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BRocknRolla · Jun 27, 2017

Doesn't surprise me. It's a lot easier to right Science-fantasy given that you can just hand wave all the plot-holes and disjointed happenings as space-magic.

Frankly, it's the right move for writers at Bioware; plausible and consistent is not their strength. (Certainly was the approach, and will continue to be for the writers working on Destiny).

GuitarAtomik · Jun 27, 2017

Hopeford said:
I never heard the term science fantasy. Space opera is what I'm more used to. Nothing wrong with it though.

One of the main characteristics of "space opera" is that it takes place primarily or entirely in space. In theory, a science fantasy story might never leave a planet.

Sou Da · Jun 27, 2017

GuitarAtomik said:
One of the main characteristics of "space opera" is that it takes place primarily or entirely in space. In theory, a science fantasy story might never leave a planet.

As this one will probably not.

Orochinagis · Jun 27, 2017

Laiza said:
All this talk of The Division and Destiny...

But let's not forget that Warframe existed before either of those two.

Shhhh, Its fun to see them compare Anthem with Destiny

SargerusBR · Jun 27, 2017

Random Human said:
Wait, Mass Effect was supposed to be grounded sci-fi?

I must've played them wrong, because they seem in keeping with stuff like SW or Halo.

ME was closer to Star Trek (Science Fiction) than Star Wars (Science Fantasy)

Renekton · Jun 27, 2017

Laiza said:
All this talk of The Division and Destiny...

But let's not forget that Warframe existed before either of those two.

Warframe was inspired from ME3 MP.

stryke · Jun 27, 2017

I understand the difference but it seems kinda pointless to have that distinction.

A.J. · Jun 27, 2017

The only real difference is the lack of explanations for certain concepts.

Raven117 · Jun 27, 2017

I mean, if they thought mass effect was science fiction....

Regardless, good. Fantasy is simply easier for game developers to write and make compelling. A straight sci fiction would be boring to play and the geeks would rip it apart anyway.

UnluckyKate · Jun 27, 2017

Random Human said:
Wait, Mass Effect was supposed to be grounded sci-fi?

I must've played them wrong, because they seem in keeping with stuff like SW or Halo.

Mass Effect explains EVERYTHING.

FTL tech for travel and communication to alien reproduction organs and matting preferences for genetic diversity...

Destiny (science fantasy) explains nothing. It gives fancy words for stuff and that's it. they never bother explain what is what and how works what. It's litteral space magic

Prophaniti · Jun 27, 2017

Hero_of_the_Day said:
Nothing is cooler than a lightsaber. Nothing.

Chainsword.

Orochinagis · Jun 27, 2017

UnluckyKate said:
Mass Effect explains EVERYTHING.

FTL tech for travel and communication to alien reproduction organs and matting preferences for genetic diversity...

Destiny (science fantasy) explains nothing. It gives fancy words for stuff and that's it. they never bother explain what is what and how works what. It's litteral space magic

The Quantum communication for ryder and the IA is at Destiny levels of space magic

KyanMehwulfe · Jun 27, 2017

Ahhhh, so that's why the Anthem city looks so much like Rabanastre from FF XII.

Secretly an Ivalice game from the era of robot Worker-8.

Prophaniti · Jun 27, 2017

UnluckyKate said:
Mass Effect explains EVERYTHING.

FTL tech for travel and communication to alien reproduction organs and matting preferences for genetic diversity...

Destiny (science fantasy) explains nothing. It gives fancy words for stuff and that's it. they never bother explain what is what and how works what. It's litteral space magic

If we are being fair they didn't have time to explain destiny

Orochinagis · Jun 27, 2017

Prophaniti said:
If we are being fair they didn't have time to explain destiny

That robot girl arc was cut before even ending.

AcademicSaucer · Jun 27, 2017

warhammer 40k?

KillLaCam · Jun 27, 2017

Orochinagis said:
The Quantum communication for ryder and the IA is at Destiny levels of space magic

Mass Effect :Andromeda didn't even try to explain things at all. Like wtf magical vaults that could just turn off planets.

Aters · Jun 27, 2017

This reminds me of Agni's Philosophy again. I want a game of AK-47 and magic and zombie dogs.

Haly · Jun 27, 2017

I'll wait for a magical realist shootermmo.

UnluckyKate · Jun 27, 2017

Orochinagis said:
The Quantum communication for ryder and the IA is at Destiny levels of space magic

it doesn't mean it has to be believable or not deus ex machina level of broken.

it just mean they bothered explaining, detailing their tech.

Destiny doesn't justify anything. Its their choice, it works like star wars works : force, feel it, old jedi masters, etc... It has its lore but it doesn't bother with the details of tech, of science.

It works for Destiny it can for Anthem, I'm just disapointed that drew karpyshyn came back to write anthem but won't bother with building the tech in the world but I'm super eager to see his lore.

Orochinagis · Jun 27, 2017

AcademicSaucer said:
warhammer 40k?

Not enough For the Emperor.

Zabka · Jun 27, 2017

Orochinagis said:
The Quantum communication for ryder and the IA is at Destiny levels of space magic

Wasn't that introduced in ME2 with the Illusive Man?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFGyvsBRujY

Here's the intro for it. The info says it's 3 but I'm pretty sure it was introduced in 2 first.

Yup it was in 2.

SolicitorPirate · Jun 27, 2017

KyanMehwulfe said:
Ahhhh, so that's why the Anthem city looks so much like Rabanastre from FF XII.

Secretly an Ivalice game from the era of robot Worker-8.

Yo. I would play the shit out of that game

Haly · Jun 27, 2017

Modern FF games have always been Science Fantasy, just heavier on the Fantasy side.

Fantasty Science perhaps.

Orochinagis · Jun 27, 2017

Zabka said:
Wasn't that introduced in ME2 with the Illusive Man?

Cerberus was involved but not as advanced as SAM I think,

Alex · Jun 27, 2017

Be whatever you wanna be.

Just be good.

TatteredHat · Jun 27, 2017

Cool, just make sure it's a a good game before worrying about the details.

Triggerhappytel · Jun 27, 2017

Gnilres said:
The closest thing to fantasy I saw in the reveal was the player "conversation" =P

Ayyyy 🙏

Via Purifico · Jun 27, 2017

Where is that arthur c clarke quote, oh yeah: Any sufficiently advanced Technology is indistinguishable from magic. With that in mind, all fantasy is science fiction. If it goes against the laws of physics, there is always the 'alternate universe' explanation.

Monocle · Jun 27, 2017

Great, sounds good.

Eusis · Jun 27, 2017

More_Badass said:
Eh, I see science fantasy as stuff like Tides of Numenera, Book of the New Sun, and far future works in general. Mass Effect would be primarily science fiction. It's a far cry from the typical works categorized as science fantasy

There's also the term hard science fiction, it can be a sliding scale for being hard or soft... if not a full on spectrum as you can be pretty grounded on the science yet throw in straight up fantasy (I think Book of the New Sun gives glimpses of that at times, which makes sense given Gene Wolfe was an engineer before he was an author) and you can keep out the blatant fantasy elements while being extremely soft on the actual science.

ThoseDeafMutes · Jun 27, 2017

I basically hate "science fantasy" as a term. We already have the terms hard/soft SciFi to cover the delineation between works that attempt to be internally consistent and/or realistic, and works that are more focused on human elements, are fun space adventures and like to play loosey goosey with the technology. It's a redundant term and I swear half the time I see anyone using it is in the context of people smugly telling me that "Star Trek is science fiction while Star Wars is Science Fantasy", arguing with a straight face that the Q-continuum, thousands of godlike aliens, casual time travel, the voyager episode "Threshold", Spock's Brain and gangster planets were somehow more serious and scientific than The Force.

Reineldinho · Jun 27, 2017

So.... exactly like Mass Effect then? Anyway, is "science fantasy" really a thing? I always thought in Star Wars (and Mass Effect) as 'space opera'

Nirolak · Jun 27, 2017

theWB27 said:
Sounds reasonable.

I hope your hope is dashed and this turns out to be a runaway success.

...Did you mean to quote me there?

Two Words · Jun 27, 2017

Anthem is starting to feel more and more like a real life manifestation of Destiny 2's story. Namely, Destiny 2 being humans/Earth. Anthem being Gaul/Cabal/ and the traveler being the massive audience that plays Destiny. I guess we'll see how it shakes out and if Anthem lives up to the promise.

duckroll · Jun 27, 2017

Haly said:
Modern FF games have always been Science Fantasy, just heavier on the Fantasy side.

Fantasty Science perhaps.

What about The Spirits Within?!

Crossing Eden · Jun 27, 2017

There was a character in that trailer who wasn't wearing a suit.

Haly · Jun 27, 2017

duckroll said:
What about The Spirits Within?!

Two Words · Jun 27, 2017

Haly said:

Its all cool as long as she isn't an Advent Children fan.

Jhn · Jun 27, 2017

UnluckyKate said:
Mass Effect explains EVERYTHING.

FTL tech for travel and communication to alien reproduction organs and matting preferences for genetic diversity...

Destiny (science fantasy) explains nothing. It gives fancy words for stuff and that's it. they never bother explain what is what and how works what. It's litteral space magic

So, basically, in science fantasy you don't even have time to explain why you don't have time to explain.

duckroll · Jun 27, 2017

Who the fuck says "tasty plasma" lmao.

Renekton · Jun 27, 2017

duckroll said:
Who the fuck says "tasty plasma" lmao.

Vampires?

Reineldinho said:
So.... exactly like Mass Effect then? Anyway, is "science fantasy" really a thing? I always thought in Star Wars (and Mass Effect) as 'space opera'

Supposedly yes, though there is no formal authority on this distinction

AcademicSaucer · Jun 27, 2017

duckroll said:
Who the fuck says "tasty plasma" lmao.

The writing in that game isnt great

Haly · Jun 27, 2017

Delicieux 4k

KOHIPEET · Jun 27, 2017

Yuk. More Destiny-type shit then?

Still, I'm waiting for more gameplay.

FinalAres · Jun 27, 2017

ThoseDeafMutes said:
I basically hate "science fantasy" as a term. We already have the terms hard/soft SciFi to cover the delineation between works that attempt to be internally consistent and/or realistic, and works that are more focused on human elements, are fun space adventures and like to play loosey goosey with the technology. It's a redundant term and I swear half the time I see anyone using it is in the context of people smugly telling me that "Star Trek is science fiction while Star Wars is Science Fantasy", arguing with a straight face that the Q-continuum, thousands of godlike aliens, casual time travel, the voyager episode "Threshold", Spock's Brain and gangster planets were somehow more serious and scientific than The Force.

Thing is, take the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Trek original series. Other than the most superficial fact that they're both set in space, they share nothing in common. They're nothing like each other.

Yes as the star wars universe expanded its taken on science fiction elements, because its gained writers that are science fiction, and Star Trek has gained elements of mysticism as fantastical writers have written for it. It is inevitable that genres are diluted as franchises expand.

The point of the star wars V star trek example is that it's a simple illustration of the very real differences between science fiction and science Fantasy. It doesn't matter that when you dissect it, the argument is flawed. People understand what you mean and that's the important thing.

The other thing to note is that whilst they are separate genres, you can totally blend them. Doctor Who is the perfect example.

SolicitorPirate · Jun 27, 2017

AcademicSaucer said:
The writing in that game isnt great

Motherfucker, the writing was hella great

Markitron · Jun 27, 2017

At this point, I'm actually pretty surprised that Anthem wasn't changed into a Star Wars game 3 years ago.

ThoseDeafMutes said:
I basically hate "science fantasy" as a term.

Me too, I just consider Star Wars to be a straight up fantasy that's set in space.

Shin · Jun 27, 2017

Sounds good to me as I'm not into heavy sci-fi stuff, what they showed looks neat though.

Eusis · Jun 27, 2017

ThoseDeafMutes said:
I basically hate "science fantasy" as a term. We already have the terms hard/soft SciFi to cover the delineation between works that attempt to be internally consistent and/or realistic, and works that are more focused on human elements, are fun space adventures and like to play loosey goosey with the technology. It's a redundant term and I swear half the time I see anyone using it is in the context of people smugly telling me that "Star Trek is science fiction while Star Wars is Science Fantasy", arguing with a straight face that the Q-continuum, thousands of godlike aliens, casual time travel, the voyager episode "Threshold", Spock's Brain and gangster planets were somehow more serious and scientific than The Force.

All the more reason for my argument of being a spectrum really. Science Fantasy shouldn't be used just because the science is soft, but because it straight up HAS fantasy, which is the case with Jedi specifically and whatever the hell is going on with Destiny, while everything outside of the Jedi for Star Wars (and honestly, most of Star Trek too probably) would just be soft science fiction in that it doesn't really work to be plausible science though it may at least try to stay consistent, while really hard science fiction would be the sort of stuff that goes "FTL is a pipe dream and laser guns aren't a practical weapon, nevermind light sabers."

EDIT: Hell, Phantasy Star would be a great example of what I'd think of as Science Fantasy, in that it really is a fantasy adventure that happens to have advanced technology and space travel.

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