Monthly Make-A-Magus Contest

[Kabalisto Koga]

its not like i beg for like with my servants but has someone some comments or statement for my atempt to revive the Magus contest ?

was it a good prompt try or not ?

[Random]

Genuinely not even sure what you're asking, Koga.

[WhiteFrenzy]

He's fishing for compliments again, old habits die hard.

Koga, honey, stop. You're just embarrassing yourself.

[Spartacus]

Let's fucking go

[GilgameshKingOfMemes]

Nice

[Kamera]

Magus revolution now

[Kamera]

Aside from the personal circumstances of posters and external factors that leads to the Magus contest flopping in the first place, I believe that the circumstances surrounding the relevancy of magus in the wider scope of TM fandom has shifted quite a bit compared to 5 (five!) years ago.

For one thing, we actually know slightly more about the Magecraft World thanks to stuff like Adventures (love or hate Sanda, gotta give him props for this) and FGO (specifically pertaining information about the Crypters and their capabilities). It might not be much, but there are reasons to believe that this time Magus-making has more materials to draw from than ever before.

[Castellan]

For one thing, we actually know slightly more about the Magecraft World thanks to stuff like Adventures (love or hate Sanda, gotta give him props for this) and FGO (specifically pertaining information about the Crypters and their capabilities). It might not be much, but there are reasons to believe that this time Magus-making has more materials to draw from than ever before.

And while this is an enthusiast space with more resources for the Japanese-language side of the material than anywhere else on the interwebs I also wouldn't discount Mahoyo getting an official release in terms of driving more understanding of what Mages are and how they work.

[Kamera]

Hm. I put it in the form too, but it might be worth putting it out here.

Is it worth coming up with a framework to normalise the interconnection of characters, as elements in a common world? We don't have an established history or folklore to draw on as a baseline, so perhaps it's worth it to substitute that with an option to fit sets of these characters together like a jigsaw? The main draw that a Magus has over a Servant, besides the additional freedom, is that they're alive, so there's a lot of potential for interaction here.

The only thing holding back Mage characters to have as much framework of interconnection as Servants is the fact that a lot of the worldbuilding around it is simply just incomplete lol

[pinetree]

Honestly just add a relationship section mentioning the other contest submitions and your interconnection is done. The Servant contest was already popular but I'm sure there are many who decided to participate so their character would get a bunch of mentions and interactions.

[Kamera]

Yeah. If there's one thing MCaS posters has consistently done right lately, it's the Relationship section in some of these sheets. Pretty charming stuff (even if i personally am too lazy to make these.).

[Random]

There's also the possibility of prompts like "here's a description of a clan/organisation, make someone for it", which would definitely help in that regard...

- - - Updated - - -

Come to think of it, something like "Yggdmillennia" could be a pretty baller first prompt for the revival.

[DelRey]

no, i would have to rewatch the show and i dont have time for that

[Castellan]

I skillfully shuffle away the Yggdmillennia Magus I've been saving for a rainy day.

[Dreamerless]

Well, I'm just excited we're doing the Magus contests again.

[Spartacus]

I honestly like the organisation prompt myself.

Sometimes trying to tie relationship with characters that barely has anything to do with yours ended up very barebones/boring instead.

[Kabalisto Koga]

Genuinely not even sure what you're asking, Koga.

i meant what you think of my prompt i have their and the whole design with Shakespeare as Announcer ?

and if my my design for it like an Template was not good

[You]

First draft of the new format.

It will still be a contest. The prompt for every contest (once every 2 months, will collaborate with the other contests to get the timing down) will be based around 6 categories

Characters: Includes individual characters or lineages
Organizations: Groups like the Clock Tower or Japanese DHO. Can include species.
Locations: Regions and Nasuverse locations e.g. 7th Labyrinth of Alcatraz, Avalon, Imaginary Number Sea
Time Period: Includes time periods (15th century, 90's, Age of Gods), Events (Fuyuki HGW5, True Ancestor hunt), or even timelines
Abilities: Genre of magecraft (alteration, wish granting, etc), systems (alchemy, runes, etc), non-spellcasting (mystic code creation, potions, familiars), non-magecraft abilities (ESP, Principles, Mixed Blood)
Items: Specific relics and classes of relics

The winner of the last contest will choose at least 1 category and the 2nd category will be randomized. The winner will then create a prompt that uses at least two keywords, one from each category chosen, for example:

• True Ancestors who went mad and were therefore executed by Arc (Character = Arc, Organization = True Ancestors).
• The first magus desginated for sealing (Time period = first, Designated for sealing = Abilities).
• Van Fem Clan in Fate Extra (Character = Van Fem Clan, Location = Fate Extra).

It is possible for the winner to choose more than 1 category. In that case they will have to use at least 3 keywords, two from the categories chosen and one from the randomized category. The randomized category can be done after the first category is chosen or after the winner has chosen all their categories.

Each keyword chosen should explicitly be from the Nasuverse; however, some exceptions apply.

• Potential Masters hunting for Zulfiqar to use as a summoning catalyst in a Fate Apocrypha world subspecies grail war. (Item = Zulfiqar, Location = Fate Apo World).

I do not believe there is an explicit mention of Zulfiqar in TM; however, since we can extrapolate its status and role therefore it would be fine. This also includes Locations barely explored in TM (Sub-Saharan Africa, Pacific Islands), likely Phantasmal Species (Gnomes), or other similar circumstances.

The sixth and last contest of the year/season will be a "Grand Final."

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or feedback regarding this draft. In order of most important to least important.

1. Do you want it to be a contest in the first place?
2. Do you like the category system?
3. Do you think you have a better idea for a category or think there should be any additional categories?

[Random]

I like this system. It has the potential to be very interesting for everyone, and even compels the author of the prompt to use their head to participate.

My gut instinct is to question the inclusion of specific worldlines, mind you. That could potentially ward off participation when people see the prompt and go "oh I haven't read/watched/played that one". Maybe broader features of a timeline could be better (e.g. Moon Cell, Land of Steel, Crimson Moon activity, etc) - functionally the same thing, but with less of an implied expectation of intimacy with a specific instalment, with some more room to contravene more finicky canonical events like "Darnic cedes from the union" or "Gransurg sobs profusely into a pillow before committing suicide-by-priest".

Oh, I almost forgot: yeah, contests are fun. It encourages effortposting and simultaneously makes you sit down and appreciate everyone else's effortposts.

[WhiteFrenzy]

This already overwhelmed me but I'm still intrigued. It'll not be as easy as you just barging in in a Servant contest, that's for sure.