[MUD-Dev] Gods, worshipers and the balance

[Brandon Cline]

On Fri, 12 Dec 1997, Vadim Tkachenko wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> Today's flamebite follows:
> 
> - Universe should preserve the balance (hopefully).
> - Every time cleric prays to his/her God, they gain some energy which
> then can spend somehow.
> - From the balance standpoint, their God's energy level should decrease
> - which is meaningless from the religious point of view - all the
> history shows that the greater the number of some God's worshipers, the
> stronger that God
> - which means that energy levels of both God and worshiper increase as
> they interact
> - which throws the balance completely out of balance.
> 
> Okay, now my solution for that (I *DO* realize, not the only one :-):
> 
> - I should (well, at least I want) to preserve the balance.
> - Energy levels of both God and worshiper _should_ increase, in game.
> - to preserve the balance, I introduce anti-god - some entity which
> exists on the material plane and is the exact opposite to the given God.
> 
> Now, the question is - 'what do you mean, opposite?' Well, that's a
> tough question, so far I was able to formulate that as 'opposite
> alignment' (which explains, BTW, why I pay so much attention to it) -
> actually, this message is a request for new ideas.
> 
> Then,
> 
> - no obvious link between the god and anti-god exists.
> 
> For example, given that the God is good, the anti-god is evil, it's a
> monster, and lives somewhere - this creates a funny possibility that the
> good worshipers of that good God will announce a quest to eliminate that
> evil abomination, and ... 
> 
> ... you continue.

Ah,
  My take on this goes along the lines of...
-Followers can "use" the power (energy) of their god through prayer or
  whatever.
-Certain actions within the world done by said gods follower(s) increases
  this gods power.
-Hence, the more followers a god has the more "total" power the god has
  possible.
-Conversely, certain actions within the game "drain" said gods energy.
-Convienently these actions within the game happen to be the actions
  required by another god to increase his power, and per struggle ensues
  between the two or more gods that need A) followers, and B) actions to
  be done. 

> 
> -- 
> Still alive and smile stays on,
> Vadim Tkachenko <VadimT at 4CS.Com>
> --
> UNIX _is_ user friendly, he's just very picky about who his friends are


Brandon L. Cline      |      Imagination is more important than knowledge.
brandon at sedona.net    |                                -- Albert Einstein