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[Robosaur]

the very gods decide who your king/queen is.

[AutomataKittay]

Doesn't seems fitting. It'd work better as religion leader position. Kings tend to be appointed either by strength or by political connections, which can include religious leader. That's why some kings can claim divine rule, because the religious leaders approves of them

On other hand, there could be a use for a civ religion leader, either as advisor of high rank or a delegate to overseer proper leadership and all that.

[GreatWyrmGold]

It's different IRL, but in DF what the god chooses isn't suspiciously similar to the priests' desire. It would be neat if the High Priest lied about what the gods desired...

[AutomataKittay]

It's different IRL, but in DF what the god chooses isn't suspiciously similar to the priests' desire. It would be neat if the High Priest lied about what the gods desired...

On other hand, this could also lead to ability to mod in civs that's led by religious factions, won't it? Maybe not very well or effectively with current system, but it's a thought.

[Robosaur]

Yeah, this could be used for high priests, or kings in very religious entities.

[weenog]

Might make for new civilizations created by schisms within existing civilizations, if a deity (or demon) appoints a leader in a civ that already has a strong leader in that position.

[Robosaur]

Maybe if a position has [APPOINTED_BY:DIVINE], but it ALSO has [ELECTED], [BY_SUCCESSION] or [APPOINTED_BY:ANYTHING_ELSE], then divine appointment is both rare and a big deal. However, if it's ONLY appointed by divine, then it will be every time that position is needed. I guess??

[Garrosh]

Since, most of the time, [APPOINTED_BY:DIVINE] actually stands for [APPOINTED_BY:SELF] or [APPOINTED_BY:NO_ONE], getting that appointment by the abstract DIVINE entity would totally rule. However, it would make more sense if the name of the God making the appointment be placed there. We could get some real greek-style demigods duking it out, each with their "divine" appointment.

And we could also get those demons posing as gods doing the same. Or anyone else, for that matter. [APPOINTED_BY:URIST] has something cool about it... And helps making subtle nuances with shifty relations: URIST is a mayor [APPOINTED_BY:ARMOK], and has appointed BOB to be hammerer ([APPOINTED_BY:URIST]). URIST goes crazy, starts killing people. What does BOB do? Normally he'd just hammer him to death, but there's the fact that it's URIST himself that has appointed him... So BOB would just have to do some personnality tests to see if the importance of that appointment is more important than his morals.

And of course, you know you're bad when [APPOINTED_BY:CHICKEN] (cage cleaner).

[GreatWyrmGold]

Well, gods don't have pre-defined identities... so no.

IRL, gods can't choose, but IDF, gods exist. And care.

[nanomage]

I don't like this idea. When gods decide Urist is to appoint some position, they do not come knocking and say: "hey you, Urist McChosen is your new whatever".
They just arrange things, align chances and occasions in such a way that Urist becomes the new leader or ruler as if by some incredible luck, and that is how it should be modeled, I think.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I fail to see why all gods should be assumed to act like that, and either way the god is appointing the person, so it doesn't matter much.

[dwarfhoplite]

I like to think about religion and gods in DF in Tolkienish manner. There is the creator (Iluvatar) who created the world and gods. The "gods" are spirits of divine origin and the mightiest of them are "Valar".

[nanomage]

I like to think about religion and gods in DF in Tolkienish manner. There is the creator (Iluvatar) who created the world and gods. The "gods" are spirits of divine origin and the mightiest of them are "Valar".

Well DF gods right now are a bit different from this. They only exist because they are worshiped by civilized races, actually they only occur in worlds with civilized races. And this the the answer for why I think that all gods should express their will as i described, not as clear words: it's because they do not _really_ exist, and their will is just kind of net will of their entire lots of followers, kind of like bogeymen.
The problem with open manifestation of gods' will for me is that such action would prove the truth of their existence to anyone present, and that somehow seems very unfitting.   

[GreatWyrmGold]

Gods continue to live even when all of their worshippers are dead, so your argument is faulty.
Also, gods exist IDF. They only express their will by cursing mortals at the moment, but are going to do more later. More faults.
How much gods mind proving their own existence varies from god to god in RL myths, and therefore should in DF.

[Helari]

It's different IRL, but in DF what the god chooses isn't suspiciously similar to the priests' desire. It would be neat if the High Priest lied about what the gods desired...

if someone like a high priest defied a deity it should also result in some major cursing and smiting calamity unless the high priest and the civ were protected from such by one means or another.