Guild Wars 2

Ok, so I’m on an RP server and every once in a while a lore based discussion will come into play in a major city. Usually fun to watch players bicker about generally nonsensical stuff, but this time around they said something that honestly has me curious.

A player made the statement that EVERY class dabbles in magic. Without fail, every player in the game is somehow magic based. Of course, as an engineer, I heartily disagreed. I do science, not magic! Their response was that an Arenanet employee, in an interview, had stated that Alchemy was actually magic… and therefor engineers do magic, not science.

I don’t buy it.

So I figured “Hey, I bet the lore writers poke their heads into the forums now and again. Lets see what they say! Put an end to the confusion once and for all!”

So I ask of you, Lore Writing peoples of Arenanet: is alchemy magic, or science?

Please don’t say both ;_; lol

Might’ve had more succes in the forum labeled lore, cause you know.. There’s a bit of lore being discussed there.

Might even be able to stir koenig from hist tomes.

It’s a mix of both I think.

Both. Magic is basically just easily tappable energy. So engineers doing science are still tapping magic, just in a less spiritual way, more of an intellectual way. Kind of like how asura treat magic. Science in a world with magic will include magic, as it is a part of the world. To exclude it would be nonsense for them.

Which is why the charr habit of aiming for more raw mechanical designs is nonsense compared to the results they could get if they integrated magic, as the asura do. It may prove a bit more reliable and sturdy, as it uses the lowest levels of magic (i.e. energy expressed through shallow physical laws) but it will have a harder time reaching the sophistication of the asuran designs that employ a bit of both, admittedly at times leaning too much into relying on the higher levels of magic tapped. If you will, the asura are employing high level magic in digital like forms alongside electrical principles, whereas the charr are still employing low level magic in analog like forms alongside mechanical principles. [word here to prevent odd censor]

Both are great, but they have their limits. Asuran tech faces unpredictability with fewer physical limitations, while charr tech faces predictability with higher physical limitations.

According to the skill challenge in Metrica Old Oola says, “We are all part of the Eternal Alchemy, and as such, our very beings embody magic.”

Shouldn’t this be posted in the “lore” section? As for my contribution, I think that it is very much a mix. In a world of magic, I don’t think science and magic could avoid each other for long.

Both, magic is magic, but that doesn’t mean that magic is unexplained. The Asura recognize and use magic, but have a scientific explanation for it as a physical force in the universe. Like electricity or radiation.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they are right though, the Sylvari for example believe magic to be some form of living entity which permeatetes the physical world. The humans believe magic to be a gift of power left behind by the Gods. And the Norn and Charr don’t give a crap what it is and just use it to kill things in interesting ways.

Aren’t Signets always magical? I seem to remember hearing that in the lore of the personal story or something, at some point.

gurugeorge.9857:

Aren’t Signets always magical? I seem to remember hearing that in the lore of the personal story or something, at some point.

Engineer’s don’t have signets.

First you need to clearly define the limits between magic and science.
Tapping magic as a source of power that can be reliably used to fuel fireballs, spark life into flesh and bones, or create vivid images is not at all different from doing science.

Magic is unexplained science.

Still science in a sense.

Also, the mechanisms could be using magic…

Azure Prower.8701:

Magic is unexplained science.

In real-life, and sometimes in-game. Albeit in-game it’s more like raw manipulable energy that may then be employed in devices and spells.