CMW6 Panel: Research for Medieval Games

[Jubal]

In this panel, we had three specialists share different perspectives on research processes and how they can be integrated into different types and scales of game development. From some of the world's largest game franchises right down to indie TTRPGs, research is a core development process for building historically informed game works and worlds. However, working out how best to approach it and how to use it in ways that best provide authenticity and inspiration, both in realistic and fantasy worlds, can be a real challenge. This panel seeks to address those questions from a wide range of angles and experiences.

James Holloway (https://www.monsterman.org/) is a lapsed archaeologist of early Medieval northern Europe, a tabletop game developer, and host of the Monster Man and Patron Deities podcasts in which he delves into the monsters and deities of classic fantasy role-playing games and looks at their background, mythos, imagery, and use in stories. His game writing includes work on Chaosium's Cthulhu Dark Ages as well as A Folklore Bestiary, Trophy Loom and several miniature wargaming books from the History and Games Lab at Edinburgh University.

Robert Houghton is senior lecturer in history at the University of Winchester, and the lead convenor for the Middle Ages in Modern Games conference series. He's worked as an external consultant historian for Paradox Interactive, and is the author and editor of numerous works on medievalisms in games including The Middle Ages in Computer Games and Playing The Middle Ages: Pitfalls and Potential in Modern Games. Beyond historical game studies his research focuses on medieval Italy and the Investiture contest.

Maxime Durand is an in-house historian and World-design director working at Ubisoft since 2010. His main contributions have been on the Assassin's Creed franchise. Maxime also co-instigated and directed the Discovery Tour adaptations of Assassin's Creed. He is involved in the academic and museum spheres, including the University of Edinburgh, Digital Museums of Canada or projects like Resonant VR on Hopi culture.

The panel was chaired by Em Dean.