[Pyrotex]

I still LOVE the idea of Religion vs. Religion!

Imagine a board game with three folding sections--say about 24 inches by 36.
There is a path down the length of the board, but it's squiggly, like a maze. It even has cross-overs and loops. Down one half of the length, the dominant colors are blue and green, for peacefulness, contentment, tolerance. Down the other half, the dominant colors are red and orange, for strife, fanatacism, intolerance. Down the very center of the board, the dominant color is yellow, representing the transition phase.

There are 8 markers: A Catholic Cross (fancy), a Protestant Cross (simple), a Unitarian Chalice, a Jewish Star of David, an Islamic Crescent, a Hindu Elephant-headed God, a Buddhist Fat Sitting Buddha, and a Pagan Naked Goddess (anatomically correct, of course!)

There are 8 starting points at one end of the long board, and the first marker that gets to the other end (Eternal Glory) with the most souls wins.

There are two decks of cards, like in Monopoly. One deck ("Conversions") consists of cards that you can hold in your hand (hidden) and you may play at any time. The other deck ("Revelations") has cards that must be played immediately as you draw them.

There are "bank notes" that represent Followers. Each sect starts with ten 1000-Follower notes. There are notes for 5,000 20,000 100,000 500,000 and 1,000,000.

The path forks many times in the first half of the path and gradually merge near the end (Eternal Glory). Which path you take (after rolling the 8-sided die) may be your choice (if you have the right card), may be determined by other's cards, or by other factors. There must be a way of making each sect different in some way--like one sect starts with double followers, another gets a free "Get Out of Hell" card, another has some advantage with politics, etc. Must give each sect some unique flavor of the real religion it represents.

There are benefits and problems traveling too far from the center line (Yellow) of the board. Going deep in the Red Zone ("Jihad") can win you millions of followers, but at the cost of other sects playing their cards which can do bad things to you. Going deep in the Blue Zone ("Nirvana") has its benefits and problems too. To be determined.

There must be ways of cooperating (like sharing cards, perhaps), and there must be ways of violent conflict (like going to war). There must be penalties for falling too far behind in the maze and penalties for being too "goody-goody" (like loss of membership).

There must be ways for one God or another to randomly bless or screw you.

Whadiya think?

[freeztar]

I *love* it!

The board game version would be a great supplement to the computer version. I do recommend using three 6-sided die instead of one 8-sided die. It just makes it a little bit more interesting.

The only problem with the board game version is that I would have to drive all the way to Texas to play a game. Perhaps it could be more like a D&D style game? We could create a thread at postmagnet and have an online, narrative role-playing game!

[Pyrotex]

YES!!! I was thinking that the game would be a cross between Chutes And Ladders (the paths and twisty mazes), Monopoly (moving your marker along the special squares on the paths that provide followers and the Revelations cards), one of those manga-associated card games like Yugeo (the Conversion cards), D&D (the conflicts that arise when two markers collide on one of the Paths of Sanctity, and of course, the Game of Life.

Other ideas???????????

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

Other ideas???????????

At the moment, I can only suggest that we incorporate elements from Stratego as well.

[Thunderbird]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

I still LOVE the idea of Religion vs. Religion!

Imagine a board game with three folding sections--Whadiya think?

I think its genius, really, it would fun and education. It reminds of that movie “War Games” about computer simulated nuclear war. The conclusion was the only way to survive was not to play. According to the Tibetan book of the Dead, the after life is a kind of maze that takes you on a journey according to Karmdic laws. Whatever tendencies the traveler carries into the after life carries them to yet more conflict , or more enlightenment according to their nature, just like life. If there is an after life I expect it would be more akin to a recycling center/ slaughter house /processing plant, sorting out and refining energy just as its done on earth. I honestly think that if there is an after life it will be anything but pleasant.

[Moontanman]

I'm all for the game, i would like to help flesh out the pagan roles..... I can see all the imps, satyrs, centaurs, and other pagan icons! maybe the Pagans can call up these creatures to help them go forward and the others can call up saints, djins, angels, archangels or other demi gods.

[Pyrotex]

One aspect of the game -- I'm thinking about this. Do we accurately represent both the bad and the good of religions? Do we have Inquisition Cards, or some equivalent, which can be used to torture or murder an opponent's Followers? Martin Luther was instrumental in the burning at the stake of one of the founders of the Unitarian Church, in Switzerland I think. Do we mirror those realities as well?

Or do we just go for laughs?

Or is playing a game full of the actual horror and blood and war and atrocities of religious strife... where the FUN and LAUGHS really are?

SMITE CARD:
"Smash the heads of the children against the rocks."
...roll 8-sided die to pick religion. They lose 10,000 followers. You lose 100 Karma points. If you pick yourself, lose 20,000 followers and 200 Karma points.

{shudder}

[freeztar]

Good point.

I think it would be prudent to make the game "light-hearted", but still factual.

For example, we could have an "inquisition card", but I don't think we should have a "genocide card".

I'm assuming that this game will piss quite a few people off, so the people left, who would actually want to play the game, probably wouldn't care about the political correctness, or lack thereof, in the game (for the most part).

It is a good point though. Where do you apply the degreaser on the slope?

[Moontanman]

Yeah I guess we can take it easy (maybe) No sense in giving too many reasons to have fundamentalists looking to let us talk to God about the game first hand. maybe the point of the game would be to steer your religion away from the dark side to the light to win.

[Overdog]

I'd go for the gusto, myself. Not hold anything back. I wouldn't want a watered down version....

Besides, burning your opponents top cleric at the stake every once in a while just sounds so appealing...