Found this in the dev log
 

30th august
* Jigami
* Gozu Mezu
* Onmyo-ji fortune teller (4)
* Onmyo-ji shikigami battle summon

Is this a new nation or new units for Yomi/Shinuyama/Jomon?

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Those look like Jomon stuff. They have a mage called Onmyo-ji, so perhaps these are variants?

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Yeah, the Jigami, the Gozu-Mezu, the MikelYason, the Roboco...

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Domo Arigato, Mister Roboco!

And Mikeru Jakesan!

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Where is this dev log?

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

It's no secret, KO said in our MP game thread (PPP) that he's working on Jomon and some Tien chi stuff

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Onmyo-ji with shikigami is very common in japanese fictions and comics. It's a really cool idea to add it into DOM3:)

Gozu Mezu is basicly chinese mythology created by localized Buddhism. They are known by Japanese too but not as popular as in China. A introduction can be found in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox-Head_and_Horse-Face. It should be a national summon shared by MA/LA Ti'en Ch'i and Shinuyama/Jomon.

I hope it makes a SC chassis so I don't need to put all my equipment on sea troll kings when playing Ti'en Ch'i. But according to the original mythology, Gozu Mezu are quite weak guardians and guides of the underworld:(

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

There will be two versions of the spell (TC and Jomon), differing in name only. The summons will be called Ox-head and horse-face. The Jomon version spell will go by the name Gozu Mezu.

I made some comments in the necronomicon thread, but I might as well do the same here, since it seems not everyone reads that thread :)

I'm mainly focusing on Jomonese stuff, but some critters might be summoned by Yomi or TC as well.

I've been drawing oriental dragons. Since I want their scales to be discernible they were quite time consuming. Every scale had to be individually placed pixel by pixel. I'm more or less finished with the basic form, but I need attack shapes and I want a slightly smaller tatsu as well. I'm also experimenting a bit with coloring.

I intend to do some myo-o and a couple of national kami summons and possibly a pretender or two. I also have some plans for a few buddhistically inspired divine spells and a monastic order.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Cool, looking forward to it. :)

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

An interesting and welcome news. As a former Buddhist monk myself, the one lacuna in the game's coverage of the great Asian religious traditions seems to be its neglect of the Buddhist element.

The Asian dragon update is welcome news, too.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Many "good" race in sutra of Buddhism & Hinduism have been covered by Bandar Log's national summon, the whole EA/MA setting of Jomon come from Shinto, and the immortal system of Taoism is reflected in Ti'en Ch'i national god and heroes. I think the game already have an amazingly coverage of Asia religions:)

I think the thing that was really omitted is localized Buddhism in east Asia. Both Chinese and Japanese make their buddhism very different from the original one. The most obvious example is Guanyin. In China she is the buddist version of Virgin Maria or "the Eternal Feminine" who has numerous worshipers far more than any other god of any religion. But in the original sutra, she is a man!:confused:

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

I have never played with Bandar Log, but my impression was that the units from the sub-continent themed nations were Hindu, not Buddhist. And yes, I recognize that both Taoism and Shintoism are well-represented in this game.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Many of the buddhist spirits have a hindu origin, but as you say the bandar log summons are hindu.

Yakshas, rakshas, vidarajas, asuras, apsaras and others all appear in similar forms in buddhist traditions.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Nounours has started working on a Tibetan mod-I'm guessing based in part on the the pre-Buddhist 'Bon' religion.

I don't know much about it, but from what little I could garner, it's an existing (as in, people still practice it today) Shamanistic tradition that survived in Tibet since before Buddhism arrived there.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Mmm... I would rather say that EA/MA Jomon (i.e., Yomi and Sinuyama) are based off of popular concepts of classical Japan, not really Shinto or Buddhist belief.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

When rising as a new religion, Buddhist mythology said most divine or semi-divine races in Hinduism are guardians of buddha. The Lotus Sutra sum them up to "Eight Divisions of Gods and Dragons": deva, nagas, yakas, ganharvas, asuras, gaudas, kinaras, mahoragas.

It's very diffcult to divide the "Bon" element from current Tantric buddhism of Tibet. They affect each other so deeply that Bon is accpeted by Tibetian buddhism and is named as "black denomination". I wonder how many original concept of Bon can be recovered by modern people.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

How does one become a former Buddhist monk? Found God? On a related note, how does one become a Buddhist monk in the first place? I had this weird situation when I visited the Himachal Pradesh area, that I wanted to buy those functional and good looking robes that the Buddhist monks were wearing, in a shop in McLeod Ganj where they were manufactured. The color composition (ruby and orange) looked fine and the material seemed to be quite good to be comfortable. The price they asked was very cheap, even for India. So (to paraphrase) when I asked "I can really buy those clothes like that? Even if I'm not a Buddhist monk?" the tibetian woman replied "No, those are only for priests." - "But I am not one." - "Maybe you should become one." - "Huh? Errm, err, no, thank you." That was weird. I'm still a little disappointed that I didn't get to buy those cool clothes.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

I think the first step in becoming a former Buddist monk is to become a Buddist monk.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

:) :)

That was brilliant. :)

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

I was really in the process of buying the clothes, we already talked about that they needed to take my measure and I needed to wait a day or two before they are ready. So I was really surprised when she asked me in her cheerful way if I didn't want to become a monk, as if there's not more to it than changing the clothes. :shock:

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Well I think such life change is a bit like swimming. Yeah, it requires some effort, and will be a lot different than what you experienced before - but it all starts with jumping in (or buying the robe). The rest you can either do, or you can't. :P I am guessing if you had said yes, she would have hooked you up with some people. ;)

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Ich,
Would you feel guilty buying the robes if they were offered on eBay? ;)
-SSJ

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

In Thailand, any man (foreigners included) can become a Buddhist monk at any time and can leave the monkhood at any time too. So, over there anyways, its not so uncommon for someone to say "I'm a former Buddhist monk."

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

I became a "former Buddhist monk," because I no longer accepted the ideas and practices associated with the particular Buddhist "school" with which I was affiliated. I do not want to get into too much details, but there were two factors at work here. First, I saw too much corruption and sexual debauchery going on among supposedly "enlightened" folks. So that turned off the young idealist in me. Second, given that these men were some of the most renowned Buddhist figures of the last century, I began to doubt whether there was such a thing as "satori" or enlightenment or whatever you may wish to call that exalted state that seekers throughout history have been hankering after. Relatedly, given that I am a rationalist by nature, I was wondering whether I would ever achieve the said state even if it existed.

In terms of loosening ties, a Buddhist precept-taking is not an irrevocable contract with the Devil--at least among the schools with which I am familiar. You can get out, if you don't like it.

Re: Found this in the dev log
 

Something else that I was given to believe regarding Buddhism in its various forms (and I'm fairly sure that KO can back me up on this) is that the Buddhism practiced in Eastern Asia (i.e., China and Japan) has a fundamental difference from the Buddhism practiced in Southeast Asia and, I believe, India. That fundamental difference would be the ability of others to help the believer towards enlightenment. (The answer to the question is 'yes' for East Asia and 'no' for Southeast Asia.)

I am not surprised at all that the tradition found in Thailand (Theravada, I believe it's called, or alternately Inhayana) has no issue with individuals entering and leaving their 'faith'. The Mahayana tradition, as found in China and Japan, would probably be more likely to have issues, but neither probably have the issues that 'leaving the faith' does with almost any Western religion.