CONVICTED -- Need Game Suggestions

[Angyl]

I've been doing some Star Wars...I don't feel so convicted about the whole usage of the Force. What is The Force Unleashed? Guess I'll hafta Google that one.

[Guy4God]

The Force Unleashed is a Star Wars game that takes place inbetween episodes 3 and 4. It spans the time with the remaining Jedi who fough against the Empire i those years. It is all next gen graphics with lightsabers and the Force powers being the primary weapons....here's a sweet trailer that shows gameplay...

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed/#

It's supposed to be the best SW game ever, and it is supposed to show you how powerful the Jedi really were during the early days of the Empire's taking over....

[NovaStorm]

Yep, I played EQ and UO for about five years from about when they launched. Played Morrowind a lot and a bunch of other high fantasy games all too much. Actually about 20 years ago I used to play AD&D, I eventually felt down about it while I was seeing my friends begin to take on the personas of their invented characters. Like on of my friends that was usually pretty straight and narrow, he got focused on a rogue thief character and in time he started steeling things from stores and other people. Eventually he went to prison for grand larceny during his Sr. year of High School. Some experienced manifestations of entities in their homes and abouts, often dark figures brooding in parts of their homes. I also experienced this, very strange occurrences that were certainly demonic in nature.

I put down AD&D and invented my own rules and game, a game that was more appropriate. After I moved and left my old friends behind, I just never picked up P&P games again. However I still do play games, especially on-line RPG’s. Some years back though I was noticing just how alluring these games were growing in regards to their use of the Occult. Basically the same deal as with the old D&D now; since now video games have come a long way being more realistic. I met people in EQ that had their own virtual witches coven, they actively looked for people to recruit and train in practicing their religion outside the game (the Occult). I met people that didn’t just play thieves, but actually they would scam other players using various cheats and then sell those in-game items on eBay for big money, then just say that they were just playing their character. Then there was the whole idea of cast, cast, cast, cast, cast again and again. It started to become second nature from such repetition, than sometimes I’d dream about casting this “magic”, when something arose in life the thought would cross my mind that if I could actually cast magic I could deal with a certain situation that suddenly arose. It was becoming instinctual such as we should have instinct to pray in such situations.

That’s how we learn anyway. Often to learn something we learn it by repetition. We do or think something over and over until it becomes a natural reaction where we need not even really think about it to react in such a way. With the incredible obsession with Occult themed games these days, that’s what people are thinking, and if they are not directly thinking those things they are certainly open to the thinking that there is nothing wrong with it, but the thoughts are still there.

So what is the big deal about game magic? Well the problem is that people approach the whole thing unwittingly. The nature of actual magic is not in the result but in the trying. As is taught by those in the Occult concerning magic “as above, so below”. Basically they teach that first one must set ones mind to do a thing, that if they dedicate themselves to setting their mind to contact the ether world that they can in varying degrees cause a result. Not always a flash-bang there it is type of deal, but even subtle changes that effect this world from the nether world by their focus. Their thought are held captive to perform such acts, they are given over to it in hopes that one day they shall succeed. The problem is, God hates such practices, Deut 18 provides for some heavy reading (among other passages), He just hates that stuff, and I’m sure He hates it in any form.

What all these games do is provide a primer. It gives the idea that with enough practice you may have these results. Though many that play such games may smirk at that idea, and do, it is what they are setting their mind to whether they understand it or not. Jesus said to keep our minds on Him, upon scripture, but what these games teach, passively, is to put your mind on magic. Often these game settings are void of God, God has no place in these game worlds but such games have many gods, and they are the focus for the story and players efforts. So players get used to not only playing with the occult, but in a game world that God is in no way the focus of. God is not just not mentioned, but replaced with other gods that give reward or consequence if you do or do not play along with them as the game progresses.

So, where to draw the line? Well speaking for myself, I just don’t pick up any new games of that type. When WoW came out I simply passed it on by. I did however play LotRO, but from following early development they were saying that they were not going to add a magic class, but shortly into close beta I realized that they did, so I dumped the game. LOTR is a bit questionable, anyway, more so for me than others since I’m not RCC though much of the story is somewhat inspired by RCC doctrine not to mention new age aspects such as the Atlantis theory beliefs (very new age). Star Wars is iffy too, the force is based on another religion which also is embraced by many new age beliefs. Unfortunately, some have taken the force ideas from the books and movies and formed a Jedi religious system of it. For me, even though I’ve enjoyed Star Wars from back when I was a child, it makes me wonder if I should just keep away from that as well since promoting it by advocating it may cause someone to take joining such a religion as a serious thing to do.

For me it’s not just about if it is going to harm me, though I should not test God in that way, but I must not forget that we live in a fallen world. Do I associate myself with such things and make it out as if it ok for anyone to do? By staying away form it does not make the world loose any salt, I and still right here in this world (but not of it), I can still reach out and tell others that they need Jesus, but I find it hard to put myself in a situation were occult ideas are entertainment and be taken seriously if I mention the name of Jesus to someone playing that game while I am, be I playing it with them or talking to someone that plays it as do I.

Actually, this is short, I can go on and on about this, I probably should have used some scripture beyond a reference to Deut 18, but this is quick reply (and a bit poorly written I fear) this time heh. But what you can do is stay in the word, get close to the word, and then pray hard about it all, He’ll give you the answers in time. Also don’t ever forget to investigate, there is a ton of info on the net about the Occult from a Christian perspective, also about many of the other things found in modern games.

[ghetto guy]

You could always play a game like Runescape and not use magic. You could even start a Christan group.

[Locrouse]

AO doesn't use magic either, if memory serves me right. It's a sci-fi game and all the damage you do is through nano-bots. Last I checked that game is free as well, unless you wanna play with the expansion, then it costs.

[NovaStorm]

AO doesn't use magic either, if memory serves me right. It's a sci-fi game and all the damage you do is through nano-bots. Last I checked that game is free as well, unless you wanna play with the expansion, then it costs.Yeah, I play that, it's technology based and not based on occult ideas, just technology. There are quite a few mmorpg's that are ok to me, but there are many that are just saturated with stuff I just don't want to mess with. Some games worth looking at are PlanetSide, WWII Online, EVE Online, Voyage Century, Roma Victor, Star Wars Galaxies, A tale in the desert, list goes on...

[Angyl]

The Force Unleashed is a Star Wars game that takes place inbetween episodes 3 and 4. It spans the time with the remaining Jedi who fough against the Empire i those years. It is all next gen graphics with lightsabers and the Force powers being the primary weapons....here's a sweet trailer that shows gameplay...

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed/#

It's supposed to be the best SW game ever, and it is supposed to show you how powerful the Jedi really were during the early days of the Empire's taking over....

WOAH THAT LOOKS SWEET!!!!
:thumb:thumb

[Angyl]

NovaStorm, your explanation pretty well sums it up, thanks. I'll look into those other MMORPGS you mentioned.

[png]

How do you feel about player resurrection in games? Just curious, I know people are concerned with magical aspects of games, but I never hear anyone mention that resurrection is a cheap and common occurrence for player characters in most games.

[NovaStorm]

How do you feel about player resurrection in games? Just curious, I know people are concerned with magical aspects of games, but I never hear anyone mention that resurrection is a cheap and common occurrence for player characters in most games.I don't think I'll put a lengthy comment on that other than I don't care for it. I will say, as an indie game developer, I am making a game in which there is no player death, one simply looses conciseness. Upon re-entry to the game world they are simply taken to a safe location where they regain conciseness. Players will also be able to revive (or "revival") other players that fall on the battlefield (Christian mmorpg). I've seen different ways to do it in mmorpg's, often the main alternative to resurrection is cloning, but not all that suitable either. I actually proposed this to the developers of LotRO (VUGames) like four years ago and they replied that they liked it and were going to use it (simply going "unconscious"), but I think they refined it to simply calling it "defeat" or something like that which sorta blurred the intent. But that's what I'll be using, anyway.