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General discussionSci-fi vs. medieval fantasy. Which do you prefer?(89 posts)(89 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 04, 2016
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Firebrand9: I shall take a look. Thanks for the recommendation.
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blotunga: Just don't let the huge amount of characters/plot paths intimidate you :).
"The Black Company" also had that "problem". Thanks for the heads up.
Posted May 04, 2016
Sci-fi for me. In my subjectivity I find Sci-fi games more unique and original than Fantasy games.
I also prefer the forward-looking nature of Sci-fi, whereas Fantasy looks at the past.
In general; spaceships, lasers, space and robots are simply more interesting and exciting to me.

There's a wider range of genres available for Sci-fi as well: 4X strategy, city-builders, FPS, action games, puzzle games, adventure games, RPGs, racing, simulation games. So as a concept I think Sci-fi gaming offers a higher variety of genres.
Posted May 04, 2016
>SNIP<

It's not worth the time.
Post edited May 04, 2016 by Breja
Posted May 04, 2016
I enjoy medieval fantasy, but the problem for me is that it's usually feels the same as other medieval fantasy. I prefer some urban fantasy or science fantasy in the mix.
Posted May 04, 2016
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dtgreene: Your avatar reminded me of another thing:

When it comes to fantasy, I actually like settings that are not human-centric.

One example would be the setting of Gargoyle's Quest and its sequel, where every character (including the PC) is a monster.

It also is interesting that these games are a bit unusual when it comes to game genre classification; there's an overhead view world map (and in GQ1, there are random encounters in it) with overhead view towns, but once you enter combat or enter a dungeon, the game turns into a side-scrolling action game. The most similar other game I've played would be Zelda 2, but I note that Gargoyle's Quest is more linear and lacks experience points.
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Firebrand9: The entire Ghouls N Ghosts series is dark fantasy (as is Dark Souls which I also love). This is an example of what I'm talking about. You play a Red Arremer, normally a despised enemy in the main series. Now you play a hero amongst the clan of them. Interesting twist to see what sort of lives they lead without assuming they're always "those bastards".

The closest fantasy series I've read to that idea was "Villains by Necessity" by Eve Forward where the good guys had won and the entire world was nothing but sweetness and rainbows. A handful of villains set to revert the world to balance. Very interesting inversion of normal fantasy tropes. And the scene where they kill the entire "Nifty Gnome" village (I'll let you guess what cartoon series they're based on. Lets just say they use the word "Nifty" a lot) is priceless.
Of note, I actually haven't played any game in the Ghouls N Ghosts series, unless you count Gargoyle's Quest 1 and 2.

Another interesting game setting wise is SaGa 1 (Final Fantasy Legend). It starts out in a typical medieval fantasy world with 3 kings whose artifacts you need to acquire. However, once you start climbing the tower, the settings become more technologically advanced, as well as more dark in nature. (There is one particular side world, after the last major world, that is especially dark and depressing.) The game's plot does leave some strange impressions on the player, especially at the end when the final boss tells you his intent.

Also, SaGa 1 has a lot of stuff in it; martial arts, magic, islands usable for crossing the ocean, an underwater castle, air gliders, a floating castle, guns, subways, motorcycles, robots, nuclear bombs, psionic powers, etc.

All this for an early Game Boy RPG that is designed to be beatable on a single plane fight. It is amazing how much they managed to pack into 8 hours of gameplay!

(Of course, large portions of the battle system don't work correctly (or behave in strange ways), but the game manages to be fun despite (or perhaps because of?) all the bugs.)

SaGa 2 fixed the battle system (mostly) and is a much longer game, but I think the setting isn't as interesting.
Posted May 04, 2016
Sci-fi. It's actually pretty hard to mess up when you're working with laser guns, robots, and scantily clad amazon women from outer space. It's much easier to mess up elves, warlocks, and lost magic rings.
Posted May 04, 2016
I prefer ponies, which category is this?
Posted May 04, 2016
Sci-fi. I like when they go in an interesting direction for the future.
Posted May 04, 2016
I dislike medieval fantasy and that prevents me from playing series like Witcher and Elder Scrolls, on other hand I save a lot of time and can play more sci-fi :)
Posted May 04, 2016
Ruins, magic, monsters, swords > space, science, aliens, lasers.
But I love both settings.
Posted May 04, 2016
Without a doubt, Sci-Fi. It all comes down to one element, magic. I hate magic! It always comes off feeling like a cheap gimick that let's the hero get out of every situation imaginable. While I do enjoy the Lord of the Rings novels, I found Gandalf to be the least interesting character and was always happy when he went off on his own so that the main cast could have their adventure without his meddling. In games where magic is involved I always avoid it. In the Witcher games I focused on alchemy and swordplay, I never used the magic signs. In Star Wars games like KOTOR my character would dual wield light sabers and cut down swaths of enemies, but never used force powers. When I first played Morrowind I fell in love with the birth sign The Atronoch, it basically equated to a built in 50% immunity to magic. My running character concept for all Elder Scrolls games is someone who doesn't use magic, in fact they don't even really believe in magic and as result it doesn't often work against them. Kind of like voodoo, if you don't believe in it then it can't hurt you. In the old TOME rougelike games there was a skill called Anti-Magic, investing points in this skill created a bubble around your character where magic spells simply wouldn't work. I wish there were more games that offered choices like this, I'm fine with orcs, goblins and dwarves just so long as they don't all rely on magic. Sci-fi fits this perfectly as there are mutants (orcs), vulcans (elves), goblins (those little grunt things from Halo) or any other alien species to act as the sci-fi equivelant without needing wizards and the like.
Posted May 04, 2016
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Stevedog13: Without a doubt, Sci-Fi. It all comes down to one element, magic. I hate magic! It always comes off feeling like a cheap gimick that let's the hero get out of every situation imaginable. While I do enjoy the Lord of the Rings novels, I found Gandalf to be the least interesting character and was always happy when he went off on his own so that the main cast could have their adventure without his meddling. In games where magic is involved I always avoid it. In the Witcher games I focused on alchemy and swordplay, I never used the magic signs. In Star Wars games like KOTOR my character would dual wield light sabers and cut down swaths of enemies, but never used force powers. When I first played Morrowind I fell in love with the birth sign The Atronoch, it basically equated to a built in 50% immunity to magic. My running character concept for all Elder Scrolls games is someone who doesn't use magic, in fact they don't even really believe in magic and as result it doesn't often work against them. Kind of like voodoo, if you don't believe in it then it can't hurt you. In the old TOME rougelike games there was a skill called Anti-Magic, investing points in this skill created a bubble around your character where magic spells simply wouldn't work. I wish there were more games that offered choices like this, I'm fine with orcs, goblins and dwarves just so long as they don't all rely on magic. Sci-fi fits this perfectly as there are mutants (orcs), vulcans (elves), goblins (those little grunt things from Halo) or any other alien species to act as the sci-fi equivelant without needing wizards and the like.
I'm quite the opposite myself. I'm perfectly ok with "fantasy magic", on the other hand "sci-fi advanced technology" always makes me raise an eyebrow. In most (all?) sci-fis, technology is so advanced that it can easily laugh in the face of the laws of physics. It's borderline magic. But no, it's "technology". Yeah, sure.....
Magic is all about laughing in the face of the laws of physics, which something I refuse to accept when it comes to technology, that should obey these laws. I do enjoy sci-fis, but because of this I'm having a much harder time accepting "super technology" there than magic in fantasy settings. I'm sooner going to believe that they are teleporting or going FTL with "magic", than with any form of "advanced technology".

Btw, is there a sci-fi that mixes the two? Where spaceships are powered with magic?
Post edited May 04, 2016 by MadyNora
Posted May 04, 2016
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Stevedog13: Without a doubt, Sci-Fi. It all comes down to one element, magic. I hate magic! It always comes off feeling like a cheap gimick that let's the hero get out of every situation imaginable.
MadyNora pretty much hit my point.

I was just going to comment that I can get into both if the stories are strong. But I have an easier time with medieval with magic than most Sci-fi. If presented well, then magic is just another element with rules to follow (and awful consequences); Magic is also something I'll never experience in the real world - so it's fun to imagine.
With Sci-fi, it always feels like a more flashy version of what we have now and therefore kind of dull.

But let's be honest, both settings have the potential to break belief with bad story telling or just wrap up the game in a quick way (Amulet of Ultimate Power vs Massive Mega Laser Destroyer Beam).
Posted May 04, 2016
I love both sci fi and medieval fantasy. I prefer medieval style fantasy though...I began reading the hobbit, lord of the rings, the shannara series, various D&D books and of course playing D&D (2nd edition) in 7th-8th grade and on.

at the same time blade runner is one of my favorite movies and I also enjoy playing the tabletop rpg cyberpunk 2020.

arg...love both but if I had to pick it'd be medieval fantasy for sure.
Posted May 04, 2016
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SummonerYuna: ...I want to hear people's opinions about these two settings and the experiences they bring.
I like both. The Medieval Age with the strict hierachies and guilds. Fantasy with magic and elves and dwarves. Sci Fi with technology and bionics. I like it all. I want to switch between it all the time.
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General discussionSci-fi vs. medieval fantasy. Which do you prefer?(89 posts)(89 posts)
(89 posts)