In my current project, the two [as well as psionics] co-exist. Like others have mentioned, the overlap is not complete. Sure, magics might replace the steam engine, or dynamite; Psionics might replace the telegraph, or push psychiatry up a few centuries. Over all though, the problems will simply change as certain solutions become easier [via magic/psionics] and others become more difficult [why develop the steam engine if magic can power everything? what other inventions are dependant on the steam engine research?]

And mainly, I'm doing because it's interesting to me and my target audience.

Perhaps there is some factor that causes magic to be unavailable at certain times? Say magical power comes from Selene (the moon), so at full moon mages kick ass against battlecruisers but at the dark of the moon they're just scared little guys wearing dresses? :P That way technology would need to be developed to fill in when magic is not usable - possibly even a fusion between the two (a 'mana pool' or magical energy battery, to store mana between phases of the moon?)

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C. Clarke


Consequently, this thread is pointless.

Not if we're talking about insufficiently advanced magic. [grin]

I think Steampunk and Cyberpunk (as in Shadowrun, involving Magic) are tried and proven concepts. Many, many games have this kind of mixture, from Quake to Thief to Dungeon Siege.

A good example of a mixture of Magic and Science would be the long held Final Fantasy series, which mixes the two theme's rather well. If you want a good example of it, i recommend trying them out.

As for the philisophical differences between magic and science, that is far to deep a subject to start wading into here.. suffice it to say:

"The more things change, the more they stay the same.."

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I think technology comes from necessity.

To perhaps add a little insight, I'm currently an undergrad studying math/physics. I'm working on my senior projects, so I'm getting familiar with some aspects of current research in these fields, and I've also gotten to know the professors and their research interests. It is my experience that research is much more dependent on the personal interests of the researcher than on any necessity or drive for improvement. Some research strange topics in the hopes that it'll some day be useful, but the majority seem to study a field simply because they find it intriguing. Our current trip to Titan isn't of necessity, unless you claim it's in our nature to be curious and thus find satisfying our curiosity necessary, but then you've also removed the conflict between magic and technology even if only one is "necessary". We'd explore the other if only because we're curious.

This topic was completely mis-interperted (not completely...but somewhat...by some people...)

let me clarify...

I am referring to a sci-fi star-trek-esque setting where the spock is throwing fireballs...

I was/am also referring to modern technology/magic settings (which any form of doubt has been sufficiently ripped to shreads, stomped on, and then burnt into oblivion)...

Even if magic was tiring i doubt technology would not go to the extremes...

-Ajain

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Original post by Way Walker It is my experience that research is much more dependent on the personal interests of the researcher than on any necessity or drive for improvement.

What you say is true, but irrelevant. You are talking about real science, which is only vaguely related to technology.

Quote:

Original post by Ajain This topic was completely mis-interperted (not completely...but somewhat...by some people...) let me clarify... I am referring to a sci-fi star-trek-esque setting where the spock is throwing fireballs... I was/am also referring to modern technology/magic settings (which any form of doubt has been sufficiently ripped to shreads, stomped on, and then burnt into oblivion)... Even if magic was tiring i doubt technology would not go to the extremes... -Ajain

Well then, to use your Startrek example, we'll take the Q. Obviously, for them, it's superior for them to use thier powers rather than the inferior technology that everyone else uses. The Vulcans have thier mental powers mostly due to tradition, and those abilities do come in quite useful in spite of the technology avaliable, so why should they not still use them?

I challenge you to come up with any setting where the existence of both magic and technology cannot in someway be justified - although as has been noted, things that make no sense occur in reality all the time, so why should a game be any different.