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General discussionSci-fi vs. medieval fantasy. Which do you prefer?(89 posts)(89 posts)
(89 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 03, 2016
It is agreed that science fiction and medieval fantasy are two of the most common settings used in movies, books, and games. So, I just want to know, which of the two do you prefer?

In my case, I prefer medieval fantasy. There's just something about magic, diverse landscapes and strange beings that feels compelling. Generally speaking, the scope of medieval fantasy works is enormous with epic battles, high stakes and, in some cases, involving a great number of characters (think Game of Thrones or The Wheel of Time). I love how Tolkien finally, in the 20th century, gave shape to all that tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Without him we wouldn't have Dungeons and Dragons and a lot of other RPG's that are here on GOG.

Science fiction is great as well. I'm a huge fan of Star Wars, Blade Runner, Matrix, Star Trek, etc., but arriving at a cozy inn during a game and meeting a motley crew of elves, dwarfs, etc., getting quests assigned or watching the lush forests in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy or Legend (the Ridley Scott movie) has no comparison.

I want to hear people's opinions about these two settings and the experiences they bring.
Posted May 03, 2016
Medieval, definitely. I'm not sure why, maybe it's related to the fact that my first PC game ever was Warcraft 2 and I absolutely adored it.
Posted May 03, 2016
Sci-Fi can mean so many different thing, it's sort of insane to put everything from Star Wars to books by Clarke or Asimov into this one category and compare it to the much more narrowed down "medieval" fantasy.

Anyway, if I had to choose, I'd probably say fantasy, but I wouldn't feel sure about it. Really it always comes down to what are we specifically talking about.
Posted May 03, 2016
Depends on the support. When it comes to books, I definitely prefer good sci-fi over medieval fantasy ( but would prefer ancient or medieval history over sci-fi ). When it comes to games, I prefer sci-fi in most cases, but that's genre dépendent. I would long for a good Sci-fi RPG, and for grand strategy games, I prefer sci-fi as well ( although again ancient or medieval history would come first), but first person games or tactical games are better on the medieval fantasy side of the gaming universe,
Posted May 03, 2016
Medieval fantasy in books.
Sci-fi in movies. But to be honest, I don't really watch movies =/
Both in games, but I mostly play medieval fantasy games. Sci-fi games are tend to be shooters or stategy games, and those are not my cup of tea. I'm an RPG person. Yes I know that there are sci-fi RPGs as well, but I find medieval fantasy to be more common.

I can't force myself into watching a fantasy movie, or reading a sci-fi book. It just feels... wrong.

But if I had to chose which one I actually prefer, it would be medieval fantasy. Fireballs, wizards and dragons tend to be more interesting to me than space and aliens.
Post edited May 03, 2016 by MadyNora
Posted May 03, 2016
I probably read rather more fantasy than sci-fi, but I wouldn't mind seeing games generally leave medieval fantasy alone for a bit. Most games don't do anything interesting with that kind of setting.
Posted May 03, 2016
I honestly can't decide. I enjoyed LotR and Dune pretty much equally. Though, I do think I would've enjoyed LotR more had it not been for Tom Bombadil and the neverending songs.
As for which type of universe I would actually like to experience for myself, probably the Star Wars universe, though I consider that more fantasy than sci-fi. Not that I imagine I'd last very long in either type of universe :P
Posted May 03, 2016
Medieval hands down. Sci-fi i like a lot, but not as the rule. I only like System Shock, for example and Deus Ex!
Posted May 03, 2016
Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Well, both!
Posted May 03, 2016
I slightly prefer sci-fi to fantasy, but all in all I like both world settings.
Posted May 03, 2016
it depends on my mood and luckily there is nothing in life making me choose one over the other at any time
Posted May 03, 2016
I prefer sci-fi because:

- it includes medieval fantasy (MMO setting)
- ethical and social aspects play a more important role and are more fascinating in sci-fi settings
Posted May 03, 2016
Space fantasy over both.
Posted May 03, 2016
I think my preferences are either:

1. A mix of the two. Science fiction, but with a heavy emphasis on magic (or anything that acts like magic, like psionics or the Force).

2. Medieval fantasy, but in a common magic setting. In other words, magic isn't just the realm of talented or trained individuals, but is, rather, something that nearly everyone has access to.

Interestingly, it just so happens that this list fits the SaGa Frontier series perfectly; SaGa Frontier mixes technology and magic, while SaGa Frontier 2 takes place in a common magic medieval fantasy setting.
Posted May 03, 2016
Sci-Fi for me. I just find it and the games set in a sci-fi era more interesting.
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Community
General discussionSci-fi vs. medieval fantasy. Which do you prefer?(89 posts)(89 posts)
(89 posts)