silver 2039
Deity
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Messages
- 16,208
I voted no because I like the word toffee it reminds me of an Enid Blyton book. Oh but I wouldn't actually play either it doesn't suit me.
To fit magic into a NES easily, you can do one of two broad things: you can restrict access to magic through the use of individual magic users, or you can offer a limited/restricted and easily measurable resource, area, or activity that is the source of magic.
In my opinion, the second one is generally both more interesting and, just as importantly, negates the importance of individual magic users, at least when it comes to statistics and updates.
Considering that religion tends to play a rather large part of any NES that deals with magic, this is often a decent, if somewhat difficult, method of both restricting access to magic and ensuring that magic is somehow "different" from one group of people to another.
However, also considering that this takes place upon a single island, and the general difficulty of measuring piety or religious activity. Essentially, it would devolve back into measurement by individual.
My suggestion is that you come up with either some sort of resource or specific sorts of areas that can be controlled to draw on magic, much as one would draw on the economy in a normal NES. Change it up a little and allow for certain effects to be done only with certain resources/locations, and you have everything you need. Let the players and you come up with interesting ways to use things, and use your best judgment to decide what tops what.
Even more specifically, I would say that placing magic in specific areas would probably be best, as it would allow you to set a definite, difficult to change limit on the amount and sorts of magic that could be used. Just make the areas impressive, and tie the sort of area to the sort of magic that can be performed, and it all works out.
Also, I would suggest you allow the players to invent their own ways to actually use the magic; that is, the actual ritual and mystique surrounding magic should be particular to each tribe although, obviously, a lot of things are going to be nice and stereotypical.
That's about all I can think of along that venue. I can be even more specific if you like, though.
EDIT: Also, make sure that magic is NOT restricted simply to hurling spells at other people. Actual physiological changes to one's tribe, effects on the weather, the construction of shelters, etc., are all legitimate and interesting uses of magic. Essentially, magic should be a potent aid to both economic and military might, a sort of meta-resource that can be used to do, at least in theory, pretty much anything, assuming you had the right amount and sorts of magic to use.
You still bloody voted for toffee
They were awesome when I was there a few weeks ago. Nothing stolen, either, contrary to all the nasty stories.(Jamaicans were mean to tourists when I was there).
Essentially I want the rivers, the town/city dots and the lines of longitude left, but everything else cleared.
Well you're kinda going about it the wrong way - get a program with layers and a path tool and just trace out the bits you want to keep. You'll get a much cleaner result.