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[lordcooper]

There may be some way to actually find out what they need, we're still playing with ways to represent the general "goings on" of groups of characters.  The issue comes down to UI clutter, really.

Maybe the player/bureaucrat could be sent occasional (pop up) reports by soldiers/inspectors/witnesses who stumble across information.  It wouldn't need to always be 100% accurate either...

Or maybe a diplomacy/intel screen where more information is revealed as you gain more spies or whatever.

[Gaslamp-Daniel]

I'll think about how we could do it.  I mean, certain cults that want to build things that won't really be good or bad wouldn't need to be stopped, and the cults might make them happy, but if they start worshipping elder embodiments of destruction and chaos, it's going to be difficult to really make that internally consistent with the narrative if you want to just try to harness that without your settlement burning down.  I do like your general idea though, and being able to make that distinction would require that, as you said, you could find out something about them.

One possible scenario right now to attempt to allow for this sort of thing, would be if you were well-liked enough by say, a faction of crater beasts, that it would allow you to have crater beast cults that wouldn't suddenly become uncontrollable, and they might gain some benefits from being in what is now (essentially) your church. 

It would take a bit of work to gain the rapport with the crater beasts, perhaps over one settlement or more, but I think that would give you some of what you're after while still allowing for cults to other vengeful forest creatures to be anathema to that settlement.  I've been considering different cults as essentially different extremist belief systems, and by that measure, I doubt they'd like each other much.

Regarding the UI clutter response, yeah, we're going to try to attach different "reports" to different administrators, but that's very up in the air right now and might change through development.  UI is a weird thing in that some decision can feel like a good one at one point, but further along it's clearly not.

[Zangi]

Meta-game wise, the player/mayor can be portrayed as someone who is also slightly unhinged but, is more interested in the colonies, power and/or whatever else then destroying his/her own colonies or summoning destructive abominations on his/her own stuff.

Maybe unleashing destructive abominations on 'not-your-colonies', sure... in a it might bite you in the arse later or not kind of thing.

For example; Crater Beast Cults, they like you, they want to someone a beast, but it is destructive... you give them the opportunity to summon it outside some other colony/kingdom and not yours, fulfilling their goal and making someone else pissed at you... all without messing up your own colony.

[ScriptWolf]

Dan you could still have destructive Cultist groups. But if you join them then destruction now ceases to become inwards, because basically the town is in on it and becomes a more large scale threat. If your colony becomes a known cultist hangout you could then find your self at odds with the mothercog land and have that group ( the group which was in the story ) come in to your colony and start doing investigations. Dont not let the play do something, be free in all sense so please please let us become a cultist centric colony and you will have my monies forever and ever and ever and ever.

[Viken]

It actually isn't too far of a stretch, if you think about it.  The Clockwork Empire has the standard worship of the Holy Cog, right?  The other factions/nations should be able to have their own religions.  The only difference between a 'Cult' and a religion is how wide-spread and accepted it is on a large scale.  So if you (the player/Beauracrat) can gain enough credibility or likeness with other groups, should have the option of joining one of the other cultures/religions and mandating that as your cities religion.  Not everyone has to agree, btu what are they going to do to stop it?

It could even be a meta-game mechanic, cause as it was stated, the favors and whatnot you gain could tie into it, depending upon how verdant you are in the religious side of things: "Astounding conviction for the Church of the Holy Cog, such-and-such reward for having 3 Churches in your town!" sort of deal. 

Or if you find a way to make a pact with one of the -other- things out there that could allow you access to religious buildings that their cultists could come and use would be cool.  Give the player more control over the boundry between the state and religion.  Mwhahahaha.  Could tie in with some of the mega-construction projects, as well. 

[ScriptWolf]

It actually isn't too far of a stretch, if you think about it.  The Clockwork Empire has the standard worship of the Holy Cog, right?  The other factions/nations should be able to have their own religions.  The only difference between a 'Cult' and a religion is how wide-spread and accepted it is on a large scale.  So if you (the player/Beauracrat) can gain enough credibility or likeness with other groups, should have the option of joining one of the other cultures/religions and mandating that as your cities religion.  Not everyone has to agree, btu what are they going to do to stop it?

yeah i was going to suggest this as well, so you have the option to turn your back on the cog land and join a different nation, this could also effect meta game and general how you play overall, and your next game you would be with that nation instead of the cog land

[Criptfeind]

Not everyone has to agree, btu what are they going to do to stop it?

Purge.

With fire.


If the Bureaucrat is suppose to be this sort of over watching non-corruptible figure that watches all the towns burn from a distance then scuttles off to collect their awards, I am not sure if it makes sense for them to get involved in things like religion so closely as to actually do anything. I mean, I am loath to say more choices are a bad thing, but at a certain point you are a a career bureaucrat of what appears to be a very religious if not outright theocratic empire.

Er, what I mean basically which might not have been clear there, is doing things that can physically in danger you on the meta level seem like something that would need to be thought about pretty hard.

[cerapa]

I imagine the empire would be pretty pissed off by religious conversion.

But the reason why you are converting, is because you are powering your factories with shoggoth farts, so even if they did show up with an army, you could most likely put up a good fight.

Perhaps like a suicide option of sorts? Survive for as long as you can while under siege by the empire.

[ScriptWolf]

or the cop out option SUMMON MIGHTY CTHULHU

[sebcool]

They just released a new blog post about the soundtrack and dynamic music, including a demo of it in action.
http://www.gaslampgames.com/2012/12/20/dynamic-music/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GaslampGames+%28Gaslamp+Games+Blog%29

Also, quick question: Will we be able to get the soundtrack of the game when it's released?

[lordcooper]

http://www.gaslampgames.com/2012/12/12/flora/

This one gave me all kinds of happys.

E: As did the music one, and all the others really.  Take your time guys, but take your time quickly please

[Scoops Novel]

Speaking of inspectors, give the detective his pipe *dismissive flick*.

[Zecro_The_Scourge]

Posting to watch.

[Gaslamp-Daniel]

Hey guys, just wanted to apologize for the incredibly light (and somewhat late!) blog post this week.  Man, holidays, I tell you what.  We've been arguing a lot internally about scripting languages and some other actually far more interesting and lovely things that I suspect will show up next week.

We will release some version of the soundtrack, I'm sure.  From the sounds of it so far it's going to be fantastic.

I don't really have all that much to add to the talk about cults since these behaviors sit at the very top of a large blob of sophisticated AI work that's still being done.  We've been working on a list of character traits and their implementation though, which has been interesting so far:

Rustic Disposition
Reclusive
Scholarly
Lazy
Spiritual
Patriotic
Doomed
Hat Enthusiast

Let me know if you can think of any good ones to add to the list

[Descan]

Fanatical.

Mechanically inclined.

Curious.

Born Leader?