I think it would be meaningful to have deities play a part in your mana collection or your spell based abilities. These could also bleed into your factions and give you a bonus or negative depending. What do you think?...and Yes i did a search and it came up with nothing. If you're a cleric of a certain diety your heals might be more powerful, or your group buffs, or your protection. Same would stand with any class, depending on your deity you can customize your class a small bit more, however, this would affect your factions and ability to deal with other factions. What do you think?
I think it might depend on lore, which class, and which race. Maybe some races are more devout then others. Maybe some classes like Clerics and Druids are more spiritually charged. Maybe it shouldnt be an issue until you throw all in on the faction of a certain Diety. Whatever the case, I think it could be a cool extra, and Ill add it in that other thread about class Depth ^.^
Like I stated, I did check if there was a forum post, however, I did not check on dev posts. I would think in this train of thought that an atheist would be akin to human as far as faction bennies and negs were concerned. But I do see choosing a religions , like in EQ, would be a fun thing, that most games eschew these days.
Amsai said:I think it might depend on lore, which class, and which race. Maybe some races are more devout then others. Maybe some classes like Clerics and Druids are more spiritually charged. Maybe it shouldnt be an issue until you throw all in on the faction of a certain Diety. Whatever the case, I think it could be a cool extra, and Ill add it in that other thread about class Depth ^.^
Well said. Clerics and pallys are all about your god/godess. A thief might worship a trickster god but that is certainly far less important to her then it would be to a class gaining powers from their god. That religions have an ingame effect is fun, both if it comes from a high pristess or the god himself.
I could go further and say that it would also be fun if those professions spell could be influenced by the conditions of the game. A sungod would be slightly more beneficial on a clear sunny day while a watergodess would be better in a thunderstorm and so on.
Well said. Clerics and pallys are all about your god/godess.
Once a Cleric, the Crusader has a call transcending the customs of the Cleric Order. Led by her convictions, she sets off to carry out her own righteous judgment.
Crusaders sound less caring of the diety and more caring about personal desires. which is awesome. Makes me think of a character who worshiped a god and then through some strange and maybe sad events has now turned to go God of War on his dieties @$$. hmmm...reserve the name 'Kratos' for my Crusader?
-Todd
There should be Deities, one (or none) of which you have to choose. But a choice *must* be made.
This does not, I feel, have to be irrevocable. But change is not (generally) liked by the Gods.
Chose a God at start
Faction_God_Chosen = +Medium_benefit, status=worshipper
Faction_God_Enemy = -Medium_penalty, status=none
Chose NO god
Gaction_God_ALL = -medium_penalty, status=heretic
Chose a God and later change to another
Faction_God_Ex = -big_penalty,status=apostate
Faction_God_New = +small_benefit, status=worshipper
Beyond this, there should be benefits to forllowing a deity.
But you only get OUT as much as you put IN.
If you are a 'lacklustre' follower: you don't goto the God's festivals, support their causes, do work for the church etc, then you will get little benefit back. Your High-Priest(ess) will be less likely to Rez you, sell 'special' spells or potions etc. This is particularly important when it comes to Cleric/Shaman/Pally (ie any class that represents an aspect of the Deity's church).
So, put Deity related Lore in. Put 'deity related' choices in the game. Finish a quest, or some such research etc, you get a (possibly moral) choice within, or as a prize. Now make your choice and you can decide whether to 'conform to your chosen deity' or 'your own.
E.g:
You have to award a prize to the 'Most beautiful of all'.... You have to choose a winner from:
Aphrodite (Jealous Goddess of Love),
Hera (Vengeful Goddess wife of the most powerful Deity of all) or
Helen (a human beauty of whom you are smitten)..
Who would *you* choose?
Grimvalor said:I think it would be meaningful to have deities play a part in your mana collection or your spell based abilities. These could also bleed into your factions and give you a bonus or negative depending. What do you think?...and Yes i did a search and it came up with nothing. If you're a cleric of a certain diety your heals might be more powerful, or your group buffs, or your protection. Same would stand with any class, depending on your deity you can customize your class a small bit more, however, this would affect your factions and ability to deal with other factions. What do you think?
Provided the decision actually has a long term effect, then I'm a huge supporter of the idea. Though EQ1 had dieties, very quickly those decisions became irrelevant (at least on blue servers). The overall impact to your character was negligible at best. It was just followers of Tunare who had a serious decision to make at anytime in EQ1 and that was during Velious: To raid or not to raid Plane of Growth. No other diety in PoP gave a damn if you killed them or not as you were KOS to them all.
If we have to choose a diety (which includes not chosing one) there had better be gameplay involved throughout my character's life that revolves around and is affected by that decision.
I think they should play a part- but I also understand the need for an enchanter class to be not aligned with a deity- high emotionalism, and bad evangelists, aside.
Or perhaps like Morrowind, the enchanter deity could be the hermaphrodite or Ursula K Leguin type deity that is one and the other at the same time- to which only certain classes could be aligned, but with whom most classes could find favor.
I could also see a highly democratic, deity-like bonus tree based on majority faction approval that would increase with faction in each city or race-town or simply based on diplomacy skill checks.
I do think choosing a deity should also matter and I liked one persons comment- I forget who- refering to a final fantasy type game? where the god appeared- but had to be pushed back- never defeated- but pushed back with the ensuing rewards.