a Medieval Dynasty by definition and by usage

[Lord von Games]

Meriam Webster:
dynasty
noun
dy·​nas·​ty ˈdī-nə-stē also -ˌna-stē, especially British ˈdi-nə-stē
pluraldynasties
Synonyms of dynasty
1
: a succession of rulers of the same line of descent (see descent sense 1a)
a dynasty that ruled China for nearly 300 years
2
: a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time
born into a powerful political dynasty
a baseball dynasty

and let's not forget the history of the word

Word History
Etymology
Middle English dynastia, dynastie "power, sovereignty, succession of rulers," borrowed from Medieval Latin dynastīa, going back to Late Latin, "rule, power," borrowed from Greek dynasteía "arbitrarily exercised political power, lordship, rule," from dynástēs "holder of political power, lord, ruler" + -eia -y entry 2 — more at dynast

First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dynasty was in the 14th century

Let me translate all that information for you. The word was originally used in the Medieval period to refer to family that ruled. Within the hierarchy of the feudal system that would mean a titled position. That IS not maybe, but DEFINITELY THEE meaning of the word Dynasty when used within the period it was born and meant. When used in the time period of a "Medieval" dynasty. When used outside the time period, it can mean "top class", such as Farmer Dynasty. When used in its own time period, the medieval, it's not an expression, but a literal translation (first definition, that's how language works), as I shall illustrate.

If I make a game called "Industrialist Tycoon" and then I fail to put the Tycoon aspects in the game... sure I can point to a legacy of games with the Tycoon in it... but it doesn't change the fact that certain titles come with clear expectations, and should not need a mile long paragraph to dislodge them from their titular expectations.

Rather than "rage against the machine" and ignorantly, allow me to further expound on this game's background in it's "Dynasty" usage.

The first game was "Farmer's Dynasty" and was clearly about a modern-age family and had nothing to do with an actual hereditary claim of ruling ancestry (whether from King to lowly Knight or Baronet). In this case, the game, used the concept of Medieval/Ancient "Dynastic" term to capture the concept of being legendary or "Kingly" as in top farmer. It's the use of the term Dynasty from the Medieval times where it meant to be top of the class heap to make the claim that you would be top farmer, with a legacy, and a family. Cool. Nice use of the expression. Perhaps "Legacy" would have been better... but I like it.

HOWEVER... if you go back in time to when the phrase was actually used... if you go back to the actual days of the Dynasties where the two-word term "Medieval Dynasty" was actually used, you lose the casual-right to claim it's just an "expression", when you are now in the period of the game where it wasn't an expression, instead, it was a very very specific thing.

Let me further elaborate. It's like making a game title using the expression "Curse like a sailor" and making it about some IDK, Trucker game... let's call it "Trucker Boss - Cursing Like A Sailor" then, cool. Probably about a "frenzied" truck game that is stressful, and full of expletives. However, if you make another game, this one is actually nautical, IDK, let's call the game "Sea Captain - Cursing Like A Sailor" and then you don't get to be a sailor... WTH? If your going to take the game franchise to the actual period of the actual expression, you lose the right to say... oh, it's just an expression taken from the time period of the actual expression that actually means something that we don't want to put in your game... WTH? Seriously?

Look up the definition of the two-word term, "Medieval Dynasty", and you have to get VERY creative and use definitions way way way down the line to mean ANYTHING BUT a titled-ruling-family of either royalty or nobility. Now, you can make that "ruling" small in scope, because I agree, that this isn't a castle-building, king-ruling, duke-doing game. What I don't understand is what seems to be a stubbornness to "finish" the game's own titular usage. It takes very little code to make the title fit the game... for example... just earn a "Knighthood" with the King and he gives you your titled dynasty, and let the player unlock a Manor-house". Now its a Medieval Dynasty.

But to pretend otherwise its a shame on the name of the game. A "Medieval Dynasty" should NEVER be a peasant simulator.

My Compromise: Just because I, and many others find it odd that with a simple flick of additional code the game can be made complete, I acknowledge completely that there is often a big difference between "Factual" and "Matters". Just because the inclusion and immersion is important to me and many others, does not mean it is equally important to everyone else. I readily concede that. We all have our preferences. Clearly some people would like to see this game a first-person extension of the game Banished. Others seem to hope for something more like a first person extension of Lord of the Realm or even Lords of the Rings.

Concluding Note: I think a Medieval Dynasty should have a Medieval Dynasty, the setting of the orignial and birthplace of the term, clearly stamping it in its first defintion, with all the expectations that a Medieval game offers. I expect that the developers would keep the game within the scope that it clearly is - and focus more on developing a simple domain, no great castles, sieges or epic warfare. All of this limited scope can be wonderfully immersively taken in with a simple Crest-Tied-Titled King quest that offers a hereditary "landed" / "Titled" position. And in keeping with a good sandbox game, this and many other concepts can be optionally taken in quest or custom settings.

Edit: After some constructive back and forth discussion with veteran gamer, "TheRealMuehle" I have opted to support the title "Thane", as it relates VERY well to being in touch with the commoner and peasant life, it relates directly to being given land to manager, it is Step One in the feudal caste of a Dynasty, and applies to many European cultures. I think its simplicity and yet Dynastic nature would be perfect to make the game fit both the literal-period definition of Dynasty and the expression, it would also require very very little code-change or playstyle change.

[Wizard of Woz]

To sum up for everyone else, even though they posted both uses of the word Dynasty they choose to only use the first definition and are claiming the title of the game is wrong.
To OP, we are not in the Medieval times, the year is 2025 so we use the definition of words from our time not 800 years ago. It is a dynasty as exactly described by the second definition.

[Lord von Games]

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

To sum up for everyone else, even though they posted both uses of the word Dynasty they choose to only use the first definition and are claiming the title of the game is wrong.
To OP, we are not in the Medieval times, the year is 2025 so we use the definition of words from our time not 800 years ago. It is a dynasty as exactly described by the second definition.

For the purpose of this game we are EXACTLY in Medieval Times? Wow...

[TheRealMuehle]

Aaaalriiiight 🙄
Let's start it this way, this time:

How do you want to be called to be satisfied?
What title(s) should we get, in your opinion?

[Wizard of Woz]

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

To sum up for everyone else, even though they posted both uses of the word Dynasty they choose to only use the first definition and are claiming the title of the game is wrong.
To OP, we are not in the Medieval times, the year is 2025 so we use the definition of words from our time not 800 years ago. It is a dynasty as exactly described by the second definition.

For the purpose of this game we are EXACTLY in Medieval Times? Wow...

No it is a video game, you are still in 2025, wow...

[Lord von Games]

A realistic and title-satisfying mechanic to the game would be to simply allow the player to take a quest from the King, in which he honors your hard work. Now this can be done many ways. You can defeat a particular bandit. The King then bestows a title. As many do not like leaning on the combat mechanics, we could also make it about some particularly difficult "supply" quests, where the player is perhaps funding a King's war or maybe his own dynasty (marriage or something). It makes a great endgame challenge that urges the player to make use of all the tech and skills they have unlocked.

We can keep it simple and make it a Knighted position with the "lordship" of the valley, afterward which unlocked a "manor" house.

[Lord von Games]

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

For the purpose of this game we are EXACTLY in Medieval Times? Wow...

No it is a video game, you are still in 2025, wow...

Farmer's Dynasty is in the modern times, Medieval Dynasty is in the Medieval times. WOW.

[Wizard of Woz]

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

A realistic and title-satisfying mechanic to the game would be to simply allow the player to take a quest from the King, in which he honors your hard work. Now this can be done many ways. You can defeat a particular bandit. The King then bestows a title. As many do not like leaning on the combat mechanics, we could also make it about some particularly difficult "supply" quests, where the player is perhaps funding a King's war or maybe his own dynasty (marriage or something). It makes a great endgame challenge that urges the player to make use of all the tech and skills they have unlocked.

We can keep it simple and make it a Knighted position with the "lordship" of the valley, afterward which unlocked a "manor" house.

The whole point of the The Valley map is the main character is trying to get away from war. Why the hell would he want to do anything for the king especially become a knight to go fight for the king?

[TheRealMuehle]

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

A realistic and title-satisfying mechanic to the game would be to simply allow the player to take a quest from the King, in which he honors your hard work.

Sooo,... like giving you the right to name your village and choose a crest?
For example?

[Lord von Games]

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

A realistic and title-satisfying mechanic to the game would be to simply allow the player to take a quest from the King, in which he honors your hard work. Now this can be done many ways. You can defeat a particular bandit. The King then bestows a title. As many do not like leaning on the combat mechanics, we could also make it about some particularly difficult "supply" quests, where the player is perhaps funding a King's war or maybe his own dynasty (marriage or something). It makes a great endgame challenge that urges the player to make use of all the tech and skills they have unlocked.

We can keep it simple and make it a Knighted position with the "lordship" of the valley, afterward which unlocked a "manor" house.

The whole point of the The Valley map is the main character is trying to get away from war. Why the hell would he want to do anything for the king especially become a knight to go fight for the king?

Because this was the Feudal system... if you tried to rule over villages without being part of the ruling caste - youre dead. Likely conviction would be treason, possible conviction would be heresy. Also... it's kind of in the game title.

[Wizard of Woz]

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

No it is a video game, you are still in 2025, wow...

Farmer's Dynasty is in the modern times, Medieval Dynasty is in the Medieval times. WOW.

Yes but just because a game takes place in a certain time period doesn't mean we use that language. If we did you wouldnt understand the title or text in the game. Don't know why you keep abbreviatating my name at the end of each statement.

[Lord von Games]

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

Farmer's Dynasty is in the modern times, Medieval Dynasty is in the Medieval times. WOW.

Yes but just because a game takes place in a certain time period doesn't mean we use that language. If we did you wouldnt understand the title or text in the game. Don't know why you keep abbreviatating my name at the end of each statement.

It's a cool name. WoW. It's called context. Context creates very REAL definitions, and very real expectations.

[Wizard of Woz]

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

The whole point of the The Valley map is the main character is trying to get away from war. Why the hell would he want to do anything for the king especially become a knight to go fight for the king?

Because this was the Feudal system... if you tried to rule over villages without being part of the ruling caste - youre dead. Likely conviction would be treason, possible conviction would be heresy. Also... it's kind of in the game title.

You were given permission by the lands Castalion, which was given power by the King. Have you even played this game?
Sounds like to me you want a completely different game.

[Lord von Games]

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

Originally posted by Lord von Games:

Because this was the Feudal system... if you tried to rule over villages without being part of the ruling caste - youre dead. Likely conviction would be treason, possible conviction would be heresy. Also... it's kind of in the game title.

You were given permission by the lands Castalion, which was given power by the King. Have you even played this game?
Sounds like to me you want a completely different game.

Which is why I keep saying the game is so close to actually meeting it's titular expectaton... and then misses. I don't understand why the devs stubbornly refuse to complete the circle.

Two points.

1) Castellan does not have that authority.
-Adding clarity to my previous point, if such a thing were to happen, the player would be executed for unauthorized rise above their class, and the Castellan would either have to betray the player or risk execution of themself.

2) That's not a "Medieval" Dynasty.

[*Morri*]

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

Yes but just because a game takes place in a certain time period doesn't mean we use that language. If we did you wouldnt understand the title or text in the game.

This very much.

If they made a computer game back then in medieval times and named it "something something DYNASTY", they would probably have been refering to royalty and the likes.

If you make a game in current day and name it "something something DYNASTY", it can refer to the second definition as well. Even if the game itself takes place in medieval times.

We use current day language to describe things, and we don't suddenly switch language to old-english whenever we are describing a period in medieval times.

I'm sorry you interpreted it the other way, but that doesn't mean the game is named wrongly.

[Lord von Games]

Originally posted by *Morri*:

Originally posted by Wizard of Woz:

Yes but just because a game takes place in a certain time period doesn't mean we use that language. If we did you wouldnt understand the title or text in the game.

This very much.

If they made a computer game back then in medieval times and named it "something something DYNASTY", they would probably have been refering to royalty and the likes.

If you make a game in current day and name it "something something DYNASTY", it can refer to the second definition as well. Even if the game itself takes place in medieval times.

We use current day language to describe things, and we don't suddenly switch language to old-english whenever we are describing a period in medieval times.

I'm sorry you interpreted it the other way, but that doesn't mean the game is named wrongly.

I respect if this subject is not important to everyone. It does not change context and the expectations it creates. You can go to a lot of work to "talk your way out of it", but it doesn't change its starting context.

Let me further elaborate. It's like making a game title using the expression "Curse like a sailor" and making it about some IDK, Trucker game... let's call it "Trucker Boss - Cursing Like A Sailor" then, cool. Probably about a "frenzied" truck game that is stressful, and full of expletives. Clearly you are just using the expression, and you don't mean to include sailors. However, if you make another game, this one is actually nautical, IDK, let's call the game "Sea Captain - Cursing Like A Sailor" and then you don't get to be a sailor... WTH? If you're going to take the game franchise to the actual period of the actual expression, you lose the right to casually say... oh, it's just an expression taken from the time period", without misleading, and missing the obvious expectations it creates.

What it most amazing to me, is change a few words, tweak a quest here and there, and you can satisfy the title, satisfy ALL the definitions, improve the realism, increase the immersion, and still keep the one's who don't care, still plugged into the game, because immersion doesn't seem to bother them one way or another - which is cool. You can make every definition and every group happy or you can keep it this way...