Violence in our Video Game

"even as mithril was the foundation of their wealth, so also it was their destruction: they delved too greedily and too deep, and disturbed that from which they fled" --Gandalf

We’re making a violent game. That choice is a pretty huge departure from CRUFT, where not just violence, but conflict even, is absent. I’m proud that we made a game that didn’t need guns or combat. So why drink from this well that the video game industry visits so often? That’s the topic I wanted to hash out with Matt during our Monday design meeting.

We’ve established that the world of Samurai Dwarves should emphasize the overlap between Feudal Japan and our favorite mountain-dwellers. The Way of the Samurai recognizes the need for violence. You prepare for it, but you do not seek it out. Dwarves also prepare for violence, creating weapons and armor and other implements of war. They recognize that their riches will eventually entice plunderers to their door.  Both groups use violence as a last resort, to protect what their society believes needs preserving.

So what do you have worth preserving? The game’s premise is that you are the daimyo of a mining village and it’s your duty to oversee that operation. But, it’s not just gold buried in the earth. There are unspeakable things lurking down there, and they won’t be happy to have company.

Defending your village and its people is your privilege and burden as daimyo. To inhabit this role you will have to weigh the value of a life against the threat to the whole village and its riches. Eventually your dwarves will be overwhelmed because the deeper you go, the more dangerous it gets. Eventually you will want to seal off the mine, losing any dwarves and resources still trapped inside. But closing the gate takes a long time, so you will have to anticipate when this might happen.

Cruft doesn’t have an opinion about environmentalism, but it does provoke questions about it. And Samurai Dwarves doesn’t have an opinion about wealth, exploitation of resources, or war, but it also provokes questions about it. We want to put you in the seat of power. It’s up to you to decide what it’s all worth, and when enough is enough.