Back when I was still actively working on Lost Sosaria, I wrestled with various “morality” systems that I might want to work in to the game…the default karma approach that had featured in precious Ultima games didn’t particularly appeal to me. Taking a hint from BioWare, even without having played Knights of the Old Republic I devised a system of virtue and anti-virtue scores, based on the seven cardinal and theological virtues of the Catholic faith. What I came up with was a bit more than just a multiplication of KOTOR‘s morality system (which is still just basically karma). Indeed, it was rather more like the system in Mass Effect…but with fourteen counters instead of just two. Moreover, I devised a system whereby the Guardian — or, rather, those who server or were enslaved by him — gained power if the player racked up high anti-virtue scores.

Not that I intended for there to be overt Catholicism in Lost Sosaria, mind you. But it seemed quite reasonable to use a system of virtues in the mod that could in various ways be related to the Britannian virtues without actually using the Britannian virtues. (See also: Serpent Isle.) at the same time, I wanted to experiment with just how extensible, beyond the boundaries of the practice of the Christian faith, the virtues really were.

And so faith, hope, love, temperance, prudence, justice and fortitude were to be the virtues of the land of New Sosaria.

Obviously, I never got to experiment with my idea that much, owing to the fact that I had to set the project aside to meet the demands that a new and growing family placed on my already-limited free time. However, I held on to the idea, and thought about how I might adapt it to another story or game plot idea I had a while ago. That idea was much more sci-fi in nature, and wouldn’t have been related to Ultima at all…and would have pitted the player against two different categories of enemies: corporeal opponents who were either willing servants or slaves of some evil entity, and supernatural foes that grew in power as the player racked up the tallies of the anti-virtues. Worse still, the acquired bonuses were permanent; there were no corresponding reductions in enemy power for high virtue scores, nor did the player himself gain any combat bonus against his foes.

I shelved parts of that idea after I realized that it would make enemies in the game almost impossible to defeat by the end, except in very small groups. But I also realized that in a way, that was probably the point. Which is to say: if there is any supernatural effect caused by human wrongdoing, we are — or would/will be — powerless against it.

We are very amazing creatures, fearfully and wonderfully made…but we are also very limited creatures. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been enjoying Mass Effect so much: though a Reaper is still a corporeal foe that can be individually defeated with much struggle and effort, the Reapers as a collective are beyond both the ability of mankind (or turiankind, or hanarkind, or what have you) to understand or defeat.

Despite living in Edmonton, and despite knowing a few people at BioWare, I don’t have any inside details on how Mass Effect 3 will play out…but I suspect that any lasting victory over the Reapers in that game will not come about by way of force of arms. Especially not after seeing both how high the cost of defeating one Reaper was in Mass Effect, and then seeing how many Reapers there actually were at the very end of Mass Effect 2. Against such a multitude, none could prevail…not by force.

If there is to be a victory for the Council races in Mass Effect 3, it will come about by some unexpected means, which will likely require great sacrifice.

It is this ability for — and inclination toward — sacrifice that really sets man apart from other creatures. Not that other creatures will not lay down their life on behalf of kith and kin; many animals (man included) do just that. But where man is unique is, I think, in his willingness to risk life and limb on behalf of complete strangers, in ways and for reasons that go far beyond notions of altruism or “reciprocal” altruism. In like manner, man is unique in his ability to forgive wrongs done against him — any other animal would opt not to stick its nose where it hurt once before. But we humans are willing to forgive one another, even if we disadvantage ourselves and risk further or repeated abuses by so doing.

Easter is concerned with such concepts as these, as are the philosophical disciplines which concern themselves with the concept of natural law. That said, obviously not all of you who read this site are wont to observe Easter in a religious or particularly philosophical way.

So…if it is the good reader’s way to make such reflectionsas these inside of a church on this day or those that immediately follow it, well and good. If not, perhaps the good reader could nevertheless be encouraged to reflect upon the inclinations toward sacrifice and forgiveness which would seem to be a part of the fabric which makes up a human being. And perhaps we might all reflect on those things we have done, recently or some time ago, which we might one day like to be forgiven for.

And regardless, thanks for indulging a young Dragon his annual Easter reflection. Have a great weekend, hopefully in the company of family and friends.