Is Total War educational?

[Usit]

I think it is, what do you? I want to convince my mom by telling her that total war games are a little educational and not all violent
She gets really mad when I play more than an hour at a time. I have learned more from total war than from School!

Edit: Because of all the confusion regarding whether I meant educational indirectly, or directly. I meant the game can be educational both ways like if you play the game and it gets you interested in the period and you go check out a book on itor if you learn something directly from the game, I know I learned both ways because the series really got me interested in History.

[Sevachenko]

Absolutely, even though it is a bit unhistorical in some areas, or lacking detail, it can educate kids/teens in a lot of ways. If anything its just a fun way to learn about history of the time period in a very general sense. Mods especially can improve the detail and the historic value.

[McMoose77]

I think it can be anti-educational with some of the fantasy units (ie arcani* from rome). However I think that it promotes education in the fact that it can make you enjoy a period and make you study that period more.

[Rickster11]

Obviously all of its not accurate...but what it does is inspire people to go out learn more about history.

[Zeeky_Bomb]

Not so much educational, but Rickster has it right.

When I was maybe 8 years old, I played Age of Empires II. Then I became obsessed with medieval history and checked out hardcore medieval history textbooks from the library every week.

[Usit]

Not so much educational, but Rickster has it right.

When I was maybe 8 years old, I played Age of Empires II. Then I became obsessed with medieval history and checked out hardcore medieval history textbooks from the library every week.

Exactly I also played Age of Empires III then one of my friends bought R:TW then I loved it so much I bought it too then I heard about M2TW and so on(E:TW pwnes Age of Empires 3)

[Legion 88]

Not so much educational, but Rickster has it right.

When I was maybe 8 years old, I played Age of Empires II. Then I became obsessed with medieval history and checked out hardcore medieval history textbooks from the library every week.

I Did this way back with AOE I when i was 9yrs old, thats when i got on the Military History bandwagon

[arkeologen]

Not so much educational, but Rickster has it right.

When I was maybe 8 years old, I played Age of Empires II. Then I became obsessed with medieval history and checked out hardcore medieval history textbooks from the library every week.

And you ended up as a communist?

[Engrish]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=232767

[Usit]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=232767

Yes but that poll is sarcastic this topic is what you really think

[Rickster11]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=232767

lol, I don't think "Video game designers love Britain." and "A magical force field prevents your armies from leaving an allied territory if your military access with them is cut off." was the type of education he was referring to.

[Nuxes]

In my freshman English class are writing a short biography. Most students chose people like Jeff Gordon or 50 Cent, but after playing the Russian campaign, I chose Peter the Great. My professor asked me why I picked him, and I told her that he was in a video game I was currently playing. She looked at me funny and I explained to her that not every game is like Halo or Guitar Hero, they do make games for history geeks.

You really can't learn much other than ... the broad brushstrokes of history.

That's still a big improvement. In 2003, half of all Americans couldn't find Iraq on a map. In my 9th grade HONORS Civics class, most of the students didn't know when the American Revolution occurred. Our history and geography education is probably the worst in the world.

[Usit]

In my freshman English class are writing a short biography. Most students chose people like Jeff Gordon or 50 Cent, but after playing the Russian campaign, I chose Peter the Great. My professor asked me why I picked him, and I told her that he was in a video game I was currently playing. She looked at me funny and I explained to her that not every game is like Halo or Guitar Hero, they do make games for history geeks.

So true So true.

[Sir Winston Churchill]

That's still a big improvement. In 2003, half of all Americans couldn't find Iraq on a map. In my 9th grade HONORS Civics class, most of the students didn't know when the American Revolution occurred. Our history and geography education is probably the worst in the world.

Thats what you get when for the first 8 years of your education all you learn is about glorius american history...no need to go ahead and mention how helpful the french were, or that Geroge Washington was helped by a German, or that the English were no souless cruel people who killed everything in sight without mercy like they are portrayed in The Patriot (a very loved movie in my school...*sigh*).

I cant wait till I can FIANLLY do Global. I'm sick of America now. >_>

[PB&J]

Of course it is educational, especially when I school noobs. Modus Pwnens!

[D.B. Cooper]

You really can't learn much other than basic military history and the broad brushstrokes of history. I voted "moderately educational". Now, mods like EB cram pages and pages of history () into the game so that's different.

[Lord Anubis]

Europa Barbarorum has actually helped me in school.

[Usit]

any one there?

[Jaketh]

between TW games and EU3 i have Europes geography memorized

[Yoda Twin]

between TW games and EU3 i have Europes geography memorized

This, I got so obsessed with Europe that i started drawing it when i was bored in classes.
Rome helped me get a broad understanding of the time period and it helped me find a passion for it.