Goddess Maker Mechanic: BENEVOLENCE

Introduction:

One of the goals of Goddess Maker is to present the ascension of godhood, as a potentially positive act, rather than a certain negative transition of someone seeking power for the sole sake of it.

This positive attribution of ascension is through a mechanic of “Learned Benevolence”, where the ethos for becoming a god or goddess is expanded with motivation.

Learned Benevolence

For characters like the partner character, her initial motivation for becoming a goddess is merely in self-interest, dissociated from the consequences that her yearned ascension may have on the world. 

However, she is a malleable character who can develop an ethos of her choosing that colors the type of goddess she could become, many of which circulates about being a better person and therefore becoming a much more thoughtful, and well-deserving of the right, goddess.

As the player character is the controllable factor of the equation, much of the influence weighs on the player’s shoulders, as they, in a way, are the sole arbitrator to the prevention of a not-so-kind goddess being born, in a sort of reactionary response.

New World Philanthropy

In the latter half of the “Lab of God” section of Goddess Maker, one of the open opportunities that facilitates certain route change criteria is to use the lab as a means to repair the broken world that has been devastated by a preceding world war.

In order to mend the world, “The Lab” can engage in producing products that are meant to help people like curing eyesight or getting people back on their feet through manufactured technologies.

As “The Lab” becomes much more involved in the affairs of the world, parallel to its own expanding development, these “philanthropy missions” become available through letters and phone calls, requesting assistance to treat certain ails.

However, “The Lab” will be providing most of these services, toward the completion of measurable goal, at a loss. 

But that’s to say, it is not a fool’s errand to do good for the sake of doing good, as what “The Lab” receives in return becomes more important than mere spending money.

As rather than receiving more financial funding toward the lab’s grander developments as a reward for healing the world, “The Lab” is instead awarded with a higher reputational value.

Reputational Value

Like in the real world, reputation is something dire to a business’s success that is a front-facing obligation, from the otherwise centrally intended motivation to earn ever so increasing profits.

But as the prime objective in Goddess Maker isn’t about perpetually increasing profitability, rather being to attain godhood, reputation holds an even more serious possibility of backlash.

One of the key human limitations, the player character and partner character face, in the “Lab of God” section, is that they are mere humans among a whole sea of other humans, who aren’t cultured to take kindly to change.

As “The Lab”’s creations become more and more sophisticated to meddle in the world’s affairs, public fear, scrutiny, and paranoia are social issues than need to be addressed through the gaining of the public’s trust.

This is why good reputation through philanthropy is important, as it gives “The Lab” the better of the doubt when controversial actions and disputes are incurred.

Especially when the time comes to invoke the ascension transition toward godhood and how the outside world will respond to the dilemma of a new god being born.

Humanity’s Response

It’s no lack of the obvious, that if an ascension toward godhood occurs, that factions of humanity would act to thwart the ascension attempt, especially in matters of security.

Ascension Mechanisms are often dependent on the flow of resources, such as electricity, that can easily be shut off by outside interests.

So, if these parties aren’t won over in the prior “Lab of God” section, then they can play a reactive role in the proceeding Ascension Route, elevating the difficulty of that section by interfering.

Given the need to simplify the factions for gameplay purposes, as the lab becomes grander in its facilities and its impact more apparent to the public eye, these factions will unveil themselves to the player and it will be “The Lab”’s response to either placate them or preempt a defense.

Who should be God? Debate 

While not a major factor in the “Lab of God” Section, as whomever ascends to be the leader of the lab, through height growth rivalry, has the say of whom should attain godhood. 

Other game sections that secede upon a route change of the “Lab of God” section, that especially focus on other main characters, often present a debate in terms of who would be best for the world if they successfully obtain the means of godly ascension.

This again weighs the balance of whose ethos is more benevolent and places the player in the position of arbitration on the fate of the world.