Sci-Fi VS Fantasy: Which direction do YOU want to see the game take?

The purpose for this thread is to discuss the differences in Starbound's sci-fi vs fantasy elements, and to get a feel for where the player-base wants the game to go, so that Starbound can be as desirable a product as possible upon release.

Currently Starbound has elements of both Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but there seems to be a pretty strong divide in the community as to which is preferred.

Make a suggestion about being able to cast fireballs, and you'll inevitably get responses like "Starbound doesn't need that magic garbage! This is a SCI-FI game!" ...make a suggestion about a device that fits onto your wrist that fires globs of putty that combust as soon as they leave their containment chamber, and you'll inevitably get responses like "Why does everything have to be scientifically sound? This is a FANTASY game! Not everything has to be explained!" ...

The fact is, in its current state, Starbound is "Science Fantasy", which is a setting that high-tech Matter Manipulators, and undead fire-breathing dragons can, and DO, coexist. So, neither the hypothetical fireball, nor the glob-of-combustible-putty throwing device go against the game's setting.

That said, the key term in that previous paragraph is "in its current state" and a lot of the 'glaring' features from one extreme could be given a simple re-skin to push the scales considerably in the other direction. For example, that undead fire-breathing dragon could be switched to fleshy LIVING dragon, which has glands that produce flameable chemicals, much like the movie >Reign of Fire<, which presented dragons as scientifically sound creatures.

...but would you want that in Starbound? VOTE!

POLL DESCRIPTION:

I want Starbound to be...

• Science Fiction - All fantasy elements should be revised, reskinned, or removed, so that the game as a whole takes on a setting that is more akin Startreck - Game elements should be scientifically plausible, and even unexplained elements should presumably be technology too complex for us to understand, and NOT magic.

• Science Fantasy, emphasis on the Science - Fantasy elements should be limited, in a predominantly scientifically-plausible setting. This would be more akin to Starwars, leaving room for things like "the force", but I'd kinda like to see things like... these guys removed from the game:
  

• Science Fantasy - Tech is all good. Zombie dragons are all good. Basically the game in its current state is just peachy.

• Science Fantasy , emphasis on the Fantasy - I want to be able to choose between firing a gun and casting a fireball! Give me a mana bar! Let me fight some zombies!

• Fantasy - Coal soaks up magic, that's why it can power our ship! What do you mean "energy bar"? It's JUST mana now! Guns? they have infinite ammo because I'm summoning bullets! Tech items? Powered by magic. Bring on the ghosts, zombies, demons, fairies, rainbow-farting-unicorns, you name it! Screw science!

 

I'd say science fantasy, but definitely with the emphasis on science. I'm not really huge on things like the giant bone dragon, who sort of sticks out like a sore thumb. A really, really hard to kill sore thumb.

Not a fan of The Po though, are ya?

 

There are rarely sci-fi games and movies that don't have any elements of fantasy, so I'm gonna go with pure science fiction, it would be nice for a change.

Although I can kind of stand dragon, given the extreme variety of other enemies that can appear, but it does feel kind of out of place when compared to the other bosses right now, all being very sci-fi

 

Science Fantasy- the game as it is now, emphasis on both, but a little more less-sciency sciency stuff wouldn't hurt. (yes I intended to say "less-sciency sciency" )

 

Yes

 

Need an option for both equally. Heavy on both. This game is perfectly suited to be as much fantasy as sci-fi. With the fact they have a race selection it's just as likely there'd be magic races as well as technology driven races. With magic incorporated innately into specific races as well. And it's perfectly logical that with infinite planets you'd have plenty of primitive ones. I see no reason why we can't go from Middle Earth to Star Trek.

I'm definitely more of a fantasy fan, but the biggest appeal about this game is the fact I can go sci-fi when the mood strikes. I've plenty of fantasy games out there to choose, and plenty of sci-fi. But not many that are just as heavy in one as the other. And that's what I love about Starbound. It very well can be both.

 

I voted science fantasy with more science, but I mean ALOT more science. I imagine the game having a ton of sci-fi stuff in the future, not fantasy. Fantasy fits more with a medieval-based game in my opinion. I like the game as it is now and wouldn't really like anything to be taken out (except for maybe Pos and maybe a retexture of the dragon, more like a cyborg or robotic dragon). I would like it if they just focus more on sciencey stuff in future updates and keep fantasy to a minimum.

 

Ah the tri-monthly science/fantasy discussion. At least it breaks up the daily,I am disappoint posts

 

I voted wrong by accident, but I think that the game is pretty much nonsensical in terms of 'plausible'. Science fantasy with focus on science is what I'd say, but I would be more down with a game more similar to PSO in terms of the fantasy aspects where there are dragons and magic, but it's 'tech' and not just 'magic'. I really liked PSO and would like to see some aspects in starbound similar to that.

As far as how starbound is doing, I think starbound doesn't know what it's doing yet.

 

Well to answer the question with wizards, mage or anything thing to cast like spells is to bring in Technomages into Starbound.

The Technomages are a group of sentient beings from the fictional Babylon 5 universe. The technomages shown in the television series are primarily human, but in the "Technomage Trilogy" books, apprentices and mages of other races including Centauri are named. They are described as using "science to create the appearance of magic". Galen, a Technomage, was a regular character on the spin-off series, Crusade.

 

While I enjoy knowing and understanding the scientific part of the game, I really enjoy the idea of being a Warrior, or a Mage, or an Archer. I enjoy mixing something old in with something new, it spices things up a bit. So i'd really have to go with Science Fantasy.

I think the starbound developers are doing a nice job mixing both.

 

It wouldn't be hard to take the trio concept and make it, say Vanguard, Scientist, Bounty Hunter though. 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic' and all that.

 

I guess I don't consider what their abilities are when I choose them. I generally think of who they are as a character.
I grew up with games that consider these main three classes, and so i'm generally attracted to their personalities.
but that's just my weird 'i'm too attached to certain games' side.
so maybe those would make great characters, but I feel that it would be cooler if they had their own seperate abilities.

 

Science fiction. All the concepts of the game are logical, as are all the races, and it would be dumb to add 'magic' to the vacuum of space. Is 'magic' a universal thing like the laws of physics? Does magic exist in every planet regardless of how far the planets are from each other?

I love fantasy, and I sure as hell love space operas, but this game would do perfectly fine within the boundaries of sci-fi.

 

For me I prefer the balance between the two. Both Science and Fantasy. So I guess if that is basically what it is now, then yes. I would love just as much of both sides.

I will accept the game for what it is, no matter which direction it goes. I don't base a game on the genre, but what the game itself provides. Basically what the creators come up with or choose to use for their final goal.

That poll question reminds me of Arcanum for some reason. (an older pc game)

 

Science Fiction. So many games cannot escape the grasp of a fantasy reference and I want to see this game doing something different and actually go for scientific theme on all things. It won't really limit what mechanics we can introduce because its easy to make up a scientific explanation how such mechanic can work without magic. Unless of course chucklefish intends for the Avian god to be real in which case Science Fantasy w/ emphasis to science should do.

 

magic is just science that is not understood how it works
science is just magic that is understood in its workings
I would love to have the game be scientific though (ignoring the magic = science part) where I can shoot lasers out of my eyes, or a fire ball out of my wrist, or cause things to explode just because I want them to, and know how all of that works! (im not planning to take over the world with "magic"
I like games like magicka where its just "BLACK HOLE EVERY THING!" but also like games where its like "channeling energy to single point, generating mass, reaching critical density and BLACK HOLE EVERY THING!"
I vote science

 

I kind of enjoy a mixture of both, such as how Mass Effect has technology paired with their space magic (biotic powers).

 

Science Fantasy. I don't mind some fantasy elements, as long as they're semi-explained by sufficiently advanced technology. Where the hell did that skeleton dragon come from? The least they can do is slap some thrusters and a cockpit on it, and have it piloted by another penguin.