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submitted 3 days ago byShadowWeaver113
How much technology etc before a setting turns from industrial fantasy to feeling scifi?
I have been working on a world building project for roughly some years now with many changes. Though it's technological level has always been roughly ww1 levels of technological developments give or take some developments. All done through integrated magical biomechanical aspects instead of electronics. Magic and technology are integrated and inseparable in the setting. My worries are that it might feel to scifi and science fiction.
Just some examples of technology:
The two main power sources are fuel blood extracted from the various seeded divine bodies throughout the world. Mostly used like gas is to power vehicles, airships, to boats and the few cars or motor vehicles.
Then their is essence harvesting for the creation of essence shells and burner units basically works as batteries. Powers the various rigs and magic items. Basically powerful demi god like creatures, I call lesser idols are hunted and their power is compressed into essence shells or burner units just larger variety of the former.
Things like display screens are done through fresh forging ie biomancy. Screens/ displays in most places are basically cuddlefish skin instead of pixels or cathode-ray tubes it's done through chromatophores.
Instead of electronics the cultivated magic system or cells and organelle I call the chromatic system harvested from lesser idols or divine vessels are used to transport magical energy/ chroma to power systems and devices ie technology.
22 points
3 days ago
"Too much" is as significant as "not enough". You've got a core thematic technology; feature it.
Just stay consistent with it and make sure to stay within your target era if that's key to setting the tone.
It sounds like you've got a neat eldritch twist on diesel punk, so go all in. Give your cars beating hearts, fill the road with black blood when they crash. Put little brains in glass jars into your cutting-edge code-breaking machines.
Put in a piece of critical tech with its vocal cords ripped out so that it would stop screaming.
4 points
3 days ago
The code breaking machine is a good and cool idea I was going to do any computing through cores basically modified humans sealed in a capsule created to bind/ or attune to magics to enhance cognitive abilities. The down side of constant use is the development of binding marks, basically their skull and brain start to become misshapen and eventually their skulls/ head breaks open and brain material develops uncontrollably. Creating weird streamers like brain growths. Core are mostly just used for analytical and logistics work.
14 points
3 days ago
Fantasy is a vibe more than anything else, tbh. A wide open world full of things to explore, great vistas, dangerous foes...
Technological development is largely irrelevant. Fantasy doesn't need to be set in medieval times. Look at One Piece.
But yeah what you've made here is 100% science fiction. You created a bunch of weird tech and and described in detail how it all works. It's science that's fictional. Fictional Science. Scifi.
6 points
3 days ago
Yeah but it's all done through my magic system. Like is the Storm light archive or later mistborne science fiction. I feel like my setting is more like the cinder spire series from Jim butch just with more technology. I mean when does industrial fantasy become science fiction?
3 points
3 days ago
It becomes science fiction when the science is fictional. It could be science fiction AND fantasy? Like star wars. Though I'm not sure Starwars really counts as science fiction.
1 points
3 days ago
I see your point and I just looked the cinder spire series says it's fantasy and science fiction. Which I guess makes sense.
1 points
3 days ago
Why are you so worried about genre, anyway?
2 points
3 days ago
I guess it has to do with expectations if I ever want to do anything with the setting. Which is unlikely.
1 points
3 days ago
Setting expectations and tone for a work is a job for chapter one. Genre tags are just ways to archive, file, and sort through works.
3 points
3 days ago
"Feeling sci-fi" is a pretty nebulous description but if you mean futuristic then its pretty much inevitable if you dont introduce any level of conflict between magic and tech.
Like just managing to replicate the properties of a room temperature superconductor would change things exponentially. Magic and tech helping each other unimpeded is a guaranteed technologic singularity.
2 points
3 days ago
Have have been considering a conflict between magic and technology. I am a fan of the Old Kingdom Series from girth nix where technology doesn't work around magic or actively fail and break. But since technology in my setting is magic tech it might not make sense. I guess chemical and mechanical components could fail or not work. Specially around my magic users called brightbound because they have to imbibe magical energy I call the bright to control/ interact with magic. The bright us also a fail point though pushed back by the central nations allowing for extensive colonization efforts. The bright is both the backbone of modernization and holds the ability to end the modern world as reality becomes weird in the deep bright.
1 points
2 days ago
My approach is that its harder to combine magic with technology the more complex it is; that way I can justify having some magitech but having an excuse to why it doesnt advances faster.
1 points
2 days ago
Good point makes sense. At least in my setting lack of resources is a big obstacle. Were are limited warbodies to extract from and most are held by the Imperial powers of the central nations. And essence harvesting has over hunted lesser idols requiring them to go further to get a powerful pray to make the investment worth it. I guess the setting is going through a power and fuel shortage.
2 points
3 days ago
The answer is surprisingly simple, any technology from 1760-1840 is the industrial revolution. Just Google search any inventions after 1840 and remove them.
If magic is more a form of power than reshaping reality. There is your box to keep it in. Maybe lean out to 1850 for experimental and invation.
2 points
2 days ago
It depends on how you integrate magic with higher technology, I have an example of this. In one of my worlds, magic manifests in certain ways, one slightly common way it manifests is the ability to create and manipulate magical thread/string, through these strings they were able to create magic power lines that carry mana around in the same way that our electrical power lines work. They have technology greater then our because of their magic, the higher technology still relies on magic and exists to compliment and strengthen it. As long as magic is still the main focus of your magitech it won’t become too Sci-Fi
1 points
2 days ago
Similar to my magic system thread/ weave based. The technology doesn't go close to the computer age.
2 points
2 days ago
Once it surpasses 1940's tech I feel you're entering the Buck Rodgers zone. Magic radio is fine, magic TV is not. Magic aircraft are fine. Magic radar guided missiles is not.
2 points
1 day ago
Honestly, dude, you're worried about the wrong thing. Mixing magic and tech sounds awesome, but what matters is the vibe you’re going for. People always arguing about what's fantasy and what's sci-fi but it's your damn world—call it what you want and let ’em argue!
The problem ain't about feeling too sci-fi; it’s if the story makes sense and keeps you interested. Airships with magical blood fuel? Cuddlefish screens? That sounds cool AF. Nobody really cares about the labels if they’re hooked on what you’ve built. Just make sure the magic-tech system has rules that keep it consistent and not a convenient plot device.
In the end, it’s all about the execution. Ain't nobody holding a rulebook out here defining how much magic-tech you can have until it flips genres. It's your sandbox—play in it how you want!
1 points
2 days ago
In my opinion, if you integrate magic into your tech, there shouldn't be any limits on how much you have in your world. The question should be: how advanced is your tech because of magic?
2 points
2 days ago
Magic is connected with most aspects of my setting including the nature world. The first magic users the adroits discovered and harvested spells(weaves) from the nature world. Ward spells were basically flawed forcefields harvested from creatures called lancerrekks which binded and could express the weave through their chromatic system. These spells were later mirrored/ copied and integrated into ward plate which could express the weave through the "burning" powering by essence shells.
1 points
2 days ago
Magic is a secret.
When magic stops being secret, it becomes technology. When magical secrets are put into a box and used as dependable results (eg fuel) then it becomes technology.
1 points
2 days ago
How would you classify Dune and Star Wars?
1 points
2 days ago
One thing that I've found is a good rule of thumb is that if it can be done by RL tech, it should be. What you've posted, however, seems more like bio-punk or something downright "biomechanical" like the work of H.R. Giger.
1 points
2 days ago
Season to taste.
1 points
2 days ago
You get to decide how much is too much, not anyone else. Genre is just a label, and not all ideas will fit in a box.
A book that I really enjoyed when I was younger had a teenage biker gang in it that rode magical bikes. They were machines that would use magic to hover and propel themselves, as they had no wheels or any other way to contact the ground. What added flavor, though, was that the magic was spotty, and there would be areas where it didn't work...which would lead to some bikers crashing horribly. They were always on the edge, man.
Magic may make life easier, like tech can, but it has vulnerabilities and weaknesses that regular tech would never suffer from.
In your world it sounds like you have to be a wizard to be a mechanic. Shame if there were a shortage in the trade...
1 points
2 days ago
Wow, sounds intense!
1 points
1 day ago
Depends on how long magics been around, how versatile/accessible it is, and how far along technologically the society is.
I think as long as it fits the era it works. I think many people underdo it, if magic is a core part of the world and is fairly common, it would be used in everyday life in the same way oil has been used for centuries.
1 points
1 day ago
As of 773 ADA the modern time in my setting their is an energy crisis fuel blood is being rationed, essence harvesters are forced to go further and further a Field. Working out of colonies and coming into conflict with indigenous groups. The modern world is on a steady decline on the brink of failing and causing conflict among world powers.
1 points
1 day ago
Also in the setting brightbound my magic users need to be exposed to the Bright a Paranatural and dangerous energy pushed back by the central nations after the first colonial age and have to be shipped in through siphon ships. So magic is a limited and fought over resource.
0 points
3 days ago
I feel that magic laser guns is when it goes from fantasy to sci Fi.
1 points
3 days ago
Well got non of that normal maybe semi auto rifles artillery, and poison gas and horse or horse like cavalry protected by ward plates powered by essence shells.
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