Is magitech in fantasy bad writing?

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by BB_Tensei, Dec 26, 2018.

  1. Feng Tian

    Feng Tian Well-Known Member

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    As stated it is a logical necessity. Any setting which has ways to store mana or draw it out of the atmosphere without living organic components will inevitably create magtech. Not including it is bad writing. And you dont even have to be creative to do anything decent with it. You merely need to set logical hard limits within the power system. Where does the energy come from? Does the tech require strategic ressources? Are there any downsides to storing a lot of magical energy at one place? How large can the object be (Or how small)? Bad execution does not make magtech in general bad writing, It just means this specific writer sucks.

    Scifi does not exclude magic, as any hard magic system IS science (as science is the obsevation of natural phenomenons and deriving laws from it). Magical energy is merely another ressource within the larger picture. As such a Scifi setting can very well have magic, very likely even on large scale. At high levels of either the differences begin to fade.

    Naturally the question is also how common magic is. The more common it is the more likely magtech is about to appear and to develop into magic scifi.
     
  2. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    Nothing is bad writing if it is believable
    As long as you lore is good enough to suck readers in.
     
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  3. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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  4. Westeller

    Westeller Smokin' Sexy Style!! Staff Member

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    Scientific what? I mean, I stopped at c600, but I don't remember a bunch of science. Maybe you're thinking of Throne of Magical Arcana? That was the one with the ridiculously heavy emphasis on science - the MC writes articles for research journals, ffs. When A Mage Revolts was more like. Pure elemental manipulation.

    When A Mage Revolts suffers from a terrible translation, though. I remember a fairly important side character having their name translated approximately five different ways across almost as many chapters. Imagine that. The character's name changing literally in the next chapter, and then again in the next. ... Funnily enough, I don't think the grammar was that bad? At least not as bad as the translation of names, titles and special terminology.

    Or maybe I'm just so used to bad grammar I don't even remember it.

    ________________________________________________
    Edit What? Where are we? I just assumed this was I'm Looking For because of the novel titles.

    Err. If we're talking author discussion, let me beg, plead and implore every aspiring author here to NEVER, EVER go full D&D in their settings. For example. Do NOT use D&D's spell memorization system. DO NOT. It is an utterly unrealistic way D&D functions as a game and not as realistic lore. It frustrates the hell out of me every time it comes up in a novel. Just don't. You are writing a novel, not designing a game to be played by people. Do not use full game mechanics as if they were reality.

    Now, as far as magitech goes. ... I can't really think of great examples offhand of magitech with a well thought out magic system that makes logical sense and mixes well with technology. I could probably make one up, though, if I had to. I suspect that being vague is okay, though, because you don't need to and probably shouldn't spend a lot of time on the hard details. Most stories you'll read don't. Basically all stories don't, actually.
     
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  5. userunfriendly

    userunfriendly A Wild Userunfriendly Appears!

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    As much as I hate it, Advent turned bad about half way through, and I agree with the snooze fest...first 200 or so chapters was simply excellent.:blobokhand:

    Mahouka is more scientific, and more fun..though it’s really a science fiction series.:blobwink:
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2019
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  6. Vanidor

    Vanidor Well-Known Member

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    You should watch Brandon Sanderson explain his intereaction with other writers about magic.

    Basically older writers used mysterious magic to cause problems, not solve them. He used understandable magic to let MC’s solve problems. Magic can’t be both mysterious and solve problems without readers bitching, it has to be one or the other.

    Your magitech doesn’t need to be understandable/scientific if everyone is just shooting similar weapons, riding magitech trains, etc. Only if the MC will use some spell, ability or magic item to solve problems.

    Jason Bourne movies don’t explain how guns work, but if he sudddenly started making his own unique explosive stronger than C-4 to blow up a base the viewers would want some damn answers.
     
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  7. Shio

    Shio Moderator Staff Member

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    There's no bad idea, only bad writing.

    I think Index is one example of good magitech. I hate the character trope used, but have to admit the world building is not bad.
     
  8. Nightow1

    Nightow1 Well-Known Member

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    So true. Good authors can pull off incredible things. Bad ones can also pull off incredible things, in the wrong way.
     
  9. Maelstrom08

    Maelstrom08 Well-Known Member

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    The way I see Magitech is tech in a fantasy world, not magical realism where magic is in a normal world. Either way, Magitech is a complete 50/50 without any sort of reference. Lots of novels with Magitech end up failing to properly execute technology, but not because the author doesn't know how to write things like motorcycles, but more along the lines of being unable to implement said motorcycles into the setting fluidly.

    If the author can add technology to where it seems like it coexists and is one with the world the characters are set in, Magitech is a very useful writing tool. It can allow the author to use some common logic to mix with the setting, thereby making it either easier for readers to understand, or more intrigued in the novel.

    If the author cannot add technology properly, then it can just become a roller-coaster spiraling downward. By adding technology in, without implementing it properly it shows the writer is, throwing random thoughts in, making a world without cohesion, as well as breaking a sense of immersion to the reader, as the tech seems out of place.