Discussion Downplaying magic in fantasy

When you look at magic in a fantasy novel like lord of the rings or game of thrones you notice that magic doesn't mean much, it's there but it's never overpowered and the power gap between characters is never far.

And then when you look at these fantasy webnovels, you see magic that can warp space, blow up mountains or destroy entire armies.

Does this make it less or more interesting for you guys?

 

i don't really care as long as it is written properly

 

Magic ain't all that important, its how you use it. I don't care either way as long as it has clear cut rules or limits. Without that, it just becomes retarded and cheap.

 

I think Mushoku Tensei did a great in what magic should be like without being OP.
Still i think a item box magic is a must for any isekai (as long the citizens of the isekai don't try to kill him or enslave for it).

 

^ pretty much this.

 

I would like to finally get one novel witouth space magic in it. Item box is just excuse to skip all those things u need to take care of when you can carry only so much.

 

You mean like high fantasy vs low fantasy?

Both can be decent if done right, simple as that.

 

I think Fate Zero did a pretty good job in having magic be very useful but never overpowered since Emiya Kiritsugu was able to take down some magi with conventional weapons.

 

generally it's a matter of scale. most things simply ARE magic, rather than use magic. although there's still spells, in an "old" and fleshed out world where growth is actually measured by natural standards, it takes years of practice and study to become able to do more than throw a lantern around with an oversized stick, and even the greatest are still limited by their mortal bodies. a lot of this growth is cut out in favor fast pace action. even if mages try to put some effort into it, it's still something which takes awhile to learn. although swordsmanship and other forms of physical combat are by no means easy to learn, it doesn't take any sort of genius to actually lift a sword and flail around with it, so many protagonists take the "easy way" and all the greater learning is left up to other people. for those that go to gurren lagann levels of destruction, it's easy to miss all the time skips, methods of instant learning/progress, and forced comprehension, so it does kind of even out, even if from a world building standpoint it's utterly gamebreaking.

ultimately, the ridiculous and exagerated abilities are more to make things interesting, and very rarely seem to take into account that they're basically creating a near endless army of veritable gods that only require a few decades to grow. any sort of story that takes its world building seriously will usually limit itself, even if some of the things accomplished stretch the limit.

as for if i find 'em interesting... not especially. granted, i've read so many things that i've pretty much lost hope i'll find anything especially great and decided to settle for stories that're relatively mediocre. so long as the story isn't absolutely horrible, stays away from certain tags, and the translation quality it passable, i'd probably be fine reading about things as over the top and nonsensical as a toddler god that destroys entire galaxies with a mere giggle, and only a critical hit to the hiatus could push me to stop. a novel's gotta be REALLY good to get me back after some of those long ass, unaccounted for breaks.

 

Well, to be honest, at least with regards to Song of ice and fire it's more like the true age of magic has passed. I mean, there was literally an empire of magic and then there was the tree people who created the walkers.

 

I recall magic playing a huge role in those series, but in western books magic tends to take on a passive, fate/destiny-based approach. It's just not magical combat the way webnovels are.

As for whether I like the western approach better or not...I have yet to read an action webnovel that I enjoyed as much as the likes of the Belgariad and L.E. Modesitt jr's books. In a western book, magic usually builds tension. In a webnovel, it bores me. I will hate webnovels for their magic, but have only liked Mahouka for it. So yes, I like the western approach better.

 

I dont care so much of how much magic there is, but more about how its used.

For example, if one guy woke up being able to move things, but only small/light things and only a little bit, but he was the only one in the world that had that power, and he uses it to unlock doors/bolts etc.
And then he uses that very weak ability to maybe break out of emprisonment and deactivate or move cameras just enough to basically just stroll out to freedom, with everyone left in complete confoundment from just . . . ‘HOW!?’

I think that would be more interesting than completely op guy from being showered with golden finger to the point that they never face any kind of obstacle.

 

Doesn't matter as long as the story is interesting for me.

 

I think you're comparing apples and oranges. The Game of Thrones is a serious, and one of the best, fiction, it doesn't cater. Light novels, though, mostly cater to wishes of the teen public. And the teen public has an eight grade syndom, which is why magic is OP, the MC has a harem, etc.

 

same opinion