Religion and Deities

ArchivedUser

Assuming that there will be some form of healing in the game... has there been any mention of religion and / or the Gods of this world that Intrepid Studio's is crafting?

If they do exist in game I wonder if they would just be in the background lore of the game or if they would play a more prominent role and have some direct impact on the world and characters (i.e. quests, trade skill recipes etc.).

What are some of your thoughts on this topic?

A bit early I know but always fun to talk :)

ArchivedUser

I havent heard a single shred of this yet, we are basicly only told that we arrive at a world with ancient forces and beings, so it possible I suppose :)
Gods and deities can make alot of sense, but I feel like they can reach further than just healing :) Having some mechanic where you actively "pray" to one god, make offerings and such, and they actually mean something could be fun. But overall not much info :(

ArchivedUser

I think your on to something...

Would be kind of different if we didn't select a deity at startup and instead our actions would then dictate what sphere of influence that we fall under (i.e. say War, Death, Art, Greed, Life, Hope etc.). Then perhaps there are then God's within those respective spheres that grant players a benefit directly via buffs (say an invisible proc with some effect that goes off in combat) or bonuses to spells and class abilities, and indirectly via unlock of quests and other meaningful game play.

Residents of a city node could unlock a church to that specific deity once a number of worshipers that take residence contribute in some way in game.

The numbers of worshipers of each deity / church increasing would then further unlock bonuses and change the type of NPC's that spawn in the world to a lesser degree. For example a server where the God of Underworld and God of Fire have the majority of worshipers would then have noticeably more NPC / monster spawn (and unique loot associated with them) that share a connection with that deity and their sphere of influence. No two servers would be the same in this regard if there were enough choices in game.

You could really shake things up if the diametrically opposing deities worshipers setup a church in the same (or neighboring) city that could result in some more fun and meaningful PvP. Killing X number of the opposing sect unlocks a timed bonus in the form of a buff or some other reward.

Nothing would be static as the player population over time may lean towards new deities and again change the world. The population of worshipers for a deity may dwindle (or grow) and their existing churches within city nodes (or entire city for that matter) are either toppled or further established (unlock next tier).

ArchivedUser

Would be a neat system. My only concern is that they are already promising so much that other MMOs have also promised and have let us down. Tbh, the world changing of this game reminds me of EQ:Next which was ultimately cancelled. Like I said, would be neat but I'd rather them focus on making their promised systems and mechanics not only working, but enjoyable to play, before adding more stuff xD

ArchivedUser

This would be really cool to have in game. Personally I love role playing in games and I tend to go for the evil side causing chaos and sowing the seeds of wrath were I go. It would be rather interesting if depending on the actions of the players that it could draw the attentions of the god ( or you could use game masters gms or admins) and they could grant you favor in buffs, Mats or perhaps even land were you could start a city or village under the faith that they lead. And lead your followers and fellow players in a crusade to put the land under control of your guardian god

ArchivedUser

According to Steven, religion and deities have been confirmed for AoC and will have a somewhat significant part, i.e. joining a particular religion and (possibly) interacting with the gods themselves.

I'm not sure about all of the details, but I remember Steven talking about it when he was answering questions on the Discord channel.

ArchivedUser

As others have said, religions and deities exist in the game. We have little to no details on it currently though. I imagine the devs will release more info on them at a later date. I believe you can also join a church and become a leader in it similar to the the mayor/governor system as well.

ArchivedUser

Not a huge fan of the religious themes potentially in the game. I'm hoping this is a more optional function as I can't see it adding to my enjoyment much at all.

ArchivedUser

I think, I've heard about this somewhere on the Discord.... I may be wrong but, I believe it was asked... I'm pretty sure we will have a type of God in the game, which would make it even more amazing, so that's my thoughts. Sadly, I'm not even sure that I am correct. But if there is a God in the game, I'm pretty sure the religions would come right after xD

ArchivedUser

A lot of interesting ideas here. I would hope that the inclusion of deities in the game goes beyond more than "Choose 'X' deity and get 'Y' ability / bonus for your character'.

So many possibilities:
-gathering artifacts to unlock / learn more about your deity
-specific mobs (favorites of other deities) to kill to raise your favor with your deity (and consequently lower your standing with others)
-monthly rewards (chests) awarded based on your actions / raising your deities influence
-deity-specific spells / mounts / equipment / housing items

Could be some good stuff implemented!

And completely off the cuff...For some reason I can still name about a dozen EQ deities and I haven't played that in years and years! Not sure why they stuck with me when so many other games deities have faded from memory. :)

ArchivedUser

worship granting abilities would be awesome!

class skills with deity granted abilities could be an amazing and interesting way of adding to an MMO

wonder what it cold be like to betray a deity to gain abilities from another deity

ArchivedUser

If we look at the type of zones that exist, there is one type that is called divine.
While it doesn't have to, it certainly sounds as if some higher being is involved.

I would be fine with having godish beings in the world, even as active roles, but I hope it doesn't go as far as involving religion. I don't want to choose a god that suits, me. They should just be. Playing their own game, going their own paths, maybe they cross ours from time to time, creating some mieschiev to elevate some boredom or just interacting out of curiosity.

That's more than enough for me. This alone creates ample opportunity without forcing me to choose a higher deity to get some favor. Maybe there is one god that wants to be worshipped to grant his favor, but yeah. No thanks to choosing.