World Of PeaceCraft Coming In December? - UPDATED

The Religious Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers, are apparently getting ready to launch a new online RPG called The World of Peacecraft.

The Click Heard Round the World blog, which claims to have contacts with "a number of Quaker institutions," is reporting that the new game based on the Quaker faith will be launched in December. But the game will also offer something for people of other faiths, according to CEO Thad Thomas, who said, "Whether you are a Buddhist, Muslim, Jew or just a curious agnostic, you will find much to do and enjoy in World of PeaceCraft."

"The Quaker United Service is pleased to announce the beta-release of the new MMORPG World of PeaceCraft, the first massive online game for a Christian religious denomination," a draft press release for the game says. "Full of fun quests and adventures, the WoP will extend traditional Quaker values and historic testimonies -- such as their work to end the slave trade, protesting against war, and worshiping in silence -- into an immersive, 3D environment."

The game will apparently begin in 17th century England during the time of Quaker founder George Fox, and from there move to the early 1800s and beyond, with quests involving women's suffrage, the civil rights movement and even current Quaker protests against war and the death penalty. Game characters will also need to come together with other players to worship in one of 25 historically accurate Quaker meeting houses to replenish their "Inner Light" to help them stand up for the causes of justice, peace and equality.

Is this real? Is it a hoax, or a weak and tired joke? I have no idea, so I asked the Quakers. In the meantime, while we wait for them to respond, is this something you'd play?

UPDATE - Rik Riel, the author behind the Click Heard Round the World blog and a producer for Linden Lab's Second Life confirmed to The Escapist that the blog entry and quoted press release were fabrications written to test how people would react to the news.

Riel has a history of these hoaxes usually based around virtual worlds, having admitted that posts about 3-D Shakespearean MMOs and ICANN (the internet organization in charge of maintaining website domain names) would be moving its resources into a virtual world were faked.

via: GamePolitics

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Real or not, that is hilarious. Thank you for brightening an otherwise average day in my life.

Actually, Quaker services are really cool. Sometimes you just go and sit for thirty minutes with a bunch of other people, no talking, nothing. You just sit and think about your life and what you're doing. Not one myself though.

As for the game...it could end up like that Shakespeare MMORPG if they don't remember to keep the fun involved. You have to sneak the history and culture in, not tack it onto a pre-existing game mold.

ACTION PACKED! WORSHIP IN SILENCE! I can imagine the vent servers! 'Quickly I need a buff to continue protesting!' 'One sec! I need to pray, back in 60 mins!'. This is just going to be a masiive phedofile playground.

Quakers have such a "cooperative" and "inclusive" religious message that I really can't decry them their desire for pacifism and cooperation in the face of all this violence in gaming.

It'll probably suck though, just saying.

I love Quakers. They're brilliant. I dunno if PeaceCraft is real, but it's totally something I could see them doing. If it's free, I'll play it (as a joke, though).

Of course, the griefer-to-player ratio might be a little skewed.

I wonder if it uses the Quake(r) III Engine.

(Yes, I signed up to make this joke.)

I'm speccing heavily into worshiping in silence.

Maybe there is some awesomeness left in this world after all......

Well, it would make a nice pair with the Muslim version of Second Life.

CUnk:
I wonder if it uses the Quake(r) III Engine.

(Yes, I signed up to make this joke.)

Your first post was a terrible pun? A poster after my own heart...

Is it april 1st already? Did I lapse into a coma?

Buddhist?

They are marketing to Buddhists and Agnostics?

Sounds like a big plan to convert people.

That is, if it's real.

You ever met a Quaker? They don't go around trying to convert you, which is a nice relief.
This game will most likely never be heard from again, after being sued back into the dark ages by Blizzard for the very close similarity name-wise to WoW. Shame really.

CUnk:
I wonder if it uses the Quake(r) III Engine.

(Yes, I signed up to make this joke.)

Awesome, signed up just to make a bad pun, definately adding you as a friend! that made my day.
I honestly thought this was a giant joke when I saw the thread title. Thanks for the laughs!

Great :D
You can teach yourself and your kids to be virtuous flower-childs...
Whilst having NO FUN! :D

That's the impression I got, I wonder how long it'll be before everyone starts converting each other and getting into religious wars...

*HEY DANNY! CAN I BORROW YOUR COUCH?*

*If no-one knows what I'm talking about; Danny Damage has a couch we can use to watch e-wars,
and there's popcorn!

It is interesting to see if people will actually play this...
On another note

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Ok, here's your mission...

I want you to go out into the wartorn plains of Happiness, and protest the slaughter of our last group of protesters. Bring back ten enemy soldiers who you have converted to peace and I shall reward you with this nice carrot muffin.

I can only find one fitting word as a response and that is:
lulwut!?

I would laugh if this were not so retarded. World of PeaceCraft? I mean, peace in real life is great and all, but in a video game? What is the goal, to have a raid centered around a candle vigil against war? The players get to make signs, convert violent people to peace, and hug and love everyone? BOOOOOOORRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!!

LFM Midnight Service PST

*face palm*

As should be clear now, the whole thing was a hoax: http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2008/10/and-scene.html

Thanks everyone for playing. I hope it was somewhat amusing and not too confusing.

what if you are an atheist?

A hoax, but too bad- I liked the idea of someone trying to unite all the religeons under their commonalities. It always suprises me how little people can get along when we all have effectivly the SAME religeous aims and views, except with different cultural lenses and different names for our dieties of choice.

rikomatic:
As should be clear now, the whole thing was a hoax: http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2008/10/and-scene.html

Thanks everyone for playing. I hope it was somewhat amusing and not too confusing.

Can I be the first to say- WE'VE BEEN RIK-ROLLED!

I wish they were making this, it would've been odd to see.

Khell_Sennet:
Ok, here's your mission...

I want you to go out into the wartorn plains of Happiness, and protest the slaughter of our last group of protesters. Bring back ten enemy soldiers who you have converted to peace and I shall reward you with this nice carrot muffin.

*stomach growls*
Curse you, Khell!
Now I have to go find some kind of carrot baked good...

While I'm not religious myself, I have a lot of first hand experience having been brought up in both Hare Krishna and Anglican environments; I don't believe you should be making fun of *anyone's* beliefs.

We are all entitled to believe what we choose, and should be able to do so without fear of being ostracised. It's a cheap jab that smacks of an immature writer and a lazy Editor.

Shame on you Escapist.