The Would-Be Gentleman

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: The Would-Be Gentleman models the economic and social life of a French bourgeois during the life and reign of Louis XIV of France, 1638 - 1715. It is intended for undergraduates studying the economic life of the period. This scenario is briefly introduced to the player, who then embarks on an ambitious plan of economic and social decision-making. The player experiences the world of 17th century France by managing income and properties, planning marriages and estates, and seeking influence through official duties and alliances with powerful figures. Historical and personal events are inter-related in the simulation. Significantly, students develop an understanding of economic patterns and make their judgements in terms of 17th century France. As in real life, economic success and social prestige do not follow a fixed pattern. The program features many economic choices clearly laden with prestige, but players who overreach themselves can suffer shame, loss of income, and even, God forbid, bankruptcy. The challenge of The Would-Be Gentleman is to keep social status and economic status in balance.

Type of resource	software, multimedia
Date created	1986 - 1987

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements	Hardware and software requirements: Documentation stored with this game, written in October 1986, indicates that the game runs on Macintosh-128K, -512K, -XL, -512E, and -Plus computers. At the time the documentation was written, these computers could run System (MacOS) 1.0 through 3.2.
Conditions Governing Access	This game has been successfully emulated and may be accessed remotely through an online emulation platform. Contact the University Archives at universityarchives@stanford.edu for access to this platform.
Related item	Title Finding aid
Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/wk416sx1304

Use and reproduction: User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.

Preferred Citation: Lougee, Carolyn. The Would-Be Gentleman. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/wk416sx1304

Stanford University, Academic Computing and Information Services, Academic Software Development Collection

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