fake scifi religions

[Omnires]

I think it would be a good idea to come up with some fake religions that some of the people in the Em-8er universe can follow. This is mostly for lore reasons, although it would be nice to see in game some NPCs displaying or talking about their faiths from time to time like holidays and the like.

The Church of Deus Ex Machina.
This group of people are believers in a machine-like god or a god that built a machine to rule over this universe. This is because you can read the deus ex machina as "god from the machine" view is ether gods coming out of machines or as machines who are gods. There main goal is to try and find any technology that could make a machine with god-like abilities or to drive the development of such technologies to see if they can make a machine of their own.

The cult of the Holy Gates.
This group of people view the gates as being somewhat magical and divine in nature. They praise the builders of the gates as prophets. They view the acts of repairing and maintaining gates as high honors. Within the cult there are a number of subgroups. With one of the larger ones following a doctrine similar to the ideas of Manifest Destiny and believe that is drive will that humans spread out and conquer the universe.

The cult of Metal Angels.
This is a small group of people who seem to follow the orders of 3 A.I units to unknown ends. They say that these A.I. are sentient and fully aware. Although no one outside of the cult can neither confirm nor deny their claims as the A.I. do everything they can to stay hidden only making themselves knows to a few. For the time being the government is keeping a close eye on the group because no one knows who or what made those A.I. and to what end, if any. The cult itself seems harmless enough, although members do at times seem to know more than they should about a number of things that are not normally known to the public. They also seem to be on unfriendly terms with the Church of Deus Ex Machina for reasons only known to higher ups in both groups.

And there are the Doomsday people who think that their homeworld disappearing and being forced to try and make a home on Em-8er where they can attacked and killed by aliens and giant monsters at being signs of the end of time or punishment from some angry god(s) for past mistakes.

That is all I can think of out the top of my head. What are your ideas? And try not to get to crazy with this topic. We all know the players are going to make a cult of bellybuttons and assless chaps.

 

[EvilKitten]

Not to be devil's advocate (get it...), but given that the entire game is supposed to have minimalist storyline, is it absolutely required to drag religion (even fake ones) into the mix?

I tend to cringe anytime religion gets pulled into games, either because RL religions get butchered, or the fake ones tend to be so silly as to make their adherents sound stupid. Even in your own OP you labeled 2 of them as "cults", which by modern day connotations means the adherents are considered seriously fringe or even outright dangerous.

I also feel that, in a universe spun off of our RL one during WW2, at the very least the big 3 (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) would probably still exist in some form, which again creates a potential land mine. If you lazily hand wave and say they all died out, that's a bit insulting to the players who might be adherents to one of those.

 

[Pandagnome]

Cult zero

Fanatics who dedicate their life to become like the first ever kaiju.
They use every method some leading to horrific mutations and others
banished from the cult.

Light of the kaijuju

Unleashing great disco balls in the heat of the battle the party is too much
for the opposition. Some say the light is so bright that whom ever stares
long enough at the light of the kaijuju will forever be lost.

 

[Wyntyr]

I'm going with...no. That is all.

 

[Terib.Shadow]

I came into this thread expecting a bot post judging by the title, honestly? i'd have prefered that.

Big no.

 

[Drakin5]

Uhhhh... yeah. Just imagine a whole bunch of reapers in a free for all pvp all because someone said that the other side’s church is false or a scam. Then, some guy in the nth side starts bombing buildings and issuing loony decrees like candy.
Hang on a minute...

 

[Omnires]

Not to be devil's advocate (get it...), but given that the entire game is supposed to have minimalist storyline, is it absolutely required to drag religion (even fake ones) into the mix?

I tend to cringe anytime religion gets pulled into games, either because RL religions get butchered, or the fake ones tend to be so silly as to make their adherents sound stupid. Even in your own OP you labeled 2 of them as "cults", which by modern day connotations means the adherents are considered seriously fringe or even outright dangerous.

I also feel that, in a universe spun off of our RL one during WW2, at the very least the big 3 (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) would probably still exist in some form, which again creates a potential land mine. If you lazily hand wave and say they all died out, that's a bit insulting to the players who might be adherents to one of those.

I understand your views and see your point. But mostly I'm using this as a fun topic to try and drive into the psyches of different groups of people in Em-8er. We don't have to call it religion. We call it a creeds or something else or all I care. The only reason I picked the word "religion" is because is one they everyone knows and understands. One of the few things all cultures have in common are a set of views and beliefs that help to shape their overall outlook on life and the world as a whole. That is really what I want to focus on. The fact that most people call things like that a religion is besides the point in my view. But at the same time unless the game is going to have just super bland lore and NPCs, having some people who are followers of some kind of doctrine can help shape their personalities and interactions with others (be they friend, enemy, or other). Even the idea of characters who are ex-members/followers adds different perspectives and dept to the things they say and do.

Also, I'm using the word "cult" more in the sense of the old meaning of the word, not the modern one. After all, one of the root words to culture is cult, lol. And even in real life, even some of the largest religions (like Christianity, Judaism, Islam) are listed as cults in ancient texts and stories until they get to point where they are large enough and powerful enough to make their own government or have a lot of pull within an existing government. So I'm using the word more as to denote their size and influence more than anything else.

Cult zero

Fanatics who dedicate their life to become like the first ever kaiju.
They use every method some leading to horrific mutations and others
banished from the cult.

I can see faction within the enemy trying to do that. Kind of like how even how some people find a lot of enjoyment trying to recreate the great works and feats of the past. Both as means to honor those people but also as means of recognizing how important their work was to the world as a whole and/or in their personal lives. But there could also be those who do it just for fun.

I can also see it from a game play standpoint as part of the prototype vs prototype vs mass production problem. Where as in a number of cases the prototypes of something are way better than the mass produced ones do to the fact of the process of them using cutting corners and using inferior parts and materials. This is part of the reason why in scifi like Gundam you'll find that a lot of the prototypes and original models are more powerful than the mass produced ones they make later on. This even happens in real life with things like cars.

Light of the kaijuju

Unleashing great disco balls in the heat of the battle the party is too much
for the opposition. Some say the light is so bright that whom ever stares
long enough at the light of the kaijuju will forever be lost.

That reminds me how in real life bagpipes banned in war partly because most hated the sounds it made. I can totally see a scifi verson of something like that happening it. Remember playing musical instruments was common thing to do in war for a number of reasons (like giving orders and keeping people in sync. But also to strike fear in the enemy, or to at least annoy the enemy to no end driving them crazy).

 

[EvilKitten]

Uhhhh... yeah. Just imagine a whole bunch of reapers in a free for all pvp all because someone said that the other side’s church is false or a scam. Then, some guy in the nth side starts bombing buildings and issuing loony decrees like candy.
Hang on a minute...

And this makes my point right here. Immediately some people begin picturing fanatics doing crazy or stupid things and lump them together under religion. Never mind that very few lasting religions ACTUALLY teach anything of the sort. As far as I know there is nothing in the Koran about strapping bombs to your chest and crashing planes into buildings. Christianity teaches love your neighbor as yourself, not convert them with the sword. But somebody can call for these sorts of things, claiming to be part of a religion and suddenly the whole religion is evil.

I also disagree slightly with:

One of the few things all cultures have in common are a set of views and beliefs that help to shape their overall outlook on life and the world as a whole... The fact that most people call things like that a religion...

Religion by definition centers around the concept (or lack therof) of a deity or higher power that is worshiped. A culture, or individual can have beliefs and views that shape them without those being a religion. Nor do I believe that keeping religion out of the game focus will automatically make a character bland and flat. Characters can have all sorts of personality that do not revolve around religion.

As I said before, I feel that religion is a walking minefield that is probably easier to simply avoid. At least from an official standpoint. If *players* wish to include religion as part of their own character RP/BIO, that is a completely different matter.

 

[Omnires]

And this makes my point right here. Immediately some people begin picturing fanatics doing crazy or stupid things and lump them together under religion. Never mind that very few lasting religions ACTUALLY teach anything of the sort. As far as I know there is nothing in the Koran about strapping bombs to your chest and crashing planes into buildings. Christianity teaches love your neighbor as yourself, not convert them with the sword. But somebody can call for these sorts of things, claiming to be part of a religion and suddenly the whole religion is evil.

I agree with this. I attach no meaning to the word "religion" outside of a set of set of views and principles that people adhere to that they can use as a guiding force in their lives. There are many words that have this same kind of meaning but the word "religion" is kind of loaded because of all personal biases and emotions people equate to the word. But at the same time it is often easier to use that word when talking about mindsets and world views that drive large groups of people, even if it muddy the waters a bit if people can't detach their personal emotions from it.

I also disagree slightly with:



Religion by definition centers around the concept (or lack therof) of a deity or higher power that is worshiped. A culture, or individual can have beliefs and views that shape them without those being a religion. Nor do I believe that keeping religion out of the game focus will automatically make a character bland and flat. Characters can have all sorts of personality that do not revolve around religion.

As I said before, I feel that religion is a walking minefield that is probably easier to simply avoid. At least from an official standpoint. If *players* wish to include religion as part of their own character RP/BIO, that is a completely different matter.

I see your point. I was not my intent to imply that every culture needs to have the idea of a higher power or higher beings. But rather every culture has a set of views and beliefs that they work towards in such a way that live their lives trying to achieve these goals. No higher power nor beings are needed for such things other than people agreeing that it is a good goal to work towards on a large scale. Be it something as simple as making a safe and peaceful place to live in for yourself and future generations or to farther push the understanding humans have of things or just the idea that if everyone works together life would be easier for all. Again, I'm ok with using other words to describe this concept with other than religion, it is just that I personally don't know of a signal word that I can say that everyone knows that would get that idea across. Which I can admit might be failure on my part terms of vocabulary on such a subject. But all I really want is to talk about the various driving forces in people's lives and their modus operandi in trying to achieve their goals.

 

[EvilKitten]

Perhaps the word you are looking for is Ideology.

ideology
[ ahy-dee-ol-uh-jee, id-ee- ]
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ideology ON THESAURUS.COM
noun, plural i·de·ol·o·gies.
the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.
such a body of doctrine, myth, etc., with reference to some political and social plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation.
Philosophy.

1. the study of the nature and origin of ideas.
2. a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation.

theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.

 

[Omnires]

Perhaps the word you are looking for is Ideology.

Sure, we can use that word if you think it would help. My problem is do to the nature of how I studied things when I was younger and the odd way my brain processes language a good number of words I know are interchangeable but I'm not always aware of how other people perceive them. When this happens I have to remind myself of the old adage "It is not always what is said that matters to most people, but how it is said." and people can easily misjudge the true message of something if you don't use the right wording as they understand it.

For example, I only just became aware of how people can misunderstand what I mean by "The cult of Metal Angels" Because I'm using the older meaning of the words and not the modern one. I already explain why I used the word cult before. I use the old meaning of the word "angel" as meaning "messenger". So in my mind I was describing the cult of Metal Angels as a small group of people with little influence following A.I. / robotic messengers. While other people was picturing something else completely different. lol.

 

[Wyntyr]

 

[zdoofop]

has anyone mentioned the possibility that there may be tsi hu worshippers?

 

[Wyntyr]

 

[EvilKitten]

has anyone mentioned the possibility that there may be tsi hu worshippers?

Why would you worship the creatures who are bent on your extermination. It would be more efficient to simply commit seppuku.

 

[Omnires]

Why would you worship the creatures who are bent on your extermination. It would be more efficient to simply commit seppuku.

My guess would be the self hating humans and the people who view all the bad things that happened to them in the lore before the game starts as some kind of punishment.

But on the topic of self hating humans they do exist. As some people view the human race as whole as something akin to a virus or cancer going by how we basically kill everything and destroy ecosystems on mass. So to the people who are followers of things like Gaia Theory unless the human race change their ways and stop being so destructive the only way to save the world, if the universe, from all the death that we bring is to find ways to destroy all humans. If these self hating humans view the aliens as being a healing force in the universe rather than a destructive force, they would seek to aid them in killing off humans.

 

[VRK9]

Don't forget, that according to the lore, many humans see already enshigi as vengeful gods that must be feared. And only the reapers and gatestriders are the only ones who want to defy them.

 

[EvilKitten]

If these self hating humans view the aliens as being a healing force in the universe rather than a destructive force, they would seek to aid them in killing off humans.

Sure humans like this exist, but I highly doubt in sufficient quantities to make an actual faction, perhaps a small handful of very mentally disturbed individuals. The Reapers seem a lot more intimate family (aka squad) oriented which would mitigate such behaviors from taking root. Most individuals will not turn on their closest companions. The very nature of gatestriding would create a highly survivalist society.

Don't forget, that according to the lore, many humans see already enshigi as vengeful gods that must be feared. And only the reapers and gatestriders are the only ones who want to defy them.

Probably 99% of humanity across all 26 empires don't really care as long as it doesn't affect them.

 

[Omnires]

Sure humans like this exist, but I highly doubt in sufficient quantities to make an actual faction, perhaps a small handful of very mentally disturbed individuals. The Reapers seem a lot more intimate family (aka squad) oriented which would mitigate such behaviors from taking root. Most individuals will not turn on their closest companions. The very nature of gatestriding would create a highly survivalist society.

I see where you are coming from. But I have to disagree on two points. I'm not saying you are wrong, just that I see slightly differently.

1) A person doesn't have to be mentally disturbed to be a self hating human. A person's mental health doesn't really play a part in these types of logic because it is all about what they value and what has greater weight in their decision. For example, a person who really loves nature and life but if also very cynical. Could choose to let people die rather than help them because they feel that with less humans around less damage to the ecosystem will be done. They don't actively seek to hurt or kill people, but they will not help people even if they have the power to do so. Because they value the many over the few. And it just so happens plants and animals outnumber humans by a lot, and humans are a threat to them all. And if a person just happens to be a follower of something like Gaia Theory (in some views/beliefs people see the planet, if not the universe, itself as something akin to a living organism. With all the different lifeforms, including humans, acting like cells in a body.) who take a really cynical view of things seeing humans acting like something like a virus or a cancer and actively tries to stop humans by force. Might see themselves as part of the immune system acting like something akin to a T-killer cell (Cytotoxic T cells don't just hunt down and kill things like viruses, they will also kill other cells in the body, even healthy cells, to try and keep things from spreading to the rest of the body. It is a part of the body's immune system that is programmed to also attack the body's own cells.). Again they may view the health and safety the ecosystem/planet/universe as having greater value than human life. And if humans have to go to protect those things, than so be it in their view.

2) Group doesn't need to have large numbers to be a threat. Just a few people can take down an army from the inside by sabotaging just the right things in just they right way to make it easier for the enemy to win. And can avoid being founded out if they make all the sabotage look like the enemy did it or was just do to bad luck. Such people wouldn't even need to be working with the enemy directly nor have any kind of contact with them at all. After all, not much damage do think the enemy can do if a person who is on watch decides not to report that they spotted the enemy heading towards the camp/base? How much damage could someone do just by switching labels on boxes and bottles? How much damage can be done by given the wrong coordinates to a long range strike? A lot of small seemingly random mistakes and run of bad luck can add up over time. As one of my old teachers use to say "it takes some genius to play at acting so dumb so will." Pointing out the fact that sometimes the class clown is the smartest person in the room.

 

[EvilKitten]

To point out, there is a huge difference between a person that does not go out of their way to help others, and someone who plots and actively works towards the destruction of their own species. I do not care *how* it is justified, to me the desire for genocide of your own species speaks of being mentally disturbed.