D&D General Why Do You Prefer a Medieval Milieu For D&D? +

[Micah Sweet]

Not my intended meaning. Both Christian and Islamic forces were imperial powers, trying to impose their own religion and world-view by force.

But my main point is there is no period in history where colonialism wasn't a thing. Egypt was a colonial power in the bronze age for example.

Yup, that is in large part the story of history. If you want your setting to be anything more than set dressing for medieval-rennaissance flavored super heroics, you have to accept and deal with that somehow.

Of course, nowadays a lot of people do seem to want the set dressing...

 

[R_J_K75]

BG1 (2nd edition) we see canon, iron railroad tracks, and sewer valves.

Didn't know this, never played other than a few times at my friend's house when it first came out

 

[JohnSnow]

Not my intended meaning. Both Christian and Islamic forces were imperial powers, trying to impose their own religion and world-view by force.

But my main point is there is no period in history where colonialism wasn't a thing. Egypt was a colonial power in the bronze age for example.

Two imperial powers trying to assert dominance over one another by battling over land disregards one of the biggest reasons colonialism is problematic.

Who are the indigenous people whose resources and people are being exploited by these Imperial powers?

And that’s why it’s different.

 

[GrimCo]

It's not that i prefer it per se. It's just that d&d doesn't have good mechanics for games set in more modern periods.

Rules, as they are, work best with quasi medieval technology level with sprinkling of renaissance.

Also, i prefer more grim & gritty games with all the worst elements of real world medieval history and worlds that are in constant conflicts with wild lawless areas where those on the fringes of polite society converge. My inspiration is from real world history of my home country, mainly Antemurale Christianitatis and Military frontier of 15/16th century, but technologically scaled back to period where full plate was still a thing.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Two imperial powers trying to assert dominance over one another by battling over land disregards one of the biggest reasons colonialism is problematic.

Who are the indigenous people whose resources and people are being exploited by these Imperial powers?

And that’s why it’s different.

A whole bunch of minor nations in the contested regions who were pretty much erased from history.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Two imperial powers trying to assert dominance over one another by battling over land disregards one of the biggest reasons colonialism is problematic.

Who are the indigenous people whose resources and people are being exploited by these Imperial powers?

And that’s why it’s different.

But again, that's the story of history, over and over, for millenia right into the modern era.

Incidentally, what did you mean above when you said you'd have to "unpack" colonialism?

 

[GrimCo]

A whole bunch of minor nations in the contested regions who were pretty much erased from history.

One of the examples of things that happened during crusades and who got shafted by it. First battle of 4th crusade. Christian crusaders invade and pillage christian town to pay for their voyage to Venetians cause Zadar rebelled against Venetians. (part of my family is from that region).

Siege of Zara - Wikipedia

 

[JohnSnow]

But again, that's the story of history, over and over, for millenia right into the modern era.

Incidentally, what did you mean above when you said you'd have to "unpack" colonialism?

I don’t feel the need to defend or explain further, and we’re way off topic, which is “Why do you prefer a medieval milieu?”

The OP specifically asked people not to discuss why they don’t

 

[Laurefindel]

The Sword Coast is pseudo-renascence, which is increasingly the standard. There is Cormir if you want to do medieval though.

But most D&D is either pre-medieval or post-medieval.

Indeed, when I play FR (west of Cormyr) I’ve got to go to great lengths to medievalize it, if only just a little.

 

[Reynard]

The Realms are all over the place when it comes to comparing it to real world time periods. I also think that it has drastically changed from the 1E version to the 5E version

Real world history is all over the place from a cultural and technological "time period" perspective.