Armies in video games often feel off because they ignore the society behind them; good military design must mirror the political and economic structures of its world.

Video game armies look plausible at first glance, but on closer inspection they often fall apart. Why? Because armies don't materialize out of thin air — they have to fit the society that fields them.

Let's break down a few classic games:

1. The Imperial Legion: professional armies need real money

The Imperial Legion in The Elder Scrolls is a professional standing army with uniform equipment and long service. That's wildly expensive and requires substantial tax revenue to sustain.

Yet the game's tax system is nearly invisible, leaving just a trading company to fund the state — clearly not enough. In an agrarian society, tax revenue must come from the land, but the game never shows that.

2. Trading company armies: private military contractors

The Vailian Trading Company in Pillars of Eternity II is a textbook case of private enterprise war. The company hires mercenaries, and their leaders can subcontract further.

That model fits the company's decentralized structure, but the game features only one major contractor, which feels lonely. In reality, such companies would have layers of subcontracting.

3. Baldur's Gate: army vs. society

Baldur's Gate's military setup is even more awkward. A city-state should rely on a militia, but instead its main defense is a mercenary company on permanent retainer.

And the company's marshal is also one of the city's four grand dukes — that political structure is a powder keg. Whoever commands the army rules the city, so this setup heads straight for tyranny.

In one line: a good military design reflects its society. Designing an army is really designing the social structure behind it.