I found this article from Wired News quite intriguing:
Why a Famous Counterfactual Historian Loves Making History with Games
“Counterfactual”–I guess that’s “counter-” in the same sense as “counterculture:” alternative, rather than opposing–is a term I had not heard before. I do find the whole idea fascinating, and it’s certainly made for some interesting “speculative fiction.” (One of the more unusual vampire novels I ever read, John Ford’s The Dragon Waiting, is set in a Middle Ages in which Christianity never dominated over Paganism and is simply another mystery cult among dozens.) I don’t play computer games, although the “Sim” series has vaguely interested me; maybe I’ll make an exception for these. Playing with strategies is a great way to develop mental flexibility–it sure beats the usual gaming technique of blasting everything out of your way as fast as possible. I loved the 13-year-old’s solution of building up trading obligations. That kid is a young Machiavelli.