Which game has has the best magic system?

Which game has has the best magic system?

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>1
Everyone has it
>2
By dying or having a strong will
>3
Yes
>4
No
>5
Literally anything you can think of
>6
It's an excuse to end humanity
>7
Everything
>8
Anything you can't think of
>9
Until the universe fucking explodes
>10
Everyone
>11
Fear and hysteria
>12
There's no more world to take over.

Rate my magic system, Zig Forums.

Can't wait for that FF8 remake

12 things to explain to the player for no fucking reason.

Why would you ever give a fuck about that shit? If it’s fun then put it in your game, balance is such a fucking gay meme

Wheel of Time has easily the best magic system in all of fantasy.

Dominions. Obviously, I like the scale (everything up to and including reality-altering magic, making everyone in the world age at an accelerated rate, indirectly Wishing more Wishes, your usual time stops and meteor showers, etc) and scope (1k+ spells) of it.

However, I also like details how magic is divided to schools (Conjuration, Alteration, Evocaiton, Construction, Enchantment, Thaumaturgy, Blood) and paths (Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Astral, Death, Nature, Blood) where schools dictate access to spells based on your research levels and are determined how the magic is accessed thematically (for example, buff spells in alteration physically change world like "iron skin" literally turning skin to iron, while buffs in enchantment give targets temporary magical properties), while paths determine casting requirements and may require cross-paths (earth+fire is magma, say).

I like how thematic the game is in general, from stuff like heart companions of Arcoscephale (inspired by Saced Band of Thebes) being mechanically gay to Jinns being vulnerable to salt or vampires being unable to cross running rivers despite their flight, and magic is no exception with some spells being referred to in the game's fluff, working "logically" (for example, ice spells don't deal some abstract cold damage although there's those things too, but physical damage because they're physical objects), and all that.

And I like the mechanics in general. I like the overall combat resolution which I find very elegant, unique ideas such as Communions (where lesser mages can join together to give power for communion masters), like how magic research and path access effectively acts as a tech tree, even some spell effects are kinda cool despite really rudimentary graphics.

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>1
Learned by devoting years of your life toward understanding and practicing. Executed through the use of Tarot Cards
>2
Sounds like the previous question. You find the cards, and you’re a trained user, you should know its basic spell. Mire powerful combined spells require the right combination and incantation, which a user may or may not know. If you don’t have the right cards in your possession btw, you can’t cast shit.
>3
Maybe. Spoilers. The cards aren’t the source of the magic, more of a conduit.
>4
I don’t understand this question. There’s a limited number of cards, yes, and users have to find them. No one has a complete deck.
>5
The minor arcana which are more common divide into 4 categories, Swords for combat, Cups for “change,” pentacles for “fate,” and wands for “force of will” (classic sorcery). You’ve also got the major arcana which are busted as shit.
>6
In various ways and it’s hard to explain without spoilers, but lets just say that the use of magic comes at a terrible snd irreversible cost
>7
On a practical level, you need “favor with the gods” to use it, which is a battery-like resource not unlike mana. In order to charge said battery, you need to perform prayer and rituals beforehand
>8
There are no real limits in potential, but more powerful spells come with more complexity and heavier personal sacrifice. Amassing large quantities of godly favor isn’t exactly easy, let alone storing it.
>9
Depends on the spell used. Simple spells don’t last very long
>10
Only people who have devoted their lives to it. It is most definitely arcane.
>11
Not good. It’s a taboo, and witches are regularly burned alive. Inquisitions are common
>12
Because there aren’t many spellcasters around, and because at the end of the day, magic is a tool, and conventional weapons like artillery, gunpowder, pikes, and armies are still very effective. That doesn’t mean people don’t go mad with power and try though.

R8 pls.

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>1
the same as practicing anything or getting stronger
>2
By learning how to channel it
>3
In a sense, a bit hard to explain
>4
I don't really get this question. Teleporting is a commercial service, if it means in that way. Time stuff has proven possible but tricky to deal with.
>5
It is the power source of literally everything. Magic is no different from life energy
>6
The main character hosts an exhaustive supply of magic because they're a chosen one
>7
Energy
>8
As far as I can tell, nothing.
>9
Being the main energy of the universe, until they get tired
>10
Anyone except one race of people
>11
It's a natural fact of life
>12
They have, the non magic welders only stood a chance because they discovered gunpowder and an element to power their war machines
But even these run on the same magic that regular people channel. The non magic people aren't even lacking in the same magical energy, they just can't channel it.

Meme/10

Apply yourself

Does it?

This sounds like every power system ever.

5/10

I like the tarot stuff, but it’s a little typical 7/10

>This sounds like every power system ever.
What do you mean? Genuinely curious.

>MC is the chosen one
>everyone uses magic or at least knows about it, and it’s commonly integrated into technology
>your resources is basically ki and can be replenished by eating and sleeping
>it is “the life force of all things”
>even though it’s common enough to be integrated into technology, the chosen one must learn to channel it cause we need a training arc
I can name at least 5 other power systems that tick all these boxes right off the top of my head.

Magicka. Pity the gameplay is repetitive.

12. Because politicians rule the world by means of commanding magicians even though they can't use magic themselves.

If you're dedicating narrative to shit that doesn't explore the human condition and help us see things about orselves we wouldn't know or help us articulate those things, it's absolutely worthless. Nobody fucking cares about the how why or whens of your retarded little system of shooting fire out of hands. It's fucking stupid fantasy shit regardless of how you try to spin it with absolutely no value whatsoever.

The magical energies are kind of like atoms, thinking about it. They aren't life on their own, but they make up life, can bring inanimate things to life, and can restore life to the dead. As a bonus they can be used to power things without giving them life.
>the chosen one must learn to channel it cause we need a training arc
Nahh! The chosen one gets by just fine, but they're kind of a natural and great at everything because they are.
It sounds generic on paper but there are particular things I really like about magic in the setting. Even though "magic" is more akin to "physics" in it.
Game I'm talking about is FFXIV.

Oops, I completely forgot to mention how every piece of armor and weapon is enchanted, and magic is a natural part of crafting things.
Similarly, the shape of weapons and armor often have reasoning for how they help the magical energies flow.
For example, Samurai in the setting wear robes because it helps their energies flow where they need, and the katana is their preferred weapon because the shape of one lets magic flow down the blade nicely, making them hit harder.

Depends. Hard magic systems with mechanical complexity and consistent rules make for great battle manga.

Be mindful of your target audience.

those tarot cards are actually wrong, the Marseilles tarot is the correct version

I kinda liked Arcanum's one. The contrast with the technology meaning one couldn't work with the other around set up the central conflict.

I don’t care about accuracy though, I care about flavor and aesthetic. Swords, Cups, Pentacles, and Wands create 4 neatly categorized images that vividly explain what the category focuses on more or less.

Swords is self explanatory, as is wands. Cups is reminiscent of communion, like in church, where you drink the blood of Christ. It’s easy to see how that category centers around stuff like transformation and transmuntation, etc... especially since communion is meant to be symbolic of a spiritual change. And pentacles focusing on fate and luck is pretty self explanatory too. Some forms of divination and geomancy use coins, and well, coins go hand in hand with luck.

Also, those are from the most popular set, and the one most commonly associated with occult magic.

Rate mine:
>open command window and type the right word or words to summon elemental essences of various power and identity (think mana)
>select targets for spell by toggling on targeting mode, can choose an area or click on higlighted targets
>cast the spell by typing out the words for it
>if you have the correct types and amount of essence, the spell is cast

12 is an unnecessary question, because in most cases they effectively have done so, sometimes even actually.

oh i am sorry, i just so happen to be a card autist
and let me tell you, you are talking out of your ass here

your stupid american version renames and changes shit, after all its an american tradition to alter and destroy anything foreign and make it shitty
the cards the hierophant and high priestess are fucking wrong, they are actually called the pope and la papisa (female pope)
XIII isnt called death, it doesnt have a fucking name
the fool isnt walking off a cliff, the magicians table isnt missing a fourth leg
and so on and so on

fucking americans, you dont have traditions, niggerface
your stupid art deco cards are to actual tarot what wiccans are to protoindo european religion
a shitty copycat with no meaning and no bearing in anything and only fucking LARPers and fat goth chicks care about it

jump of a cliff and land on a dick, FAGGOT

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I don’t care my dude. It’s a power system for a Japanese manga, I just want it to be cool, and I’m not American.

>Frog being this mad over cards

Get over it loser

I'm severely autistic, but here goes
1. depends on the school of magic, but generally beginners start by meditating, and focussing on a particular part of their body or think about a certain concept or emotion.
This gives them a basic understanding of where their respective school of magic connects to their body, and later they will learn to consciously connect with the deity and place (core of the earth, moon, sun) providing the magic.
2. I don't quite understand the question. I suppose that eventually, channeling magic will become as easy as moving one's body. It's a cognitive proces and unconscious at the same time, just like moving your arm or learning to use a sword.
3. Yes, it does. A pyromancer will, for example, have their flame constantly try to consume them unless they learn to subdue it. It's a volatile thing. Of course, the deity connected to the school of magic also is sentient and can affect the respective magic users if they want to.
4. Yes. All magic has an effective range depending on their abilities, but the maximum distance it can be cast is ~100m. Dunno about the time thing. It doesn't last forever in most cases, unless it has some extraneous source providing magic (like a light spell perpetually being powered by a crystal or something).
5. destroy, heal, create, hide, manipulate the physical world, etc. Again, it depends on which deity is lending their power. A single school of magic can have multiple uses.

6. The main character, a pyromancer, has gained a trauma (through his own fault), which destabalises him and causes his flame to win him over, and he has to concentrate for dear life to not let it consume him. The theme of the book relates to borderline stoic/buddhist principles of self control and discovery, something the main character must learn to attain/do. His character arc is overcoming his anxiety and his predicament, while helping the other main character. I can't be bothered to explain the second main character but their arcs are tied together.
7. It's physically exhausting like any activity, and it requires a strong mind to control it without backfiring. A certain level of discipline and constant alertness is needed.
8. Revive the dead, turn back time, make you invincible, guarantee victory, teleport, make you immortal.
9. As long as the user has the stamina and mental prowess to manifest the magic (being really exhausted or too injured to think straight, or being emotionally unbalanced will affect magic ability).
10. Literally everyone. Humans, elves, and all other races. All sentient life.
11. Depends on who sees it. Magic is an integral part of society, but not everybody has the time or the need to learn it. Low level magic is a curiosity, but big displays of magic, when not necessary, are generally seen as tasteless or dangerous, unless the practicioner is active at an academy, temple, or other place for learning or practicing magic. Imagine pulling a gun out in the middle of the street vs pulling a gun out at the shooting range.

Not only that, but the original Tarot is Italian with its toots set in Egypt. And Swords, Coins, and Cups were part of the original set. Clubs/Sticks replaced Wands. So he’s also wrong.

its fine, i am just mad with the shitty deck that most people now the tarot by
its so unfair marseillebros... our deck came first..

i like frogs(animal), but not french, i am from the second country with more card autismos
the marseilles tarot was actually restored by someone from my cunt.. you know the one, he also makes weird movies

yes, its from italian tarocchi, but tarocchi != tarot

12.
1-they have

2-basically, in the time the story takes place magic basically isn't as powerful as technology (guns, steamboats, etc. Some areas of the world have electricity too). A good swordsman can defeat a wizard (but a good wizard can also defeat a good swordsman.) Achieving higher magical powers requires a lot of meditating, understanding of the self, and restraint, meaning that on the whole, the most powerful wizards are like buddhist monks more interested in just learning shit and meditating all day to get closer to their deity than base things like taking over a country. That being said, most leaders of eg. a tribe are powerful magicians, but not the most powerful. Since magic is strictly tied to getting a deity's help, generally "sinners" are punished, meaning a wizard can't act evil on a global level without getting some punishment for it.

This could be cool if it was implemented as a game mechanic, but I don't know how well it would work realistically in a narrative. Does the language you type in matter? Is there a barrier for learning beyond knowing the spells?

It depends. If the state of the world affects the character, and magic is integral to the world, you'd need to explain the magic too. That being said, I know what you mean.