Obsidian making Fallout: New Vegas

[Aristes]

cartoonish and ham-fisted

 

 

That pretty much describes all games though, dealing with anything.

 

Testified! Er... um... I mean, I agree.

[Aristes]

As regards religion, I don't see why it should be reduced to cultism. There is a good chance that religion might instead be reduced to functionalism in combination with other factors to provide some stability for the population. Anyone who thinks that Christianity in some form would completely cease to exist as a result of nuclear war better bring out the compelling argument.

 

Of course, I disagree with the entire limiting aspects of such views of religion in the first place. That's what I mean about putting forward the best argument for each faction. Someone as part of the religion isn't going to say, "oooom shakalaka! I bear the great mugumbo!" I mean, sure, some folks might, but the religion will have survived because of the genuine adherents. I'm sure they won't describe themselves as "cultists" any more than they'd say, "we serve a function in society otherwise we wouldn't exist." You might believe that, but they will have a counter argument and those counter arguments can be quite compelling. In fact, we should see the future as largely the same as the past and present at its very heart. Different groups will vie for supremacy based along some sort of ideology, culture, or other sort of identity. While there will be a variety of motives for the people in each of these groups, every group will have some folks who believe in the essential point of view and be able to represent it.

 

Not every argument will be good. Some of the folks will be better able to present the case for their side than others, but each side should have folks capable of making a strong case to others.

 

This idea clearly transcends religion. The other thing that I've said that I must reiterate is that there will be a variety of motives, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Some motives will be bad, but members of every group will have multiple motivations. I'm a Catholic, but I believe in freedom and democracy. So I will do my best to strive for a world view that accomodates each. Not every character will be so well developed that we'll see these internal conflicts, but the writers should understand they exist.

[Gorth]

You sure you are not Eldars alt?

[Aristes]

I did a search for Eldar and he doesn't even exist. Someone would have to create him and then he can be my alt.

[Tigranes]

Some say that after the vat incident several years ago, the being that we formerly knew as Eldar was made badder, stronger, and ever more elusive.

 

Popped by recently, though.

 

It will be interesting to see, for example, whether and how major religions (= in this location, Christianity in general) survived the apocalypse and its immediate aftermath.

[Aristes]

I think that it would dramatically change. There might be some smaller cults that arise and some major religion might actually pop up, although things like that are hard to anticipate. Anyone who says that it was clear that a small Jewish faction would someday be Christianity or that some Arab trader/raiders would give rise to Islam is probably a bit nuts.

 

So, some cults, perhaps some major religious presence, depending on the size and stability of the population, and then varying degrees of deism, spiritualism, atheism, and who gives a crapism would be my guys.

 

While I don't like reductionism, I also understand that religion does serve a function as part of society, so I don't think it would be terribly insulting to present it as such.

[Gorth]

How about tackling political stereotypes instead of religion? I think Hubology was the best jab ever at religion, very little can beat that

 

In the light of the recent economic development, they could pit cooperatives versus entrepreneurs, crop growing farmers vs. cattle herders, evil money lenders against the rest of the world etc.

 

I.e. over the top, stylised concepts against each other. Can be done without necessarily involving religion.

 

Discussion continued here