Games That Taught You Skills, History, etc

besttechadvisor on 14/11/2024 - 09:45
Last edited 15/11/2024 - 11:56

I haven't been much of a gamer since playing MW2 in highschool over a decade ago. While it was fun, I remember realising I had spent hours sitting in front of a screen and felt like it was lost time.

I've just bought a laptop good enough for dinner gaming, and I foresee being stuck indoors a lot in my near future, so I'm looking for some PC games that will teach me something.

I've got Assetto Corsa in my library from the recent sale and will need to buy a wheel. I will also be downloading Mechanic Sim and Flight Sim. I remember playing Age of Mythology as a kid and learning a lot about Greek and Norse mythology that way.

I'm looking for anything along that spectrum: Games that teach you real-world skills (eg flying, driving, mechanics) or simply educate you on topics in a fun way (eg mythology, history, etc).

I'm open to an all suggestions, they don't need to be practical skills/knowledge that I expect to use (I doubt I'll be flying a plane or start a career in mythology). The games don't need to be focused on teaching, but I do want to walk away from the game feeling like I got something out of it beyond the time spent playing.

Thanks for any positive feedback :)

EDIT: I'm well aware that you can learn better from books, documentaries, real-world practice, etc. Thanks.

Gaming Video Game

Comments

  • mapax on 14/11/2024 - 09:51
    +20

    War never changes

    • QuickToThePointless on 14/11/2024 - 14:32
      +5

      Right on.

      Also, I have found time spent on the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter series over the years do indeed yield valuable real world skills!

      • Bunnyburger on 16/11/2024 - 11:46
        +2

        Always remember to finish your enemies with your signature move :3

    • MrThing on 15/11/2024 - 10:25

      Does it include zombies but

      • bajillionaire on 16/11/2024 - 08:58
        +3

        Zombie's butt?!
        (‿!‿) ԅ(≖‿≖ԅ)

  • Benoffie on 14/11/2024 - 09:54
    +15

    Obviously the Assassin's Creed series is highly rated in terms of visual representation of historical periods. It's frequently used in classrooms. Also For Honour and Mordhau for swordplay if that's your thing (they focus more on the technical rather than the aesthetic).
    I enjoy Cleopatra for understanding the notions of ancient Egyptian society.
    Red Dead Redemption series is crazy on point. God of War series.
    Also Sea of Theives for pirates
    There's heaps more but they'd be my starting point.

    • QuickToThePointless on 14/11/2024 - 14:29
      +7

      Agreed - I you do learn a lot of history from AC games, esepecially if you bother to read the menu entries.

      When I was a kid I used to play a lot of Super Mario Bros.

      Now when someone asks who can fix a leaky tap, blocked drain or a toilet that just wont flush in the house, I proudly declare

      "It's a meeee"

      • johnno07 on 14/11/2024 - 22:48
        +7

        "It's a meeee"

        Jumps down pipe

  • Kail on 14/11/2024 - 10:06
    +7

    Loved Age of Mythology as a kid!

    PC Building Simulator is a good one.

    • mboy on 28/11/2024 - 16:19
      +1

      Age of Mythology

      Prostagma?

  • SnowDragon on 14/11/2024 - 10:17
    +1

    Typequick goes hard

    I enjoy open world games based on places like GTA V and FH4. After walking around Edinburgh and going there in Forza I was stunned how accurate it was.

  • JDMcarfan on 14/11/2024 - 10:28
    +41

    Euro Truck Simulator 2.
    Taught me how drive a truck, so now I can competently tailgate a p-plater in a swift doing 90.

    But seriously, the game taught me how to reverse park a trailer.
    Gave dad and the neighbours a shock when 14-year-old me (obviously didn't have a licence) reversed a bunnings trailer down a narrow driveway on the first go, after many a failed attempt by him,

    • besttechadvisor on 15/11/2024 - 08:35
      +1

      Thanks for suggestion, put it on my wishlist!

  • roguescholar on 14/11/2024 - 10:41
    +18

    Carmen Sandiego - geography
    Oregon Trail - how to die from dysentery
    Solitaire - Mouse clicking and dragging
    Minesweeper - Instinctive left and right mouse clicking

    • besttechadvisor on 15/11/2024 - 14:57

      Thanks for the recommendations. I've actually been wanting to learn about the Oregon Trail because it keeps coming in books I've been reading recently. The game was also created with the purpose of being educational, and there's an Android version, so I'll definitely be taking a look at that one in particular.

  • ihbh on 14/11/2024 - 10:46
    +4

    Games That Taught You Skills, History, etc

    Chess, backgammon, Spelling Bee, Sodoku, etc. teach you strategic thinking, probability, vocabulary, logical thinking, etc.

    Read a book, listen/watch a lecture/documentary, to learn about history.

    Don't kid yourself that you're learning some new skills, historical knowledge playing games. Just enjoy it and don't feel guilty or play enough so you don't feel guilty.

    • besttechadvisor on 14/11/2024 - 17:47
      +1

      I already read at least a book a week, a lot of it history. I just finished reading The Men Who Lost America and highly recommend it. But while I enjoy reading, it can also be taxing.

      I disagree that you can't learn any historical knowledge playing games. It may be reductive, but games are like interactive movies, and you can definitely learn a lot about history from movies, if you take it with a grain of salt.

      Like I said, I learnt a lot about history from games like Age of Mythology and Civ. as a kid - I knew about Ragnar BEFORE the Vikings TV show 🤪

      • CommuterPolluter on 14/11/2024 - 21:53
        +3

        I loved AOE2, AoM, Civ, etc. but it’s a very superficial knowledge you pick up. I personally wouldn’t count it for anything. I think his point was just that you might have more fun and learn more if you let study be study and play be play.

        Games like AoM, AoE2, Valheim, Assassins Creed, etc. are all examples of excellent games which have historical or mythological settings. But there are plenty of other amazing games in totally fantastical settings, like the new Baldurs Gate game, which you’d be hard pressed justifying as educational.

        • besttechadvisor on 15/11/2024 - 08:43
          +1

          I think his point was just that you might have more fun and learn more if you let study be study and play be play.

          I understand his opinion, but I disagree that I must always draw a strict line between the two.

          Fun and learning are not mutually exclusive.

          Games like AoM, AoE2, Valheim, Assassins Creed, etc. are all examples of excellent games which have historical or mythological settings.

          Thanks, I'll take a look 😀

      • ihbh on 15/11/2024 - 11:45
        +1

        Haven't played so don't know.

        If you're interested in history, when you watch Game of Thrones, Star Wars, etc., try to think of what elements of history the author/director borrowed from.

  • MS Paint on 14/11/2024 - 10:49
    +22

    Not the same but after watching all 436 episodes of Grey's Anatomy I'm pretty much a qualified surgeon.

    • arkie0 on 14/11/2024 - 11:01
      +7

      I did the same with House - What I've learnt is when you get sick it's never just an infection, it's more likely to be cancer or heavy metal poisoning

      • ihfree on 14/11/2024 - 11:27
        +24

        Well, it's not lupus.

        • Mikeer on 14/11/2024 - 19:55
          +4

          Except for that one time

    • djones145 on 14/11/2024 - 11:17
      +2

      hi dr nick

    • Miami Mall Alien on 14/11/2024 - 12:35
      +1

      After watching The Sopranos several times over I've come to the realisation that I don't have the makings of a varsity athlete…

    • mousie on 14/11/2024 - 15:21

      Walter white enters the chat

  • jellykingdom on 14/11/2024 - 10:52
    +8

    When i was little I used to play a platform game called Math Rescue. Absolutely loved it, and without even really realising it, i got really bloody good at mathematics. There's a spelling version too

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Math_Rescue

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 14/11/2024 - 10:57
    -1

    Custers revenge- Atari 2600. ;)

    • YoursTruly on 15/11/2024 - 12:53
      +1

      lol

      Didn’t expect this one mentioned here

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 16/11/2024 - 17:58

        Yes, I felt it best not to provide a link. ;)

  • Bid Sniper on 14/11/2024 - 11:01
    +5

    Found Assetto Corsa great to learn Luddenham raceway (github DL) before I drove first time IRL.

    Games for me teach me philosophical lessons and just a different perspective in life, rather than mechanical skills. Why I have a project car to mess about with as a hobby.

    But Id say Dark Souls series for lessons in perseverance and Red Dead Redemption 2 for a historical view of life.

    • besttechadvisor on 15/11/2024 - 08:48

      Thanks for the recommendations.

      I want to get a project car eventually too, but I noticed that Mechanic Simulator has a few of the cars I'm interested in working on.

      As someone who's only ever changed oil, tyres, brakes, etc before, it seems like a good idea to play the $20 game to learn the basics of the cars before I drop $10,000+ on one.

      • mapax on 15/11/2024 - 09:12
        +4

        I haven’t played mechanic simulator and will have to check it out, but IMO you will learn more about working on cars from watching YouTube videos than from playing a game. Even videos that are mostly meant to be entertainment like VGG would probably be more useful.

        All you really need to play cars IRL is the correct FSM, a reasonable I.Q. and some money. Being a glutton for punishment also helps…

        • besttechadvisor on 15/11/2024 - 15:04

          you will learn more about working on cars from watching YouTube videos than from playing a game

          Videos might have more information in them, but I find that information doesn't stick for me. Not as much as when I'm actively doing something (eg in a game). The exception is when there's a storyline, e.g. in a WW2 documentary.

          If I had a project car, then obviously I'd be watching and video then putting into practice and it would stick. But I don't have a project car.

          All you really need to play cars IRL is the correct FSM, a reasonable I.Q. and some money. Being a glutton for punishment also helps…

          Yeah, money and space for another car. It's just not practical for me at present.

  • AustriaBargain on 14/11/2024 - 11:28
    +9

    Civilization 1 on DOS.
    And Pokémon got me interested in biology. Sure evolution irl wasn't much like it is in Pokémon, but actually a lot more interesting. Biology, chemistry, and physics really kills any belief in the supernatural you might have had, science is kind of a buzzkill really. So thanks a lot Pokémon for turning me into a nihilistic naturalist.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 14/11/2024 - 13:16
      +2

      Civ 1 you could text edit the introduction to say whatever you wanted!

      • casho on 15/11/2024 - 09:52
        +1

        h4ck3rm4n, whoa!

    • MrFrugalSpend on 16/11/2024 - 12:21
      +1

      It was Sid Meier's Civilization II for me… first game acquired on a CD instead of floppy discs.
      OMG the hours spent on that masterful Game for its time, usually as Roman, usually for the entire duration into the Space Race win after mastering the race up the tech tree … but sometimes by winning via wars that dragged on for centuries.

      It taught a great lesson about society… which is that there's no perfect solution, everything you focus on is at the trade off of other things. Its a balance of resource allocation.

      Earlier than that, it was Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego with the physical Almanac book in hand!

  • QF99 on 14/11/2024 - 11:30
    +4

    PC building simulator can be useful if you want to learn the process of building a pc.

  • ihfree on 14/11/2024 - 11:34
    +9

    Tetris - has taught me to pack things into cars, cupboards, etc.
    Crazy Taxi - maximising efficiency when driving. Yet to put it to proper use and become a taxi/Uber driver
    Vampire Survivors - self explanatory
    Left 4 Dead - Zombie Survival
    Typing of the Dead - More Zombie survival
    Firewatch - walking

    • May4th on 15/11/2024 - 22:06

      can't wait to put our zombie survival skills to use.

      • FireRunner on 16/11/2024 - 09:42

        Especially the typing one, it's zombies weakness to have random words typed quickly

  • montorola on 14/11/2024 - 11:44
    +23

    Age of Empires!

    • Cluster on 14/11/2024 - 13:39
      +13

      Wollollo!

      • ihfree on 14/11/2024 - 13:55
        +4

        The power of religion - possibly the most important lesson of all.

      • montorola on 14/11/2024 - 14:02

        Brogan?

  • Godric on 14/11/2024 - 11:46
    +7

    WoW Auction House

    • xis123 on 14/11/2024 - 11:57

      TradeSkillMaster

    • BoltThrower on 14/11/2024 - 13:51
      +1

      Learning arbitrage on the AH helped me quit WoW. I scanned eBay and Amazon for drop-shipping instead.

    • Chandler on 15/11/2024 - 16:46
      +1

      WoW Auction House

      EVE Online laughs in your general direction…

  • FezMonkey on 14/11/2024 - 11:52
    +4

    I love the puzzle games that really stretch your way of thinking and challenge a lot of fundamental assumptions about how things work. So games like:
    - Portal 1 and 2
    - The Talos Principle 1 and 2
    - Antichamber
    And many more.

  • Butterfly Gocha on 14/11/2024 - 11:57
    +4

    Stronghold

    The various siege weapons.

    Learning that a trebuchet is a far more superior weapon than a catapult

    • Chandler on 15/11/2024 - 16:53

      Learning that a trebuchet is a far more superior weapon than a catapult

      By around 200m, by my estimate…1

      1. Chinese mangonels = 78m @ 56.7kg; Chinese trebuchet = 200-275m @ 86kg; extrapolate mangonel to 75m @ 90kg ↩

  • FezMonkey on 14/11/2024 - 11:59

    Or ones that give you a human experience with a deep and emotional story. These can be great pieces of art that make you introspective.
    Like Firewatch or Outer Wilds. Plus another plug for The Talos Principle, my favourite game.

    • johnno07 on 14/11/2024 - 22:50

      Absolutely adore both Firewatch and The Outer Wilds - but couldn't get into The Talos Principle. Probably means I should give it another crack.

    • azngamer on 15/11/2024 - 21:51

      I would add Soma and Nier Automata/replicant for deep and emotional. Falls into philosophy too. But play it blind

  • onetwothreefour on 14/11/2024 - 12:09
    +6

    GTA taught me how to car jack.

  • try2bhelpful on 14/11/2024 - 12:09
    +1

    Not a video game but have you thought about getting into Cryptic crosswords? They are logic puzzles that also bring everything you know to the table.

  • Gunnar on 14/11/2024 - 12:33
    +11

    Leisure Suit Larry taught me how to meet women

    • WhyAmICommenting on 14/11/2024 - 13:16
      +2

      Ken sent me

    • pharkurnell on 14/11/2024 - 14:37

      which version? Im a bit out of practice….

      • oO0Dam0Oo on 14/11/2024 - 19:44

        She does not like that… slap

  • GettingThePlus190s on 14/11/2024 - 12:40
    +3

    EU4, Factorio, Portal, RTS (AoE 1 in particular is good for history).

    Lots more of strategy / puzzle games that I haven't listed.

    • complexmoth on 16/11/2024 - 17:52

      Ah yes, the things I've learned from eu4. I had no idea that the aztecs actually managed to not only prevent the spanish incursions, but unify the Americas, the Iberian penisula and northern Africa.

    • SpainKing on 14/11/2024 - 13:26
      +1

      If you go back far enough the lines between history and mythology can get a little blurry. While games are unlikely to give you the depth of knowledge you need to make use of that info, I wanted to say that learning mythology can be useful in the same way as historical knowledge can be (depending on the time period)

    • Jake D on 14/11/2024 - 13:40
      +5

      Read the post though.

      They didn't ask how to learn things. They want to play games but feel like they learnt while doing it.

      • ForkSnorter on 14/11/2024 - 18:07
        -5

        Oh, I get it. It's a guilt thing. They can't find any new fun games, or they don't find the same games fun anymore, so they want to feel some kind of justification for sitting in front of the screen for hours playing boring games.

        • SlickMick on 16/11/2024 - 23:39
          -1

          You can't tell a gamer they're wasting thier time. Clearly the OP is looking for justification, and finds plenty of support here.

          I have no issues with gaming, but recognise it for what it is. You might learn something in social media or watching rubbish on tv too, but not enough to justify it as a learning expereince.

          Everyone needs downtime, but in my experience most gamers need less.

          • besttechadvisor on 20/11/2024 - 11:18

            @SlickMick: Kind-of. I'm not looking for justification, I'm looking for a specific type of fun.

            I'm asking for the equivalent of entertaining YouTube videos that I can learn something from.

            For example, I might watch Simple History on YouTube when I want to be entertained, but part of the fun is that I'm picking up some interesting info. If I were serious about the history topic covered, I'd pick up a book, or maybe even travel to the location or a museum. But that doesn't take away from the value of Simple History videos.

    • Miami Mall Alien on 14/11/2024 - 14:08
      +6

      Here's a thought: you can enjoy both books AND videogames and the two hobbies can greatly compliment one another as they are both fundamentally art-forms of escapism at heart.

      Modern videogame writing and storytelling is now on a level that's on par with big budget Hollywood productions, if not frequently surpasses it because of the creators far more personally-invested passion for their craft as opposed to production of modern film/TV frequently being done entirely for materialistic/contrived reasons by teams of staff who have little to no personal stake in the project. Obviously, videogames can't compete with the greatest fiction writers but nonetheless with so many videogames being inspired by some of the greatest works of fiction, particularly from the Sci-Fi and fantasy genres, they are often gateways for gamers to discover some of the best books ever written.

      I remember as a kid reading the richly-detailed Age of Empires II manual that was filled with historical footnotes and accounts of medieval warfare/weapons/battles, which along with the gameplay, then spurned me onto learning about the great empires of classical antiquity right up to the age of discovery through numerous books. It was great springboard for a love of history (same goes with Rome: Total War).

      Video games can have a positive, educational impact on children and adolescents, believe it or not, they're not exclusively murder simulators that serve as training tools for future school shooters like something anti-videogame activist/lawyer Jack Thompson would have claimed back in the day.

      • ForkSnorter on 14/11/2024 - 17:45
        -3

        I think you didn't read my comment fully, nor the OP's post. I reckon the neggers didn't read it either. I actually like gaming.

        I suggested focus on fun for gaming, and if you really want to learn something, leave it for books.

        Gaming is an inefficient way to obtain knowledge, unless it is an educational app, plus why compromise on your fun in order to learn some fragmentary knowledge?

        OP is now an adult, and likely does not have the time to trawl through age of empires for months/years for education purposes when he could obtain the same information from a book in a matter of hours (and enjoy it too).

        • Miami Mall Alien on 14/11/2024 - 19:02
          +2

          I think you didn't read my comment fully, nor the OP's post.

          No I did but I think you're being rather rigid, close-minded and stubborn in your assertion that "gaming = entertainment only" while "reading = serious learning".

          This isn't 200BC. We have developed other methods of education and instruction today that can serve people just as well as rote memorisation of text can, especially for those who don't have the innate aptitude for reading, which is not a pervasive skill in today's world sadly.

          Games as a medium for education (or the gamification of traditional educational mediums) is a concept that's already been well-tested in classrooms around the world from early learning contexts all the way through to tertiary education for a long time now. This isn't some new-fangled Interwebs voodoo wizardy that's the stuff of Sci-Fi fever dreams. It actually has been clinically proven to work quite well. You seem a little out of the loop with this whole technological progress thing.

          I suggested focus on fun for gaming, and if you really want to learn something, leave it for books.

          No offence but this is either showing your age or some painfully pedantic and anachronistic 1950s mentality of yours along the lines of listening to boomers rant about how "real music" died in the 1970s or some sh*t.

          Gaming is an inefficient way to obtain knowledge, unless it is an educational app, plus why compromise on your fun in order to learn some fragmentary knowledge?

          Not depending on the subject matter being learned, the purpose of studying, the personal learning style, the alternatives methods of learning available and so many other variables you're failing to take into account with your myopic views.

          OP is now an adult, and likely does not have the time to trawl through age of empires for months/years for education purposes when he could obtain the same information from a book in a matter of hours (and enjoy it too).

          Again, you're making massive assumptions about what the OP is seeking to achieve here, how they best learn information and how videogames versus books would compare from the OP's perspective.

          You seem to be under the impression that the OP is doing his PhD thesis and he needs to be feverishly scanning an entire library of books by candlelight when for all we know, he's just looking for a fun way to combine some of his particular reading interests with videogames, which is basically what the OP said in these sentences:
          "I've got Assetto Corsa in my library from the recent sale and will need to buy a wheel. I will also be downloading Mechanic Sim and Flight Sim. I remember playing Age of Mythology as a kid and learning a lot about Greek and Norse mythology that way."

          "I'm looking for anything along that spectrum: Games that teach you real-world skills (eg flying, driving, mechanics) or simply educate you on topics in a fun way (eg mythology, history, etc)."

          You were saying something about not reading people's posts?

          • ForkSnorter on 15/11/2024 - 07:16
            -3

            @Miami Mall Alien:

            Games as a medium for education (or the gamification of traditional educational mediums) is a concept that's already been well-tested in classrooms around the world from early learning contexts all the way through to tertiary education for a long time now. This isn't some new-fangled Interwebs voodoo wizardy that's the stuff of Sci-Fi fever dreams. It actually has been clinically proven to work quite well. You seem a little out of the loop with this whole technological progress thing.

            Yes, but OP is not talking about educational apps with little games in them. He's talking about "gaming", and I think you know what that means.

            This isn't 200BC. We have developed other methods of education and instruction today that can serve people just as well as rote memorisation of text can

            It really sounds like you haven't read many good books. A good book (and I mean non-fiction, not just fiction) is one of the most enjoyable forms of entertainment available.

            • besttechadvisor on 15/11/2024 - 15:41
              +5

              @ForkSnorter:

              I find this idea a bit silly/disingenuous.

              I find your comment a bit silly.

              The fastest way to obtain new information is to read a book.

              I guess it depends on what new information you're trying to obtain. If I wanted to obtain tomorrow's weather forecast, I'm not going to look on LibGen.

              I also asked for games that I can learn from in various ways and gave a few examples that were spatial/mechanical (Assetto Corsa, Flight Sim, Mechanic Sim.). A book isn't going to be better at teaching you how to drive than a driving sim…

              Furthermore, a book will typically contain far more information than a game.

              I already read a lot and understand the benefits of reading. I'm not looking for the most effective way to learn, I'm looking to have fun and learn something along the way. I do get burnt out from reading after a while but can then sit down to a documentary and continue to learn.

              Great books are extremely interesting to read and can set you off on an adventure of learning.

              Great [games] are extremely interesting to [play] and can set you off on an adventure of learning.

              Documentary movies can give you an overview of something but rarely go into as much depth as a good book.

              So, in addition to games, I shouldn't ask for informative documentaries? Just books?

              For gaming, I would focus on games that are extremely fun and leave plenty of time for reading if you want to learn something properly.

              I already do read when I want to learn a topic in depth, I would just like to play some extremely fun games and learn something new, if possible. I'm not asking for boring games that will inefficiently teach me nothing…

              On the other hand, if you want to learn a language, playing a game would be one way to help you improve, if you set the audio and subtitles to the language you're learning. Watching movies and TV series can help too. Keep in mind, if you're a beginner, this would be quite difficult, and you would progress extremely slowly.

              I'm already learning languages via these methods. It's interesting that you don't suggest books again, because I've found one of the best ways to learn is to read a book written in another language and then translate whichever words you don't understand. It's also a good indicator of your proficiency.

              Why do you want to learn mythology? If you enjoy learning about it that's fair enough, but I can't see it being very useful in the same way that learning history is useful.

              Because it's fun to learn about mythology. I also don't plan to fly a plane anytime soon; I just think it'll be fun to learn the basics of how to fly a plane.

              I suggested focus on fun for gaming, and if you really want to learn something, leave it for books.

              I don't feel they're mutually exclusive. Like you said, books are enjoyable, they're not just for learning. In contrast, you can learn from games, they're not just for enjoyment. Some very enjoyable games actually started off as tools for teaching, such as a lot of simulators.

              Gaming is an inefficient way to obtain knowledge, unless it is an educational app.

              I'm not asking for the most efficient way to learn, though. I'm asking for fun games and will also teach something. Fun is still in the driver's seat here.

              I also disagree with your premise. Simulators are often very efficient ways to obtain skills/knowledge.

              Why compromise on your fun in order to learn some fragmentary knowledge?

              I don't feel as though I compromised on my fun when playing Age of Mythology or Civ. I simply enjoyed it more because I learnt something interesting along the way. In a sense, I'm enjoying those games well over a decade after I stopped playing them because of how informative they were.

    • CommuterPolluter on 14/11/2024 - 21:55
      -1

      I dunno why you’re getting downvoted for such a reasonable comment.

    • johnno07 on 14/11/2024 - 23:02

      The fastest way to obtain new information is to read a book.

      The fastest way to figure out someone is bullshitting is to look for unequivocal, unsubstantiated statements like this.

      • ForkSnorter on 15/11/2024 - 07:11
        -1

        It is true though. We can read much faster than a person can talk. There are really only two ways to obtain new information other than sensual data: to read it, or to hear it spoken. There are of course many ways to retain that information though.

        Furthermore, good writing generally facilitates the acquisition of information. I'm not talking about fiction, but about well-written non-fiction books. On the other hand, if you want to obtain systematic, structured information it's probably better to take a course (whether online or in person) or use a textbook.

        • johnno07 on 15/11/2024 - 14:15
          +1

          sensual data

          🥵

          We can read much faster than a person can talk

          You can, and I can - but not everyone can.

          well-written non-fiction books

          Not all topics have well-writting non-fiction books about them though.

          probably better to take a course (whether online or in person)

          Which is talking, plus audio/visual aids, plus written materials (maybe). By your logic that reading > all other learning methods, wouldn't a course be a sub-par way to learn?

          I'm saying that the wholesale statement that "the fastest way to obtain new information is to read a book" is untrue. It may be true in a lot of cases, but not all, and maybe not even a majority - depending on your problem space.

          • ForkSnorter on 16/11/2024 - 09:44
            -1

            @johnno07: You’re right, I made a mistake in my original comment.

            I said “the fastest way to obtain new information is to read a book”, but I should have said “the fastest way to obtain new information is to read”.

            There is no need to quality this, it is an objective fact. Normal people can read much faster than a person can talk, and these are the main ways we transfer data from person to person: via written language, or via the spoken word. We read much faster than we speak, simple as that.

            I’m not talking about learning here, I’m simply talking about obtaining information.

            Learning is a different matter, as it involves developing understanding, retaining information, putting information to practical use, learning techniques, and gaining skills. All of these require various strategies.

            • Crow K on 22/11/2024 - 13:04

              @ForkSnorter: "I enjoy running but I'd like to learn some new techniques to improve my marathon pace"

              "The best way to go faster is to travel in a car. That's a FACT".

              ForkSnorter-tier contribution, as always.

    • iridiumstem on 15/11/2024 - 16:04
      +1

      Reading might not be the best option for some people. Neurodivergent people etc etc. I feel like they need to be mentioned more to go brushing everyone's learning style on a single stroke might not be good.

      Whether it is the fastest/best way to obtain information… I am not 100% sure. To be honest, I am not even sure whether that's relevant. I feel like obtaining information is different to learning, the definition that I like to go by is, if you truly have learnt something, you can speak to a 5 years old and teach them what you have learnt.

      I do think games are good interactive medium for someone to make a use of in a teaching environment. It probably works in the skills department more, but learning about history is not just about learning about dates and what happened. It's about what it meant back then and what the outcomes of that were. Those type of knowledge, I think is better learnt through interactive medium (i.e. Malthusian trap and playing Banished for example).

      Whether someone uses that medium effectively is a different point altogether I feel, and I don't think books are free from the argument that people not using it effectively (reading without really understanding what it means).

      • ForkSnorter on 16/11/2024 - 09:34
        -1

        learning about history is not just about learning about dates and what happened. It's about what it meant back then and what the outcomes of that were. Those type of knowledge, I think is better learnt through interactive medium (i.e. Malthusian trap and playing Banished for example).

        This is a load of absolute horse dung and it’s what I would expect from someone who hasn’t read many books, and lacks knowledge. Understanding history meaningfully requires an enormous amount of knowledge, which is why history professors have offices covered floor-to-ceiling in books, and why university libraries have literally millions of books. You’re right, it’s not about memorising dates. It’s about having enough knowledge to contextualise your other knowledge, including understanding the uncertainty regarding historical information, and the enormous amount of work historians have put in to reconstruct and develop our understanding of various events and eras.

        • iridiumstem on 16/11/2024 - 15:39
          +1

          I was going to leave it at, you have your opinion and I have mine, I have spoken mine and you are speaking yours. Since someone negged you, I think it's better for me to comment (I don't like when people neg without actually replying and I certainly don't like looking like that's what I have done).

          I see few problems with the comment above:

          • The comment is attacking the person, not the argument itself.
          • The comment is trying to appeal to authority (i.e. professors and academics) and rely on their reputations to argue (which I think is a flawed comment to begin with since them having more books doesn't really say anything about effectiveness of reading on learning and there are few unspoken assumptions if you want to argue for that)
          • The comment is relying on ambiguity of the term learning (learning can be done by all kinds of people, ranging from children to academics, it is focusing on the definition that applies to researchers and historian more when that does not necessarily apply to this situation, as the OP is not an academic)
          • The comment is using a specific case and try to generalise. Historians and academics are not general population.

          I will mention that I am more than happy for the disccussions to be made as if the OP has made comments that he wants to be a researcher, but I think that is going off topic a bit.

          I do think games are good interactive medium for someone to make a use of in a teaching environment. It probably works in the skills department more, but learning about history is not just about learning about dates and what happened. It's about what it meant back then and what the outcomes of that were. Those type of knowledge, I think is better learnt through interactive medium (i.e. Malthusian trap and playing Banished for example).

          I probably should comment on this further since, I can kinda see why someone would have isssues with this comment. The example wasn't the best now I look at it. I assumed that someone would make the distinction I made in my head when I commented. Malthus's theory on population had a huge impact when it was announced, and it did have a flow on effects, especially in Asia. That wasn't where my thoughts landed, my thoughts were more at using interactive medium to understand what Malthusian trap actually look like and interact with it. i.e. why is Malthusian trap an important concept for a developing country? Application of the model and what it means I feel is better done through an interactive medium, but I can see why you might have issues if you are more interested in other aspects of the theory.

          • ForkSnorter on 16/11/2024 - 20:16
            -2

            @iridiumstem: I apologise, my comment was a bit too strongly worded.
            But I would continue to take issue with some of your views:

            The comment is trying to appeal to authority (i.e. professors and academics) and rely on their reputations to argue (which I think is a flawed comment to begin with since them having more books doesn't really say anything about effectiveness of reading on learning and there are few unspoken assumptions if you want to argue for that)

            Becoming an expert in practically anything is a lifelong endeavour, and unless they make money from it, most people cannot afford to do so while still putting food on the table, which is why so many experts in intellectual fields are actually academics: they are paid to develop expertise. The only types of non-academic experts in these fields I can think of are public intellectuals like Christopher Hitchens. These people have the time to develop expertise because they make money from their books and articles. Mentioning that academics in certain fields tend to collect a lot of books is not an appeal to authority, just an acceptance of the facts. If you hang around universities a while you tend to notice things like this. I will never be an expert in history because I don’t have the time. Most people don’t have the time, But if I wanted to learn a thing or two about a period or place or event in history, I’d pick up a good history book and thoroughly enjoy it.

            By the way, don’t you think the Malthusian theory is a bit outdated? From what I’ve read, it has been fairly unreliable in its predictive power. Sorry, I don’t know much about economic theories. You may pick up a few things from a game, and if you’re younger a game may be an easier introduction to the topic. But a book would almost certainly cover a lot more material in more depth, giving you a greater understanding, don’t you think?

  • thespensa on 14/11/2024 - 12:46

    The Shadow Hearts series for some 1914-1930s history (it's a stretch as this is a world with monsters and demons).

  • djones145 on 14/11/2024 - 12:52
    +4

    football manager 01/02

    after 20 years im ready to manage man u

  • trapper on 14/11/2024 - 12:55
    +9

    Kerbal Space Program - Orbital mechanics

    https://www.xkcd.com/1356/

    • johnno07 on 14/11/2024 - 22:53

      Scrolled down to make sure this had been mentioned.
      PSA: Just get the first game and try to ignore that the sequel exists.

      • Tejas57 on 15/11/2024 - 11:05
        +1

        what sequal? lol

        ive got 1500 hours in kerbal and still don't feel like ive mastered it

  • tikei on 14/11/2024 - 13:09

    Uncharted waters for geography and history on what speciality goods the cities produce (as you will be trading)

  • Dollar General on 14/11/2024 - 13:11
    +3

    Strip poker. I quickly learned how to play well

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join