Epsilon Program (HD Universe)



"Kifflom!"

- Epsilon greeting

The Epsilon Program is a religious cult led by Cris Formage and his several cohorts in and out of the current paradigm. Its adherents are known as Epsilonists. They believe that there are several paradigms, although only the 4th, 9th, and 10th are mentioned.

Events of Grand Theft Auto IV
Several references to Epsilon Program, both direct and indirect, exist in Grand Theft Auto IV.

There are hobos who believe aliens are trying to take their sperm, pedestrians who cry "Oh no! They've killed another truth seeker!" and soapboxers who rant about the paradise and how all others are slaves and damned. Bluesy St. John claims she once ended up spending her Thursday nights in a group that prayed to Kifflom. Brandan Roberts suggests that he is a member of the cult; for example, he says "Kifflom" at the end of his interview on Intelligent Agenda on Public Liberty Radio. The cult sponsors Chiropracticovernight.com, and is mentioned by the MyRoomOnline user RavenVamp11 on her profile.

In The Lost and Damned, there's a website called Morningwoodspa.com. The description of therapists Betty "Mama Bear" Wiffleton says that "Betty ran a cult with her ex-husband, who also happens to be her brother and uncle" (Uncle-Brother reference). It also says, "She trained for three days at the certified shaman in the state of San Andreas, where the Epsilon Program is based.

Events of Grand Theft Auto V
The Epsilon Program plays a much more prominent role in Grand Theft Auto V. The program's headquarters appear on Spanish Avenue in Rockford Hills, Los Santos, near the home of protagonist Michael De Santa.

Early on in the game, the player can hear a Weazel News broadcast stating that the Epsilon Program was denied religious status by the United States government and so can now be taxed. Weazel News also states that Cris Formage was seen crying on the steps of the court house upon this movement. This may be the reason why the cult asks for large sums of money from Michael when their missions begin.

Moreover, Michael can become a member of the Epsilon Program. These missions are initiated by going to the Epsilon website as Michael and answering a short survey. After the survey has been completed, Michael has the opportunity to complete the following tasks:


 * Seeking the Truth
 * Accepting the Truth
 * Assuming the Truth
 * Chasing the Truth
 * Bearing the Truth
 * Delivering the Truth
 * Exercising the Truth
 * Unknowing the Truth

Once all of these missions have been completed, Michael will be contacted by Marnie Allen, who will tell him that he needs to find all 10 Epsilon Tracts in order to write the Epsilon Tract of the 9th Paradigm, which according to her, is already written. The 10 Epsilon Tracts must be collected in a specific order and cannot be found without her help. At the end of each text message Michael receives from her, he will see a small riddle, which gives information regarding the location of the next Epsilon Tract.

As a reward for finding all of the tracts, Michael will be able to read The Epsilon Tract of the 9th Paradigm, Year 157 by visiting the Epsilon website.

The player can access the website as Trevor and Franklin, but cannot view any of the pages. The site will read, "Access Denied! Your IP has been logged as that of an Unsaveable!" Trevor will remark things such as, "only dumb people join cults" and, "If I wanted to be in a cult, I would have created one". The same thing applies to Franklin, who will call the concept of Kifflom "stupid", or say it isn't for him and he isn't there yet.

Events of Grand Theft Auto Online
After the player's first death, they will have a vision of the cult's leader, Cris Formage, who explains the concept of Passive Mode and revives the player.

Randomly, after the player drinks a Macbeth Whisky Shot and passes out in a nightclub, they may wake up in Epsilon Temple wearing a Kifflom T-Shirt. Also in the nightclubs, a restroom attendant says 'Kifflom' sometimes when tipped. If this attendant is tipped enough times, the player will unlock the Epsilon Robes as a special outfit.

Like Trevor and Franklin, the GTA Online player can access the website, but again the site will read, "Access Denied! Your IP has been logged as that of an Unsaveable!", and the pages cannot be viewed.

Lamar Davis and Franklin Clinton encounter Jimmy Boston and Marnie Allen who are acting for the program and looking to enter the legal marijuana business through Lamar's LD Organics, re-branding it as "Boston Bakes", but the deal is interrupted by the Vagos.

Members

 * Ameer
 * Baygor
 * Betty Wiffleton
 * Bob Mulét stylist (possibly)
 * Brandon Roberts
 * Cris Formage (Leader and founder)
 * GTA Online Protagonist (possibly)
 * Haylee
 * Jesse
 * Jimmy Boston
 * Joscha
 * Juan Strickler (possibly)
 * Karl Abolaji
 * Marnie Allen
 * Michael De Santa (Player's choice)
 * Nightclub Restroom Attendant
 * Rickie Lukens (possibly)
 * Samantha Muldoon
 * Sebastian Dix
 * Tiana
 * Tom
 * Vinewood Star Tour Guide

Beliefs
The main ideals of the Epsilon Program are stated on their website. The religion's main deity is Kifflom, and members follow his twelve tenets.

These tenets were established in the 3D Universe have been kept in the HD Universe, but new Goals and Pledges have been created. The cult also uses the same site. Rockstar has explained why those beliefs remained unchanged: "The Epsilon Program does not exist in just one time or place."

1. The world is 157 years old - FACT!

2. Dinosaurs are a lie that people believe because they are weak - FACT!

3. You are happy, you just don’t know it - FACT!

4. We all come from the same tree - FACT!

5. Everyone is related to everyone else, except for people with red hair - FACT!

6. Sperm does not exist - it is a lie spread by biology teachers - along with everything else you have ever been told - FACT!

7. Men are supposed to lie with nine new partners a week. Women are supposed to lie with six, except for in July, when they must lie with five men a day - FACT!

8. Aliens exist and are present on earth. If you have a birth mark, you may be descended from Kraff, the famous Emperor of the 4th Paradigm - FACT!

9. Trees talk, but only some people hear them - FACT!

10. People who believe in something live much longer than atheists, and they have eternal life thrown in for good measure - FACT!

11. If you believe this and turn your hands and wallet over to EPSILONISM, you’ll live a happy life. Otherwise you are doomed - FACT!

12. KIFFLOM - HAPPINESS IS YOURS! KIFFLOM!

I. We are making an assault on happiness.

II. We will be generous, in ways that are upwards and ways that are manifest.

III. We will live by the proven scientific truth of the metaphors.

IV. We will fight superstition, limited thinking and dogma wherever we find it.

V. We will be clear thinking, independent minded and do exactly what we are told.

VI. We will practice science by not doubting.

VII. We will display infinite power by closing out those with doubt with our life choices.

VIII. We will practice kindness and mercy by a relentless assault on insavables, always reminding them of what awaits.

IX. We will be everywhere, all at once, but also right here, right now.

X. We will invest in a structured study program, because we know that knowledge is not free.

XI. We will be open minded to new experiences apart from those that are wrong, insavable, or against teachings.

XII. We will promote epsilonism in everything we do, while we await both the writing of the tract and the ending of the 9th paradigm.

All good things come from Kraff, that is the fact on which Epsilonism is built.

Epsilonism is a science as well as a Religion - in fact, we are the only religion that is also a science and which is concerned with seeking the truth.

As real truth seekers, we are willing to pay to make the search go better. In this way we are investing in our future.

The Pledge will continue to be revealed in due time. KIFFLOM.

Influence
Various elements of the program are a combination of two real-life religions, and a fictitious one:
 * Its robes and some of its beliefs are based on the Raëlism religion, founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon.
 * The headquarters and Vinewood branch, light blue color-scheme, logo, connections to celebrities, and controversy surrounding the program are modelled after The Church of Scientology.
 * The Epsilon Program may be partly inspired by the Happy Happyism cult in Super Nintendo game EarthBound; they pursued absolute happiness and believed blue was a sacred colour, so they wore blue and painted everything in blue. They also had a village dedicated to their religion, including farms and a warehouse.
 * The light blue color scheme of the Epsilon clothes may also be a reference to the conspiracy theorist David Icke, who only wore turquoise colored clothing, believing it helped channel positive energy.
 * The belief by Epsilonists that the world was created in the 1800s is a possible satirical allusion to Young Earth creationism, a religiously-motivated form of pseudoscience which allege that the Earth was formed between 6000 to 10,000 years ago, as opposed to established scientific studies which posit that the Earth and its life forms have evolved in a span reaching billions of years.

Promotional Material
Starting 2012, people could buy Kifflom Tees from the Rockstar Warehouse, which hinted at the cult's appearance in GTA V.

On April 23, 2013, a screensaver which included all Epsilonism's beliefs appeared on Rockstar Newswire.

Screensaver
"The Goals and the Pledge of Epsilon will continue to be revealed in due time. The Epsilon Program does not exist in just one time or place. We invite you to visit one of our enlightenment centers. Directions will be provided in one week's time."

- Rockstar Newswire

Casting
Information= Starting on 29th April, and ending on 27th May 2013, anyone could apply to be cast as one of the five Epsilon characters in Grand Theft Auto V. Terms= YOU MUST ACCEPT THESE TERMS IN ORDER FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE SUBMITTED Rockstar Games is holding a “casting call” event giving Grand Theft Auto fans an opportunity to be cast as one of five Epsilon Program members in Grand Theft Auto V. If you are chosen, your features will be used to create one of the five characters in the game. Please read these “Terms” before participating in this casting call event (the “Event”). Participation in the Event constitutes participant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Terms and represents that you satisfy all of the requirements set forth below. THIS IS NOT A CONTEST AND THERE IS NO PRIZE. Participation: To participate in the Event, you must (i) fill out the form at www.epsilonprogram.com including linking to a photograph of yourself and (ii) submit additional pictures of yourself to Rockstar Games upon request; and (iii) meet the requirements below. Participants must be (a) legal residents of the 50 United States, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada (excluding Quebec), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, and (b) 18 years of age (or majority age for the country of residence). Event Period: The Eastern Time or “ET” is the local time zone for New York City in the United States “Event Period” will run from 12:01 AM ET April 29, 2013 until 11:59:59 PM ET on May 27, 2013. All eligible Participants that submit their photo will be considered for casting as an Epsilon Program members in Grand Theft Auto V. In order to be cast in the game, the chosen Participant will be required to complete certain documents, including a publicity release, and may have to supply additional photographs to Rockstar Games. If the Participant fails or refuses to do so within twenty-four hours, a different Participant may be chosen. Rockstar Games is not responsible for late, lost, delayed, incomplete, corrupt, or misdirected communications or for theft or destruction or unauthorized access or alterations of materials, phone, electrical, network, computer, hardware, software program or transmission malfunctions, failures or difficulties. YOU MUST ACCEPT THESE TERMS IN ORDER FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE SUBMITTED Rockstar Games is holding a “casting call” event giving Grand Theft Auto fans an opportunity to be cast as one of five Epsilon Program members in Grand Theft Auto V. If you are chosen, your features will be used to create one of the five characters in the game. Please read these “Terms” before participating in this casting call event (the “Event”). Participation in the Event constitutes participant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Terms and represents that you satisfy all of the requirements set forth below. THIS IS NOT A CONTEST AND THERE IS NO PRIZE. Participation: To participate in the Event, you must (i) fill out the form at www.epsilonprogram.com including linking to a photograph of yourself and (ii) submit additional pictures of yourself to Rockstar Games upon request; and (iii) meet the requirements below. Participants must be (a) legal residents of the 50 United States, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada (excluding Quebec), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, and (b) 18 years of age (or majority age for the country of residence). Event Period: The Eastern Time or “ET” is the local time zone for New York City in the United States “Event Period” will run from 12:01 AM ET April 29, 2013 until 11:59:59 PM ET on May 27, 2013. All eligible Participants that submit their photo will be considered for casting as an Epsilon Program members in Grand Theft Auto V. In order to be cast in the game, the chosen Participant will be required to complete certain documents, including a publicity release, and may have to supply additional photographs to Rockstar Games. If the Participant fails or refuses to do so within twenty-four hours, a different Participant may be chosen. Rockstar Games is not responsible for late, lost, delayed, incomplete, corrupt, or misdirected communications or for theft or destruction or unauthorized access or alterations of materials, phone, electrical, network, computer, hardware, software program or transmission malfunctions, failures or difficulties. Pictures should be clear, well lit and focus closely on the Participant’s head and shoulders, similar to a passport picture. We recommend that you look straight into the camera and that you do not wear anything that obscures your features such as glasses or a hat. Collection & Use of Information. The information necessary to conduct the Event is collected at the time the individual submits their information to Rockstar Games and via email after contact is made with the Participant. In the event that you are a citizen of France, and/or any of the other countries whose citizens are eligible for this Event, and pursuant to French law and/or other legislation pertaining to data collection and processing, you are informed that the data collector is Take Two Interactive, whose servers and computer systems are based in the United States and therefore stores such data in the United States. Upon request, you will be provided with access to your personal data. You also have a right of opposition to the data collection, under certain circumstances. To exercise such right, you may write to the address provided in the Rockstar Games privacy policy. You may also withdraw your personal data upon request, however you will be disqualified as a participant in the Event if you withdraw your personal data prior to the casting of the character. Releases. To the extent permitted by applicable law, by participating in the Event, you release Rockstar Games and any of its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agencies (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any liability whatsoever, and agree not to make any claims against the Released Parties in respect of any costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Event (including, without limitation, participation in the Event), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty or other theory. Some jurisdictions do not allow (i) the exclusion of implied warranties on applicable statutory rights; and in the case of the countries of Germany, the United Kingdom, and/or The Netherlands, (ii) limitations on a contracting party’s liability with regards to damages or death caused due to its negligence or intentional misconduct, so the above exclusions and limitations may not apply in some cases. As a condition of being cast as an Epsilon Program member in Grand Theft Auto V, you will be required to execute and deliver to Rockstar Games a signed affidavit/declaration of eligibility and acceptance of these Terms, a publicity release, and release of liability, as permitted by applicable law. Failure to return these documents within twenty-four hours may result in re-casting the character. By participating in the Event, participant releases Rockstar Games, its parent, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees, Rockstar Games, and agents, from any and all liability with respect to the Event or the casting, including without limitation (i) any condition caused by events beyond Rockstar Games' control that may cause the Event to be disrupted or corrupted; (ii) any injuries, losses, or damages (compensatory, direct, incidental, consequential or otherwise) of any kind arising in connection with or as a result of the casting, or from participation in the Event; and (iii) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Event. Rockstar Games' decisions in all respects relative to the Event are final. Rockstar Games reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Event in whole or in part, in the event of fraud, technical or other difficulties or if the integrity of the Event is compromised, without liability to the participant. Rockstar Games reserves the right to disqualify any Participant, as determined by Rockstar Games in its sole discretion. Disputes: Except where prohibited by law: (a) As a condition of participating in this Event, participant agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Event, or the casting, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action exclusively by arbitration pursuant to the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association, then effective; (b) Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys' fees, other than participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., costs associated with participating in this Event), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased; and (c) The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of New York, in the City of New York, County of New York, and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered into any court having jurisdiction thereof. Except where prohibited by law, this Event is governed by US law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Terms, or the rights and obligations of participant and Rockstar Games in connection with this Event, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration as set forth in Arbitration Section of these Terms and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in the State of New York, in the City of New York, County of New York. Grand Theft Auto V is being developed by Rockstar Games, a U.S. company owned by Take Two Interactive. If you have questions about the Event, please contact Rockstar Games, 622 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA. Grand Theft Auto V - ESRB Rating Pending: May contain content inappropriate for children. Visit www.esrb.org for rating information.

Winners
On September 6 2013, Rockstar Games launched the new 'Cultstoppers' website and posted a related image, showing five characters based on the winners:
 * Ameer (USA)
 * Haylee (USA)
 * Jesse (USA)
 * Joscha (Germany)
 * Tiana (Australia)

Vehicles
All vehicles used by the Epsilon Program's "thesis holders" are painted an unobtainable shade of baby blue (known as Epsilon Blue in-game), not available in Los Santos Customs. This naturally makes all of their cars quite rare. The only exception is the red Bison and the black Bison used in the mission Seeking the Truth.

Trivia

 * The Epsilon Program is indirectly referenced a few times in .
 * If the player greets anyone while wearing the Epsilon Robes, the person will respond with "Kifflom!".
 * Similarly, if the player enters a clothing store while wearing the Epsilon Robes, the employee will say "Kifflom!".
 * The Shelly app on the Fruit website says "Kifflom" during the app demonstration.
 * If Karl Abolaji is taken as a gunman for the Big Score, it is implied that most if not all of his share was to be given towards the group.
 * On the Epsilonprogram.com website, they mentioned that by 2015, an Epsilon house of worship will be finished in Liberty City and they will be building houses of worships in San Fierro, Jakarta, Rome, and Alaska soon after.
 * According to a Weazel News radio segment, the Epsilon Program has been accused of everything from charlatanism and fraud, to slavery and prostitution.
 * Occasionally, pedestrians can be overheard discussing their participation in the Epsilon Program. However, some will actively admit that they do not share the program's beliefs and simply joined the cult in order to become popular.
 * According to an Epsilon Program spokesman, the Epsilon Program has not outsourced.
 * The logo of the Epsilon Program can be found on the city seal of Los Santos just above the escutcheon.