Baldur's Gate: An Education

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ajwz

A little bit related, but I chemistry at high school, I knew the names of a bunch of crystals and gems when asked because of the gems in baldur's gate.
It also taught me a little bit about their relative values.

As for planescape torment (well the planescape setting) if you haven't already spotted it, each of the factions is loosely based around a real world philosophical ideology
Sensates - Empiricism
Signers - Solipsism
Fated - Social Darwinism
Athar - Atheism
Bleak cabal - Nihilism
etc.

Calmar

I like D&D in general, but when it comes to content useful outside of a gaming environment, Planescape is probably the most useful setting. At their core, the factions of Sigil are comparable to the early schools of philosophy like the Akademy, the Stoa, Hedonism, or Cynicism that aren't merely sets of theoretical concepts without real influence on actual life, but ways of life. Planescape definietely advanced my interest in practical philosophy.

KidCarnival

No. Not because of the game, but because I'm old, grumpy and bitter and have no faith in the abilities of the generations after mine.

ajwz

Names of various classes, kits and sects of mages is a good way of learning a few words of latin.

Illustair

Thanks to rolling stats, I've learned...no, I've mastered the art of patience.

BJMJD

There, there is a testament to the usefulness and motivation can bring BG to learn English :

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/233794/

Scooter

similar to @BJMJD's link I'm currently using it to help me learn French its great I can play a bit of BG and count it as study!

KingGhidorah

Like the above poster states, I personally, as a non-native english speaker learned a lot of advanced english from the BG games.
I could see a game like PS:Torment being used in advanced english classes for 15-18 years old in countries where english isn't the primary language, but beyond that... i don't know.

BG2 made me neglect my education more rather then investing time in it anyways. :P

FinneousPJ

I agree it does help in teaching English as a second language.

ChildofBhaal599

BJMJD said:

There, there is a testament to the usefulness and motivation can bring BG to learn English :

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/233794/

Lol just read that and was about to link

the_spyder

I think as with anything, D&D reading helps to broaden the mind. I also think that any game that gives you choices, requires tactics and can leads decisions to consequences, you learn from it.

As to if it makes any quantifiable contribution to the learning process of education, I'd say probably not a noticeable one. However, I do think that imaginative minds come as part of the package in someone interested in a game like this, so you probably have a more open minded group playing the game.

Just my two cents.

DJKajuru

It sure is , for several reasons:

1- Most people learned English through it.
2- For children, it puts you in a whole different reality, where you need to interact and make correct decisions.
3- Notion of space : most combat tactics require analysing the area .
4- Contact with well written stuff : a good scenario, nice dialogues.

It is not an essential tool for educating children, but good games make them smarter! (just like a good book, a good sport, a good movie...)

Calmar

BJMJD said:

There, there is a testament to the usefulness and motivation can bring BG to learn English :

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/233794/

That's something I owe to the D&D rulebooks (or possibly to their absence in German translation at that time), rather than to the PC games.

the_spyder

DJKajuru said:

1- Most people learned English through it.

Um????? How did people learn to speak English prior to the 1990s?

FinneousPJ

I think he's referring to English as second language. I also think it's a brain fart, some word(s) is (are) missing.

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TJ_Hooker

Do I think it's possible to use Baldur's Gate as an educational tool? Sure. Do I think that it'd be a particularly efficient or effective one? Not so much.

It would be interesting if PST was used to teach english though, because the slang and vocabulary in that game are awesome, and I think it'd be fun if people spoke that way in real life.

the_spyder

I could see someone writing a paper on the ethics and theology of PS:T, I mean after all they have courses in Conversational Klingon in some Looniversities. But I think it would take a bit more than merely playing the game to make someone a Philosophy major.

Southpaw

actually...BG 1 taught me German, as I bought it in Germany. (Terry Pratchett taught me English).
But yes, games with a lot of text and possibility for the player to immerse himself/herself in the world do help teaching foreign languages.

Southpaw

Nevertheless. I am going to hijack this thread.

Baldur's Gate taught me to always gather my party before venturing forth!

...what did Baldur's Gate teach you?

bill_zagoudis

i wouldn't compare it to literature,it's a good story much like a good movie but it cannot compete with or replace the masterpiecies of literature,cinema,theatre or any other art form

just like manga/anime/comics etc gaming while it has some worthy pieces in it is mostly buttonmashing and simply has less to offer than a good book or movie.

Bg is worth a couple of playthroughs and maybe an extra one for nostalgia's sake(my case),nothing less,nothing more.

as for the vocabulary it helped me since english is something i was taught after 12 but only in 'bizzare' words like plane,fiend,portal etc

Wanderon

Bhaaldog said:

the_spyder said:

DJKajuru said:

1- Most people learned English through it.

Um????? How did people learn to speak English prior to the 1990s?

The Saga of Erik The Viking on the Commodore 64...

Zork...

Edwin

Wanderon said:

Bhaaldog said:

the_spyder said:

DJKajuru said:

1- Most people learned English through it.

Um????? How did people learn to speak English prior to the 1990s?

The Saga of Erik The Viking on the Commodore 64...

Zork...

If only I could thumb this up a million times.

Aasimar069

Since English is not my native language, videogames are great for learning new vocabulary and idoms that's true. But it requires at least some "basic skills" in English to be able to complete them when there are a lot of dialogues / text that needs to be understood.

The game that helped me progress the most was System Shock 2 which was pure awesomeness.

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Lemernis

I think that depending on how one approaches the game, it can get you to putting into practice the concept of trying to maximize your resources. I'm not sure I would call that a form of education. But it is a way of recreationally practicing skillsets that are needed in real life: Here are your resources, and this is your task. How do you make the best of it, or come up with a successful strategy?

(This, by the way, is the basic formula followed for the TV show The Apprentice.)

Cooperative problem-solving is something we all actually have to do at work every day. How rigid are we about that? How creative and flexible? How wise? How smart? How ethical? What skillsets for various individuals suit are best suited to the various roles/tasks required? Which personalities actually make the best team leaders? If I'm a leader, how do I use everyone best? Etc. Anyway, the parallel is there, if one wishes to make connections. I'm just saying the game mechanics innocently mirror things that we actually do in RL.