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"Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic."

I watched an anime years back called Scrapped Princess, minor spoilers ahead but what at first appeared to be a generic swords and sorcery world was actually the post apocalypse of a super advanced society. "Magic" was done by tapping into a worldwide noospheric network and requesting it to manifest specific effects. "Demons" were actually rampant AI constructs, ancient ruins were the remains of super advanced warships etc. etc.
It was a good series. Would love to see it remade.

>>3977
>Does magic and cyberpunk mix?
difficult to balance
>What about good old fashioned psionics?
much more reasonable
What say you?
>>3982 that sounds cool

>>3982
>"Demons" were actually rampant AI constructs, ancient ruins were the remains of super advanced warships etc. etc.
Reminds me of Roko's basallisk.

>>3987
I find it depends on how it's implemented. While I have fond nostalgic memories for something like Galarians Ash (which was a horrible game, but I was a dumb kid playing that game), if psionics is done wrong it looks rather stupid. In the case of Galarians, the actual psionics is cool; the monsters are awesome, and the idea of sentient AI was super cool... On the other hand it gets a little too anime at times. With that said, a blend of high tec and psionics done right is really cool.

Ghost in the shell is a good example of that. (I need to start watching and finish it.) I also like how they show something as 'simple' in concept as invisibility to be so deadly in hand to hand combat. (And in general). I haven't gotten far in the series, but if I remember correctly the psionics side of things is pretty low-power in scale compared to others.

Uhhh, Akira handled psionics in a really weird way. I guess with enough psionic ability it begins to actually kill the person's body; and with more power you eventually bloat into a massive flesh blob and then explode like a nuclear bomb -- and then ascend as some kind of energy being? I don't know that movie was weird.

Cyberpunk has pseudo psionics/magic through advanced hacking and the fact that everything is linked to the net. That's also a cool way to approach it. I feel like Cyberpunk has a specific taste in the way it handles all of that.

>>3977
They both usually do alright, though honestly I find the distinction between psionics and magic kind of gay.

The real trick, though, is combining tech with fantasy. Nobody really does that, sadly.

>>3977
Do you mean sf+fantasy? To science fantasy?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fantasy

>>4079
Not exactly. That seems to be more in line with the whole ray/atompunk aesthetic. That falls more in line with the Fallout series. I was talking about more of a Shadowrun setting. Though, last I checked Shadowrun is like the only game that seems to really do both magic and technology well. It was also super ahead of its time.

I know that Shadowrun was pretty heavily inspired by Cyberpunk. I wouldn't doubt if the creators were into Cyber and were like... "Okay but I want to cast fireball."

As for the tech and fashion, I feel like Cyberpunk and Shadowrun are similar but have two distinctive flares when it comes to the way they present high quality living and the slums. That isn't even taking into account the revamps of fashion and technology as each respective story progresses. (Pink Mohawk vs 'modern' Shadowrun are night and day. I like how in universe the Pink Mohawk style is seen as retro fashion.) Even their 'badlands' feel similar and yet different. I mean sure there are bandits and roadwarrior style gangs that roam the highways, but you also have magic lightning throwing native americans; giant bugs that took over Chicago, and wandering elementals/monsters/spirits that just like to fuck shit up roaming around.

(And Goblins. Don't even get me fucking started on goblins. In DND: "Look, a village of goblins. We must kill them and take their stuff because we're totally not murder hobos." In Shadowrun: "Jesus fucking christ it's a goblin, get it the fuck away from me!")

In both series as time has gone on everyone has become abundantly reliant on technology to the point where a hacker can get good enough to where they are essentially a wizard. I feel like the people in Cyberpunk are more dependent on it, considering people can get by with magic in SR. I also feel like there's a lot more wireless tech in Cyberpunk. Maybe that's just because Shadowrunners don't like to get remotely hacked? I know some Megacorps have been described as keeping data on older media's or even outright physical documentation because of the fear of netrunners and Technomancers.

Rant over. I'm glad I gave both series a chance. I really do have to give Ghost in the Shell a chance next.

>>4044
>I find the distinction between psionics and magic kind of gay.
That's because you're kind of gay. Just kidding.

I find it pretty interesting. I'm going to use D&D as an example, (Despite it being the new normie's fantasy setting:) In dungeons and dragons magic is a tangible and measurable force. If you're a wizard or some other type of spellcaster, you can theoretically hold a ball of pure 'magic' in your hand. I like to think of it as an external force that flows through the air and between different dimensions. Wizards learn to harness this power, sorcerers are naturally infused with it at birth, and divine casters are given this power by their beliefs/Gods. (Note: sorcerer's magical ability, while infused in them still comes from an outside source. Just because I put gold flakes in liquor and call it goldschlager doesn't mean the flakes came from the alcohol)


Now for something that will sound like a tangent. Monks. Monk as well as all of the classes in the (IIRC) Tome of Battle use Ki. Ki is the life energy that can be manipulated through mental and physical training. It is not magic. It is energy given off by life and strength.

Psionics on the other hand is power that manifested itself through the mind. (The only way to bend the spoon is to realize the spoon isn't there!) A creature who can cast 'spells' through nothing but the sheer manifestation of their own will power isn't tapping into the external force. (Actual magic.) It's what makes psions so strange, eldritch, and frightening to people in the D&D universe; because they don't use magic to do the strange and fantastic abilities that they do. Even if you throw an antimagic field, it won't affect them.

Mechanically, I prefer to keep both arts separate when it comes to numbers for a few different reasons: I feel like it adds a level of depth to combat/utility-spellcasting; and it keeps casters on their toes. (Especially in 3.5) With the two separated now a party of players have more options to mix and match with. In addition to Spell Resistance/immunity there is Power Resistance/immunity. Spells that would never work in an anti magic field can work perfectly well in an Anti-Power field (and vice versa).

But the biggest reason I keep magic and psionics separate is because it's fun, adds flavor, and balances the game in favor of psions. Without the distinction a Psion is just a shitter wizard that can do like one or two unique things. (And even then the wizard can probably do them better)