From:	Jani Fikouras <feanor@**********.UNI-BREMEN.DE>
Subject:	Re: SR's Magic System!
Date:	Fri, 9 Jun 1995 14:33:21 +0200

> The ways of WYTIWYG are long and mysterious :) To be honest I
> invented the term a couple of months ago to explain the behaviour of
> insect-spirits (bugger and I hate acronyms :) and since then the term
> has, through Janni's excellent posts about it, become a bit of a
> catch-all term.

Woa! Thanx :)

> I think that WYTIWYG does not cover the magic system of SR
> completely, but it surely is an important part of it. On reading NAGA
> (or NAGM) the feeling is only strenghtened. But underlaying the
> WYTIWYG theory is a system of defined rules of what is possible and
> what is not.

I'd say that the defined rules are rather a sub-set (defined by WYTIWYG)
of the possibilities magic opens to a magician. But thats the gist of
it.

> You could explain the magic-system as having a large set of
> possibilities, but in which the individual user of magic is hampered
> (or aided) by his or her views on magic. NAGA gives a few beautiful
> examples like the guy who tought his powers came from God, and shaped
> his whole use of magic to incorporate his religion. I thing you
> should view WYTIWYG in this socio-psychological way, and not as the
> underlaying law of magic.

Yep, a sub-consious phycological filter/crutch that makes the
usage of magic possible/defines the limits of the sub-set used
by the magician.

> BTW, I changed the header a bit, because I think SR's magic system is
> very good, wether it's based on WYTIWYG, WYBITYG or whatever :)

I like WYTIWYG cause it sounds better, sounds more like WYSIWYG :)

--
GCS d H s+: !g p1 !au a- w+ v-(?) C++++ UA++$S++L++$>++++ L++>+++ E--- N+ h*(+)
W(+)(---) M-- !V(--) -po+(---) Y+ t++ 5++ R+++ tv b++ e+ u++(-) f+ r- n!(-) y?

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