SciFi Magic: Psionics

What do you think about my idea of drones replacing magic?

 

I'm liking the idea of psionics. It would add an entire new set of possibilities for a player. Since the game is very sci-fi, it would be nice to see the caster role changed up to be slightly more technological in a sense, like (expensive and difficult to find or make) technology being used to amplify mental power to something more... say... "magic-like", but still keeping with the advanced, technoligical feel to the game.

It would be very fun to mess around with, none the less. (Maybe certain equipment - such as gloves for example that will require battery power - to accomplish the psionics would be a good balance?)

 

Well, there are a lot of stories / games that have kinetic powers in Sci-Fi settings. Heck, even Star Trek has occasional beings with telepathic or telekinetic powers. Any kind of kinesis would be pretty interesting, or similar to Dead Space, have a sort of Kinesis module capable of manipulating specific elements. It could be done without really resorting to "magical powers". Stay within the realm of technology without stepping into the supernatural. It can be done, and personally I think that's one way to do so. I WOULD like to see mage-ish abilities, as I did have a lot of fun with magic in Terraria. Just... you know, without actually being some kind of space wizard (though space wizards sound cool... just not for this game. =P )

 

I think my post handles the issue of not being a space wizard. You have to take certain measures to counteract the dangers of using tribal magic. From the looks of some of the monsters, they could be capable of using this kind of magic. For example, the sprite of the lizard with the feather crown thing. He somewhat looks like he could be a caster type enemy from a tribe of lizards. Not saying that he is, but he has sort of has that appearance. So, if they do include some enemies that act in a tribal manner, I'm sure typical casting could be used by them, which we would have to take safety precautions to avoid getting injured.

However, I'm not saying kinesis/psionics is a bad idea. To me though, it doesn't feel like a proper way to explain all the various types of "spells" you would be able to use. I get the concept and I've dealt with it before, like using your mind's power to freeze air into a chunk of ice, but I feel that harvesting properly mastered tribal magic and studying it would feel more science-like.

 

I agree with that, brother, but it seems this game isn't heading towards that way, so I had thought about make drones perform special attacks that you can't do because of the game lacking a magical component (which on the other hand, makes sense). But imagine you can assign drones to each button and every time you press that button, the drone performs some kind of attack which your character can't do with weapons (for instance, throwing balls of ignited compressed air, dropping the temperature, launch jets of water which are frozen by a little device the drone has before being ejected...). I don't know how this stuff would turn out, but it's something that would help people come to an agreement, since I've seen a ton of dudes and dudettes say NAY to magic and another ton of them wanting to see something special in the game.

 

Would the drones be visible sprites or just an item to use that does this specific attack? The idea doesn't sound bad, I just don't want an army of robots following me so I can be a caster.

 

They would appear on the screen, but you could only have two of them equipped simultaneously and they wouldn't be very big... So they would be like flying little things. These ones that I'm going to show you aren't exactly tiny either but they can be made way smaller.

 

I am not sure why everyone is calling the psionics when the only psionic element is the mention of telekinesis and telepathy. This suggestion seems to be more about blatant wizardry rather it be in the form of crystals or bracelets. However as it was being encompassed by other (pardon the pun)elements, psionics is doing things with your mind such as reading others minds and forcing people to move. There is no fireball about it, instead they could have precognitive abilities and be capable of making dodges even though they should have been hit, create semi-solid or solid objects (armor, weapons, constructs, which in essence is drones) to do battle for the psion, transform and manipulate matter and energy (closest you will get to a fireball), propel object in space or time, and finally make mental contact to either deceive, control, or destroy others minds with ease. If there were to be psions I think it would best be done with equipment that uses electric energy to operate, each piece of equipment can do different things depending on tier and function.

 

I agree, no magical fireballs or ice storms on the side of players UNLESS those things are technologically created, I don't see a need for mana points or mp either, since we have battery power, which is going to be your tp, ability points or whatever you want to call it. Drones, bracelets or whatever you like can do that stuff for you, you know about that if you have played any game in the xeno saga, armored core or even summoner 2 where the robotic dudette could launch all kinds of blasts that relied on technology.

The only point that would mess with my views a little bit is that all ranged attacks came from guns, cannons and the likes of that, but aside from that little issue, I think the game needs no magic system. I propose that someone makes a big magic-technology megathread where all of this stuff can be debated. I would really like that the community comes to an agreement on this point. I'm trying to do that, I don't know how well it's going though .

 

Can't really argue with that. Heck, referencing Star Trek again, there were species that had unimaginable, and almost supernatural, powers. The most notable being Q, with his abilities of teleportation and doing whatever he wanted. So I guess I could see other species having specific powers inherent to their races. The more and more I think about that specifically, the more I think it COULD actually work. While I never was a big fan of "magic", I do like the idea of special abilities that races might have. Even Phantoon from could come very close to being considered a "magical being", but then again he's a multi-dimensional being. So there's the possibility of monsters being able to phase through other dimensions as well. There's really a ton of possibilities, from natural racial abilities to technological usage... I'd say they'll have some way of doing it, and I'm really curious to see if / how they will handle it.

 

I personally don't want to see fantasy magic in a sci-fi game. There are better ways to create "magic" in a low-sci-fi setting without resorting to fable based magic. Especially with those elemental lists, it's VERY high sci-fi. In a low sci-fi setting though, I wouldn't mind having to find crystals or something and have "research" and what not done to create bracelets that help you control or generate various effects (like a flamethrower or barrier) that uses electricity. But that's still pushing things a bit.

 

My brain is hung like a horse.

 

Kinda how I see it. I don't want "legit" magic. Natural abilities of creatures is fine with me, as I've said it's been done in Sci-Fi multiple times, just there are other ways of pulling off a "mage" class without resorting to magic.

 

Yeah, I think that true magic does not fit in a setting like the one the game represents, but stuff beyond rocket launchers and machine guns... That's something I would like to see. What are your ideas guys on ways to perform special attacks or just a different kind of ranged attacks in a game like this one?

 

If anyone has played Dark Cloud 2, there is a character who uses bracelets that shoot various elemental projectiles. That's what I'm thinking along the lines of the researching naturally found magic and implementing what you find out into gauntlets or bracelets. Something arm related would work best, I think.

 

You guys remember Metal Gear bosses?
They had awesome "magic" abilities, like; mind-control, eletricity, super strength and speed, control over small creatures and elements,
and they were all scientifically/genetically made!

I think the devs should think this way before adding magic to starbound

 

That's still fantasy magic. It's hardly different than conjuring a spell in your hands, really.

 

Maybe Starbound will have both. Psionics you develop/learn/evolve and Good Old Magic (books, scrolls, charms) found on forgotten worlds

 

I don't think the team wants to implement magic in this game, but anyways, guys, if you feel it should be in the game, keep trying! I gave that idea up long ago, now I'm more into technological equipment that simulates special attacks, you know, sonic waves, tremors, air blasts, even balls of fire... all of that done with technology, no magic there, but still different.

 

This is pretty much my thoughts exactly. It's not hard to create "spell effects" through use of technology. Technology that DOESN'T use magical crystals, that is.