Yard1 said:
gsanders,
We have already talked about religion and magic and how that ties into the world, however, this time I have some other questions - namely, do you have any sort of vision/outline of how the world and different factions would look like? Assuming you continue to base things of Perisno, do you have any ideas about unique faction/race characteristics, their culture, attitude to magic/religion (we have already briefly touched this specific subject already), or even D&D style alignment - for example, seeing as you planned to add the Drow, which are generally regarded as universally evil in D&D/fantasy, would they have different attitudes than, for example humans (or even, let's say, Maccavians?). Or if you were to start from scratch, what would the world look like? Who would inhabit it? How would those who inhabit it tie into the religion and magic?
Thanks, and keep up the great work
Right now even the time needed to draw a map can't be spared. I'm willing to BUY a map; but for now Michadr's map is fine for Phosphor. I'll eventually need a map that isn't infringing but that's a next month problem. I've considered Fractal mapping programs, as that is the most sensible way to make a world map, and fractals have always been a special delight to me. You'll see more fractals as artwork soon, just for branding sake.
For religion, I've determined to have something a little bit reminiscent of the movie "the last airbender", but rather than steal intellectual property from a film, I could coyly steal it from our contemporary reality (which may after all be a much higher tech MMO, complete with resurrection to the next server).
But keeping it local, {Air = Buddhism, Water = 1st century Christianity less the old testament, Earth = Pagan, Fire = Islam, and Celestial one that accepts all the other faiths but adds a layer, while accepting the restrictions of each}, then Drow would naturally be apostates from religion in any form or most likely believe in religion as a tool of maximum terror, much as I consider the Inquisition the maximum evil perversion of faith. Faith used for terror is not worthy of God, in my view, and for that matter much of today's faith beliefs seem questionable. Torturing spiritual weaklings, the spiritually palsied, the spiritually lame seems something for Nazis, not Christians. So I'm a little concerned about the stuff people expect from their religions. it's as if the shadow of God took over, or both sides are played against the middle, perhaps with Jesus taking on the role of Warden for Hell in some aspect - responsible for our Sin but innocent of inciting it, nor does he admire it. But these are outside the game. In terms of what can be coded -- I think if evil actions re suitable for experience gains and leveling up (killing, looting the dead, selling into slavery, drinking alcohol, eating pork, mixing mayonnaise and meat (sorry), well, then there should be some sort of reward for doing the "right" things as well.
I imagine Draharans should be air. The masters of air can fly; they should know Kung Fu. They should gain experience for defeating enemies without killing them. they should not gain full value from selling slaves. They may choose to abstain from alcohol. They might enjoy yoghurt and tea as new food stuffs. There should be rice. They accept magic provided the magic is in harmony with their faith. I would expect them to be resistant to cold.
Hakkon would be of course Fire. they should be able to walk on coals as part of their initiation. They should be able to cause fire, and have fire effects. Efreet (djinnis) might be found in their deserts. I should think they have a mandate to cleanse infidels, but this needs balance by a mandate to give alms to the poor, to not attack others first (it is against the early Koran, although these days it seems like the trash some follow isn't really worthy of a good God). Some would say the same thing about the medieval Christian church, which seemed distant from a good God in their actions as well. Its possible a good God weeps from the metal of his computer, and inferior servants manage more locally. I wouldn't know. In writing a video game, I suppose I'm supposed to second guess God's purpose and role. if so, I'd say the most main thing -- to Teach. We are here to learn. We don't learn much if the idea is to blow sh!t up, but if even war is seen in a larger context as something like a tectonic force, then instead of asking "why do we have earthquakes, doesn't God love us?", we can ask, if there was no earthquake, what do we expect to happen instead? War is something like this also; as an epidemiologist, you have to understand the basis of the disease to treat it. You're all the future leaders and next generation; you may as well learn something while blowing stuff up. In any case, its wrong to FORCE ethics down someone, especially when some of religious literature seems distinctly Satanic, assuming there is an anti-God (there is evil, but its possible its motive power comes from Good mis-applied. Can the future change the past? If so, then is our hatred towards a truly vile person, say Hitler, aiding and abetting in putting a dark cloud over that time? Is that why Christ asked us better to turn the cheek than pour our hatred out? And yet, what reasonable person wouldn't hate genocide? Its a pity I'm not Jewish; I wish I was, but instead I'm cursed with blonde hair and blue eyes. I'll get over it, eventually.
Air, Earth, Water, Fire. Elves are naturally Earth; they should protect forests against lumbering; they are life aspected and thus celebrate births and things that bring birth; they hunt animals but may believe animals are the fallen souls of men who failed their exit examination, and thus they have a duty to watch over animals as brothers and sisters.
Water believes in the baptism. They should be able to walk on water, pray for rain, resist fire (making them respected against the fire faith). They shun magic but belive in healing. Life aspected they seek the resurrection of dead, and most forsake slavery. Apostates believe slavery is allowed, and some friction between the two sets should exist.
Fire accepts slavery; all are slaves of God in any case, as this is what their faith means among themselves. Fire should have some relation with fire spirits but it is possible the use of magic is accompanied by a risk of gating in marauding demons or other attackers, who care little which side they attack and mostly seek deaths, by any menas. I should expect diseased cities and villages to also have such nearby, on a higher than normal basis. this allows much latitude for faith based reaction to evil, without being player versus player, but rather giving a reason for and against magic, and magic becoming interwoven with religion.
I had earlier commented that ideally, magic occurs in a dreamworld, and fades on waking, so that players can choose magic or no magic, and play the game accordingly. this implies a need for two maps, except Warband doesn't let you switch maps dynamically, but only loads a static map once at game load. this the map needs to be extended to two parts, with a teleport between the two states on entering the dream world. As for is God good or evil, gosh I'm not worthy to roleplay God, but I code somewhat. Lets just say the workld should have enough to fear, by Christmas time, that it won't matter whether a person prefers to be a little wicked or a little paladinic. I don't really admire how all the religions are "divided and thus conquered" by a master of disinformation going back thousands of years; but I can appreciate how each of our in-world religions can fitr neatly onto the ancient's belief in elements building the universe.
Extra credit question: Is the Silver Cord of the ancient's just fiber optics, and optical packets providing a luminescence? What does it matter to me anyway.
I don't expect much enthusiasm when I die; I haven't lived a noble life. I would go to Hell, except I do believe God will allow me to paint my own parameters.
Perhaps that is our redemption -- we go to the type of place we would make for others; a happy person who wishes happiness to others lives happily ever after; one who wishes the gas chamber for others is himself gassed; all others hopefully face a better future than coming back as farm animals and pets...
But that isn't what you asked? Alignments -- I want Drow so I can have something visit at night, that is safe to presume might be hostile, and even THAT might be an opportunity to parley or not.
But do I believe diplomacy solves all? I personally wouldn't have wanted the USA to provide nuclear weapons to Iran, or to surrender at the bazaar.
I do believe in a strong military. I am willing to consider even Warband a suitable training simulator for tomorrow's leaders. I won't make the mistake of voting for an Obama again. I voted for Bush lite the previous time, in part becaiuse he touched me talking about alcoholism and his drug abuse, and his faith in God, and so on. He nevertheless got us into a mess, so I tend to not like either side too much. But that is politics. In Warband we can safely presume every faction is evil, in that they make wars for no reason. I think this is because they don't have a common enemy to unite them. We in our age fight a struggle of ideologies, of greed, of corporations that incite wars for natural resources and fight with mercenaries and wars by proxy for global positioning. I don't think I can change any of that with a video game, at least not one that wants to stay "real". but I think it's enough to model, as perfectly as possible, all the forces in play and let the player choose how they want to play. And to reward good as well as evil -- which right now you kill stuff for experience. You aren't paid to be nice; payday is only from evil. this is hard coded into the "game". But I doesn't have to be. You ought to advance by NOT killing, also. If divinity in a computer game is a computer scripted event, then at least let the player bank some of that bounty for a rainy day, or maneuver to use it to advantage.
Will computers be the tower of Babel? Are we already at a day when our belief in computers, Nasdaq and the stock market, the atomic bomb, prove that we are indeed in the last days? There was a frog that sat in a pan of water brought to a slow boil. It knew, that water is the safest place to hide on a hot day. As the water gets hotter, it fails to realize it is best to jump. Mankind is like that frog; we see the signs, but because 50 years pass when we expect events to happen day by day, we do nothing. And this data, this missive -- its in the clouds. Where you expect to find Jesus again, and my data is backed up nightly as I sleep, and ITS in the clouds too. But clouds could also be the obfuscation of our own beliefs, keeping us from the truth. Anyway, you asked a clear question and I gave an unclear answer, at times angering the devout and at other times angering the anti-devout. Each one you see, has their own, inviolable dogma. I expect everyone will have to accept that in a computer game I can't model "reality", but what I wanted to mention was that every ready has their own baggage as to what they expect 'reality" to be. Perhaps I can poke fun at it, while allowing some to blow stuff up, and others to have a crash course in applied cosmology. And then I'll die. Its all scripted.
- GS
