Black and White Video Game

[kneeler4u]

Does anyone know anything about this game for your pc called Black and White? It’s published by EA Games and is rated “T” for teens. The player plays a deity/god and decides the outcome of the characters for the good or the evil.

 

[Brain]

I have only played the original game, not the sequel (B&W 2), but the game is a lot of fun! I reccomend it highly!

the premise is thay you are a pagan god trying to establish yourself in a world called eden (though it isnt Eden. the game uses a few religious terms but the use is sort of non-sensical since the use isnt what the words really mean… at all) and there are other gods and some want to be the only god. to defend yourself against the hostile gods you need to slowly aquire “creeds” that boost your power, culminating in the ability to totally erase another god from existance.

You can be good or evil. and you have a giant pet (anything from a sheep or monkey to a polar bear or turtle) that you can train to do your bissing or help take care of your worshippers or convert other towns to yoru side. the animal has a mind of its own though and so if you dont teach and dicipline it it can be a handful to control.

as for caveats:
there is a bit of violence. it is non graphic but:
Your pet and other gods’ pets can fight and they relfect the wounds they recieve. no blood, but some nasty bruises.
The villagers can be killed in a whole number of ways liek bing lit on fire, crushed, drowned, eaten by your pet (which you should punish him for), burned, die from sickeness, die from age, and even sacrificed (you are pretty much evil if you do this though and it is not graphic at all. you can also sacrifice plants and animals) none of the violence is graphic though, a dead villagers just keels over.
You can punish or reward your pet with strokes or slaps, and if you get carries away, youy can beat the animal within an inch of its life (but thsi will seriously harm your relationshipwith him, and besides is a pretty sick thing to do)

 

[thann]

My son received B&W several years ago. Unfortunately it doesn’t work on his new gaming computer.

Anyway, he got me to play it a bit, but I didn’t like it. To “tame” your beast you have to hit it if it misbehaves, otherwise it gets into a lot of trouble. I don’t believe in spanking or hitting, so I had a problem with that.

Other than his fuddy duddy old mom, my son liked the game.

'thann

 

[TimOliv]

I played it. I thought it was fun. And I didn’t mind in the least giving the beast a slap, especially when he kept eating innocent people!

 

[KnightErrantJR]

The biggest problem I had with it is in the introduction when they make the statement that God(s) have no reason to exist when people are at peace and prosperous. It felt a little bit like liberal anti-religeous preaching and psuedo philosophical proselytizing, but other than that, its not much differnt than being in charge of a whole nation or faction in a RTS game.

 

[Zahmir]

I would recommend the sequel, however. The first B&W had some serious bugs that really detracted from gameplay. I found the second one to be much more entertaining.

Granted, warfare is a highly, though not necessary, part of the game. I would say the things you learn from the game include the necessities of a civilization, what it takes for a nation to grow, and how a “good” god might allow civilization to prosper, and all this stuff.

Some bad things? It would be very easy to get into a habit of doing evil things in the game, to take out anger and frustration or for whatever reason. If I were the parent of the child playing this game, I would want to keep an eye on what my child was doing with the game, if he wanted to be predominantly good, or predominantly evil.

Buying this game for your child, or, allowing your child to buy the game, might be a good introduction into morality and what constitues a “good” action or a “bad” action.

 

[TimOliv]

The biggest problem I had with it is in the introduction when they make the statement that God(s) have no reason to exist when people are at peace and prosperous. It felt a little bit like liberal anti-religeous preaching and psuedo philosophical proselytizing, but other than that, its not much differnt than being in charge of a whole nation or faction in a RTS game.

Well I mean you have to expect that a game in which you play a god is not going to worry too much about being sensitive to religion. However, much like the game Populous they at least had the sense to set them at an almost prehistoric time giving you pretty primitive powers (basic reward and punish) fortunately I think they avoided a whole lot of problems (I as well would have a problem with it) if they attempted to delve into judgement of individuals within your community or the afterlife.

 

[Le_Cracquere]

I played it. I thought it was fun. And I didn’t mind in the least giving the beast a slap, especially when he kept eating innocent people!

Played that game a few years back, and had a ball. Your beast does seem to have rather a mind of its own: if you don’t lay down the law, he’ll poop wherever he pleases in your people’s village (no joke when it’s 100 ft tall), and if you play any music stored in MP3 format during the game, your beast will do a creditable job of dancing to it, getting better as it learns!

B&W is an amazing game in all sorts of little ways: if your PC has an active internet connection, the weather in your game world will reflect whatever the online weather sites say is going on outside your window.

 

[Liberalsaved]

My son received B&W several years ago. Unfortunately it doesn’t work on his new gaming computer.

Anyway, he got me to play it a bit, but I didn’t like it. To “tame” your beast you have to hit it if it misbehaves, otherwise it gets into a lot of trouble. I don’t believe in spanking or hitting, so I had a problem with that.

Other than his fuddy duddy old mom, my son liked the game.

'thann

I’m glad you didn’t yank it from him because you didn’t enjoy it. I have met parents who do that, and it seems to me it stifles a child’s ability to think for themselves. I was sure that’s how this post was going to end.

Good on you.

 

[Liberalsaved]

B&W is an amazing game in all sorts of little ways: if your PC has an active internet connection, the weather in your game world will reflect whatever the online weather sites say is going on outside your window.

I first saw that in Animal Crossing, except it had an internal clock that controlled the seasons. It happened in real time, so during winter, it was always winter. Now I have to go hook my 'cube back up, dang it.

 

[rocklobster]

I loved it, but I’d make a terrible god. My creature ate my first atheist when I got tired of him talking about how I don’t exist.

 

[robbmiller]

I reccomend it highly!

the premise is thay you are a pagan god trying to establish yourself

Hmmm, sounds very Catholic.

“See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.” [Colossians 2:8].

 

[Brain]

It is a game, the way things are presented it is quite obviously fantastical, there is no seductive element that might spill over to this side of the screen. It bears no resemblence to any “real” paganism. I myself also have a strong fantasy/reality concept in my mind.

 

[kneeler4u]

I am specifically concerned about the “procreative” part of the game. I have not seen this myself, but have heard from a 10 year old that the characters “Lie down, breathe really hard, go up and down and then a baby sprouts out.” Is this actually how it sounds??? Is it appropriate for a 10 year old?

 

[Liberalsaved]

Hmmm, sounds very Catholic.

“See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.” [Colossians 2:8].

It’s a game.

 

[Brain]

I am specifically concerned about the “procreative” part of the game. I have not seen this myself, but have heard from a 10 year old that the characters “Lie down, breathe really hard, go up and down and then a baby sprouts out.” Is this actually how it sounds??? Is it appropriate for a 10 year old?

From what I have seen the animation is they hug, you hear a kissy sound if and only if you are pretty far zoomed in, and the female runs off to a hut and she comes out with a child.

 

[kneeler4u]

Having not seen the game before, I posted here looking form information. Thank you, Brain, for the clarification on this point. I appreciate your patience in explaining the game to me. From your post I am gathering that what the 10 year old relayed to me may very well be coming from his own mind/imagination/integrated-with-other-things-he’s-seen-and-heard rather than from the actual game. I will not give the game another thought.