Gods in Eternity

[Giantevilhead]

What kind of gods would you like to see in Eternity?

 

Do you want them to be like the Greek Gods? Where they're more like constant, unchanging forces that exist more as obstacles for the heroes or driving force behind conflicts rather than fully realized characters. For example, there are dozens of myths about Zeus's bastard children and Hera trying to kill them, but Zeus and Hera are essentially the same in all those stories. They never learn from their mistakes, they don't try to correct their flaws, they never really change.

 

Or do you want them to be more nuanced and deep like the ones in a lot of modern day fantasies like Dungeons and Dragons? Where they're more aware of their own flaws, have some common sense, and are somewhat savvy about what they are. For example, like how Bhaal and Myrkul were aware of their own weaknesses and they knew about the loopholes in the divine rules so they try to game the system.

 

Or do you want some other kind of gods?

Edited September 21, 2012 by Giantevilhead

[nikolokolus]

I dunno, I guess I want to see the gods that the developers come up with. I don't really have a preference

[Perderabo]

I would love to see the gods from the discworld or something similair

[Pop]

A Greek-style pantheon full of jealous, capricious deities with the temperament, appetites and discipline of blindingly rich 16 year-olds sounds about right.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Pop

[metiman]

The Lady of Pain is a great example of a God done right. I would like to see gods that people are genuinely afraid of because they take an active interest in and interfere with the affairs of men.

[Giantevilhead]

A Greek-style pantheon full of jealous, capricious deities with the temperament, appetites and discipline of blindingly rich 16 year-olds sounds about right.

 

I think the problem with those kinds of gods is that they get boring and you can't really take them seriously after a while. If Eternity has sequels, I think people are going get tired of gods who only go around throwing temper tantrums like spoiled children.

[Pop]

NBD, sounds like the Gods act by proxy and deceit more often than not.

[HansKrSG]

Gods who are basically concepts made gods by the beleifs of the creatures of the world is nice, like in Neil Gaimans stories for example. (Think Sandman and American Gods)

[aluminiumtrioxid]

I prefer either flawed, manipulative or outright alien gods, but an approach to them as a "force of nature", beings of unchangeable nature is also OK. But after the first infodump about souls and technology, I'm fairly sure that whichever route the devs take, the product will be excellent.

[The Sharmat]

I want to see Gods being unapproachable and inhuman. That's why they're Gods.

 

I also want the full range of philosophies humans are capable of. That means maltheists, apatheists, and in the case of this setting, Flat Earth Atheists. Because just because something actually exists doesn't mean everyone is going to believe it.

 

EDIT: Also fake Gods. Just because there's real Gods doesn't mean someone can't make some up.

Edited September 21, 2012 by The Sharmat

[NerdBoner]

honestly I'd want a few to be transcendental and abstract, who afect the world through trends of thought and influence large populations all at once in order to produce long term effects...perhaps these could be like the "true" gods...

 

and then i'd also want the more capricious, malicious and mischevious gods who meddle directly into the affairs of mortals...these could be lesser or demi-gods...

[Merin]

Haven't they said on a few occasions that the gods will be the Greek pantheon type?

 

One example of this I found here -

 

"Rather than illuminate the presumed higher purpose of this cycle, the gods have obfuscated the truth, at times spreading cosmological lies, pitting believers and empowered chosen agents against each other, and tacitly approving the prejudices of their followers to maintain power." - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/312639

 

Personally, if there must be "for certain" gods in the game, I like this kind. The meddling and impure ones.

[Tale]

I think it was implied that they're all relatively sapient, but I hope that's not true. I'd like some of the gods to be not. Just so that it can imply that there's this whole other ecosystem to the godly realm that interacts recklessly with the mortal one.

[Rostere]

I like the FR approach to gods. Also, I think gods should be mysterious and even if the greater part of the population believes in them I would like there to be some room for exploration - that it's not just possible to see a list of deities in the world in, say, character creation and then that's it, you know it all. There should be lesser deities, dead deities, "lost" or "sleeping" deities, deities only known in certain geographical regions, and so on.

[The Sharmat]

I think it was implied that they're all relatively sapient, but I hope that's not true. I'd like some of the gods to be not. Just so that it can imply that there's this whole other ecosystem to the godly realm that interacts recklessly with the mortal one.

I want more divisions than sapient/nonsapient. There's some funky ideas in neuroscience about multiple kinds of sapience, and questions of whether there is a sharp threshold or more a continuum of sapience. Some Gods could be Super-Sapient. Or, to take the disturbing concept from the fantastic sci-fi novella Blindsight, a God might be fully sapient, but not self aware. A tremendously intelligent being that no less lacks any capacity for self reflection. A God that does not know that it exists.

[Merin]

Or, to take the disturbing concept from the fantastic sci-fi novella Blindsight, a God might be fully sapient, but not self aware. A tremendously intelligent being that no less lacks any capacity for self reflection. A God that does not know that it exists.

 

The mere concept scares the Jesus out of me.

 

Er, it would, had there been any in me...

 

okay, this is just getting weird now.

[Ancoron]

I would like to see gods that stand far above the races in the world

in power/technologie standpoint and that they are meddling

in the history of the worlds races like keeping them from

advancing there technologie level or keeping magic on a lower

power than theirs.

[Wintersong]

I do get the feeling that gods in PE are really powerful and really bored beings. They like playing "Sims" with the mortals of PE.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Wintersong

[alphyna]

Neither. I guess I (somehow) want something more... Christian?

 

God or gods should be incomprehensible. If human mind can understand a deity, it becomes more like a high-level adventurer — really great and powerful, but still little more than a very, very strong man. And I feel that gods should be different. What do they want? Do they even exist? People invent rituals trying to guess their purpose, but it's just that: guesses. Sometimes priests claim that they've had a reveletion, but it's up to you to decide what that means (if anything at all). Clearly some forces exist, but can they be talked to? Personified? Understood?

 

The most interesting thing begins when you open a dialogue box with someone you didn't avan know posessed the ability to think in human words.

[Badmojo]

I would like to see gods that defy mortal understanding. The lady of pain in PST is a good example. I really do not like gods like in greek/norse culture, which are just really powerful petty humans who like to toy with humanity, when it isn't raping humanity or having incesitious relationships with its own family members. I do want to see some forbidden gods that are worshiped in secret cults, maybe something lovecraft inspired.

 

 

Since we have a god (playable?) as a race, I guess we are going with the gods are just powerful beings which still think like mortals...meh.

[molarBear]

The Lady of Pain is a great example of a God done right. I would like to see gods that people are genuinely afraid of because they take an active interest in and interfere with the affairs of men.

 

she was a ruthless weird bitch

yes, we want deities towards this direction

Edited September 22, 2012 by molarBear

[Anaeme]

gods need to be what mortals aspire to become

 

I want to become a deity

[Tenamor]

Regardless of what kinds of gods we have, I think it'd be neat to have your character worship/follow the teachings of a certain god, and be rewarded/punished based on that decision. Certain gear is acquired by following X, but now Y doesn't like you. Clerics of Z get these spells, but now you have a unsettling aura about you, and people aren't too keen on speaking with you.

 

Or even be agnostic/not follow any specific one, so you get no advantages and no disadvantages as far as religion is concerned.

[rf5111918]

I like the FR approach to gods. Also, I think gods should be mysterious and even if the greater part of the population believes in them I would like there to be some room for exploration - that it's not just possible to see a list of deities in the world in, say, character creation and then that's it, you know it all. There should be lesser deities, dead deities, "lost" or "sleeping" deities, deities only known in certain geographical regions, and so on.

 

I prefer some mystery. I am not even sure if deities should even need to make a physical appearance in the game. I feel that's actually been overdone.

I guess I like the idea that magic and deities aren't or can't be fully comprehended in the world.

[hideo kuze]

(was going to start a new thread on interaction with the gods, but I think this one is adequate)

 

I'd like to see gods interacting with the world, and more importantly allow for interaction with the player.

 

In ToEE a very memorable encounter was the one with Lareth.

When he's almost dead he tries to dissuade you, (I don't recall the details), but he then curses you and says "Lloth, help me", and 3 giant spiders are summoned.

 

I'd like for both NPCs and the PC to be able to worship and submit to a god, give offerings and perform tasks for him, and in return he would help you out when you asked for help. Note that there is lot of room here to balance and adapt this to the god's personality (he may as well ignore or betray you).

For example, suppose that you make a pact with a god which allows you to summon 2 of his "pets", but in return he will eat out part of your soul (ie: you lose a point on one of your attributes).

The gamers of the new school will probably say "that is stupid, I'll just reload". But for me, and I bet for the ones playing as ironman, this can be a real life saver.

 

Also, it would be fun to betray a god in some way or the other