Do you think it is a good idea to create a fantasy religion?

[trouble time]

Why wouod you not make a religion for your setting? It always welcome for me. I even like Zealots (i mean i like 40k).

 

[Black Pagan]

Maybe if that Religion makes the Player relate to existing ones that most people have heard or know about.. Honestly, A Religion is a very complicated concept, I doubt a Player would even get involved into its story if it sounds too vague. So re-tailoring an existing Religion that many people already know about would save you a whole lot of explanation.

 

[Marquise*]

Maybe beyond the flesh of the material world things are just too different to be explained as worlds of good or world of evil. Just that if light is cast on something, that something might have shadows lurking to it.

 

[Sleepy Kitten Games]

As has already been said on here, religions have played a large role in human history since before we started writing our history down. You don't have to have every minute detail fleshed out (I mean, unless you want to, in which case nobody's gonna stop you), just enough to make the player able to believe that there's another world behind the screen. Religions can even give you more interesting plot points (or backdrops to the main story, or a main story in and of itself), if you want to go that route.
And as someone else on here already said, don't worry about people being offended by there being religions in your game. The kind of people who would be offended by that, a) wouldn't actually be playing your game, so their opinion wouldn't even be based on the game itself, and b) would find -something- to be offended about no matter what.

 

[kirbwarrior]

The simple answer is yes. And the other posters have given better reasons than I likely would as to why. So, I'm going to focus why "no" is not the answer;

A) You don't create new religions but use ones that already exist. That's anywhere from copyright infringement (copying religions of other fiction) to extreme reactions and attention (using actual religions). Unless that's the point, definitely something to avoid. It's one thing to offend random people (that'll happen no matter what), it's another to offend an entire religion.
2) You don't use religion at all. This can end up being shallow, but done well it might still seem utterly alien. People are swayed by belief and this is generally represented as religion, even if subtly. Religion is often the backbone of morality, even in rebels and atheists who think they follow their own morals. Without religion, the people might not be human (this can work, but really only if it's intentional).

I personally like to pick B, as much as I warn against it. I actually really like games and settings that have absolutely no religion in them (and they are rare) and a major setting I'm working on does in fact have people who the idea of "worship" is foreign to. But likely, religion just does exist and you the creator are the one who makes that mean whatever it means.

Mind, as anything in developing, your effort put into it will likely matter more than anything. If it's supposed to be simplistic and an aside thing, make it simple. If it's deep and interwoven with all lore and the plot, put the hours in, make the cultures, outline religious texts, etc.

Oh, and one huge thing about it; Often in games religion is true, but that is pretty opposite to real life, where belief matters more than fact. It's definitely easier (and sensible!) to make it real when characters (like clerics) wield actual power and the monsters of the religion do come and fight. But games can also have religion where it is only belief.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Black Pagan, I do not think it is a good idea to use a real religion because it would only be related to only a particular religion.

@Marquise*, I understand the light and the darkness are a very shallow concept. I used that to just an example, not my final design.

@GameFire, thank you for your solidarity. I am with you that I am not going to show a long Star War prologue to the player. I agree that without people believes or disbelieves in something my world would be quiet as the nighttime.

@kirbwarrior, I do not plan to real religions. All of the story-driven RPG I had seen has make-up religions. It is background stuff. Many games do yell out loud "This is a fantasy religion, this is what people believe in the game." For an example in the final fantasy, Luka is a water priestess. She is offering a prayer, clean the water with magic, and protect a water crystal.

I prefer both fantasy religious and fantasy atheist to be in my world. Magic user prefers religious and scientist likely to prefers atheism. Different cities have diverse populations. It is about the exploration of new places.

Actually, I hold a neutral point of view. I personally believe that everything on this earth is not perfect. I always show both the good and bad sides of things.

 

[kirbwarrior]

I prefer both fantasy religious and fantasy atheist to be in my world.

That makes sense. For atheism, would it still be "belief"-based (like it often is in real life, where people believe there is no divinity), or would it more be that the atheists avoid belief itself?

Magic user prefers religious and scientist likely to prefers atheism.

Just an aside, I've actually often had it opposite; Wizards are more focused on what is true and learning it, ignoring things like "gods" and "heavens" and thinking of them as merely powerful beings and places, while scientists are are priests looking to explain how things work and how faith works.

 

[Kupotepo]

@kirbwarrior, I guess it depends on atheists' experience about religion.

Just an aside, I've actually often had it opposite; Wizards are more focused on what is true and learning it, ignoring things like "gods" and "heavens" and thinking of them as merely powerful beings and places, while scientists are are priests looking to explain how things work and how faith works.

If you are being sarcastic, lol.

 

[kirbwarrior]

If you are being sarcastic, lol.

I definitely had a brain fart. Looking back at what I said, I have no idea what I was trying to get across. I'll try to find a better way to explain my point in the future.

You did touch a bit on this, but how the religion is approached by other and wants to be approached matters a lot to player perception. For instance, in one setting I had there was widespread religion and even a lack of atheism (it was a plot point for someone to be one), but it was only heavily influencing one city since that was the only sitting with a temple in it. Everyone might know of the holidays, but it they were only heavily celebrated in that city, and not even in every temple.

On the note of it being overwhelming, it won't be anymore overwhelming than any other form of information or story-building. Just as it's not recommended to insert a history book into the main narrative, I'd likely keep non-essential information aside for the players to go into as they wish.

 

[Kupotepo]

@kirbwarrior, thank you for keeping the conversation going. I think religion and culture are interrelated in many societies. That is I am planning to do that some city worship a deity and some city is more focused on science research. My world is very diverse of though.

I said earlier that it is an option for a player to go read the myth and history in the library. When I meant the fantasy religion activities, I mean like a player can give the offering to the temple to get the chance to increase luck, optional quest to protect which main characters can protect the pilgrimage to temple, and saving someone from getting oppression or hurt. Fight the evil overlord, you see possibility is endless.

 

[Marquise*]

@kirbwarrior From what I know here; Wizards=reach powers trough occult to bend reality to their own end, Priests=pray God to have the permission to borrow the power to make miracles to help the peoples in the world and world itself, Scientist=gather knowledge for self advancement on an empiric manner no matter the result as long as there is quantifiable result for their own pride dressing it often to better humanity.

 

[Canini]

I think religions in games are fun, but please try to make them more interesting than "a-real-world-religion-x-but-with-a-paint-job". I also tend to dislike it when some unseen god is the force behind the players actions and the main religion of the world turns out to be 100% true. For that reason I tend to like polytheistic worlds better or worlds that keep it vague whether the gods exist or not (if not important to the plot). Just keep in mind that as soon as you introduce the dread lord of darkness imprisoned since the dawn of time after a comic rebellion you sorta have confirmed that god(s) exist also even if they are not encountered.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Canini, I am not going to do the theologian or problems of evil here philosophy . However, some of the deities or gods have an invisidible power too just like a magician that would be a cool idea. However, some of the rulers in my game claim to be a living god. Darklord stuff is just to justify enemies troops to fight in my game. Some cities believe in a god. Some cities don't believe in a god. Some cities worship gods and goddesses. Some are tolerate, isolated, or funmentalist. I put a lot of work into socielogy research.

My world is mixed race of different creatures. So do worried. It is not full of human at all. Spoiler: the orc ruler tries to claim that he is the god, so he can maintain power. He does not even know how to use magic.

 

[JDevain]

You don't have to have every minute detail fleshed out (I mean, unless you want to, in which case nobody's gonna stop you), just enough to make the player able to believe that there's another world behind the screen.

This is a really good point. It's easy to get carried away, thinking you're writing the Silmarillion, when all you really need is a plausible reason for goblins to be at war with the kobolds.

 

[Sleepy Kitten Games]

I mean, if someone wants to think up all the details that's their prerogative. (I'm not quite doing that, but I am going into a lot of detail because I like worldbuilding.) They just have to also realize that they only need to show what is needed to give context. You can write up the entire complex history of religious holy wars between the goblins and kobolds, but in-game maybe all you need to show is a couple NPCs mentioning the wars, and maybe the goblins and/or the kobolds accusing each other of heresy (if they can talk).

 

[Kupotepo]

@JDevain, thank you for your friendly warming. However, I am not intended to just throw information at the player. How I have to track and not just make thing along the way because that might be a conflict with another plot. "Keep it simple stupid" is not work well when you make a game story. Remember that in RPG maker, we can convey the same message in action, dialogue, or monologue. I believe in order to pick the right one, it is not an easy way: study what does generally /normally human respond.

@GameFire, I did all of the stuff forsake of worldbuilding too. I agree with you that try not to overlord a player with too much information. A simple scene might do a miracle work. "the goblins and/or the kobolds accusing each other of heresy (if they can talk)." That is a good idea. However, I plan to the optional quests with tired with some of the political or culture of the city. For example, the main character can get a quest to protect the princess and provide a safe pass to her which is a diplomatic royal marriage, or the princess of some city needed to become a priestess for a while to become a queen. It is not just silly quests to get stuff for people for no real reason.

 

[Tai_MT]

I enjoy creating religions for my fiction. But, that's likely due to the fact that I like the concept of "Gods that move among mortals". Sort of like the Greek Pantheon, or something similar. But, I also enjoy having "This is the way the world actually works... this is the way worshippers have interpreted how it works, so it appears that their Gods and religion are right... even though that's not really true". I very much like the "things are not what they seem" aspect of writing these sorts of religions.

I find both are good for building Intrigue and mystery.

That being said... The player doesn't need to know all the details of the religion I'm creating. Much of the information can simply be "inferred" through character actions or dialogue. They don't need a huge history of the religion or all the important people in it (unless that's relevant to the plot). They need just enough to get by... and I simply provide optional places for the player to get more information if they want it.

I just provide the absolute basics the player needs to know. Why is this a "holy war"? Why are the enemies burned to death instead of killed by other means? What is the relation of the main cast to the religion? Done deal. All the gory little details are hidden away for the player to find, if they really care about those sorts of things.

And hey, some players might actually care to learn more about your fantasy religion. Just don't count on that being everyone.

Fantasy religions are pretty easy to work with, especially if you divorce most of the "real world" stuff from them and invent them wholesale. I don't recommend taking an existing religion and trying to repurpose it. Though, it's okay to take aspects of some religions and put them into your fantasy religion. After all, most religions at their core are pretty similar. "Adhere to a set of principles, do these things to make the world a better place".

I just don't recommend using real religious terms if you can help it. Not unless it is your intent for the audience to draw parallels. Not because you don't want to offend people, but because it may draw unintentional comparisons and you might find you've misrepresented what it is you're trying to represent... because you don't know much about it.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Tai_MT , thank you for your insight and your helpful suggestions. Hope for the best and expect for the worst. I do not it is going to be as I am expected.

What are reglionous terms I should not used ? Please send me pm. I am not a writer that why I am asking you. I am just write as I see mostly and I can think of.