I must say, I did not read the entire topic, so, if I'm telling things other told, please, forgive me.
To me, things that we had on the real religions could be implemented.
First of all, I do believe we have so many religions, and, more, the major of them stupid, based on things out of BM or otherwise, without ways to become something that could matter.
But, for me, this just occured as a consequence of the religion system.
Of course that, as a first thing, you should be able to create a religion. This is the first step and, different of the rel world, you can't start a religion by adding followers to you until you become great enough to be recognized as a religion. On BM, the simple click is something that must be done. Unfortunelly, it brings some troubles.
As the first and most important, anyone can create a religion, by this way (of course, you must be a noble and a lord as requeriments);
The second, as anyone, respected the requiriments can creat a religion, it went on a stupid spree, and most players see it as something you just do not need to play.
To correct this, I believe that this sould be done:
1) Prohibition for create new religions - for a while;
2) Clean up of the religions - religions based on other games being prohibited.
3) Enforced the politics to have religions based on BM and SM things;
4) Limitation at the fantasy of religions: an amorfic god wich lives on the space is acceptable; unknown gods dressed to kill in plate armors, wielding explosive javelins is something over the limit;
5) Put priest as a subclass of the game: much of the historical preachers was warriors and members of the govern;
6) Rise of the requiriments to become a priest;
7) Adaptation of the benefits of being a priest;
Change of the rules of the religions: the option to turn it really "evil", "good" ou dicotomized (as the most politheistics religions);
9) Religiousity benefits: random things that could improve the memebership of religions, as the miracles to revive while declared dead (as the thing with newbies), a vision that improve your skill for an action, heavenly help to kill rogue, etc, etc. People worship gods because they do believe they will have some benefit, some help, a thousand virgins to !@#$ in heaven, etc. While characters do not know about their destiny and the gods, players are discouraged to adopt religions, because they see it as a place to put their golds without a benefit, no one.
9) Non limitation for the religions: Despite the limitations we have on BM about emigration, religiousity should be an exception. With a religion to spread at the globe you can start to enforce yours, not search for a new one when you change of continent. The limitation for priests to emigrate should be taken as well.
10) Peasants claimming to their lord become a follower of their religion start to be a thing to matter. Today, it is just a phrase at the notifications, but, when production stops as the people is celebrating a religious hollyday, things should go bad as the lord will ask for workers.
11) Characters be able to become atheistic - today, you just can't be it. If you do not follow an official religion, you are called pagan (for who I don't know), and a follower of the local Folklore. This is wrong. If you think that, even without wanting, your character already have a religion, you will not matter to search a new one.
12) Possibility to merge and tear a religion - Something I really want to see, and that will encourage people to make the roleplay of the religions is the possibility to merge and tear secede. By the choice of the elder members of two Religions, they could make a concilium, to treat the terms to merge their religions as something unique. This was a demeanor of some religions, and a strategy adopted even by Alexander, the great. The catholics, too, are well known to adopt festivals and holy days from "pagans" religions and transmute them on their own parties.
Plus, an elder member should have the option to go out and create an herectic version of the religion he used to follow, but, after sometime, become something he just do not entirely believe.
13) A common class to religious characters - to me, this is something tha could be added: a common preacher.
14) Implement of stupid cool things: a noble could have his funeral made at the temple of his former land or were his family lives. Added by the option of "world wide religions", a family could adopt one as their own, and baptize the new characters there. Do not forget that, for the majority of the world, follow a religion is follow the steps of our fathers and grandfathers.
15) Possibility to hire a crew - a preacher could have the option to hire some men, to his protection, but, as the hero, from the peasants of a place. Perhaps he travels with a party of followers, wich protect him from attacks of believers of the evil religions; perhaps, he travels with his women and men slaves, to make public sex with the people on orgistic celebrations; perhaps, he takes some believers to do the nasty game of miracles, as some guys do tricks with tourists. For me, being unable to take somebody is boring. This will surely grow the price of good travels, but, as a preacher, some people really do not spend any gold.
Well, I believe that this could help
