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?
13 Days in Hell Champion!
2 Many Bugs Champion!
