Quote:To answer your question, besides either smaller childeren, or incredibly overwieght teenagers with glasses, I've never seen a group of people sitting around talking about how cool any of those are.
Well that sounds like you have only ever seen the stereotypes that are presented in the mass media. When I was at school (around 10 years ago), this was the commonly heald view. However, even back then when I played Dungeons and Dragons, in the group there were 2 players that were considered the "Sporting Jocks". I know from talking to other players that this was not all that uncommon for players that "didn't fit the role player stereotype" to actually be in the games.
Moving on 10 years and it is now main stream to be "geeky". 10 years ago if you said that after you finish school that you wanted to work in IT, you were considered to be a Nerd. Now days, this is seen as being a smart move, and if you don't know a lot about computers then you are the odd ones out.
It is the same thing with computer games. It is not so much the content of the game that matters, but how popular it is. World of Warcraft is played by Millions of people around the world. Compare that to something more mainstream like Baseball. How many people would spend the same number of hours playing baseball as would play WoW? I think you will find that the numbers are not so different. Wow uses magic and people talk about their characters and what magic they can use. If there is a similar number of people that talk about baseball or Wow, then both would be seen as just as popular.
Quote:Oh and btw, I don't know if you think I live in zimbabwe, but no, magic is not evil in my culture... I'm in America. And I've been to Austrailia, you guys are pretty much just like us (except people are nicer there).
No. I don't think that you live in Zimbabwe. I had no idea where you lived and tried to keep any assumptions about your own culture as agnostic as possible.
You don't have to live in Zimbabwe to have "magic" considered as evil. Ever heard of a place in America called "Salem"? The women there were accused of practising "Witchcraft" or in other words "Magic". There were seen as evil and murdered. Even in America they see "magic" as evil.
What would be the reception of someone, today, that when into a church in certain states in America and gave a speech about the their belief in the Wiccan religion. Do you think that person would be shunned and treated as if they are evil.
No. Just because someone has a religion that you have been brought up to believe is magic and evil does not make them evil.
If fact if someone belonged to a religion that practiceed apparent magic (and from someone else's point of view might be considered evil - Voodoo for example), then those practitioners would not consider their beliefs as "evil", where as you might (they might even see your own religion as evil).
/rant
Sorry, but the way you used the example of Zimbabwe as having evil magic practices just irritated me a bit. It showed a lack of respect for those people and ignorance.
You have a couple of times in your posts shown a kind of Innocent Prejudice (that is one that you probably don't even know you have and although you have good intentions and don't mean to, it can still offend people). It is because of cultural conditioning than any malice on your part.
Quote:Anyway yes, a point that I might have not addressed yet is that Magic (((as the public eye))) would see it living beside technology is questionable.
As I have been saying, it is not too much of a jump (if presented right) as many people today have beliefs in "Magic" and have it co-exist fine with modern technology.
Take Christian beliefs. From a certain point of view, these beliefs can be seen as beliefs in magic. People who have these beliefs exist today and those beliefs exist right along with modern technology without conflict (or much conflict - that is that people that have these beliefs and people that use technology can exist at the same time in the same reality).
You have it set in your mind that Magic must only be a certain way (spellbooks, throwing fireballs, etc). Instead of thinking of "Magic" this way, think of it as another religion. The people in your game have a religion where magic really works.
Game play mechanic wise, what is the difference of preying to God to smite your enemies with holy fire or casting a spell that causes a fire ball to appear? There is none. Or, someone who prays that a sick family member will get better to a healing spell.
Think of how people in a religion sees themselves. Think of what rituals they perform, think of what spells/prayers they cast/request. Do they think that their form of "Magic" is "Evil"? Do they think of other forms of "Magic" are "Evil"?
If religions and technology can exist in the real world, then it is possible (but not necessarily easy) for you to integrate "magic" and technology in a fictional world.
It doesn't matter whether it is magic or technology. It is a fictional world and any technology will behave in a fictional way. Magic, in this respect is therefore no different to technology in a fictional world. Sure, if magic really did work, then there might be some differences in the social structure (religions would be different and centred around the actual working magic).
If magic has real effects, then it's use would become integrated with the technology (if you could enchant a stone with electricity, then it would make a great battery for your mobile phone).
Have a look at the role-playing game "Shadowrun" to get a look at how to integrate magic and technology in the same setting.