But a game should be cohesive and consistent instead of flippant, don't you agree? If we keep retconning, ignoring, compromising-- what will happen is it will hurt the stability of the game.

@VATROU I'm interested! I see that a lot of individuals who are currently involved within the realm of the supernatural conjure forces akin to those present in fantasy settings, which I'm totally down with, but I love the different distinctions and systems. My characters sort of represent a more limited form of magic that's based more around history, folklore, and modern practices, so my charater's powers are slightly more limited than some of you other grand wizards and sorcerers, which I personally like. All the differences and distinctions add depth and what not.

But a game should be cohesive and consistent instead of flippant, don't you agree? If we keep retconning, ignoring, compromising-- what will happen is it will hurt the stability of the game.

It's five AM here, so I'm literally passing out after this post. I dunno, just woke up and felt hey I'll pop in. Anyways my thoughts on that way of thinking is.

We should keep interpretations of the rules as open as possible while still adhering to the nature of them. What I mean is, there can be hundreds of possible fire based spells for example. Those that shot cones, or lob grenades or rain fire. My point is these spells utilize fire and manipulates it.

This allows anyone to freely interpret Pyromancy as they like. However if someone tried to say, welp my fire spells also slow time or freeze people on impact just for the lolz, hurhur. That's not Pyromancy, that's something else entirely. But trying to pass a clearly different spell than those previous stated possible that's breaking the rules, ignoring the lore.

I'm fine with people mixing magic effects, but it needs to be clearly stated they are, and it can't come without some sort of cost.

My whole point is, keep the rules open but stay true to the nature of how the Magical World works. Don't let people resurrect the dead with the wave of a hand and have them totally fit back into society like living people again, and certainly don't let them use absurd magics that have nothing to do with Necromancy.

As a new (prospective) player I think having an area where magic is explained would be nice. Though I would feel like I'd need to conform unless there was something letting me know that I didn't have to.

But that's just from my perspective.

And in other news I'm still debating on if I'm going to wait for or join before season 2

@Blue Demon join me in Grant City after @Gowi lets me go to Grant City :P

Or we could jut go be Scottish.

@SepMan, I don't even have a character idea over here. D: I know what Wraith feels.

Though after the way you ditched me in NF... I'm not going to sign onto anything with you. Sorry...ish.

Also, update: @Fallenreaper@Melonhead@Athinar Posts are going to come a little slow. I was going to take a crack at them this morning, but I unfortunately forgot my roommate's birthday was today, I now have to go emergency shopping for a birthday present.

Aight

@Blue Demon I didn't ditch you in NF :O

But a game should be cohesive and consistent instead of flippant, don't you agree? If we keep retconning, ignoring, compromising-- what will happen is it will hurt the stability of the game.

Defining magic would not affect the need to retcon or ignore. The two issues we had was someone started up an arc and left, and another person ended up being four different people that now need to be slowly written out. Defining an entire rules set for a very broad term would do nothing to fix that.

I will relent and say maybe a vague guideline, but I wouldn't go farther than that. Defining the rules would be fine if we were going to tell one story in a compact, right universe, but we aren't, and there lies the issue with a firm definition. We have different people telling multiple stories, with that kind of situation trying to force everyone into one specific line of thinking is going to limit the amount of contribution new players will have.

Its why I am participating in the discussion at all. I understand everyone is going to have their own take on something as vague as magic, and would like to accomidate to fit what people want to do with their magical abilities.

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

I honestly recommend the alternative. We are still very far off of getting to season 2, at least if you hop into the game now, you can establish your character for the next arc in season 2.

Quoting NN here because I loved how he said this. @Blue Demon

Yeah, got to agree with Nexus here, Sandbox RPs give -everyone- near complete freedom in world building, establishing guidelines for something as broad as magic and expecting everyone to adhere to the rules you've created is highly questionable, unless you happen to be the GM. Make whatever rules you like for your own characters, don't force it on others.

Currently, as @Tearstone mentioned, and I'll quote him from Skype:

We're all good at storytelling and the like

I'm pretty sure, for the current players involved, we can all find a happy medium here. I think, as NN stated, vague rules or theories might be best for a general overview. Then break it down into specific types (AKA individual rules/methods/player understanding) of how those elements work. This would allow easier incorporation (example: I'm going to flesh out New York City Lycans, but this might not be how all Lycans work in CAH. Merely just the breed my future PC will be.) while also allowing most of the freedom or someone to build off what I made.

Personally, I think there should be some connections and similarities so when the magics or other elements clash, one of them doesn't feel like it's from outer space or somewhere out of this world. Unless it is of course. There's no harm in wanting some unification but let's also keep in mind what the GMS originally want the heart of this game to be: storytelling freedom.

*record scratch* Okay, okay hold up. Time out.

I think everybody is getting fixated on the thought that this meeting of the minds would be to come up with one unified system.



The goal is to get the different ides down, and how these specific bits of lore currently function, as each player has set them up. So say if I want to use the Poseidon thing, I would know how to work with it, so as I don't break what Gowi or whoever set it out. Or I can expand on it.

Or say if I want to define something new, I can know what is established already.

We're not trying to codify all of the umbrella category of Magic into one single codified system. It's more cataloging things. Taking an inventory.

See, this is why I chose Shamanism. Doesn't have anything to do with Arcane or Eldritch magic. :^)

See, this is why I chose Shamanism. Doesn't have anything to do with Arcane or Eldritch magic. :^)

It's still magic, and there's many ways of doing that as well. :p

@Fallenreaper

xD

<Snipped quote by Athinar>

It's still magic, and there's many ways of doing that as well. :p

What she said.

@Athinar Are you talking about Native American shamanism, Tibetian shamanism, or South American shamanism, or Peruvian shamanism?

Are you taking into account other native spiritual traditions like Hawaiian Kahunas, or what about African Voodoo & Hoodoo?

3 pages of OOC since I went to bed that's not just silly banter. Let me see if I need to respond to anything (I saw your mention, @VATROU).

@Fallenreaper

For you [+]

xD

*points down to Tearstone*

<Snipped quote by Fallenreaper>

What she said.

@Athinar Are you talking about Native American shamanism, Tibetian shamanism, or South American shamanism, or Peruvian shamanism?

Are you taking into account other native spiritual traditions like Hawaiian Kahunas, or what about African Voodoo & Hoodoo?

As Tearstone stated, there are many varieties which opens the door for a wide selection of how magic is done and created. My current stance, though I worry it might've been misunderstood and so I'm going to clear it up, is this:

While I prefer unification myself, it's a preference but I can work around. Personally, I see VAT's suggest as a way for those who want to tie in their magic together as possible. But also a way to explain their variety, see who has something similar, or use someone's system and merely build on that existing magic with the player permission. I'm not stating there should be some hardcore rules over what magic is or the rules they follow, which if I did, it's not my intention. However, I'm pretty sure if someone uses magic then we all have a vague idea at least about what that includes despite how/why/sciences behind the thing.

3 pages of OOC since I went to bed that's not just silly banter. Let me see if I need to respond to anything (I saw your mention, @VATROU).

Personally, I don't think so as it seems we're all trying to come to a clarification point and slowly getting there. This is an example when individuals come together and rare cases when something that several people understand differently is coming to a final understanding that resolves most issues. It also doesn't end in needless drama or flaming toward each other.

Well, my form of Shamanism is sorta.... a blend of other cultures. If you have read VAT's page, then you'll see the specifics. It's not traditional Shamanism in any sense, but rather, a mixture of Plains Nations, Greco/Roman, Norse, and Inuit mythology.

(Also Uskri's intro post in his CS will shed some light on it, as well.)

A little bit of Japanese Youkai in there as well.