Science fiction or Science fantasy?

BoboTheMighty

BoboTheMighty

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Anthem seems to want to take itself seriously, but is aiming for science fantasy? Then they need enough elements to make a rollercoaster ride experience. Presumably not an open world game then if they want an authored experience unless they are going Witcher 3 route with content density.
 
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Both?

Sci-fi/sci-fantasy are close enough to not make much difference one way or the other for me. Personally, my enjoyment of an RPG is much more about the underlying game mechanics rather than things like setting, graphics, animations, cinematics, etc.. I'll get into almost any setting if the game mechanics are right. On the flip side, a setting could be amazing, yet if it doesn't have the RPG stuff I like I won't be interested.

I never thought I'd play a zombie game set in present day Texas, for example, yet Dead State is a hardcore CRPG with zombies, so I'm all about it.

I guess if a setting was like, My Little Pony, or something like that I really had no interest in the franchise, even with the ruleset and mechanics of Arcanum I don't know if I could get into it. :)
 
BoboTheMighty said:
Science fiction or Science fantasy?
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My answer is The Incal.
Now you need to answer me if The Incal is "Science fiction" or "Science fantasy".

You can buy it here, it's dirty cheap being a masterpiece compared to consoley 60€ crap:
http://www.fibra.hr/katalog/izdanja/inkal-1-inkal/145/

Note - the version I linked is for Bobo. Original (french L'Incal) or translated to English versions are available on Amazon or Bookdepository.
 
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I prefer hard sci-fi. I can tolerate science fantasy as long as the game world is internally consistent and one could fabricate a suitable explanation based on future science, for example. If you want to show "The Force", for example, make it use alternative physics or super technology. Just don't make noises in a vacuum or show spaceships banking in space.
 
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Hard sci-fi for me, by far. In fact, I think Star Wars is the only one not in that category that I really like, and even there I find a lot of it crap (not a fan of the 2nd half of TFA for example, because it makes so little sense from a science POV).
 
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I'm not sure what the terms mean, really. Just science fiction where they use techno-swords instead of ray guns?? What about Shadowrun where they've got a scientific explanation for why dwarves and elves are showing up?
 
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Zloth said:
I'm not sure what the terms mean, really. Just science fiction where they use techno-swords instead of ray guns?? What about Shadowrun where they've got a scientific explanation for why dwarves and elves are showing up?
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Having an explanation doesn't turn fantasy into science unless it's a valid scientific explanation. I.E. explaining midichlorians didn't turn Star Wars into science fiction.
 
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Hard science is boring to me. At least, if we're talking established and verified science - because that will tend to put a heavy restriction on what can happen.

If we're talking "hard" science as in something that might be supported by our current scientific knowledge as far as we can tell - then that gives a little more leeway.

However, I have the same opinion about hard science as I have about realism in games.

Gameplay and fun is king. Same goes for a narrative. Never let science or realism get in the way of the gameplay or the pull of the narrative. However, if you have those things in place - then hard science is fine.

But I'm much more engaged by plausible characters and plots that make sense WITHIN the context of the setting or universe. Meaning, I'm fine with psionic powers, aliens and whatever - just as long as it makes sense within the context of the setting.
 
Since when.
 
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My blurb :

Star Wars was once "Science Fantasy" as well, but got buried under too much Science Fiction later. Too bad, it was a nice setting.

Since then, I've never seen or read an Science Fantasy setting.
Maybe except Wizardry.
 
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While we're on the subject of hard science, sometimes the best tool of storytelling is 'suspense of disbelief.' Anything we cannot explain, we can chalk up to magic - or some other force. It's a powerful tool to present ideas without needing to explain them always.
 
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That's why I love Fantrasy as a writing medium over Sci-Fi : First, you already have a pre-defines set of cliché characters - a dwarf, an elf etc. … - Second, one can invent things "on-the-fly"as one needs it.
 
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Fluent said:
I guess if a setting was like, My Little Pony with the ruleset and mechanics of Arcanum. :)
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That would be AWESOME! (In the real way, not the button way)
 
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I have a hard time distinguishing between them I think? If a setting includes aliens and the aliens have say telepathic abilities, can it still be hard sci fi? My personal favourite space opera series is Pandoras star and Judas unchained (the void trilogy that follows is pretty damn good too). If anyone of you have read them (get them if you haven't!), what would they classify as? My guess is soft sci fi, but I'm not sure where the line is drawn (soft/hard/fantasy?).
 
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Ideally I'd like science fiction done well. But it is Bioware developers we are talking about here so I would vote science fantasy so as to have less restrictions on their capabilities.

;)
 
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joxer said:
Since when.
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Since the beginning. Space ships having the flight (atmospheric flight) they have, screaming into space etc

It is one thing to give credibility to technologies that do not exist. It is another to ignore the physics behind technologies that exist.
 
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