As well as Unnatural and Pale_Strider’s Game as my main two projects, I have a few other projects to continue at a later date such as Project Leap.
Anyway a recent idea I had features magic in some form, and before sticking this in the to do pile, wanted to get opinions on the magic system to see if its worth adding to the pile.
The magic in this game would be called Syn and it consists of four elements Incendia - Fire, Gaia - Earth, Ventus - Wind and Ocea - Water.
Syn can manifest in two styles, there is the Outer style where you manipulate the Syn around you to cast this worlds equivalent of magic and there is the Inner style where you manipulate the Syn within you to power up fighting techniques which are called Artes.
This is the basic idea for it, does this sound interesting? Can you spot any issues with it so far?
Aside from the standard question of where this energy is coming from, I see no real issues. It’s a good, versatile set of basics to build up from. I do wonder if there’s a hard separation between inner and outer, or they can be used in conjunction.
Seems better than “O LUK, FTIREBALLSZ AND WATERD SWUIRTS” But none of the authors here had done that here so I am glad. But can you learn more than one and combine?
@Nocturnal_Stillness
Glad to hear it! I’m fond the rare exceptions possibility. Puts an extra layer of something to wonder about in the story.
Also, even though you only have four basic building blocks to work with regarding outer Syn users, they can form some very interesting combinations! Any thought to adding some combos like mud magic? Or is it simply one element at a time?
Sounds interesting, the names are exotic enough to sound foreign but not so much as to sound silly. Although it could be a bit overly specific, a magic system based on just the elements can be a bit restrictive for storytelling purposes.
@Nocturnal_Stillness
Of course! I’d be disappointed if anything came from nothing. [-(
I was just thinking in terms of combining the things around you to make something like mud, or fog, or anything else that would require controlling two or more elements at once. That would open up a lot of possibilities with just those four basics.
there would be many gods in this world but the majority of them will have moved on. Syn (magic) is part of everything you could even say it is older than most of the gods
ironically the actual game idea doesn’t revolve around magic but it is part of the world and one of the options the player can choose to dabble in so need to get the basics down.
Syn can’t control minds but there are ways around that ie raising a persons temperature or making them dehydrated both can cause hallucinations. You can’t control what they see however.
As the game doesn’t revolve around magic , thought about the story/objective and how your going to incorporate this magic into it? liking the names of the magic though, could have fun with them. Are these powers going to change/control your fighting style? Fire-high attack-" power stance". Earth-high defence-“defensive stance” . Water- high evade, wind- high counter attacks ? Instead of normal fighting styles( boxing, karate, etc.)
The game casts the player as a member of a small (you and 4 others) but famous mercenary group called the Rook.
There is a war going on but it can be largely ignored ie you can choose to ignore jobs from both sides but that doesn’t necessary mean jobs won’t clash such as an escort job actually being protecting a vip from one side in disguse.
Syn is used mainly in combat. And one of your colleagues will be a Synir (outer user).
Like for example, you shan’t not spoil the story for yourself!