The thought of world domination strikes a pleasant chord within Young Noah. He enjoys tales of the British Empire and would happily discuss Germany’s failed attempts to expand their borders. He is also drawn to games where he takes the role of an ambitious conquerer. Risk embellished his diplomatic and military dreams. A few days ago I introduced him to Sid Meyer’s Civilization III. It is exponentially more detailed, allowing him to cater to domestic needs and opening a variety of non-military diplomatic options. He debates the merits of monarchy and republic. He warns me how Otto Von Bismark is cranky, unreasonable and quick to declare war. He explains how difficult it is to fight a war on two fronts.
The game tries to incorporate as many historical concepts as it can. His interest always starts with the game but immediately extends into the historical significance. Let me list a few examples. The game progresses through 4 different eras of civilization: Stone Age, Medieval Times, Industrial Age and Modern Age. It was the first he had heard of the Industrial Age, which prompted many questions. We talked about the social structure of the Medieval Times. We talked about German Panzer Tanks, Roman Legionaries, and the Zulu Nation. Each civilization races to be the first to construct “wonders” that bestow special benefits to that nation. He began to explore the history and importance of the Egyptian pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the Sistine Chapel. The historical significance wouldn’t be important if he were just playing the game to win, but Noah has stumbled upon something more. The game fuels his imagination, and history helps flush out the details. The game features a small but informative encyclopedia regarding the in-game and historical significance of everything it mentions. Noah (being Noah) isn’t as into “reading” about them as he is “talking” about them.
Lucky for us all, the game will most likely distract Noah well enough to render his global ambitions moot. In homage to Noah’s endless curiosity regarding the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, I have included a link to an excellent wikipedia article about just that.