Local gods - Theistic Evolution Game (Kisiwa: 1600 BD)

[BakedToast]

By the time you joined, the most players had already ran out of ideas. It was just wacky worldbuilding and there were no real stakes or 'Game Over's. so there was no push except for ones drive to innovate. When the creativity ended, the game ended too.

You're right. I guess, this form of "god game" was too open. While I was running this forum game, I was also experimenting with making a board-game version of it, and when that crumbled on itself (for the same reasons you posit, it was just world building with no goals), the steam to keep running this game also dissipated. I'll have to keep thinking about how to run the ultimate god-game setup.
Things I liked about this version of the game:
- gods having physical forms (a so-so, because it also forces players into a Greek-Pantheon-ish system)
- giving out special titles for actions (I think, if I did this again, I'd be more sparing with them, making it harder to earn titles)

Things I did not like about this version of the game:
-There was no sapience or "godding" (in that no one was being worshipped, for good reason, or interacting with mortals, which is something I loved from the previous god-games
-Inter deity diplomacy was somewhat lacking


So, the goal is to design a god game with more stakes, (perhaps "death", or some kind of power decline, for gods?), as well as a more defined rules and competition system, for, as we all know, it's more fun when gods compete than just play beside each other. I'll mull this over.

[DehEvil]

By the time you joined, the most players had already ran out of ideas. It was just wacky worldbuilding and there were no real stakes or 'Game Over's. so there was no push except for ones drive to innovate. When the creativity ended, the game ended too.

You're right. I guess, this form of "god game" was too open. While I was running this forum game, I was also experimenting with making a board-game version of it, and when that crumbled on itself (for the same reasons you posit, it was just world building with no goals), the steam to keep running this game also dissipated. I'll have to keep thinking about how to run the ultimate god-game setup.
Things I liked about this version of the game:
- gods having physical forms (a so-so, because it also forces players into a Greek-Pantheon-ish system)
- giving out special titles for actions (I think, if I did this again, I'd be more sparing with them, making it harder to earn titles)

Things I did not like about this version of the game:
-There was no sapience or "godding" (in that no one was being worshipped, for good reason, or interacting with mortals, which is something I loved from the previous god-games
-Inter deity diplomacy was somewhat lacking


So, the goal is to design a god game with more stakes, (perhaps "death", or some kind of power decline, for gods?), as well as a more defined rules and competition system, for, as we all know, it's more fun when gods compete than just play beside each other. I'll mull this over.

Aw, I had a plan set up! :P

If you have any ideas about a new game, I'd love to read about them. I have some of my own I'm floating around in my head. Of course, I'd never run one. xd
I love the concept of god games, but I never participate in any that last very long :/

Perhaps if you participated in the next game, you would be more motivated to keep it going?
If you want there to be a goal, with the creativity, perhaps have a "pre-game" creative period where the players build the world, lose their divinity, and be reduced to reincarnated demigods, that have limited influence, with more power for every follower?

[BakedToast]

If you have any ideas about a new game, I'd love to read about them. I have some of my own I'm floating around in my head. Of course, I'd never run one. Yes, Running a god game is an arduous task.
I love the concept of god games, but I never participate in any that last very long :/
Perhaps if you participated in the next game, you would be more motivated to keep it going? Yes. 100%. And not just a minor role either.
If you want there to be a goal, with the creativity, perhaps have a "pre-game" creative period where the players build the world, lose their divinity, and be reduced to reincarnated demigods, that have limited influence, with more power for every follower? Thoughts on this below.

I do like the idea of becoming a mortal / mortal bloodline. I had considered that as part of my power decline/death stakes for players, but I had considered that the path could go both ways. Become forsaken enough, and you sink to a mortal status. Gain enough influence again, and you rise up. I think that in my next god game, that would probably be one of the core features.

My plan for next god game I make is to have scoring on multiple metrics:
-Follower Count. This encourages players to still act like IRL Religions / 'real" gods, needing actual followers to sustain their energy; Thought manifestation.
-Titles. Title will be less rare than they were in this game, and they would be given to the players either by mortals, or by other gods themselves, perhaps. The more titles a player has, the more easily their fame will spread, and the more difficult it will be to slowly decline. On the flip side, the taller you are, the harder you fall; more titles can lead to a drastic defeat (Just like how, if a random dude gets beaten up on the street, no one cares, but if Tony Stark got his butt handed to him on the street, everyone would hear about it)
-Mortal Fame. Mortals that a god can claim ownership of, that also do some great works of fame that rock the world, will count towards a god's score. Of course, these mortals could be tampered with, converted away/stolen, or even killed, or maybe even ascend as gods themselves, and so this would be the most volatile scoring metric.
-Rule Breaks. Breaking the rules will literally be counted as a negative scoring metric. By Rules, I refer to the initial divine pact that would be created by the gods at the start of the game. I find that the pact creation is fun when players come together to decide on laws that omnipotent beings must abide by, but I also find there needs to be a more effective way of enforcing such rules. On that note, I am also considering making laws include a punishment for their breaking in the actual code itself, such that gods know what they are getting into by breaking the laws. But this way, breaking rules can still happen, there will just be a punishment for it.

I also have an idea to have a predetermined "end" to the game, that players know will be the end. For example, 500 years in (25-30 turns, in most cases), the game will for sure end, if it doesn't die before then.

And lastly, this might be a fudge idea, but I am considering having AI dungeon help me with content generation in my next god game. Behind the scenes, of course, but it would help me overcome writer's block and also generate neat, if not possibly zany, ideas.

[naturegirl1999]

This sounds good

[BakedToast]

So here's my more final draft of the game (this is not an official launch, just a place to see some feedback on the concept).

Hello and welcome!

Short Personal Introductory:

I am joining the Bay12 forums migrating from another forum which has stagnated, and am planning on making some form of god game for players to partake in here. Shoutout to naturegirl1999 and magmacube_tr; Bakedtoast is here!

What to expect from this god game:

I have taken part in several god games on forums, as it is a small hobby of mine; and, having struggled with multiple forumlae, trying to find the "perfect recipe" for a god game for a while, I have come up with something that I think may work out well. Unlike other forum god games I have GMed in the past, I will be taking an active role in this game, playing a deity amongst the others, and also "trying to win" as well. I am hoping that by doing this, I can and will be more motivated to keep this game going till its conclusion.
From this god game, you can expect to compete with other players on multiple fronts; you will be trying to outscore them on several metrics. You can expect some pretty good role-playing, as this will be a role-play heavily and culturally based game; religions will develop, as will cultures and societies. This is designed to be a role-playing experience. There will also be a heavy emphasis on the lives of mortals; champions, prophets, mortals who are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to draw the attention of the gods, family lines, feuds, and more, will be followed; mainly, this will be in order to illustrate the life of living in a world where many gods are present and competing.
You can also expect something that many god games don't have: high stakes. There is a very real chance of your deity descending into mortality or even dying, and it will be a constant struggle to maintain your godhood. The fear of losing godhood is built into the core of how this game plays out.
You can expect to express creativity in a (mostly) ancient-age fantasy themed world, and a portion of the world-building and game-shaping will also be granted to players as well. Please, be respectful of the role-play and fantasy theme of this game; I don't pander to meta-gaming and/or memes.

-RULES

Each turn, a player will get 2 Action Points (AP). A Maximum of 1 AP can carry over into future turns (thus, the most AP you can ever have on a turn is 3). Players are responsible for keeping track of this.
Turns are resolved once all, or a sufficient majority, of players have acted, at which point a "turn report" will be released, which will detail the outcomes of your actions. Then, the next turn will commence. Turns will be 20 in-game years apart; this is to allow for the lives of mortals to unfold [averaging around 4 turns form birth to death].

Actions each cost 1 AP by default. Players also have the option to Empower an action, by spending extra AP on the Action. For example, a single action costs 1 AP; an Empowered action costs 2 AP, or if Empowered twice, costs 3 AP.

Actions can be as generic or as described as you wish. Naturally, the more descriptive you are, there is a smaller chance of me misinterpreting your action. The limitiations to actions will largely be controlled by the Divine Pact (which will be player created). Specificity in Actions is a good thing; while an Action cannot, in theory, be "too general", you may find that specificity will occur in your Action Results.

Action Results are determined during the turn report, using an unweighted d10 roll. The higher the number, the "better" your result, or rather, the more it will have gone the way I assume you intended. Each Empowering of an Action will add an unweighted d5 to your roll. Thus, the highest dice count you could roll is 1d10+2d5.
In terms of Results, a 10 is considered to be exactly what you intended, possibly even a bit better, while a 1 would be a catastrophic failure, but not a failure such that "You tried this thing and nothing happened"; rather, "You tried this thing and this totally other thing happened that is interesting/bad". Roll Results beyond a 10 will exaggerate the success, adding cascading events to your result.

-HOW TO WIN

This game has a predetermined end in sight. After 500 years have passed, the gods will all attend the Great Reckoning, in which a single god will be proclaimed to be the greatest among them. Each god will be Judged according to their rank in the following metrics.

Every deity will start with 3 points by default.

Mortal Worshipper Count. Worship from mortals is derived by a Thought-Manifestation based system; the god in question provides an action, or multiple, that it considers to be worship. Then, when mortals do this prescribed action with that god in mind, they are worshipping the god. Those mortals who do this regularly are considered worshippers. The lowest Rank will recieve 1 point, and the highest Rank will recieve a number of points equal to the total number of gods in play. Worshipper Count will be generated based on the population metrics of the mortal world, and will grow or diminish organically on it's own due to life, but can and will be drastically affected by the actions of various gods, when mortals are aware of these actions. During the game, the player who has the highest follower count will recieve a flat +1 to all of their roll results.

Titles. These are determined and granted by acts of fame and legend that resound such that gods and mortals have no choice but to recognize them. Essentially, any action that gives a god a unique title, will net them a point. If you do something great, but another deity has already done a similar thing, you will not get a title for it. Most titles will be given to the gods by mortals, and used in their religions and traditions, but some titles will be awarded by me, merely as arbitration, since mortals might not always see every incredible thing you happen to do. Each title a deity has will give them +0.5 points. During the game, the player who has the highest title count will recieve a flat +1 to all their roll results.

Paragon Claims. There will, inevitably, come about mortals of great fame and stature. These will most likely be Champions, Prophets, Demigods, and general paragons to the mortal races. If a god can legally lay claim to such a mortal, this will aid them greatly. Bear in mind that mortals can be converted away from you, or possibly other things... can happen to them, so this is the most volatile scoring metric. In death, if the Paragon is under your claim, then they are permanently under your claim for the rest of the game. Each Paragon that a god has claim over at the end of the game will give that deity +1 points. During the game, rolls that directly interact with any Paragon controlled by the acting deity will recieve a flat +1 to their roll result.

Rule Breaks. Breaking the rules will be counted as a minor negative scoring metric. By Rules, I refer to the initial divine pact that will be created by the gods at the start of the game. [I find that the pact creation is fun when players come together to decide on laws that omnipotent beings must abide by, but I also find there needs to be a more effective way of enforcing such rules. On that note, I am also making laws include a punishment for their breaking in the actual code itself, such that gods know what they are getting into by breaking the laws. But this way, breaking rules can still happen, there will just be a punishment for it.] Players recieve -0.1 points for each rule break they have perpetrated. There is no in-game mechanical side-effect for breaking the rules in regards to dice rolls, like there is for the other scoring metrics.

Debt of Existence. All things pay a penalty to exist, and for the gods, this fee is high. By default, every god will lose 0.5 points every turn, simply for existing. Each turn that you forfeit all your actions, you waive this deduction (this is to avoid penalizing inactive players, not to encourage inactivity). If your total point score ever drops below 2, you lose your major godhood, becoming a minor god. Minor gods are forced to physically exist in the material plane at all times, using their default physical appearance; they are no longer capable of being anywhere at once, and must physically travel places, etc; they have all the limitations of being a corporeal being. If your total point score ever drops below 0, you lose your godhood entirely, becoming a mortal, with no powers, of age 20. If your total point score ever drops below -5, you cease to exist. When you are a minor god, you still gain and lose points as normal. As a mortal, you continue to lose points each turn, but at a lower rate, -0.25 points per turn. You may still gain points as normal, albeit it will probably be harder to gain points as a mortal. As a mortal, you can be slain as well; if this happens before you reach -5 points, then your god-heart can immediately possess a nearby mortal's body, making them your new mortal shell/avatar, giving you another shot at returning to godhood.

THEMATIC INTRODUCTION

For so long, they drifted in the dark. Beings who existed yet did not exist, with no beginning and no end. Floating without a purpose; as beings of nearly unlimited power, they fought constantly, but all them being equal in power and immortal did nothing. Eventually, something reached out, and gave them a new idea. They may be all powerful, but they were not all-knowing. It drew them forward and taught them that something could exist, it did not have to be just them.
Without the constant battling and huge releases of energy, the universe could form and develop. The force beckoned and drew them to a world. The elder consciousness lent them the understanding that this world would be the playground on which they could hone their craft. If left alone the planet would not develop what they sought, but if they helped it along, it would develop what they sought. This was their opportunity to shape the world below them, which in turn would shape what they sought.
While covered in water, it was barren when they first found it. But they were not sure what to do, a feeling that the all-powerful are not used to. Fighting broke out causing the entire universe to collapse and recede. Again, the elder consciousness brought the beings to calm, this time though, after directing them to another world that held promise, called Aigasur, it spoke: “What you seek is that with a soul, for only they can truly interact with you. As powerful as you are, you controlling the soul require power that destroys that with form, it can only pledge service to you. Make an accord, limit the amount of power you utilize, for only gods can survive a war of the gods. But beware; for while entangling with mortal souls can make one great, it can also make you like unto them.”

Until this point the “gods” had no use for names, a wrong that it was made clear must be rectified.
Once done, they must limit their power for the good of what they sought: mortal companionship.
Then the world must be sculpted, and life must be brought about.
Only then could they receive the companionship they so desired to be.

You play as an omnipotent (All powerful), but not omniscient (All seeing) deity. After you and fellow deities introduce yourselves (as you have only recently required names, no aspects/they do nothing but provide rp and flavor), you must convene a council to draft an accord limiting what you will do once (a) sapient species is made (later on), to prevent a war of the gods. Your agendas will almost certainly run contrary at one point, but if you fight the battles yourself, you destroy the universe; so rules for the use of surrogates must be created. Rules will be passed by a majority.
Only then are you able to actually make sapient species and their environments. Humans will be one of the sapient races by default, and for ease of scope, there will only be 2 other sapient races. There will be two central landmasses; one will be inhabited by humans, and the other by the other two races. These all will be discussed and determined by general consensus.
After that, normal game-play will begin. Turns will be 20 years each.

CREATING YOUR DEITY

Use the following template to create your deity, if you wish to join the game.

Name:
Default appearance:
Pact Proposals (if any):
Agreements, disagreements, or discussions to previous pact proposals:

Explanation of above:
Your name is sacred, as it is the first thing you as a deity have ever created. Always refer to yourself by your name or your titles, or both, and show other players the same respect. I only ask that for ease of typing out reports that you keep your names simple [as in, pronounceable by the human tongue, so no %s or &s etc].

Your Default appearance is not really a requirement or a constraint; it is merely a visual revelation that it will be assumed you take on when you appear in dreams or physically, unless you stipulate otherwise in the action. You may also use this appearance when having dialogue with other gods. For example, you may have the default appearance of a dark-skinned human woman, but choose to reveal yourself in a dream to a mortal with the form of a Humanoid-Boar creature.

Your Pact proposals are laws you would like to see in the game. As per the thematic introduction, the gods must limit their powers, for wantonly using them will cause the destruction of the universe. For further clarification, see my personal example deity below. Essentially, you are creating constraints that will twist and add strategy and intrigue to the game. Part of your pact proposal is to also include a punishment for breaking your specific law. Now, these laws do not immediately become true upon creation; rather, once a sufficient number of deities have come together over the pact creation, laws will be discussed, voted upon, and so will their punishments.

The last section is simply for you to state your opinions on the pact proposals of other players at the time of your joining. You can agree or disagree, preferably giving reasons as to why you disagree with a specific law.

As an Example, I will post my deity here, along with my pact proposals.

Name: My name... shall be Etaf.

Default Appearance: A heavily cloaked Ghostly Humanoid figure, enrobed in a patched and torn brown cloak, with a visage of shadow beneath the hood of the cloak. Only two orange eyes gleam through the shadow. Etaf floats about 5 feet in the air in a full Lotus posture, his legs invisible beneath the patchy cloak. In two long-sleeved outstretched arms, Etaf holds two objects of choice in it's hands; the left hand holds a hot flame, which burns and licks at the ghostly hand but never consumes nor extinguishes, while the right hand holds a shimmering sphere of frost, which calls forth vapours and snowflakes from the nearby air.

Pact Proposals:
1. A Deity may not "give" gifts, free of charge, to mortals. Mortals must earn gifts by completing challenges (fair challenges, which have a realistic chance of failure, and challenges that match the power of the gift) set forth by the deity offering the gift. The Punishment for giving gifts without challenges is that the acting deity must spend one turn (20 years) as a mortal, with no divine powers.
2. A Deity may not reveal itself to "all", or very large groups, of mortals, such that they have no way to doubt or refuse it's revelation. Religion should be spread by mortals, not by gods, whose duty it is to introduce. The Punishment for revealing to large groups of mortals is that the deity must cut off a portion of their Default Appearance body and allow the large group of mortals in question to feast on it and eat it. This body part will never return or grow back. The effects of such an action remain to be seen.

Agreements, disagreements, or discussions to previous pact proposals: None, since there are no previous pact proposals for me to agree upon nor discuss, as Etaf is the first of the gods to speak.

I hope this turns out well, and that many will be excited to join! Do not be afraid that you have to commit; many gods choose to act only minorly or temporarily, and remain silent for many decades before acting again, if at all. This is 100% acceptable. I'd prefer if you let us know if this is going to be the case, but if you don't, I'll forgive you.

Let me know what you think of this concept!

[magmacube_tr]

It is pretty great, much better then other deity RP's I've seen.

[naturegirl1999]

Name: Sora
Default appearance: A large slug with wings shaped like a butterfly’s. Every part of Sora’s body is covered in numerous plants and bioluminescent fungi of various colors.
Pact Proposals (if any): No deity shall smite mortals. Punishment still being thought of
Agreements, disagreements, or discussions to previous pact proposals: I agree with the previous proposals given, as they will make interactions of mortals more important in spreading worship.

[BakedToast]

Name: Sora
Default appearance: A large slug with wings shaped like a butterfly’s. Every part of Sora’s body is covered in numerous plants and bioluminescent fungi of various colors.
Pact Proposals (if any): No deity shall smite mortals. Punishment still being thought of
Agreements, disagreements, or discussions to previous pact proposals: I agree with the previous proposals given, as they will make interactions of mortals more important in spreading worship.

As I mentioned in the post I gave, I am NOT starting the game here. No need to make a player application. I posted it here for feedback only. Keep your god idea though, because I'll hopefully be launching this sometime soon! (Again, it will probably be on the Bay12 Forums)

[DehEvil]

So here's my more final draft of the game (this is not an official launch, just a place to see some feedback on the concept).

Hello and welcome!

Short Personal Introductory:

I am joining the Bay12 forums migrating from another forum which has stagnated, and am planning on making some form of god game for players to partake in here. Shoutout to naturegirl1999 and magmacube_tr; Bakedtoast is here!

What to expect from this god game:

I have taken part in several god games on forums, as it is a small hobby of mine; and, having struggled with multiple forumlae, trying to find the "perfect recipe" for a god game for a while, I have come up with something that I think may work out well. Unlike other forum god games I have GMed in the past, I will be taking an active role in this game, playing a deity amongst the others, and also "trying to win" as well. I am hoping that by doing this, I can and will be more motivated to keep this game going till its conclusion.
From this god game, you can expect to compete with other players on multiple fronts; you will be trying to outscore them on several metrics. You can expect some pretty good role-playing, as this will be a role-play heavily and culturally based game; religions will develop, as will cultures and societies. This is designed to be a role-playing experience. There will also be a heavy emphasis on the lives of mortals; champions, prophets, mortals who are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to draw the attention of the gods, family lines, feuds, and more, will be followed; mainly, this will be in order to illustrate the life of living in a world where many gods are present and competing.
You can also expect something that many god games don't have: high stakes. There is a very real chance of your deity descending into mortality or even dying, and it will be a constant struggle to maintain your godhood. The fear of losing godhood is built into the core of how this game plays out.
You can expect to express creativity in a (mostly) ancient-age fantasy themed world, and a portion of the world-building and game-shaping will also be granted to players as well. Please, be respectful of the role-play and fantasy theme of this game; I don't pander to meta-gaming and/or memes.

-RULES

Each turn, a player will get 2 Action Points (AP). A Maximum of 1 AP can carry over into future turns (thus, the most AP you can ever have on a turn is 3). Players are responsible for keeping track of this.
Turns are resolved once all, or a sufficient majority, of players have acted, at which point a "turn report" will be released, which will detail the outcomes of your actions. Then, the next turn will commence. Turns will be 20 in-game years apart; this is to allow for the lives of mortals to unfold [averaging around 4 turns form birth to death].

Actions each cost 1 AP by default. Players also have the option to Empower an action, by spending extra AP on the Action. For example, a single action costs 1 AP; an Empowered action costs 2 AP, or if Empowered twice, costs 3 AP.

Actions can be as generic or as described as you wish. Naturally, the more descriptive you are, there is a smaller chance of me misinterpreting your action. The limitiations to actions will largely be controlled by the Divine Pact (which will be player created). Specificity in Actions is a good thing; while an Action cannot, in theory, be "too general", you may find that specificity will occur in your Action Results.

Action Results are determined during the turn report, using an unweighted d10 roll. The higher the number, the "better" your result, or rather, the more it will have gone the way I assume you intended. Each Empowering of an Action will add an unweighted d5 to your roll. Thus, the highest dice count you could roll is 1d10+2d5.
In terms of Results, a 10 is considered to be exactly what you intended, possibly even a bit better, while a 1 would be a catastrophic failure, but not a failure such that "You tried this thing and nothing happened"; rather, "You tried this thing and this totally other thing happened that is interesting/bad". Roll Results beyond a 10 will exaggerate the success, adding cascading events to your result.

-HOW TO WIN

This game has a predetermined end in sight. After 500 years have passed, the gods will all attend the Great Reckoning, in which a single god will be proclaimed to be the greatest among them. Each god will be Judged according to their rank in the following metrics.

Every deity will start with 3 points by default.

Mortal Worshipper Count. Worship from mortals is derived by a Thought-Manifestation based system; the god in question provides an action, or multiple, that it considers to be worship. Then, when mortals do this prescribed action with that god in mind, they are worshipping the god. Those mortals who do this regularly are considered worshippers. The lowest Rank will recieve 1 point, and the highest Rank will recieve a number of points equal to the total number of gods in play. Worshipper Count will be generated based on the population metrics of the mortal world, and will grow or diminish organically on it's own due to life, but can and will be drastically affected by the actions of various gods, when mortals are aware of these actions. During the game, the player who has the highest follower count will recieve a flat +1 to all of their roll results.

Titles. These are determined and granted by acts of fame and legend that resound such that gods and mortals have no choice but to recognize them. Essentially, any action that gives a god a unique title, will net them a point. If you do something great, but another deity has already done a similar thing, you will not get a title for it. Most titles will be given to the gods by mortals, and used in their religions and traditions, but some titles will be awarded by me, merely as arbitration, since mortals might not always see every incredible thing you happen to do. Each title a deity has will give them +0.5 points. During the game, the player who has the highest title count will recieve a flat +1 to all their roll results.

Paragon Claims. There will, inevitably, come about mortals of great fame and stature. These will most likely be Champions, Prophets, Demigods, and general paragons to the mortal races. If a god can legally lay claim to such a mortal, this will aid them greatly. Bear in mind that mortals can be converted away from you, or possibly other things... can happen to them, so this is the most volatile scoring metric. In death, if the Paragon is under your claim, then they are permanently under your claim for the rest of the game. Each Paragon that a god has claim over at the end of the game will give that deity +1 points. During the game, rolls that directly interact with any Paragon controlled by the acting deity will recieve a flat +1 to their roll result.

Rule Breaks. Breaking the rules will be counted as a minor negative scoring metric. By Rules, I refer to the initial divine pact that will be created by the gods at the start of the game. [I find that the pact creation is fun when players come together to decide on laws that omnipotent beings must abide by, but I also find there needs to be a more effective way of enforcing such rules. On that note, I am also making laws include a punishment for their breaking in the actual code itself, such that gods know what they are getting into by breaking the laws. But this way, breaking rules can still happen, there will just be a punishment for it.] Players recieve -0.1 points for each rule break they have perpetrated. There is no in-game mechanical side-effect for breaking the rules in regards to dice rolls, like there is for the other scoring metrics.

Debt of Existence. All things pay a penalty to exist, and for the gods, this fee is high. By default, every god will lose 0.5 points every turn, simply for existing. Each turn that you forfeit all your actions, you waive this deduction (this is to avoid penalizing inactive players, not to encourage inactivity). If your total point score ever drops below 2, you lose your major godhood, becoming a minor god. Minor gods are forced to physically exist in the material plane at all times, using their default physical appearance; they are no longer capable of being anywhere at once, and must physically travel places, etc; they have all the limitations of being a corporeal being. If your total point score ever drops below 0, you lose your godhood entirely, becoming a mortal, with no powers, of age 20. If your total point score ever drops below -5, you cease to exist. When you are a minor god, you still gain and lose points as normal. As a mortal, you continue to lose points each turn, but at a lower rate, -0.25 points per turn. You may still gain points as normal, albeit it will probably be harder to gain points as a mortal. As a mortal, you can be slain as well; if this happens before you reach -5 points, then your god-heart can immediately possess a nearby mortal's body, making them your new mortal shell/avatar, giving you another shot at returning to godhood.

THEMATIC INTRODUCTION

For so long, they drifted in the dark. Beings who existed yet did not exist, with no beginning and no end. Floating without a purpose; as beings of nearly unlimited power, they fought constantly, but all them being equal in power and immortal did nothing. Eventually, something reached out, and gave them a new idea. They may be all powerful, but they were not all-knowing. It drew them forward and taught them that something could exist, it did not have to be just them.
Without the constant battling and huge releases of energy, the universe could form and develop. The force beckoned and drew them to a world. The elder consciousness lent them the understanding that this world would be the playground on which they could hone their craft. If left alone the planet would not develop what they sought, but if they helped it along, it would develop what they sought. This was their opportunity to shape the world below them, which in turn would shape what they sought.
While covered in water, it was barren when they first found it. But they were not sure what to do, a feeling that the all-powerful are not used to. Fighting broke out causing the entire universe to collapse and recede. Again, the elder consciousness brought the beings to calm, this time though, after directing them to another world that held promise, called Aigasur, it spoke: “What you seek is that with a soul, for only they can truly interact with you. As powerful as you are, you controlling the soul require power that destroys that with form, it can only pledge service to you. Make an accord, limit the amount of power you utilize, for only gods can survive a war of the gods. But beware; for while entangling with mortal souls can make one great, it can also make you like unto them.”

Until this point the “gods” had no use for names, a wrong that it was made clear must be rectified.
Once done, they must limit their power for the good of what they sought: mortal companionship.
Then the world must be sculpted, and life must be brought about.
Only then could they receive the companionship they so desired to be.

You play as an omnipotent (All powerful), but not omniscient (All seeing) deity. After you and fellow deities introduce yourselves (as you have only recently required names, no aspects/they do nothing but provide rp and flavor), you must convene a council to draft an accord limiting what you will do once (a) sapient species is made (later on), to prevent a war of the gods. Your agendas will almost certainly run contrary at one point, but if you fight the battles yourself, you destroy the universe; so rules for the use of surrogates must be created. Rules will be passed by a majority.
Only then are you able to actually make sapient species and their environments. Humans will be one of the sapient races by default, and for ease of scope, there will only be 2 other sapient races. There will be two central landmasses; one will be inhabited by humans, and the other by the other two races. These all will be discussed and determined by general consensus.
After that, normal game-play will begin. Turns will be 20 years each.

CREATING YOUR DEITY

Use the following template to create your deity, if you wish to join the game.

Name:
Default appearance:
Pact Proposals (if any):
Agreements, disagreements, or discussions to previous pact proposals:

Explanation of above:
Your name is sacred, as it is the first thing you as a deity have ever created. Always refer to yourself by your name or your titles, or both, and show other players the same respect. I only ask that for ease of typing out reports that you keep your names simple [as in, pronounceable by the human tongue, so no %s or &s etc].

Your Default appearance is not really a requirement or a constraint; it is merely a visual revelation that it will be assumed you take on when you appear in dreams or physically, unless you stipulate otherwise in the action. You may also use this appearance when having dialogue with other gods. For example, you may have the default appearance of a dark-skinned human woman, but choose to reveal yourself in a dream to a mortal with the form of a Humanoid-Boar creature.

Your Pact proposals are laws you would like to see in the game. As per the thematic introduction, the gods must limit their powers, for wantonly using them will cause the destruction of the universe. For further clarification, see my personal example deity below. Essentially, you are creating constraints that will twist and add strategy and intrigue to the game. Part of your pact proposal is to also include a punishment for breaking your specific law. Now, these laws do not immediately become true upon creation; rather, once a sufficient number of deities have come together over the pact creation, laws will be discussed, voted upon, and so will their punishments.

The last section is simply for you to state your opinions on the pact proposals of other players at the time of your joining. You can agree or disagree, preferably giving reasons as to why you disagree with a specific law.

As an Example, I will post my deity here, along with my pact proposals.

Name: My name... shall be Etaf.

Default Appearance: A heavily cloaked Ghostly Humanoid figure, enrobed in a patched and torn brown cloak, with a visage of shadow beneath the hood of the cloak. Only two orange eyes gleam through the shadow. Etaf floats about 5 feet in the air in a full Lotus posture, his legs invisible beneath the patchy cloak. In two long-sleeved outstretched arms, Etaf holds two objects of choice in it's hands; the left hand holds a hot flame, which burns and licks at the ghostly hand but never consumes nor extinguishes, while the right hand holds a shimmering sphere of frost, which calls forth vapours and snowflakes from the nearby air.

Pact Proposals:
1. A Deity may not "give" gifts, free of charge, to mortals. Mortals must earn gifts by completing challenges (fair challenges, which have a realistic chance of failure, and challenges that match the power of the gift) set forth by the deity offering the gift. The Punishment for giving gifts without challenges is that the acting deity must spend one turn (20 years) as a mortal, with no divine powers.
2. A Deity may not reveal itself to "all", or very large groups, of mortals, such that they have no way to doubt or refuse it's revelation. Religion should be spread by mortals, not by gods, whose duty it is to introduce. The Punishment for revealing to large groups of mortals is that the deity must cut off a portion of their Default Appearance body and allow the large group of mortals in question to feast on it and eat it. This body part will never return or grow back. The effects of such an action remain to be seen.

Agreements, disagreements, or discussions to previous pact proposals: None, since there are no previous pact proposals for me to agree upon nor discuss, as Etaf is the first of the gods to speak.

I hope this turns out well, and that many will be excited to join! Do not be afraid that you have to commit; many gods choose to act only minorly or temporarily, and remain silent for many decades before acting again, if at all. This is 100% acceptable. I'd prefer if you let us know if this is going to be the case, but if you don't, I'll forgive you.

Let me know what you think of this concept!

Wow, that looks nice
...and hard!

Seriously though, I'm interested :)

What are the Bay12 forums about?

[magmacube_tr]

What are the Bay12 forums about?

Dwarf Fortress, and other forum bussiness. It is also much more populous and ancient than here.