whats with the viking influence

[DarkPanda XIII]

Because Vikings are awesome. They are like Spartans, but with beards.

Spartans are a part of Greece, and thus had Beards >.>

If you're talking about helmets with horns and often didn't carry shields but just took a hit? Them be Vikings

 

[Substitute Troll]

Because Skyrim would just suck if everyone went around with talibans.

 

[Requi3m]

were there any other prominent civilizations in the northern region during the dark ages? i hardly doubt it...

The Celts, the Goths, the Gauls, The Batavians, the Saksens, The Germanic people, need I go on? There are many subgroups as well, like the Helvetians (Celtic tribes which are now called the Swiss).

 

[GrimGrimoire]

Mongolians?
Try Asia.

By the year 1250, they were already invading Eastern European countries.

You are right, and I know that.
After all, I am a major history nerd.
However I the post that I replied to meant civilisations based in Europa, and though the Mongolians did indeed invade parts of eastern Europa, they where they largely operated in Asia and is historically viewed as an early Asian superpower.

 

[arealperson]

I find it interesting that you credit Blizzard for the whole Viking thing, without pointing out The Lost Vikings, which many people think of as their first game.

The reason that Vikings (or the Norse, as some point out) are so influential is as others have said, is because of the western world's Euopean origins with much of the times' historical records more well preserved than other regions.  But yeah, the Mongols get a raw deal, I hear you, man.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I've kinda noticed recently that any game, especially RPG's that are set in the northern region of a world always have viking influence. the earliest game ive seen do this was warcraft 3: the frozen throne. is this everyone cashing in on blizzards idea or did someone do it before them?

Simply put, the Norse were an interesting and far reaching culture, perhaps one of the most adventurous for their time. The time of the Viking. Viking as I understand it isn't who they were, but rather a word to describe the passage to manhood. They left home to seek out the unknown, bringing back pieces of other cultures and stories. Watch the 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas. Its a Hollywood production, but it is based off of Eaters of the Dead, a book by Michael Crichton who wrote it from the journal of the Arab in the story.
Most people think the Norse were brutal and evil people, raping and pillaging all they came across, but in reality they were diplomatic for the most part, at least until someone decided to fight them. Then it was on.
I remember hearing from a history major that the reason the "Vikings" got a bad name was because of the English who apparently decided to shoot arrows at the incoming Norse boats, and the Norse retaliated by destroying villages who fired upon them. I'm not 100% sure thats accurate but it sounds reasonable.

TL;DR: The reason they're used for northern climate games is because out of all other medieval and previous era cultures, they were the most outgoing and non-isolationist, thus influencing a lot of history even though they were a small country. Plus the Norse are BADASS, and gave birth to the term Berserker.

 

[JasonKaotic]

In short, vikings are awesome.
Does anything else need to be said?

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

I would hardly count Skyrim as enough evidence to suggest a new trend based on Norse culture. If you want to know why Bethesda decided to set their Northern region as the stage for the next Elder Scrolls game then I could only speculate, but it may be to do with the colder winters regions bordering the Atlantic have been experiencing in recent years.

Edit:

were there any other prominent civilizations in the northern region during the dark ages? i hardly doubt it...

The Celts, the Goths, the Gauls, The Batavians, the Saksens, The Germanic people, need I go on? There are many subgroups as well, like the Helvetians (Celtic tribes which are now called the Swiss).

Let's not forget the Gaels either.

 

[mrdude2010]

Not a ton of other prominent northern civilizations. You do see some celtic influence on the northern territories of Oblivion, however.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

if you live somehwere cold and mountainy you wear thick furs and probably grwo a beard to keep warm
thats the viking influence right there

I just kept reading this as "grow a beard or two" and being really confused.

That's all I had to say. Carry on!

 

[kypsilon]

Well, it's a short list of northern-based societies of some kind, and it was probably a toss-up between the Vikings and the Eskimos. So you tell me which one seems a better fit for a high fantasy world. The axe wielders who rampage across the seas, or the seal clubbers who live in igloos.

 

[thespyisdead]

were there any other prominent civilizations in the northern region during the dark ages? i hardly doubt it...

The Celts, the Goths, the Gauls, The Batavians, the Saksens, The Germanic people, need I go on? There are many subgroups as well, like the Helvetians (Celtic tribes which are now called the Swiss).

to correct: the Gauls are a group of Celtic people, and the rest are Germanic people.

besides vikings are easier to depict: just add horns and you have a viking, though this is historically incorrect

 

[Chri625w]

just to be clear vikings were there before the middle ages and before knights

OT- vikings were a huge influence in europe, hell they even dicovered america because they sailed the wrong way. Russia was pretty much the vikings b*tch at that point aswell as most of germany all the way down to spain. they were also the last people that succesfully invaded the UK.

Edit: vikings didnt have horns on their helms it was very umm.. stupid.. the enemies whould simply grap the horns.

 

[Smeggs]

Vikings are boss.

 

[Saippua]

To all those mention mongols, they lived on the steppe not on the taiga after which the northern parts of all fantasy worlds ever tend to be modeled.

 

[loc978]

Spoiler: snip

I've kinda noticed recently that any game, especially RPG's that are set in the northern region of a world always have viking influence. the earliest game ive seen do this was warcraft 3: the frozen throne.

is this everyone cashing in on blizzards idea or did someone do it before them?

Well, in gaming, there were plenty of old titles with viking flavorings, such as any RTS with a Norse faction (Age of Mythology springs instantly to mind)... but if you want to talk older media... Marvel comics. Thor. 1962.