Feature Request

[Faithful]

I know to many this may not matter, but is it possible to have a different (or choice of another icon) to represent the Spell Journal?

I just do not like the idea of a pentagram as the icon.

Here is what the original must have been as depicted in Book I manual and also the one currently in use.

Original:

Current:

Is it possible to have a choice for those like myself that would like to use something other than the pentagram, please?

Thank you

[BasiliskWrangler]

Faithful: It is not our intention to offend anyone, and I am familiar with the contemporary association of the pentagram with satanism. However, that is really not accurate:

"A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha or pentangle or, more formally, as a star pentagon) is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes. The word pentagram comes from the Greek word πεντάγραμμον (pentagrammon), a noun form of πεντάγραμμος (pentagrammos) or πεντέγραμμος (pentegrammos), a word meaning roughly "five-lined" or "five lines".

Pentagrams were used symbolically in ancient Greece and Babylonia, and are used today as a symbol of faith by many Wiccans, akin to the use of the cross by Christians and the Star of David by Jews. The pentagram has magical associations, and many people who practice Neopagan faiths wear jewelry incorporating the symbol. Christians once more commonly used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Jesus,[1][2] and it also has associations within Freemasonry." (from Wikipedia).

We imply the pentagram's use as the red highlighted section defines. Wikipedia also mentions:

"Most Christians, probably due to their misinterpretation of symbols used by ceremonial magicians, came to associate it with Satanism and subsequently rejected the symbol sometime in the twentieth century."

So again, we do not imply any connection with christian dogma or the occult. The pentagram, as we use it, simply implies "magick".

[Unclever title]

What do ya know? You learn something new every day, even on the internet.

Thanks, BW, that was enlightening.

[Faithful]

BasiliskWrangler, thank you for the response. I in no way am trying to cause an issue, and before I posted I read what you posted because I wanted to better understand before I presented my request.

The information you mention is for a right-side up pentagram while the reverse (upside down) pentagram from what I can find represents evil.

I am only hoping for a choice and not simply a blanket change for me alone. I must confess it is bothersome to me to have it the way it is and I have wished there were something I could do about it, so I figured I would ask before Book II is set in stone.

Thanks again for listening and replying, and I still hold out hope that options might be provided.

[Elveronion]

ah, faithful, how do you know it is inverted?? perhaps it is right-side up, but rotated 36 degrees left or right!! bw, all you have to do is confirm this to end this thread!!

lol anyways i agree that symbolism can have powerful meanings...for example, a swastika. but even the swastika has hundreds of other meanings for different cultures and religeions so it is unfair to blindly associate it with nazism.

my point to faithful is that wikipedia does say the pentagram symbol predates anything to do with the satan and modern christianity. and eschalon is JUST A GAME. basilisk clearly isnt trying to spread some satanic message. bw, just finish book 2 and then if you have time, maybe offer a patch for people who are intolerant of the design. however i think it is a perfect symbol for arcane magic!

[The Noid]

Interesting discussion.

But that right-side up/wrong-side up only came into being after 1850, and only because someone though heaven was up there and hell was down there...

Maybe BW can put the ES2 one pointing to the right :p

[Zorlac]

I know to many this may not matter, but is it possible to have a different (or choice of another icon) to represent the Spell Journal?

I just do not like the idea of a pentagram as the icon.

Here is what the original must have been as depicted in Book I manual and also the one currently in use.

Original:

Current:

Is it possible to have a choice for those like myself that would like to use something other than the pentagram, please?

Thank you

I'd like the ability to have a choice too. This symbol bothered me in book 1 also.

[Dragonlady]

I know to many this may not matter, but is it possible to have a different (or choice of another icon) to represent the Spell Journal?

I just do not like the idea of a pentagram as the icon.

Here is what the original must have been as depicted in Book I manual and also the one currently in use.

Original:

Current:

Is it possible to have a choice for those like myself that would like to use something other than the pentagram, please?

Thank you

I'd like the ability to have a choice too. This symbol bothered me in book 1 also.

I didn't like the red color, perhaps if it was a nice happy, bright green?

Otherwise, no objections here.

[BasiliskWrangler]

I do hope no one has been offended by the use of this icon. We did quite a bit of research on what would make the most appropriate icon for magic, and universally the pentagram came up as a symbol of magic and sorcery for many cultures over the past 3000 years.

I now see that there is an association with the bottom-pointed pentagram and "dark magic" (necromancy, etc.), in contrast to a top-pointed pentagram. I think Elveron has said it best:

anyways i agree that symbolism can have powerful meanings...for example, a swastika. but even the swastika has hundreds of other meanings for different cultures and religeions so it is unfair to blindly associate it with nazism.

If the pentagram had a truly negative association with it, such as the swastika does, I would never have used it. But its negative association is simply that some Christians link it directly to satanism, which is a misunderstanding at best and an insult to others at worse. If I were of the Wiccan faith, I might be offended that people associated an important symbol of my faith with evil.

I have decided to turn the pentagram icon "pointed side up" to more accurately reflect its historical reference to magic. However, to offer an option for players to completely change the icon would require additional programming to the user-interface controls, which cannot be done at this point of development. It will have to be patched after the game ships. In development terms: "the GUI is locked".

[Faithful]

BasiliskWrangler, I want to say thank you for your understanding, kindness, and willingness to alter this icon and to give a choice in the future; it truly is much appreciated.

I have never in my life seen this kind of responsiveness from a developer toward a user, and your actions certainly make me want to support your efforts even more.

Thank you again.

[Stilletto]

I was reading through the forum on this very interesting game and saw this thread. I was wondering if there was a change made to switch this icon.

Not trying to start another discussion pro or against just wondering if the ability to pick an icon was patched in after release.


Thank you.

[Faithful]

I was reading through the forum on this very interesting game and saw this thread. I was wondering if there was a change made to switch this icon.

Not trying to start another discussion pro or against just wondering if the ability to pick an icon was patched in after release.


Thank you.

There is no choice of icon, but the one that is there has been flipped to look like a typical star.

[popeye1977]

I too felt the same way as Faithful. What a great response. I will now be purchasing EB2 and enjoying it and also awaiting a patch. Thanks for the courage to ask about this faithful and thank you Basilisk games.