Virtual Villagers is a FUN game! I especially like the real-time logic that keeps the game running.

I do have one complaint. I prefer not to play games that have spiritistic overtones. But, if I understand the posts here, and the hints, my "Village People" will eventually carve an idol, and one of the villagers will become a Golden Child. Is this a Jesus-like individual?

Developers: Would it be possible to have an alternate game play which would not involve idolatry, god-like villagers, etc.?

Thanks in advance!

We actually were aware of this issue from the Palm days, and we completely understand your concern. We changed the language in the game so that they do not 'worship' this statue, but rather they now 'honor' it.

The golden child is a little magician, embued by the magical waters of the lagoon, and probably resembles a little bhuddist more than anything, but we left him very vague in terms of his religious orientation.

We wanted to include spirituality in the game as a general concept, and without a specific orientation so that nobody would feel excluded due to their own religious beliefs. I hope we've done at least a decent job of this...nevertheless the feedback is VERY welcome and definitely affects what we put into our games here.

Does that help at all?

Wow! Not only did I get a quick response, it was from the development team. I'm impressed!! There's not many software companies that stand out like this. Thanks! Anyway, I appreciate your concerns for your audience. It's difficult to strike a balance between what everybody wants - some want more, some want less, some don't want any at all.

I like the concept of spirituality. It's neat how, after they get the 1st level of spirituality, they start burying their dead. Some ideas:

Let spirituality include the concept of husband and wife, no mating with anyone else. Perhaps let their spirituality be a positive influence on their lives (fewer problems, better crops, etc.).

Base the game play on the amount of tech points that you buy. If I spend heavily on spirituality, let the game play out as it currently does. If I spend more heavily on science, let the villagers future be in the hands of technology. If I invest heavily in building, let them gain enough skills to build a boat and sail away. If education is where I spend the most, their goal may be "The University of Isola" :-) If it's farming, they could become the breadbasket of the world, and ships can come and buy their food. Or, the gameplay could be based on a selection made during the game. After they have mastered the basic needs, the village makes a decision on what to pursue. The stone would become a statue honoring one of them, maybe one of the early settlers. The rocks may be all that is left of a lost civilization...

Thanks again for listening!

oooh I love the idea of a statue of the early settlers! I'm about to lose one of my favorites to old age, I fear, and he is a real Founding Father... LOL

ps it'd be great also to have the kids bear some of their parents' traits, ie the daughter of a great builder could be born w/ extra building points instead of research, etc. And, what about a Master Teacher who could teach the kids at school?

Yep, my eldest settler just died. The statue could have been in honor of him.

I like the idea of a Master Teacher, too. Having one of them could accelerate the children's learning.

Just like you put an adult at the research table to make them improve in research, I would like to put the children at the school and make them learn quicker. Other than pick mushrooms (which they won't do by themselves) there is not much else they will do except run around and play.

I've seen a few ideas posted here regarding the nursing mothers. It would be nice to have them do something except nurse. *Real* mothers certainly do more!

Hey Alf wait till you see the Golden Child in the water

Let's just say he does not swim