@anuran
Arguably problematic, but if you notice, some of those options might as well have been direct quotes from western people today. Especially the dress more modestly/dress more confidently bit is something I’ve heard before.
@anuran: The imagery was obviously based on Islam in particular, but I took it as a critique of all the Abrahamic faiths.
@those wanting to play: I’m quite certain it’s not a real game, just a video made to look like one as satire. I too would probably jump at the chance to play a game that takes a thoughtful look at the founding of a religion (obviously this wasn’t quite that, since it funneled him toward the bad answers), so it’s a shame that there isn’t one out there, as far as I know. I fear any that come close are just going to be half-assed retellings of Bible stories that are just trying to preach their faith to you.
Some legitimate strategy games do use religion in their mechanics, like launching crusades, joining a heresy, or propping up an anti-Pope in Crusader Kings II. In Civilization V you can actually found a religion and decide its tenets, but you’re playing from the perspective of the guiding hand of a global civilization over millennia, not as an individual prophet interacting with individual followers and their issues. And in both those games religion isn’t the main focus, just one of the many tools in your toolkit that includes more generic strategy mechanics such as combat and diplomacy.
Then there are also the games known as “God games,” but of course in those you’re playing as the god, not the prophet or follower, so it’s not really the experience you’re probably after. And even in these games religion isn’t the focus nearly so much as combat or city-building. I will say, however, that the original Black & White was a lovely game where the fact that you were a god was more relevant than in most: your followers would pray to you, make offerings and sacrifices, and you could choose to instill faith through either kindness or fear. (Someone complaining about a lack of food? You could use some of the faith generated from your worshipers to miraculously create some grain… or you could just throw the whiner over the nearest mountain and command your giant monkey avatar to tauntingly eat their food in front of them.) I’d recommend it, but I don’t think it’s gotten a digital re-release so you’d have to track down a physical copy, and compatibility with modern PCs isn’t guaranteed.
But if someone does know of a game that’s along the lines of Prophet Quest (and isn’t just a preachy advertisement for a real religion), please feel free to correct me, as I’d really like to play it. :)
David Sloansays
A trigger warning would have been useful for this.
prfessersays
I had to stop after the profit** performed his first conversion. When Basquette asked what they could do with all the sheep… I knew it was going to end badly.
**appropriate deliberate use of term
frankbsays
One lesson from this is that the direction a religion takes is based on the culture. Even though the prophet was for gender equality his followers promptly subverted his message “Don’t play this dame” is exactly right.
frankbsays
aaaaahhhh, game, not dame. Freudian slip.
chigau (違う)says
Did everyone run the linked video?
nichromesays
When I saw this post’s title, I thought it was going to be about voting in US presidential elections!
numerobissays
anuran:
LOL! It validates all my prejudices! Gotta laugh at the stupid towel heads! OMGLOLOLOLO!!!!
Moses coming down from the mountain in a smart suit and tie would kind of break the setting. When in the Sinai, dress as the Bedouin do.
I love the Super Mario music and the Skype sound God makes when He hangs up. :-)
David Marjanovićsays
You may like Jason’s other reviews – TrollScreen or FaceBook Earthperhaps?
So much awesomeness!!!
dnebdalsays
There’s also the utterly mad The You Testament, which is very vaguely inspired by Jesus, and its sequel that “follows” the story of Muhammed. Add in a liberal dose of weird combined belief-system and a single developer with a huge ego, plus some very unimpressed players, and you get this and this.
Note that both of them are playing with randomly replaced faces. It is not the silliest thing in-game.
dnebdalsays
There’s a straight playthrough of the unmodified first game here, which might actually be a better approach.
Is that like the Kobayashi Maru scenario?
Sorry. I did.
LOL. It’s so true to religious life! :)
Wow this game is trollish.
Where is the command that allows you to flood the entire region?
LOL! It validates all my prejudices! Gotta laugh at the stupid towel heads! OMGLOLOLOLO!!!!
How about a friendly game of chess?
@anuran
Arguably problematic, but if you notice, some of those options might as well have been direct quotes from western people today. Especially the dress more modestly/dress more confidently bit is something I’ve heard before.
Chigau:
Ok I’m almost curious enough to play it. Is it worth it?
@anuran: The imagery was obviously based on Islam in particular, but I took it as a critique of all the Abrahamic faiths.
@those wanting to play: I’m quite certain it’s not a real game, just a video made to look like one as satire. I too would probably jump at the chance to play a game that takes a thoughtful look at the founding of a religion (obviously this wasn’t quite that, since it funneled him toward the bad answers), so it’s a shame that there isn’t one out there, as far as I know. I fear any that come close are just going to be half-assed retellings of Bible stories that are just trying to preach their faith to you.
Some legitimate strategy games do use religion in their mechanics, like launching crusades, joining a heresy, or propping up an anti-Pope in Crusader Kings II. In Civilization V you can actually found a religion and decide its tenets, but you’re playing from the perspective of the guiding hand of a global civilization over millennia, not as an individual prophet interacting with individual followers and their issues. And in both those games religion isn’t the main focus, just one of the many tools in your toolkit that includes more generic strategy mechanics such as combat and diplomacy.
Then there are also the games known as “God games,” but of course in those you’re playing as the god, not the prophet or follower, so it’s not really the experience you’re probably after. And even in these games religion isn’t the focus nearly so much as combat or city-building. I will say, however, that the original Black & White was a lovely game where the fact that you were a god was more relevant than in most: your followers would pray to you, make offerings and sacrifices, and you could choose to instill faith through either kindness or fear. (Someone complaining about a lack of food? You could use some of the faith generated from your worshipers to miraculously create some grain… or you could just throw the whiner over the nearest mountain and command your giant monkey avatar to tauntingly eat their food in front of them.) I’d recommend it, but I don’t think it’s gotten a digital re-release so you’d have to track down a physical copy, and compatibility with modern PCs isn’t guaranteed.
But if someone does know of a game that’s along the lines of Prophet Quest (and isn’t just a preachy advertisement for a real religion), please feel free to correct me, as I’d really like to play it. :)
A trigger warning would have been useful for this.
I had to stop after the profit** performed his first conversion. When Basquette asked what they could do with all the sheep… I knew it was going to end badly.
**appropriate deliberate use of term
One lesson from this is that the direction a religion takes is based on the culture. Even though the prophet was for gender equality his followers promptly subverted his message “Don’t play this dame” is exactly right.
aaaaahhhh, game, not dame. Freudian slip.
Did everyone run the linked video?
When I saw this post’s title, I thought it was going to be about voting in US presidential elections!
anuran:
Moses coming down from the mountain in a smart suit and tie would kind of break the setting. When in the Sinai, dress as the Bedouin do.
You may like Jason’s other reviews – TrollScreen or FaceBook Earthperhaps?
I love the Super Mario music and the Skype sound God makes when He hangs up. :-)
So much awesomeness!!!
There’s also the utterly mad The You Testament, which is very vaguely inspired by Jesus, and its sequel that “follows” the story of Muhammed. Add in a liberal dose of weird combined belief-system and a single developer with a huge ego, plus some very unimpressed players, and you get this and this.
Note that both of them are playing with randomly replaced faces. It is not the silliest thing in-game.
There’s a straight playthrough of the unmodified first game here, which might actually be a better approach.