game through a
deeper understanding of the technicalities of modding. The research of Sotamaa delved deeper into
these three possible motivations by providing more detailed groupings: Playing, Hacking,
Researching, Artistic Expression and Co-operation. However, (online) interviews with the modder of
the historical Mount and Blade mod the Independence of Chile and analyzation of the statements of
modders on mod descriptions has unearthed a different and additional motive of modders.
As is best illustrated through a quote of the modder Mauromagno_Patriota: "I wanted to have
something of my own, I wanted to make others (Chileans) proud to have something from our
country, something that represents them in traditions and culture." Additionally, the creator of the
American Civil War Mod: Revived! states that he aims to "keep our history alive and carry the lessons
with us always" This aptly shows that alongside the five detailed groupings of Sotamaa a sixth and
possible a seventh category can be added, that aims to represent the history or identity of the
modder and the reenactment properties of historical game modification.
53
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Appendix
A. Participation Consent Form
Participation Consent Form
Title of the project:
Master thesis: “Appropriation & Motivation in Game Modification” Analyzing historical representation in digital games and
game mods
Researcher:
Name: Coen Weeke
Email: coen_weeke@hotmail.com
Organization:
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC), Erasmus University Rotterdam
Hello! Thank you for your interest in this research project of Erasmus University Rotterdam. We would like to ask you to
read this document thoroughly and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to participate in this study.
Purpose of the research:
For the master thesis, I intend to gain insight in gaming as an expression of contemporary historical culture. The research is
aimed to answer how player appropriate the content of historical digital entertainment games through the practice of
modding. How the past is represented in videogames and game modifications and what motivates mod creators. In order to
research historical representation, the research considers the videogame Mount and Blade and some of the mods.
To answer these questions, I would like to invite a number of modders to take part in the study on historical representation
in videogames/mods.
Research procedure
Participation in the research is limited to a number of questions. The questions are aimed to explore personal experiences
and thoughts on history, videogames, and game modifications. The interviewee is invited to answer these questions either
through an online chat or email. (depending on the interviewees preference, you can also do this via video chat or another
messaging system such as Discord.)
Sharing of the research results and confidentiality
All the collected data will be treated confidentially, and will be used for scientific purposes only. The data will also be
anonymized in further reporting. All recordings and other data will be kept at a secure location by the researcher and
Erasmus University Rotterdam, and will be destroyed after a period of ten years. If at the end of the study you would prefer
to not let your data be used, you can always let the researcher know. If desired, the researcher can also contact you
afterwards to give you the opportunity to correct the information and/or withdraw it. If you have any questions, concerns
or complaints, please contact the researcher via the provided contact details.
Statement of consent:
By signing this document, you indicate that you are at least 18 years old; that you have read this form or have had it read
aloud to you; that your questions have been answered to your satisfaction, and that you agree to participate in the study.
You will receive a copy of the signed consent form.
58
If you have additional questions, you can always contact the secretariat of the ethics review board of the Erasmus School of
History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC).
This can be done via the following email address: [email protected].
I agree that the anonymized data are used for further research:
☐ Yes
☐ No
If you agree to participate in this study, please put your name (or username ) and signature below:
Name participant: Name researcher:
Coen Weeke
59
B. Interview Questions
General historical interest:
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does history interest you?
2. If were talking about history in general, what subjects and period interest you most? And the
least?
Mount and Blade questions:
1. Why do you play this game? What is your main reason to play this game?
2. What aspects of the game do you find particularly interesting?
3. What aspects of the game do you find annoying/bad/problematic? Why?
Mount and Blade mod questions:
1. How would you characterize your mod?
2. What are the most significant changes you’ve applied?
3. Why do you mod? What is your main motivation?
4. Why did you create this mod?
