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Baldur's Gate: An Education

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  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    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.
  • CalmarCalmar Member Posts: 688
    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. :)
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Names of various classes, kits and sects of mages is a good way of learning a few words of latin.
  • IllustairIllustair Member Posts: 877
    Thanks to rolling stats, I've learned...no, I've mastered the art of patience.
  • BJMJDBJMJD Member Posts: 192
    There, there is a testament to the usefulness and motivation can bring BG to learn English :

    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/233794/
  • ScooterScooter Member Posts: 182
    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!
  • KingGhidorahKingGhidorah Member Posts: 201
    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
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    I agree it does help in teaching English as a second language.
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    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_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    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.
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    edited April 2013
    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...)
  • CalmarCalmar Member Posts: 688
    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_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    edited April 2013
    DJKajuru said:

    1- Most people learned English through it.

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

  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    I think he's referring to English as second language. I also think it's a brain fart, some word(s) is (are) missing.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • TJ_HookerTJ_Hooker Member Posts: 2,438
    edited April 2013
    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.
    Post edited by TJ_Hooker on
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    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.
  • SouthpawSouthpaw Member Posts: 2,026
    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.
  • SouthpawSouthpaw Member Posts: 2,026
    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_zagoudisbill_zagoudis Member Posts: 207
    edited April 2013
    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
  • WanderonWanderon Member Posts: 1,418
    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...

  • EdwinEdwin Member Posts: 480
    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.
  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    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.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    edited April 2013
    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.
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