I noticed on someone else’s blog that they had thoughts about The Inquisition, and how horrible it makes the Order out to be. It got me to thinking, because as we all know, The Inquisition really happened – in our world, sans high magic. In our world, however, it very much was a battle of politics, faith, and power.
I think it made me give pause for a moment, and remember in a sort of faceless way, all the people who suffered and died throughout history in tragic circumstance. It’s sad that we have a game that embodies this, and that the storyline is so extremely compelling… but let’s face it, it is. Compelling, I mean.
I wonder if that’s a commentary on why we as people on this planet are cruel to one another. Is it, in part, simply a matter of entertainment?
I don’t see TI’s Order as being evil any more than I do our IRL churches, some of which very specifically were a part of the true Inquisition (which, to my understanding is actually still on today, albeit in a far less brutal form). The Holy Order, like most churches today, is also a very positive force on TI, supporting orphanages, charities, and communities.
As a game, overall, I think that it’s important for there to be core, very human conflicts. Slavery and freedom, discrimination, coming of age – all of these are pervasive themes in literature, and they’re pervasive themes on TI. Without challenges, the characters we create would be truly bland.
One thing that’s interesting to me is how many players choose to play “bad guys” – but what is a bad guy? Is it the Order for enforcing discrimination and cruelty upon mages, or is it people robbing and murdering for profit? Isn’t it strange that we take thief characters for granted as exciting, roguish character concepts, but vilify the Inquisitor? For some reason, people find mages sympathetic – my best guess is because magery is seen as a challenge of birth. I hope that changes with the magic revamp, because the best mage concept in my mind is someone looking for power and willing to do practically anything, even insane, horrifying things, to get it.
Anyway, that’s just a ramble. I like the idea of having OOC thoughts on a blog, so I think I’ll do it now and again. Thanks for reading!
