LRP: Imperial Principles

[misterdaniel]

So, if we get three-score-years-and-ten, then I am probably about due a mid-life crisis. I think I may get introspective in my next LJ entry but, for now, a bit more about Empire, and developing religion concepts for a LRP game.

As part of providing a stream of updates about the game's development, I wrote a blog article on design principles. It

Comments

[misterdaniel]

Revelation - At the last Maelstrom, a dragon utilised a secret process to obtain a vision that provided information that seems credible about the origins of dragons and their relationship to the Illini, but that's by-the-by. We have a revelation mechanism in mind for Empire. You may like it; you may not. Either way, it got overhauled at the last meeting at Maelstrom and may be overhauled again at the next one, so until its a little more settled, I am afraid thats as much as I can say on the topic.

Cutting to the 'crux', the whole concept of 'buy-in' is an interesting one because all LRP systems require an element of 'buy-in' as players are required to accept elements of the game presented to them as 'the way it is', for example:
- "Why are we camping in the same field as that group who hate us and want us dead?"
- "Why is that orc wearing the same clothes, carrying the same weapon and fighting the same way as the one I just killed?"
- "Why are the enemy only attacking in small groups? And how are they teleporting in like that?"
- "Why do we have to wait until 3pm to go and visit the oracle offsite? Why can't we go now?"

I am not sure that having an established religion that people are required by the game setting to at least acknowledge requires any more buy-in than a number of the other assumptions people have to make to play an LRP game.

I do not believe that Divine Magic or Holy Messengers equate to religion buy-in. They do not make people buy-into the religion. Instead, they buy into the effects of the magic and the presence of NPCs. So I do not believe that their absence will affect the degree to which people buy into the religion.

Ultimately, when people start to play the game, there will be three crude states:
- Engagement (i.e. people who buy into the concept and play it)
- Apathy (i.e. people who do not care and do not engage)
- Opposition (i.e. people who actively dislike the set-up and wish to get rid of it)

If the majority are Engaged, then there's no problem.

If the majority are Apathetic, and a minority are Engaged, that is also OK. The Engaged players will gain access to plot, encounters, game resources and a sense of inherent moral superiority. If the Apathetic players are not interested in the game's religion, then what possible reason could we have to force it onto them against their will?

The problem arises if there is a significant portion of the player base that actively dislikes the religion concept and makes efforts to tear it down. Again a similiar position to the Apathetic players, if the player base makes it clear that this is a poorly conceived and ineffectual element of the game design, why should we work to force it on them? That would just alienate people.

My current expectation is that there are a number of Engaged players (i.e. those who have looked at the roleplay potential of the concept so far and it interests/excites them). There will be a number of Apathethic players for whom this has no appeal, and that is also fine. Ideally they will pay lip service to the concepts ("Yeah, I am Loyal and Courageous - now leave me alone") so as not to undermine them. To date, no one has told me that they out-and-out hate the idea.

(Note: I have no problem with people who wish to tear down the religion for IC reasons having sold their soul to some external agency who wishes to destablise the Empire because that is game)

[knightclubber]

I did briefly think 'but what if a disgruntled senator rounds up all their mates into a mob after the Synod vetoes the law they've sweated blood over, then goes to burn down all the churches in a mad rage?'

Then I realised that if that happened you'd probably dance with glee.

[misterdaniel]

I'd hope that the Senator is able to do that, but is subsequently executed (and condemned to hell) for having done so.

Subsequently, there are a lot of promotion opportunities for ambitious young up-and-comers

(So yeah, glee)

[misterdaniel]

A smarter Senator would have pre-loaded the Synod with her people