Another Cyberpunk thread: Surge of Faith.

[Kol]

One idea that was mentioned by our two oldest gamers recently was a religious cyberpunk world he'd played a few games in.
The more I look at it the more the idea has merit.
So here's what I've got.
The year is 2104, cybernetics, AI, genetic modification, have matured. But with these issues come questions of how this fit with current morality, ethics, and spirituality. Questions that corporations and scientists generally refused to explore. This is what lead to The Revival.
The leaders of these Mega Churches are somewhere between pope and CEO, having used funds to purchase stock in various companies, and intigrating them.

I'm kinda killing time and brainstorming, I want to hear your ideas.

So far I'm drawing influences from Warhammer's Ecclasichy, a few anime novels espeaclly trinity blood.
The conflicts I want to explore are, grappling with Transhumanisim, piety Vs doctrine, and mankind trying to answer those morality questions that have nagged at us for centuries.
The world is intended to be hardboiled but a place where instead of hope being some fragle little thing, hope has caluses, dirt under it's nails, and brings brass knuckles to it's brawl with cynicisim. rather than a total crapsack world.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Kol

One idea that was mentioned by our two oldest gamers recently was a religious cyberpunk world he'd played a few games in.
The more I look at it the more the idea has merit.
So here's what I've got.
The year is 2104, cybernetics, AI, genetic modification, have matured. But with these issues come questions of how this fit with current morality, ethics, and spirituality. Questions that corporations and scientists generally refused to explore. This is what lead to The Revival.
The leaders of these Mega Churches are somewhere between pope and CEO, having used funds to purchase stock in various companies, and intigrating them.

I'm kinda killing time and brainstorming, I want to hear your ideas.

So far I'm drawing influences from Warhammer's Ecclasichy, a few anime novels espeaclly trinity blood.
The conflicts I want to explore are, grappling with Transhumanisim, piety Vs doctrine, and mankind trying to answer those morality questions that have nagged at us for centuries.
The world is intended to be hardboiled but a place where instead of hope being some fragle little thing, hope has caluses, dirt under it's nails, and brings brass knuckles to it's brawl with cynicisim. rather than a total crapsack world.

Sounds cool!

I dig the dark and gritty, but not total crapsack, take on the setting. That's a good place to be, methinks.

The religious angle sounds great; nuanced, complex, full of dramatic conflicts.

Megachurches owning corps/integrating corporations is plausible and has historical precedent .

:)

[Daigoro]

I seem to recall a 2000AD comic story (home of Judge Dredd and others), from maybe the 1990s, with a similar theme. Maybe it was called The Cardinal?

Ahh... found it. Canon Fodder, with Cardinal Syn. Maybe more post-apoc than you were thinking, but it might have inspiration. Written by Mark Millar, who did Wanted and Kick-Ass.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

I seem to recall a 2000AD comic story (home of Judge Dredd and others), from maybe the 1990s, with a similar theme. Maybe it was called The Cardinal?

Ahh... found it. Cannon Fodder, with Cardinal Syn. Maybe more post-apoc than you were thinking, but it might have inspiration. Written by Mark Millar, who did Wanted and Kick-Ass.

Dude, the cover art makes me think " This garb should be officially adopted, now, for real!''
:)


The somewhat negative review actually raises my interest in this. Some of the things Smith describes as flaws or missed opportunities seem like smart, fun choices to me.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

The somewhat negative review actually raises my interest in this. Some of the things Smith describes as flaws or missed opportunities seem like smart, fun choices to me.

It looks like the blogger is a professional reviewer, so he's paid to be negative. I probably enjoyed it, as I remembered it 20 years after reading it. I used to love 2000AD when I could get it for $2 at the newsagent, rather than $7 an issue on import at the comic store.

To the OP, if you like Trinity Blood, Hellsing is an anime with a similar aesthetic and setting, but you probably already know it. Were you thinking of having any supernatural elements?

Another source of inspiration would be Equilibrium, with Christian Bale.

[Daigoro]

I guess some other questions you might consider are:

1) Was there a gradual evolution to this state, with a timeline of minor but significant events, or was there some catastrophic upheaval that led to a religious revolution?

2) Is it based on any particular strain of Christianity? Are you allowing for some curious syncretism, such as Buddho-Christianity, or Sikh-Catholics?

3) Is it a monolithic religion, or is there a balance of power between these mega-churches? Are they aligned with rival megacorps, or do they fill the role of megacorps themselves?

4) Is the government system intact and recognisable? Or are the United Bishoprics of East America ruled by the Arch-Bishop of Washington, in union against the Western States Curiate?

5) Have there been any regressions in technology or specific fields of technology, such as reproductive medicine?

6) What institutions are there? A neo-inquisition? Holy orders of warrior knights? Priest cops? Public Morals Division? In one of my settings, there was a penal monastery, where non-violent criminals served out their sentences by taking vows and doing devotional service.

7) And of course- what kind of characters do you see as the player-protagonists? What kind of adventures? What selection of skills, advantages and powers are on the table (btw- are you thinking GURPS?)

[The Colonel]

Much in the spirit of Daigoro's post - were you envisioning Roman style mega churches - with heirarchies, rituals, clerical priesthood and monasticism, or something rather more protestant (without any of the above)?

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Much in the spirit of Daigoro's post - were you envisioning Roman style mega churches - with heirarchies, rituals, clerical priesthood and monasticism, or something rather more protestant (without any of the above)?

When I hear or read mega church I get a very specific mental image: Protestant in a generic kind of way, North American, "big box", and media savvy.

Of course, it might mean something different in the future.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

When I hear or read mega church I get a very specific mental image: Protestant in a generic kind of way, North American, "big box", and media savvy.

Of course, it might mean something different in the future.

That was my suspicion, but it occurs to me that Romanism appears to be the default to a lot of people ... as some of Diagoro's suggestions were trending towards ... and something different might be implied.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

That was my suspicion, but it occurs to me that Romanism appears to be the default to a lot of people ... as some of Diagoro's suggestions were trending towards ... and something different might be implied.

There's a good reason for that. Catholics form the largest group of Christians , by far, on the world scale. The Latin rite is the largest in the Church.

Protestants only look very numerous if we lump all of them together.