[PnP] Mixing Magic and Physics WAS: Oblivion

[Panthera Altaica]

--- On Fri, 4/17/09, Scott M <scottee.mac at gmail.com> wrote:
> I've always hated when physics gets involved with
> fantasy magic; particularly your ship example below. There
> is truly no way to be consistent with all spells with
> respect to physics and also maintain game balance.


It is hard keeping Magic from braking Physics.  I'm writing a Computer game and have to careful with the spells so they don't brake the Physics system or unbalance the game.

Teleporting objects isn't that hard. and Removing objects is easy. 

Besides the Assassin problem you mentioned you have the Physics problem like this.
http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/16/the-science-of-back-to-the-future/5/

If the ships velocity where the same when the objected Poofed out then Poofed back it would work fine.  (I a big fan on the SpellJammer setting so I have to consider planetary movement in my fantasy games)


But what's worst is creating objects.  

How fast is a that 1000 wight the cast just pulled out of thin air going?


If you just give it 0 velocity in the world coordinates then you get problems when the caster is on a moving ship.  You suddenly have a large weight flying at a high speed in a random direction(as it appears  to the caster.)  

My current solution (which I haven't actually implemented) is to not have instant effects, so the object gradually comes into existence from the Physics system point of view.  then have the vessel before the creation and after having the same Kinetic energy.  Where the vessel is the caster be default but can be modified with spells.

I think that should observer independent enough for my game.

Thou magic does end up getting pretty nerfed you can still get flashy spells.