Ahira's Hangar

I've been meaning to ask this for awhile, as so many people seem to be involved with it, and seem to hugely enjoy it...(actually, they seem to be genuinely addicted. )

What is this Pantheon game and what is it all about? If you play it what do you enjoy most about it? Like least about it?

(Note, I am asking from curiosity, and have no intention of being converted. It sounds like playing it takes a lot of thought and time, and I do not have enough of either to take on a huge... thing like this. )

I am genuinely addicted, have been since before I ever joined the Game as I lurked on it since the planning stages and helped Fist's characters behind the scenes the whole time.



It's interesting that you put this here in the Fravashi District, as I had originally suggested Pantheon be played in the Close instead of in Mallory's on the Watch. Hmm...perhaps that helped get Av involved.

Patheon is a text driven role playing game (RPG). The concept was proposed and developed by Xar. He is the Game Master of it, known in this Game as the AllFather. The concept is that each player creates and plays a deity who has followers on a fantasy-like planet called Eiran. You have to recruit a prophet, proselytize to potential followers, found cities (or in my deity's case weyrs, since her primary race of followers is dragons), defend your lands from either fellow deities or their misled followers, build a clergy if your religion requires that, etc.

We are finishing up the second version of the Game. I didn't join until mid-way through this second Game, so I still am pretty much a novice, even though I lurked and helped Fist's characters from the start. In both versions on the Game, I would say there wasn't really a goal of winning. The point was to be the most successful and strongest.



For me, the interaction between players, and Xar's writing of the Turn results and Game Summary is what I enjoy most. One of Xar's results to Bhakti (Fist's character) just took my breath away before I started playing, and made me want to become more involved. I still wasn't ready to attempt playing, so Fist and Av helped me gain access to other behind the scene interaction. I think after that it was only a couple of weeks, and I jumped in.

We are preparing to launch the third version of the Game, and we have several experienced RPG players joining us for the first time. I think they think the goal is to win, by eliminating the other deities. So I think the feel of the Game is going to change drastically, not to mention that the rules have evolved each time to become more and more complex. So we'll see how the new version plays.



Currently, there is one more space available, should you decide to join us. But, the Game, as Xar put it to me once in a teasing manner as he saw how addicted I became after lurking for over a year, is viral. The Game is extremely popular. The Graven Threndor sub-forum was created for it, and it's success has so far spawned three other RPGs on the Watch. Graven Threndor was just made into its own full forum, with sub-forums for each game.

You can play without devoting a huge amount of time to it. And if you are good at making decisions on how to react to situations, it shouldn't take all that much time. I, on the other hand, love agonising over things, and I thrive on deciding how I want my next move to go.

Duchess, if you should decide to come play, I would love to see you. And...think Sunrise Court, not Sunset!!

LOL! There are many good reasons why Danlo has told me that I am Linden Avery. And making decisions quickly in regards to situations is not a strength of Linden's...or mine. We are brooders, both of us.

No, My husband and I have a serious but informal agreement that in order to make more time for each other and strenghten our relationship that:
1. he will not do any fantasy sports leagues
2. I will not get addicted to online games or the like

So no Pantheon for me. I was indeed primarily curious as to what was so addicting and fun about it.

Sounds like it is the interaction between the players makes for a lot of fun?

That's what it is for me. Hopefully Fist or Av will give their opinions to you as well.

I tend to treat it like a political strategy game. I enjoy the interaction, but I enjoy the freedom of it the most. Anything you can think of could be done.

There's no set moves where you only have a certain number to choose from. You can do anything.

--A

*nod*

This is true, but since it's the only RPG I've played, that didn't occur to me. However, I did look over Montressor's rules for Borderlands, and I think I understand what you mean. I like being able to tell Xar stories for my moves, and he never criticises my writing, unlike others.

Good grief. See, Agent Smith was right: it is a virus that spreads and spreads...

(Just teasing, Menolly!)

I'm with Duchess. It's great that people on the Watch have found such a wonderful pastime, but I just have no desire to be sucked into something as apparently addictive as the Pantheon.

And truthfully, the premise of the game itself doesn't grab me. I don't want to play a deity that rules over mortals. If anything, I'd rather play a mortal who overthrows the gods.

I'm with you, MM. When I first started supporting Bhakti, I wanted to join the Game as a High Priestess of his. But my request to do so was turned down.

Now that sounds like a great idea.

You could always play a god who overthrows gods.

Actually, I suspect, that with only a couple of exceptions, its played by people with god/messiah complexes and / or "delusions of grandeur." And I except neither myself nor Xar from that suspicion.

--A

Egad...that sounds like the Belgariad.

Uhm Av...I suspect that deity may be taken this time already...





really???

...now you got me wondering who the exceptions are...

And this thread has what do to with philosophy?

Actually though, occasionally when a deity attempts to explain their dogma and domain, some interesting things can be said. For example, Fist and Jenn are debating pleasure and pain, and a new deity, The Void, had this to say this morning...



Existentialism? That the mortals who worship the Games deities create the meanings and essence of their lives?

The Void? Interesting. But without life, consciousness, intelligence and a means to communicate one's thoughts, it would not be possible to sit/stand/hover there and wax philosophically about things. Clearly, the, um, embodiment of nothingness that calls itself the Void still requires something (energy/soul/mind) in order to, well, distinguish itself from the background blankness of non-existence.

That's my cheeky rejoinder.

As for messiah complexes, who knows if I have it or not. I certainly enjoy a good "messiah" story as well as anyone else. Dune. The Chronicles. The Matrix. Or even Star Wars for that matter. They all involve messianic figures in one way or another. But's about people, not gods. And of course, Star Trek is all about "the human adventure." Human beings overcoming their weaknesses makes for more compelling drama than the whims of gods.