(08-02-2013, 06:22 PM)Evie Wrote: 2) Was there an academy for higher studying of Magics? Think other games like Dragon Age with the Mages academy, or Elder Scrolls with a similar. Or like a graduate school where all the best mages go to study in order to research and share advanced techniques etc etc.
Hi Evie,
As far as the lore of the types of magic goes, the manner in which magic is practiced depends on the type of magic. They describe it a little when you get into the guild quests that each type of magic is practiced very differently. Thaumaturges (and black mages) harness the energy within themselves to create their magic and project it into the world. Conjurers (and white mages) harness the latent magical energies that flow throughout the environment and shape it to their purpose. No clue on Arcanists, as we can't play those yet, but their books suggest their power comes from knowledge of rune words of power/creation or something like that.
I would equate this to the manner in which real world students study science. To say you're a scientist is a blanket term, equivalent to describing yourself as simply "a mage." Most people pick one discipline and study it almost exclusively, becoming biologists, chemists, physicists, etc. For the typical (NPC) student in Eorzea, it would likely take a lifetime of study to master just one of these schools of magic, equivalent to getting a PhD in one of those scientific fields.
If that were the case, trying to put all three types of magic in the same college may be considered unnecessary or even distracting. For the typical student, trying to master all three schools of magic at once could be equivalent to trying to get a PhD in biology, chemistry, and astrophysics at the same time. For exceptionally intelligent individuals (and PCs are exceptional individuals), it could be possible, but for the average student it pretty much guarantees they'll fail at all three when they could succeed if they were trying for just one.
Also, real world colleges tend to specialize to be stronger in one field than another. While a college may offer graduate degrees in biology and chemistry, their bio program could be average compared to other schools while their chemistry department is one of the top 5 in the country. It's likely each of the magic guilds would offer rudimentary instruction into a broad base of magical theory, but that would be introductory and lead into their specialized field. Better to be the top school in one field than average in several.
Not saying it isn't possible. It just may not have been practical up to this point to try and bring study of all three types of magic together because the average (NPC) mage couldn't handle it. The arrival of a wave of super-intelligent or talented PCs could certainly change that.
All of this of course being speculation to rationalize the real reason (game design) where the developers had three schools of magic to divide among three starting cities.
I'm a tinker! Tinkerer? Hrm.... I'm an artificer! - Myxie Tryxle | Impressions and Memories
