Musings of the Autarch
Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:44 pm
I realize this is a bit tricky, so allow me to explain it further.
First off, Sacrifices. Something must be destroyed. Something of value has to leave the world. There are many ways to do this, but the easiest example is livestock. Now, this doesn't mean a whole animal is thrown onto a large fire. The simplest act is the killing of the animal. By killing it, you've basically cut off all further use. No more milk, wool, labor, offspring, and so forth. You can go further by putting certain parts of the animal (or all of it) into the fire, adding more value to what you're (your priests, technically) are giving up, or you can have the priests or the followers receive the carcass and so forth. The more value you give up, the more DRP you gain, but there could be benefits to holding some back, too. This is all up to you.
One hundred (healthy) cattle (aka, a hecatomb) will get you 1 full DRP and max out a temple. Let's say 1/3 of that if you actually destroy the whole cow. Other animals are fine, too, of course, but the value will be compared monetarily, as it would for non-living sacrifices. It would take a lot more chickens, for example. This is so that I can keep it fair when taking into account gods' varying choices of sacrifice.
You can also assume a very close exchange rate when spending your DRP on stuff like that. If you spent 1 DRP on giving your followers healthy livestock, they'd probably get about 100 such. Let's say 200 if you're just healing them. *shrug*
Now, about worshipers. This might be the biggest change from Pantheon or Aesir. You don't have any, technically. At least, you don't have any that the other gods do not. This is a truly pantheistic society. They'll worship anyone who they think will help them at the time. This is another reason for the materialistic nature of the sacrifices. They expect something in return. The entire Acropolis should be your target audience, and you want to appeal to as many as possible (while still keeping your brand unique, of course). This is why I've tried to steer most of you towards more broad domains. It's great to corner a niche market, but if that's your primary appeal, you're going to be behind the eight ball for most of the game.
Now, you do have a priesthood, and their numbers contribute directly to your DRP similarly to followers in Pantheon or Aesir. To use a metaphor, they're the horses to which your wagon (temple) is hitched. The high priest is the driver, and the cargo is... well, you. This doesn't mean they won't offer sacrifices to other gods, though. You wouldn't expect your employees to shop only at your store, even if they have a good discount. You can change this, but it won't be easy.
Finally, reputation. This is going to be the trickiest part, I think. It's far less quantifiable and more subjective (and yes, subject to my opinion, though I promise to keep it game-based. arguing with The Autarch will not reduce your rep ). It is a measure of the population's overall faith in your effectiveness. If they look to you as much as they do all the other gods combined, it will probably be over 50%. It could be lower, though, if a good chunk of the populace doesn't bother praying at all (not necessarily implying atheism, but just a general lack of faith in the gods). If stories are told about you (no, making your priesthood talk about you won't work by itself), this can contribute as well. Whether you're loved or feared (or both) is again up to you.
I'm very much looking forward to how you guys tackle these three categories. There is play between the categories, but you can do well by focusing on only one, nor will you be hurt much by ignoring only one.
First off, Sacrifices. Something must be destroyed. Something of value has to leave the world. There are many ways to do this, but the easiest example is livestock. Now, this doesn't mean a whole animal is thrown onto a large fire. The simplest act is the killing of the animal. By killing it, you've basically cut off all further use. No more milk, wool, labor, offspring, and so forth. You can go further by putting certain parts of the animal (or all of it) into the fire, adding more value to what you're (your priests, technically) are giving up, or you can have the priests or the followers receive the carcass and so forth. The more value you give up, the more DRP you gain, but there could be benefits to holding some back, too. This is all up to you.
One hundred (healthy) cattle (aka, a hecatomb) will get you 1 full DRP and max out a temple. Let's say 1/3 of that if you actually destroy the whole cow. Other animals are fine, too, of course, but the value will be compared monetarily, as it would for non-living sacrifices. It would take a lot more chickens, for example. This is so that I can keep it fair when taking into account gods' varying choices of sacrifice.
You can also assume a very close exchange rate when spending your DRP on stuff like that. If you spent 1 DRP on giving your followers healthy livestock, they'd probably get about 100 such. Let's say 200 if you're just healing them. *shrug*
Now, about worshipers. This might be the biggest change from Pantheon or Aesir. You don't have any, technically. At least, you don't have any that the other gods do not. This is a truly pantheistic society. They'll worship anyone who they think will help them at the time. This is another reason for the materialistic nature of the sacrifices. They expect something in return. The entire Acropolis should be your target audience, and you want to appeal to as many as possible (while still keeping your brand unique, of course). This is why I've tried to steer most of you towards more broad domains. It's great to corner a niche market, but if that's your primary appeal, you're going to be behind the eight ball for most of the game.
Now, you do have a priesthood, and their numbers contribute directly to your DRP similarly to followers in Pantheon or Aesir. To use a metaphor, they're the horses to which your wagon (temple) is hitched. The high priest is the driver, and the cargo is... well, you. This doesn't mean they won't offer sacrifices to other gods, though. You wouldn't expect your employees to shop only at your store, even if they have a good discount. You can change this, but it won't be easy.
Finally, reputation. This is going to be the trickiest part, I think. It's far less quantifiable and more subjective (and yes, subject to my opinion, though I promise to keep it game-based. arguing with The Autarch will not reduce your rep ). It is a measure of the population's overall faith in your effectiveness. If they look to you as much as they do all the other gods combined, it will probably be over 50%. It could be lower, though, if a good chunk of the populace doesn't bother praying at all (not necessarily implying atheism, but just a general lack of faith in the gods). If stories are told about you (no, making your priesthood talk about you won't work by itself), this can contribute as well. Whether you're loved or feared (or both) is again up to you.
I'm very much looking forward to how you guys tackle these three categories. There is play between the categories, but you can do well by focusing on only one, nor will you be hurt much by ignoring only one.