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FOREVER WAR. The logic of conflict.

‘In the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory.
The first, maketh men invade for gain; the second, for safety; and the third, for reputation. The first use violence to make themselves masters of other men’s persons, wives, children and cattle; the second, to defend them; the third, for trifles, as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any other sign of undervalue, either direct in their persons, or by reflection in their kindred, their nation, their profession, or their name.’
HOBBES ‘LEVIATHAN’

In the simplest version of the FOREVERWAR game the individual is placed in an environment of limited resources alongside a number of other individuals. At the beginning of the game the individuals are kept apart, each enconsed in his own territory. His territory will support him, in a meagre fashion, for a certain time period. The individual will be impelled to venture outside the relative safety of his territory as his resources dwindle, or by his own dissatisfaction with the meagre existence these resources afford him, or by simple curiosity, the will to explore or boredom.
As no one territory (in this version of the game) borders another he enters first a No Man’s land where resources are far more numerous and richer in quality and variety than those of his own territory.
However, this No Man’s land is found eventually, by every player in the game and is not rich enough to support every player once the resources of their individual territories have been exhausted. These stocks are diminished more rapidly than need be by players taking more than they need. Stockpiling for future shortages or simply for greed.
At this point events can unfold in a number of ways with any number of agreements, alliances, pacts and promises and the accompanying betrayals, lies and double-crosses being made. Prisoners may be taken, murders committed, men may be made slaves, or bound under self-appointed kings and rulers. Two things are constant. Beyond a certain point conflict is certain and it is certain that this conflict will escalate, whether this is conflict between individuals or groups of individuals, (Beyond a certain point, it will always be between individuals are groups cannot support all their members.) as players seek to defend what resources they have claimed as their own, and to extend those resources, by conquest or theft is necessary.

This then, is the game in its purest form. Resources need not be life-sustaining. Anything the players can be induced to covet can be a source of competition be it gold, steel, quetzal feathers, reputations, family honour or something else entirely.

There are many variations on this basic theme. For instance, two teams. Each team has its own God in whom belief is absolute, unconditional and unwavering. Each requires the worship of every man, woman and child. The two teams come into conflict as each seeks to convert or destroy the other. This is the simplest form of the religious variation on Forever War. There are others. For instance, any number of teams. Each controls a territory another considers sacred land. Or there may be one piece of land all consider sacred. Or one building, or artefact even. Conflict occurs as each team seeks control of the land, building, artefact.
One religion might find the practices of another abhorrent, sinful. They may receive from their God a message of war or conquest. Their devil may be another’s God. Their Holy Book may relate a history of iniquities, a period in slavery for instance, or a massacre of innocents, a desecration of Holy land, or the torching of a temple, for which their God may demand vengeance.

One of the most elegant versions of the game takes place in a single state, with two competing religions. One religion is the religion of the state, the other covert, underground, illegal and suppressed. When this latter religion reaches a critical mass of devotees roles are reversed. It becomes the religion of state, its rival is driven underground. Power changes hands as the result of a revolution or coup or in a prudent, farsighted programme of conversion on the part of the rulers. This cycle is continued ad infinitum.
There are other, equally elegant cycles in operation, for instance
The master/slave cycle
The worker/owner cycle
The individual commonwealth cycle (as alluded to above.)

In some games ideology will take the part of religion as zealots seek to establish a caliphate of communism, fascism, parliamentary democracy etc The game has many variations. There may be a straightforward battle for power for its own sake. A family blood feud, or gang war which never ends. So long as conflict occurs and escalates.
The Leaders are always liable to intervene, like the gods of Mount Olympus. A miracle for a demoralised religion, a new and powerful weapon for an already powerful clan, a rapid diminishment of already scant resources, a new prophet, a new heresy…
This they do for their own amusement.