The Marrocidenian war

[Glaumring the Fox]

I basically look at it that he is a 'God-king'. I find the whole Atheism thing in BM annoying.  I don't care what your philosophy is in life. In BM find a religion already.

[DamnTaffer]

"Why do the locals need religion when they have their Sovereign to provide for them" is basically what Mendicant has stated. If that's not an atheist statement, then it's a statement that proclaims him to be a god-king. Vice versa.

That isn't what it means, it implies that faith in god isn't important because the sovereign is better than god and more worthy. He isn't a god King he transcends god as something better.

Nope. Unless you are willing to create a religion, you will stay a pagan. Can't argue.

Everyone believes in something in BM.

And it is the players perogative to roleplay that paganism to be whatever form of paganism they want. Be that godking worship or child eating blood cult. You have no mandate to dictate the features of there character other than that they have to be:

A. Human
B. Either pagan or religious

But other than those vague terms your opinion is irrelevant

[DamnTaffer]

I basically look at it that he is a 'God-king'. I find the whole Atheism thing in BM annoying.  I don't care what your philosophy is in life. In BM find a religion already.

I find it ignorant that it is thought that nobody was athiest or agnostic in medieval europe. It certainly wasn't publicised or admitted but that is all.

[Anaris]

I find it ignorant that it is thought that nobody was athiest or agnostic in medieval europe. It certainly wasn't publicised or admitted but that is all.

So, declare your character to be a secret atheist. That's fine.

But no one cares what you believe in your secret heart of hearts. They care what temple you go to and what Gods you pray to when everyone can see and hear you.

If you declare in the street that there are no Gods, no afterlife, nothing but gross matter...well, the Gods have been known to make examples of people like that. Spectacularly.

And if They don't, and you manage to evade the angry peasantry, any noble with a lick of sense would blackball you immediately and you'd lose all your influence and reputation.

[DamnTaffer]

So, declare your character to be a secret atheist. That's fine.

But no one cares what you believe in your secret heart of hearts. They care what temple you go to and what Gods you pray to when everyone can see and hear you.

If you declare in the street that there are no Gods, no afterlife, nothing but gross matter...well, the Gods have been known to make examples of people like that. Spectacularly.

And if They don't, and you manage to evade the angry peasantry, any noble with a lick of sense would blackball you immediately and you'd lose all your influence and reputation.

I agree, being publicly Athiest would be bad. However, if a realm roleplayed educating peasants to be athiest or starting secret nobility movements or starting an Athiest religion option is against the rules. Why? These things could work given time and should be roleplayed slowly over IG years maybe even decades but it could be done.

[Anaris]

I agree, being publicly Athiest would be bad. However, if a realm roleplayed educating peasants to be athiest or starting secret nobility movements or starting an Athiest religion option is against the rules. Why? These things could work given time and should be roleplayed slowly over IG years maybe even decades but it could be done.

No.

The moment you start doing it, you get burned at the stake.

No atheism. Nowhere. Period. Don't like it? Too bad. Play someone else's game.

[Indirik]

There is no such thing as an atheist religion.

Dwilight especially has stricter rules for religions than other islands.

[DamnTaffer]

There is no such thing as an atheist religion.

Dwilight especially has stricter rules for religions than other islands.

It is a religious option in the same way any other faith is

No.

The moment you start doing it, you get burned at the stake.

No atheism. Nowhere. Period. Don't like it? Too bad. Play someone else's game.

I don't like it, I don't like its historical ignorance nor do I like the fact that realms are disadvantaged by not having a state religion, I don't like how your historical education is so black and white its almost a bad joke. It would be hard, dangerous, would make a pariah out of any noble or realm that took it upon them but its certainly not imposible for athiesm or expecially agnosticism to exist in your settings. Nor will I stop reminding you of that fact when the subject arrises.

[Anaris]

It is a religious option in the same way any other faith is

No, it bloody well isn't.

Do you build atheist temples to get together and pray to nothing in?

Do you preach the Word of No God to the people?

Do you build shrines to Richard Dawkins?

I don't like it, I don't like its historical ignorance nor do I like the fact that realms are disadvantaged by not having a state religion, I don't like how your historical education is so black and white its almost a bad joke. It would be hard, dangerous, would make a pariah out of any noble or realm that took it upon them but its certainly not imposible for athiesm or expecially agnosticism to exist in your settings. Nor will I stop reminding you of that fact when the subject arrises.

You don't have to like it. And it's not my rule, or rooted in my education. It's Tom's rule, and in case you're unaware, he's actually one of the most hard-line atheists I've ever met. He just knows how dumb it would have been to profess any such belief in 1324.

The game doesn't—can't—simulate a peasant mob taking you and burning you at the stake for admitting to this insanity in BattleMaster. If it could, we could probably dispense with the ironclad "no atheism" rule. But as it stands, the game just doesn't have the AI to do that.

So you'll have to be content with a "no atheism" rule, rather than simply having your character die for trying to be publicly atheist, as would be more realistic.

[Indirik]

He he he ... that would be an interesting mechanic. If enough people report your character's message as professing atheistic beliefs, you log in to find your character has been burned at the stake.

[Woelfy]

He he he ... that would be an interesting mechanic. If enough people report your character's message as professing atheistic beliefs, you log in to find your character has been burned at the stake.

Uhm, yes please? Sign me up for that.

[egamma]

http://wiki.battlemaster.org/wiki/FAQ/Tom%27s_Position_on_Atheism

Strange how this seems to be the only game where people think they can completely ignore the rules. Do people playing Monopoly think they can simply ignore what's written on the corner to the right of "Go"?

[Lanyon]

@ Egamma Rules in games are guidelines on how it's meant to be played to be fun. I play monopoly very different than the rules say because that's how i find it fun. Look at jenna marbles video on game rules if you don't get what i mean. Games are supposed to be fun and rules are only set as a challange to make them more fun. Therefore if a rule isn't fun than it should be done away with. Now I'm not arguing for atheism in any way shape or form I'm just saying the rules aren't always perfect

[Indirik]

Rules are the guidelines by which the game must be played. Especially in the context of an MMORPG. You can't have a subset of players decide that they don't like the rules, and ingore them, while the rest of the game continues to play by them.

If you don't like a rule, then you take it to the forums and file a feature request to try and get it changed. But until Tom changes his mind, then you *must* continue to follow the rule IG. But you don't get to just ignore it because you think it shouldn't apply to you.

[Daycryn]

Here's a question thats been of some interest, both ICly and OOC: are the Bloodstars "gods?"