Magic in Survival Ascension

Before we begin our discussion of magic in Survival Ascension, keep in mind that this game focuses on what is actually possible in real life. As such, magical capabilities in the game need to follow suit. Also keep in mind that any sufficiently advanced technology will, for all intents and purposes, appear to be magic to a sufficiently primitive society. It is the pairing of these two concepts which underlies all magic contained in Survival Ascension.

The technological basis of the magic contained in Survival Ascension will not be immediately apparent at the start of the game -- especially while it is in very early release status. However, through updates to the game adding more content and through progressing further in the game play, the basis of the magic will become clear.

In Survival Ascension, only players will be capable of researching and utilizing magic natively. There will be ways to grant NPCs to use magic, but NPCs will never have the mastery over it that players do.

Players will be able to learn and use a multitude of different spells of all sorts. This includes purely defensive spells; purely offensive spells; spells which have both defensive and offensive capabilities; enchantments placed on objects, NPCs, and other characters; geographically pinned enchantments; spells which affect the local climate; spells to conjure items and magical creatures; sensing spells (both remote and local); conditional spells which fire when certain conditions are met; and spell chaining.

All spells require mana to cast and to maintain. If you enchant an object with a magical effect, it will require a constant supply of mana to keep it active. Mana can be drawn from the environment. It flows like water and can form lay lines which act like rivers and pools which are similar to lakes. A pool of mana is like a large, fully charged battery. It can be drained, but will also recharge quickly if fed by multiple lay lines.

While access to these more powerful sources of mana is not immediately available when you start the game, progression of your character will eventually open up possibility of using them. In addition, you will eventually be able to create artifacts which can draw upon lay lines and act like pools.

With enough study and practice, you will even be able to link enchantments to lay lines, pools, and artifacts to power them indefinitely. You will find this immensely useful for setting up defensive enchantments to protect yourself, your tamed mounts, and your civilization.

Stay tuned for the next post which will take a deeper look into technology in Survival Ascension...