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Leech · 06-23-2009, 05:03 AM

Magic has sometimes been described as an art or science, yes nasredin, but I would disagree with your opinion and say that both have the potential to go both forward and backwards, like any technology would once you add the human element to it, the element of forgetting.

Of course, dealing with an imaginative world, you would have to add in numerous variables to that human element, such as 'Do these humans have memories? Does it take conscience thought for them to inact magic, or do they just do it?'

Ideally, in a world of mine, magic would be indefineable. Now, this would probably lead to a low-magic world, but not nescessarily. If we make magic insane and uncontrollable, who's to say every average joe on the street couldn't, or wouldn't use it anyway to get what they want? That would certainly make a very dark, interesting, and completely insane world. Going beyond the point though...

The point being to discuss ways to make magic interesting, and as it has already been brought up I believe this subject should be pursued with both a high-magic and low-magic world in mind. That said, I personally think it all comes down to how you lay it out at the start, at it's base. Those questions above (which Sergeytov posted) would be a good start. The more original you make the answers to those questions, the more magic will be fantastic and interesting in your world. Probably. Maybe.

On the discussion of high and low magic themed worlds, I'm not surprised that in a discussion such as this that people would gravitate towards having magic be low-key. It's a bit easier to keep it interesting that way. Secret cults, blood rituals, and generally making magic a taboo would immediately spring to mind, but even that is slowly losing it's zing, for me at least.

(Edit) I forgot to talk about the aspect of playability that Mabus mentioned. I'll keep it short; if the journey towards getting this mystical magical power, whatever form it might take, was one that kept me occupied, perhaps on the edge of my seat even, I wouldn't mind the loss of grind time. Plus, if magic takes so and so more time to get than say, level 17 in swordsmanship, shouldn't magic be stronger?

06-23-2009, 05:03 AM	#19
Leech Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Name: John Home MUD: The Inquisition: Legacy Posts: 65	Re: The Lost Cause of Magic Magic has sometimes been described as an art or science, yes nasredin, but I would disagree with your opinion and say that both have the potential to go both forward and backwards, like any technology would once you add the human element to it, the element of forgetting. Of course, dealing with an imaginative world, you would have to add in numerous variables to that human element, such as 'Do these humans have memories? Does it take conscience thought for them to inact magic, or do they just do it?' Ideally, in a world of mine, magic would be indefineable. Now, this would probably lead to a low-magic world, but not nescessarily. If we make magic insane and uncontrollable, who's to say every average joe on the street couldn't, or wouldn't use it anyway to get what they want? That would certainly make a very dark, interesting, and completely insane world. Going beyond the point though... The point being to discuss ways to make magic interesting, and as it has already been brought up I believe this subject should be pursued with both a high-magic and low-magic world in mind. That said, I personally think it all comes down to how you lay it out at the start, at it's base. Those questions above (which Sergeytov posted) would be a good start. The more original you make the answers to those questions, the more magic will be fantastic and interesting in your world. Probably. Maybe. On the discussion of high and low magic themed worlds, I'm not surprised that in a discussion such as this that people would gravitate towards having magic be low-key. It's a bit easier to keep it interesting that way. Secret cults, blood rituals, and generally making magic a taboo would immediately spring to mind, but even that is slowly losing it's zing, for me at least. (Edit) I forgot to talk about the aspect of playability that Mabus mentioned. I'll keep it short; if the journey towards getting this mystical magical power, whatever form it might take, was one that kept me occupied, perhaps on the edge of my seat even, I wouldn't mind the loss of grind time. Plus, if magic takes so and so more time to get than say, level 17 in swordsmanship, shouldn't magic be stronger? Last edited by Leech : 06-23-2009 at 05:11 AM.