Religion in Elemental

Good post.  I think that at the very least, building a temple of some sort should increase a town's morale and prestige.

NOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! 

Let the modders handle that kind of thing.

So we can take that as confirmation that there will be no extensive presence of religion in the game (No church buildings, no priests, no healers? No cults, religions, dragon worshipers, shard worshipers, etc.)? What about in the Lore (i.e. the book coming out, potential for future expansions, etc.)

Since you are the king/channeler/bringer of life to the waste lands I thought they worshiped you.

Religion is too controversial IMO, there's a reason it is rarely in videogames.

I wouldn't say it caused Civ to fail.

Please.

I've never understood the idea of Fantasy = Some sort of weird religion, or something of that sort. Doesn't mesh in my head.

I'm pretty certain that's not what you meant (and Frogboy could be entirely faffing about so as not to reveal things, but I doubt it) but it's the idea I get.

I take it that if modders will have the tools in the editor to create deities and temples and related spells and powers then that is good enough IMO. In many ways I see the concept of Titans as Gods of sort (religion).

I assumed there was to be gods (wether they exist or not) unless Elemental is to be an atheist fantasy rts, which would be... interesting. I don't expect a thing like in the pre-empire total war games where religious agents can convert provinces (they were mostly removed in the most recent games and not really to it's detriment) but I would have thought post-cataclysm a return to old faiths and beliefs would be common.

I think the channelers would rewrite the book on 'divine right' or worse.

They will indeed.

Those that do, will thrive.   

Those that do not will be put to the sword.

Muhahahhah!

Being able to build a temple to one religion or another would be interesting...  I mean you build a temple to the Sovereign and that cancels out the ability to build a temple to one of several other god figures... but might have it own benefits to morale of your citizens - you get to choice what religion, if any, your kingdom follows by building a certain sort of temple. (or making a choice pre-game in character development)

At a diplomatic level other cultures who followed the same faith.  Such as the Titan or Goddess of the sea, might be more friendly to each other.  While they would also be more unfriendly to rival religions.

I also think that one of the key things that elemental is missing is racial and religious buildings and units.

The game is great -  but at the moment, and as a beta i would expect little else, all the civilizations are basically the same.

which makes for good game balance - but less fun IMO

I'd love to see a faction system - be it racial - or religious - or better yet BOTH.

I mean having three other sovereigns form an alliance because they all worship the goddess of the moon and set out to destroy you because your kingdom worships the moons goddesses hated enemy her brother the sun God would be interesting.  As would having a bunch of goblins civilizations team up to destroy you because you were playing an elf... but that's a topic for another thread. 

I personally think you would need a very defined group of Titans - Gods whatever - that was fantasy based and had positives and negative relations with all the other Titans - Gods etc in the mythos...so you choose your kingdoms religion in game in some way and reaps the rewards or suffer the consequences to some small extent.  I say small extent because it's only a tiny factor in a game with many aspects - but i think  it would add an interesting factor to diplomacy.

Conversion - could become another way to achieve victory - though it would be a lot of work to work out how to implement it. i mean if you could convert the whole world to your religion you win.  Bit like a diplomatic victory buy probably a whole lot more bloody if world history is any indicator...

Religious buildings and unit abilities could add a lot of flavor to the game...  for example  - worship the goddess of healing and be able to buy the ability to use a healing spells in the unit training area...  God of war and get some civilization bonus for free at the start of game... etc.

Give it as a major feature in an expansion!

I can't trust modders to handle something so important!

They did scrap religion in Civ 5, however.

I note that there are temples that give +1 prestige to towns in beta 1Z3.

Yeah, they decided that it made the AI behave too randomly and in a non-optimal fashion. Attacking another Civ based only on religious differences may be a "realistic" thing to do historically but it doesn't mesh very well with a good strategy to win the game.

A "Everybody has the same Religion" victory would had made sense. It'd also favor too quickly victories sometimes.

yeah but how will we lull the peasants into complacency without a heady dose of religion? how will we find excuses to start petty wars when diplomacy falls apart? how can...

That doesn't mean that the concept of religion in games is flawed, though. The outlook that "starting wars for religion" is flawed - historically, politics dictated religion, not the other way around. The AI should choose religion based on what is optimal to their tactic. Their tactic shouldn't be dictated by their religion - otherwise you get these stupid situations where the AI arbitrarily cripples itself.

It feels like they're throwing out the baby with the bathwater on this one.

That could actually be a really cool mechanic. Not only having religions, but having multiple instances of the same religion. Someone claims to be the figurehead of a global religion? Well screw that, I hereby declare myself Pope of the Western territories!

  Just want to say this is not a historical game nor is it based on anything historical(unless its another pc game).  The vast majority of fantasy literature has all kinds of witchcraft, superstition, cults, religions, demi-gods and gods.  It usually adds depth to storylines and plot development. 

  Many of the 'monsters' and other fantastic beings/creatures that were created for literature and gaming do come directly or indirectly from historical works.  I cite the Iliad, Odyssey, Nibelungen, etc. You have Titans in your lore.  They are religiously based beings from Greek mythology.  They were the forerunners of Zeus, Hera, etc., and the other Greek gods and Goddesses.  So Elemental already has some 'religous' lore. 

  I do not subscribe to putting Christianity, Islam or any other 'real' religion in the game.  Keep to fantasy tradition and try to evolve or create your own for the lore.  If you have 'monsters', 'magic' in a game can you not also have religions?  It would be nice to have a spot in-between Civ Tech and Warfare Tech for a Religions/Cults Tech. 

  Recognize this might only be added by mods(if at all).  Good topic strager. 

The problem with that is that religion spreads on its own and you have very little ability to suppress it. You can choose your state religion but that will really cripple you if that choice does not agree with the choice of your population.

If religion did not influence the AI's behaviour it would have almost no effect at all (besides bonuses from temples that were already present from previous games that lacked religion).