Regenesis of the god game

Well I think a simple starting point is something like how Banished is. Yes buildings take time to finish but it's a reasonable amount of time. That being said, I would sort of like to see a god game where the people are a touch more independent than Banished. That's more of a city building game where you get everyone building what buildings you want. I would rather inspire someone to become a healer and then them perhaps go to the people inspired to be builders to have them build a hospital. Someone else inspired to be a healer might either go work in that hospital if it's near or if it's to far away they might have a new one built.

I think that Godus gets some things right... I think it should be a game where the only thing you do is shape the land and create 'conditions' that enable life to flourish. So, moving land, putting water next to fertile ground, etc etc.

I don't think you should be artificially limited by belief, but I think that most of the game would need to thrive on the Meeps' AI. e.g.:

• If you move a lot of land in a short space of time, maybe they think the area is dangerous and don't want to settle there.
  
  
• Maybe there would be tension between believers and unbelievers.
  
  
• Would you join a side in a war? If you did, would it change the believers' opinion of you as being peaceful vs vengeful?
  
  
• Would the believers and unbelievers alike have wants that you can fulfil (e.g. weather), and would it affect their belief?

I think it would be nice to be rewarded either for being a subtle deity who just nudges events into place, such that you try to keep your presence hidden-you might have a healthy mix of believers/unbelievers and the game is about keeping peace and balance; or alternatively you could be very forceful and abrupt and maybe you would have more followers, but they would be angry and warlike... coloured by your own behaviour- and the game is about maintaining a world in a constant state of decay and fighting...

I think Dwarf Fortress is currently the best example of the kind of deep AI I want, but of course it's more of a management game that takes quite a lot of micromanagement.

Well the limitation of belief would perhaps turn out to be a necessity when more than one player would be involved in the game.



Interesting thought about people knowing you are around or not knowing and that having an effect.

Yeah I like that too. From a human being's perspective there is no reason to believe there is more than one god handling things. Hmmm... unless perhaps they see things happen that are contradicting/nullifying other things they see happening. Perhaps that could be worked out.

I think I would start of creating a simulation where people live their lives all by themselves without any kind of interference. Once that simulation is interesting enough for someone to just sit and watch what happens it is time to start working on player interaction. After that part has been developed it would be time to start considering a multiplayer aspect.

Twilight sparkle??
Really??

You see in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said 'let there be light',. God saw that the light was good......

In my opinion, God (with a capital G) is the big fella that kicked it all off and set in motion a series of big events that allowed and encouraged a chain reaction of events to occur. Whilst it probably need not follow the Old Testament too much, that is pretty much where we should start. Godus could call this guy 'Brian'.

I'm pretty happy with the other major alternative religions/races ideas of multiple Deities who each may control certain aspects. You may need a god of war etc.

Using a real world analogy, some of Gods creations work better than others. Some make use of the natural resources they have for good and bad. When Man started being aware, he wanted things others he could see others had. Some developed tools, others weapons, others learnt to kill animals, some set up farms, and others traded. There was free will rather than God micro managing each transaction and most races made the most of available restores, some went and took them.

By Brians action on a huge scale, events chain react. For those that just like to fight, do we have a war torn tribal faction led nation that just is unable to get peace? Why were they like that? Did they not have the right resources? What happens if you are next door to such a nation? What happens if you have a resource rich area? Do you buy land or convert others to follow you or destroy the next race? Do you form alliances that lead to unintended wars or have other trade sanctions?

sounds like you folks are looking for a cross between Populous and Black and White.

For me I would love a Populous/Black & White game. I really hoped that I could slap my people around and raise a really war like evil race. I would also like a tech tree that I could guide my people down. Maybe having the ability to plant an idea in some one head to try to unlock a tech tree choice or drop some object for them to find. Such as using the finger of god to start a fire and having someone find it to have fire available for your civilization.

I also like the idea of having a choice to be hands off and letting your people act on their own or go more hands on and having your people look to you for all the choices. It would be interesting to see what they chose based off the little actions you have taken in the back ground, vs. the skill and challenge of having to micro manage everything they do and maybe handle invasions like in an Age of Empires style game.

Ask who?