This question maybe a no brainer but I was wondering what kind of graphic style should this be in. Currently I have written a Pokemon\Old school Zelda type of engine and could use it for this game idea. But then the typical Tycoon game sports a isometric view so maybe I should just follow suit. Anyways, Religion Tycoon is just like it sounds. You create a religion and run it (the church or whatever) like a business. Hire workers (preacher, staff, etc), advertise (flyers, TV shows), and charge memberships, etc. So put all of that into context...what graphic style would suit this game best?

I'm thinking an isometric perspective would work, but your establishing shots would have to be extremely strong stylistically. The most inspiring religious structures are hundreds or even thousands of years old, and massive in scale. You can't get away from the fact that scale is of critical importance in most monuments to the great deities, so having the ability to give a "worshipper's-eye-view" would be useful as well.

Think in terms of the old Gothic architectures, the Buddhas around the world (carved into mountains, hundreds of feet high), the pyramids, etc.

Oh, and do a simple HDR glow effect, because heaven is holy :)

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lol, awesome idea... That's got to piss off so many people... I respect that. ;)

Sounds like it could be a lot of fun

As for the view, I'd say some kind of 3d, just because of the cool effect it allows (first person view from the eyes of worshippers, free camera to look around your temple/church/whatever, and of course, spiffy lighting effects. :D

I think it'd be hard to make this look really cool in 2d. Other tycoon games manage it, yes, but thats because railroads doesn't need to look all that cool. Religion stuff generally does. Big gothic thingies, giant statues, mystic lighting and smoke, stained glass windows and so on... :D

The default view should probably be some kind of top-down/isometric though.

you can't realy charge membership for a religion. once you start charging for a religion it's no longer a religion and becomes a cult. you could have offerings or collections or trithes but no memberships.

Quote: Original post by Cibressus
you can't realy charge membership for a religion.

No, but you can threthen them they'll all go to "hell" if they don't pay. Oh, wait, this is like real life :)

Anyways... should be a fun game.

This is an incredible idea, something that could get an incredible depth added to it. You could have an amazing number of different effects, based on your religious philosophy, the amount of mysticism it contains, the strictness of its rules. You could have to cope with persecutions, false prophets, extremists giving a negative idea of the religion, state/church separation, scientific advances, ...

I definitely hope you'll make something out of this!

Quote: Original post by Cibressus
you can't realy charge membership for a religion.

If you are a member of the Catholic or Protestant Churches you have to pay tax (?Kirchensteuer?) in Germany.

Quote: Original post by Spoonster
lol, awesome idea... That's got to piss off so many people... I respect that. ;)

Exactly what I thought ;). Although there might be some serious trouble finding a publisher...

It's probably a good idea to stay away from existing religions as much as possible, but if you need tips on how a religion can be run as a commercial enterprise, take a look at the very fashinating history of Scientology. Or New Age, for that matter.

Quote: Original post by Cibressus
you can't realy charge membership for a religion. once you start charging for a religion it's no longer a religion and becomes a cult. you could have offerings or collections or trithes but no memberships.

What about collection money ;-), you have to pay the preist something even priests need food!

In Islam if you are well off you have to pay poor dues to the poor as well.

Me thinks you would do best to follow the typical "tycoon" model. Isometric perspective and all that jazz. You're typical "tycoon" game consumer is not even aware that different companies make different "tycoon" games. They don't care. They don't need to care. But, you're going to want to work within their expectations. If you don't you run the risk of being labeled that "other" tycoon game. You don't want that.

I gotta give you some credit man, that is a killer idea. Best of luck with it.