Another podcast

[LordLeopold]

And thus we have the third podcast.

At this point I'm too tired from work to post much else. Listen and discuss!

[Cyrus the virus]

Interesting. I think it's near time to institute the Tap as the official 'source' of Althanas' magic, as that invisible force that makes magic, as an energy (or power, or tool) exist.

I think it'd add to Althanas' world. We need more reasons, more sources, for certain things that exist on Althanas, I believe. We need a history that dates back to Althanas' beginning, and the Tap is a good place to start.

Though we could change the name. Heheh

[Dissinger]

I don't see it...is there some special instructions?

[Ashiakin]

I think the site that's hosting it is down for the moment.

[Max Dirks]

Madison, do you hold a grudge?

About the tap. I'm not sure that giving Althanas a concrete source of magic is such a good idea anymore. After reviewing a few other play-by-post sites with 'centralized magic' in my recruitment drive, I've noticed a few potential problems. You talked about whether or not magic comes from within or from without in one of your previous podcasts. It's an extremely relevant conversation. In order to institute such a concept, you are going to have to choose whether or not the tap will function as an external source of magic (like aquiring mana in M:tG) or if the tap will be internal (such as the Saiyan transformations in DBZ). To play devil's advocate, will it be a combination of both? Can it exist with other forums of magic?

The more you define, the less creativity that comes as a result. I created a gravity mage character for one of those sites. The character was not "approved" due to the fact that gravity was not a recognized type of elemental magic on the site. In order to be able to use that type of character, I would have to submit an entire compliment of information including how the magic was drawn from their "tap" and what spells can be used from it. Then I had to create a detailed schematic on how the magic was used (ie. time to cast for different mastery levels). It wasn't worth my time so I re-registered as a fallen gravity mage who'd lost his powers.

My suggestion is to make the tap into a storyline adaption much like Ithermoss' Thayne religion. Even if it's optional it can still be extremely successful, especially if tournaments like the AC and certain regional quests are based around it.

[Cyrus the virus]

Yep, maintenance. It wasn't like that before. Just wait a while and it'll hopefully be up again soon.

You and your grudges, Tony.

I don't think they're suggesting we make it quite as involved as that. I see the Tap as being the source for magic, all magic, meaning we don't list what types exist. It merely provides magic to Althanas, both as an external and internal... thing. It is simply the source of the magic. Nothing more, nothing less.

That's how I've been thinking of it, anyway.

[Max Dirks]

Isn't that like saying gods created Althanas, but its up to you to decide which ones?

What if someone wants the ultimate source of their magic to be something closely related to their character and not something generic? For example, its a difference between saying that Luc gains his magical aptitude from his own lifeforce and Luc gains his magical aptitute from his own lifeforce, which he can do because of the existence of some eternal tap. Which is more important to Luc, the magic within himself or the magic within himself that is granted by another force (or power)?

[Cyrus the virus]

If I knew more about ecology or how the earth works I could come up with a good example. Maybe gravity is a good way to look at it, in that the source of it exists and everyone is effected by it, and the Earth has gravity because of whatever the source of it is I'm an idiot.

I see the Tap as the source that created and sustains magic as a whole, nothing more whatsoever. I understand the fear that we'll develop a magic system like on other sites, but I just don't see it happening...

[Dissinger]

To clarify my no mod Stance, I meant no teams of two mods together... So no teams like Dirks and Thor, but if Thor wanted to go with say Me (who is no longer a mod) that would be okay.

As for the magic, I made my piece last time, I don't feel like arguing that, but I will say something about vocal trigger magic. In Lord of the rings, you get Gandalf and Saruman basically casting spells at each other/other things. Remember the whole scene at Durin's Door with Gandalf casting spell after spell, before he realizes he made a mistake, and speaks the elvish word for Friend. "Speak Friend and Enter"

There is a strong debate for vocalized magic, you may say that generalized nonverbal magic is key. I however would point out Tolkien created magic done on verbal cue. There is equal debate for either, also don't even go into shamanistic magic at all, just try and stick with hermatic magicks? You're whole arguement when talking magic starts to fall apart.

I like how you went more indepth into the tap. It makes alot of Sense. I'm kinda interested in the forgotten ones more, not so much as I want to push my storyline into it, as I want to see if things could be adapted to mine...maybe they affected things in mine or somethign else like that.

[Project Serenade]

The thing with the Tap... well, I really like the idea of an overall magic system but with Murdoch, well, with all the 'magic' I use, it's not really magic in the traditional sense but more of a genetic power thing - sort of sciencey/X-Men-like. Anyways, usually, my characters will manipulate fire/ice/whatever rather than create it and when they do this, it's like moving an arm to them; it's as much a part of who and what they are as their arms, hair etc. Sure, it takes effort, and they get tired - just like when you run, your body does - but I've never really thought that they were drawing from anything outside of themselves.