So, Something that's been on my mind recently is why there are numerous games that explore religious philosophy, yet none, that I'm aware of, of actual games that try and simulate a religious lifestyle.

Also, I was in Catholic mass a few months ago, and I was thinking to myself, this would be a terrible game.

It seems in our time, there are numerous simulations who try to give an experience, so the player can learn a specific skill or better understand a specific career.

And yet, nothing like this has ever really been conceived of, let alone attempted.

Games have the powerful potential to get people to think and experience the perspectives of others, not just their own development, yet with all these people claiming their religious rights are under attack, and fewer and fewer young people subscribing to the mainstream religions, I wonder why we don't have some Mega church leader commission a religious simulation to try and provide virtual community and try to convert the younger generation to their religion.

Could it be because Religion is such a spiritual intangible thing, that its power can't be used through modern technology?

We have games that try and simulate and go into most other aspects of human experience.

Would a religious simulation be called brain washing by most people?

Is there something about religions that just aren't "Fun"?

Why is this not also gameified?

What you guys think?

PS. I don't actually think making anything like a religious simulation wold be a good idea. Maybe a history of religions... maybe... hmmmm

There are a few games where you have to enact rituals or make sacrifices or build monuments to earn various favors from various deities, or to advance as a cleric, paladin, druid, etc. But generally a religious person would probably not think that their religion could be gamified in a respectful way, while a non-religious person has little motive to want to play as a religious character, so who would the audience be?

I wonder why we don't have some Mega church leader commission a religious simulation to try and provide virtual community and try to convert the younger generation to their religion.

How do you simulate God? Religion without God makes no sense You don't convert anyone to a "religion" since religion is merely a tool. It's like talking about marriage while avoiding the topic of sex Such simulation would have nearly zero efficiency as a tool to convert people in my opinion.

That's being said about a strict simulation of a religion game. But if religion is only a part of the game, it's another story.

I made one game with the strong Church (historical, year 1300), my focus was on the structure (curia, rites, bishops, parishes, conclave) and political implications (bonuses to kingdoms with good religious coverage) while avoiding imposing spirituality (clergy players just "do clergy duties" which is a totally abstract action and one can imagine oneself what exactly it is). I also imposed some simple roleplaying rules on clergy players (it's MMO), especially the Pope and Patriarch. It worked surprisingly well, I was having a blast observing clearly atheist players playing as priest and following by their own choice a proper code of conduct according to their clergy status and the period When I designed the game I was expecting some problems of the ideological nature, but there was none! Everyone accepted the theme and naturally followed the spirit of the era.

EDIT: since it's within the scope of the topic and there is not that many games that cover this topic I will drop the link: http://europe1300.eu/

(note that while it's a quite decent religion simulation of the period, I don't think it has that much marketing value (it caters to history freaks), so as a designer I don't necessarily advice following similiar route...)

How do you simulate God? Religion without God makes no sense You don't convert anyone to a "religion" since religion is merely a tool. It's like talking about marriage while avoiding the topic of sex Such simulation would have nearly zero efficiency as a tool to convert people in my opinion.

Personally I think religions are a system of ritual magic first, and only secondarily a mythological system that explains why the rituals have magical power and what invisible or far-away forces are causing things like weather and instances of good or bad luck. (And then in distant third place, a philosophy.) The mythological system doesn't have to revolve around a single god, though it's probably true that beliefs or stories that focus on a single god are more efficient at converting people than, say, animistic systems.

Congratulations! You executed "pray" successfully. It was not effective.

hahaha. Omg, I almost missed that.