Libertarianism in Video Games

[tnu]

I figured this warrneted its own topic so poor Shane wouldn't have his derailed. But yes let's look at Libertarianism as a theme in video games and see if we can compile detailed, comprehensive list!

Fallout: New Vegas is a good start. It covers the Nolan Chart Pretty well with each of the four endings filling one of the four areas of the chart (Ironically one user here favors the statist House path). I would also Argue The Assassin's Creed series and Deus Ex games have heavy libertarian themes but what do you all think?

[nilecroc]

I figured this warrneted its own topic so poor Shane wouldn't have his derailed. But yes let's look at Libertarianism as a theme in video games and see if we can compile detailed, comprehensive list!

Fallout: New Vegas is a good start. It covers the Nolan Chart Pretty well with each of the four endings filling one of the four areas of the chart (Ironically one user here favors the statist House path). I would also Argue The Assassin's Creed series and Deus Ex games have heavy libertarian themes but what do you all think?

[dallen68]

Along the same lines, the Elder Scrolls series is fairly libertarian. There is vaguely a government, but it has very little to do with the citizens' lives.

[evensgrey]

World of Warcraft has inserted some very Libertarian ideas in the latest expansion.  The final boss of the final dungeon is the head of one of the main player factions, who has managed to drive most of his own faction into open rebellion against him by completely going off the deep end and trying to take over the world through powers best left alone.

[AnCap Dave]

Along the same lines, the Elder Scrolls series is fairly libertarian. There is vaguely a government, but it has very little to do with the citizens' lives.

Well, except in Skyrim where there's a war going on and there's the Thalmor enforcing a law banning the worship of Talos.

[FSBlueApocalypse]

There was a big debate about Assassin's Creed on here awhile back. The Glyph puzzles in Brotherhood made it suggested the Templar's invented capitalism as a way to control the masses. Somebody on here played the game in another language and said the glyph's were totally different.

Bioshock is your average liberal arts major's understand of Atlas Shrugged.

Red Dead Redemption had alot of libertarian themes running through it. Every government official was either incompetent, corrupt, or both.  The characters actually showed compassion for one another despite and have an orderly society despite *gasp* there being no government to speak of in most of the world.

[R.E.H.W.R.]

There was a big debate about Assassin's Creed on here awhile back. The Glyph puzzles in Brotherhood made it suggested the Templar's invented capitalism as a way to control the masses. Somebody on here played the game in another language and said the glyph's were totally different.

Bioshock is your average liberal arts major's understand of Atlas Shrugged.

Red Dead Redemption had alot of libertarian themes running through it. Every government official was either incompetent, corrupt, or both.  The characters actually showed compassion for one another despite and have an orderly society despite *gasp* there being no government to speak of in most of the world.

Well, it seems Rockstar hates politicians lately. RDR, Max Payne 3, and GTA5, all seem to have bad guys who are politicians.

[nilecroc]

There was a big debate about Assassin's Creed on here awhile back. The Glyph puzzles in Brotherhood made it suggested the Templar's invented capitalism as a way to control the masses. Somebody on here played the game in another language and said the glyph's were totally different.

Bioshock is your average liberal arts major's understand of Atlas Shrugged.

Red Dead Redemption had alot of libertarian themes running through it. Every government official was either incompetent, corrupt, or both.  The characters actually showed compassion for one another despite and have an orderly society despite *gasp* there being no government to speak of in most of the world.

Actually, Rapture didn't go ti shit until Ryan went mad with power.
http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/bioshock/799226p1.html

[dallen68]

Well, except in Skyrim where there's a war going on and there's the Thalmor enforcing a law banning the worship of Talos.

The Thalmor is not the government, well at least not our government. Also, they're not doing a very good job preventing the worship of Talos; simply pay the local guards more for allowing Talos worship than the Thalmor are paying for not Talos worship, and it goes away.

Oh, yeah, and backstab on the road solves a lot of this, too.   

[AnCap Dave]

The Thalmor is not the government, well at least not our government. Also, they're not doing a very good job preventing the worship of Talos; simply pay the local guards more for allowing Talos worship than the Thalmor are paying for not Talos worship, and it goes away.

Oh, yeah, and backstab on the road solves a lot of this, too.   

Shame they don't let you full on go to war with the Thalmor.

[Ibrahim90]

Well, it seems Rockstar hates politicians lately. RDR, Max Payne 3, and GTA5, all seem to have bad guys who are politicians.

You left our LA Noire. the whole city government is an antagonist!

[tnu]

Shame they don't let you full on go to war with the Thalmor.

Yeah but how are you going to pay foir it? Honestly I always find the Civil War a bit of a trick to deal with. i'm pretty skeptical of the Stormcloaks but I absolutely can't stand the empire.

[dallen68]

Yeah but how are you going to pay foir it? Honestly I always find the Civil War a bit of a trick to deal with. i'm pretty skeptical of the Stormcloaks but I absolutely can't stand the empire.

With the vast resources of your one man army, of course! :p

The other part of it is like this: Throughout history, the Emperor has always been a Dragonborn. Titus Mede is not a dragon born. Therefore, the Empire is illegitimate. The Jarls on either side have a legitmate claim to the holds they end up with no matter who wins the civil war. Therefore, I sided with the Stormcloaks.

Now, if they'd just hurry up and declare me Emperor,  everyone could go back to pretending the government doesn't exists.

[tnu]

well as "legitimate" a claim as a statesman CAN have. though consideirng my chracter is a Thief he has good reason to support having a sinlge orginization of guards to bribe per hold.

[dallen68]

My character is all four things, so having a single organization of bribe-ees is convenient.