What is the nature of PS gods?

[bilbous]

There are many representations of gods in popular culture, from minor to major, some playing more active roles than others.

In traditional role playing games they have evolved from the thematic --you follow this god you get these spells and abilities to the more hands on type --you must follow these strictures ² and you will be judged upon how well you do so. The more favored you are the more likely exceptional intercession will occur.

In literature there have been many ideas ranging from gods deriving their powers in direct correlation to how many followers they have and how fervent their belief. This does not seem to be the case in PS but then the gods do not appear to me to be more than exceptionally powerful sorcerers who have set themselves up to be the gods to the inhabitants of this land.

Has anyone seen any miracles that were directly attributable to the gods, are there any plans for them to make an appearance in the game?

[Raleigh]

I think that roleplaying through miracles done by gods, at least in most cases, have a very fitting word: Godmodding . Except for what happened at Laanx temple once, while a group from a certain guild was causing some IC harrassment there, but I would not classify that as a 'miracle', it was more of an angry warning.

Having gods as the main basis of a roleplay usually is a bad idea: there's a reason people stay clear from the "Epic Modules" for D&D. Things become cheesy when character x is helped by god y, and so on.

I wouldn't find fun to RP being an almost invincible "demi-god" like *cough* Hercules for example

[bilbous]

Well the very existence of the unnatural realm we play in is attributed to the gods though none were around to see it. It sounds to me you prefer the thematic version where the gods are names only and have no other role. That is of course a perfectly valid preference I wonder if it is the general feeling or if there is some who think otherwise.

Of course any sufficiently great amount of power is indistinguishable from godhood on superficial inspection.

[zanzibar]

Has anyone seen any miracles that were directly attributable to the gods...

Yes.

are there any plans for them to make an appearance in the game?

They've made appearances in the past.

[Zan]

I think having the gods as a main basis for roleplay is a very good idea, many times better than having racial predjudices or slavery as a basis. Yliakum is a religious world .. it was created by two, now fighting, gods and the gods are nowhere near religion is in reality.

Like Zanzi said these gods do appear in miracles and the like. There have been times where Laanx flooded Hydlaa with Ulbernauts until she was appeased by the sacrifices of her people. S/he also strikes down nuissances with lightning regularly around Yliakum. At the same time Talad has appeared to his followers and spoke to them on occasion. All these things are not made up, they happened (be it through GM or Talad's very own actions )

However roleplay shouldn't incorporate miracles or events that did not happen, unless you want to RP a lying, manipulating religious fanatic who makes up stories about the gods in the attempt of gathering a herd of followers. What I would like to see disappear is the utter disbelief when it comes towards the gods in-game. Too many people treat religion in Yliakum just like religion in reality, as something you either belief in or you don't. In Yliakum the gods are very much real and existent ... it's only in reality where this kind of thing will always be up for debate.

[Raleigh]

I think having the gods as a main basis for roleplay is a very good idea

Comparing it with a worser basis for RP does not mean it is a good one. RPs involving gods usually are quite bland, as the outcome will be always the way "god x want things to be", so the characters are nothing but disposable puppets in a play which outcome is already defined and 100% linear, with no possible alternate outcome as gods are allmighty. It is no different from acting for a movie, and linearity is one of the dividers between what is roleplaying and what is acting.

If Yliakum was completely religious based, I don't see why the Octarchs couldn't be replaced by some kind of fundamentalist "Ayatollah" or by the direct rule of the gods themselves.

There have been times where Laanx flooded Hydlaa with Ulbernauts until she was appeased by the sacrifices of her people. S/he also strikes down nuissances with lightning regularly around Yliakum. At the same time Talad has appeared to his followers and spoke to them on occasion.

The "nuisances" are just, in my opinion, a bad way of putting IC something that happens due to OOC reasons. And I don't think a system tab should be much of a basis for roleplaying as well. About these events, you can be sure I won't be willing to participate on them. And the flood of ulbernauts is a good example of how godly based events can be bland. It probably was a great thing for the powerlevelled "Ulber slayers".

[zanzibar]

I had a nice* chat with Laanx in-game once.


*scary

[Parallo]

People often attribute the disease known as SMID syndrome to Laanx's wrath but I disagree. It stands for Sudden Madness and Instant Death. We often see people spout crazy incoherent sentances or do otherwise rediculous things then fall to the ground dead. I think this is an entirerly natural phenomenon and it being attributed to Laanx is just old wives tales.

[Zan]

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree then, Raleigh. I still stand by my opinion that the gods are very much present in Yliakum. Though you're right that roleplay events revolving around gods aren't a good thing without said gods actually being represented. The Ulber thing was nothing for powerlevelers ... it was pure mayhem and chaos. Most ulbers that were spawned could be handled by any decent character since they were weaker versions, but their large numbers and quick respawn points made fighting them futile. There'd always be more than you could handle.

Either way, religion(or religious fanaticism) is very much within the settings although it is a character trait which most roleplayers ignore or avoid. Embracing it instead would be, in my opinion, a big step towards the environment that Yliakum was envisioned to be by the devs.

[Narure]

Except for what happened at Laanx temple once, while a group from a certain guild was causing some IC harrassment there, but I would not classify that as a 'miracle', it was more of an angry warning.

Its a miracle only one Outlaw died that day... Good times. I think gods in planeshift can make RPs alot more interesting bcause of the conflicting interests of the gods. Its an alot more interesting conflict that, ooh you looked at me funny. I'd like to see a few Talad fanatics though, that would make things interesting.

[Raleigh]

Either way, religion(or religious fanaticism) is very much within the settings although it is a character trait which most roleplayers ignore or avoid. Embracing it instead would be, in my opinion, a big step towards the environment that Yliakum was envisioned to be by the devs.

Limiting character choices based on what "The devs prefers..." instead of just "What is in the Settings" isn't something I would like to see. It's wrong to force people to roleplay a single kind(stereotype) of character and it eventually makes things bland.

Or perhaps I could make a bunch of fundamentalists that'll make a huge "Jihad"  ... but wait, that would be against the Settings!

If the devs want Yliakum to have all the same types of people strictly, then they should make it entirely NPC AI-based, without any form of PC.

I believe gods interventions should only happen on very rare occasions, and that, making something like that would be more appropriate through the use of NPCs rather than forcing players to follow with a single type instead of giving them choices on character creation.

The community will roleplay what they like, and not what the "devs envision", except if roleplay is enforced in a way that having non-religious type of characters will make you be banned, for example, but that is not the future I would like to see.

The more choices will be restricted, more it will sound to some kind of virtual acting instead of roleplaying.

[Zan]

Please don't misinterpret my words, Raleigh

What the Devs prefer is exactly the same as what is in the settings. And having your characters execute a Jihad is very much in line with the settings according to me.

Nobody talked about choices being restricted here.

[Peacer]

the nature of laanx was a woman, now it's a shemale

the nature of talad is a stoneman

the nature of vodul is a demonman

[bilbous]

Peacer, you left out the Black Flame (or whatever it is.) Is it a micro-singularity?
Of course your descriptions would be appearance, not nature, I think, unless those are the relevant archetypes.
At any rate I was wondering about more philosophical aspects of their nature than specific characteristics, looking for speculation not observation. Pie in the sky stuff, nothing too important.