MakBow
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2025
- Messages
- 291
- Points
- 63
This is something I've thought about for a long time as I've read LOTM, Shadow Slave, Dragon Ball, Bleach, Choujin X, Jagaaan, Hunter x Hunter, and many more series and when I see comments beneath videos I watch, they always say a power system is good mainly because of its complexity, but....I always thought that was stupid.
Complexity does not make a good magic system, yes, a complex magic system is nice, but that doesn't make it good. It's just the flavor added to the dish.
What makes a good power system is how it is used to tell a story within the narrative.
LOTM's power system is good not because of its complexity, but because how it conveys the idea of humans exposing themselves to more knowledge of the world while fighting against the madness that it brings, offering power yes, but also shows Kleins' own growth as well as many others to the mysteries of the world
Hunter X Hunter's power system is good not for its complexity, but because of how each power is connected to the character personally
Jagaaan and Choujin X's power system is tied to the desires of a person, for Jagaan, it's a frenzied frog and tadpole, but for Choujin X, it's the drug, but in the end, the powers tie to the character, as such, their mental state is conveyed physically through a transformation or such.
The latter aren't really complex, but how it's used to tell a story on desires makes it good nonetheless.
You can have a complex power system, but if it doesn't tell the story alongside the story itself, it's not really a great power system, just a good one.
Of course, if the power system isn't important in the story, then it's okay not to make it complex, as long as the characters are great and all, which can easily overshadow a plain or undefined power system.
If you have anything you wish to add, the, go ahead.
I know it's a rant, but it's something that always bothered me when I read people only talk about the complexity and not what the power system itself coveys, so I wanted to get this off my chest.
Complexity does not make a good magic system, yes, a complex magic system is nice, but that doesn't make it good. It's just the flavor added to the dish.
What makes a good power system is how it is used to tell a story within the narrative.
LOTM's power system is good not because of its complexity, but because how it conveys the idea of humans exposing themselves to more knowledge of the world while fighting against the madness that it brings, offering power yes, but also shows Kleins' own growth as well as many others to the mysteries of the world
Hunter X Hunter's power system is good not for its complexity, but because of how each power is connected to the character personally
Jagaaan and Choujin X's power system is tied to the desires of a person, for Jagaan, it's a frenzied frog and tadpole, but for Choujin X, it's the drug, but in the end, the powers tie to the character, as such, their mental state is conveyed physically through a transformation or such.
The latter aren't really complex, but how it's used to tell a story on desires makes it good nonetheless.
You can have a complex power system, but if it doesn't tell the story alongside the story itself, it's not really a great power system, just a good one.
Of course, if the power system isn't important in the story, then it's okay not to make it complex, as long as the characters are great and all, which can easily overshadow a plain or undefined power system.
If you have anything you wish to add, the, go ahead.
I know it's a rant, but it's something that always bothered me when I read people only talk about the complexity and not what the power system itself coveys, so I wanted to get this off my chest.