The Elements

[GeistStorm]

[le sigh] my personality matches up mostly with void but it seems to be getting creatures with that element is, unfortunately for me, out of my reach. myself, in an rpg sort of thing, i'm usually aligned with neutral/nature/shadows. not Quite "dark" or "black" magic, more in tune with say, Grey.
that we aren't allowed to Be neutral confuses me. if we're going to insist on using personality types to decide what element we're aligned with, surely some people would be neutral by nature. neither shy nor outgoing. nor are they interested in the basic machinations of the rest of the "world" so to speak. they're academics with more interest in learning things than the politics of the rest of the populous.
or is it a case of that being only allowed for the npcs? if so, i can understand that, i guess. it might leave more room for whomever is around at any given time to slot into playing whatever npc needs running at the time. and make it harder for regular players to "phone in" their participation during rpg related events.
hmmm... the more i think about it, the more i think i should ditch my having an element at all. i don't really care if my creatures grow faster/slower. and honestly, wouldn't that make things Harder for the mechs running the site when there's this huge mash up of different elemented players clicking the creatures? i.e. i use Rosehill's IFM thinger so there would undoubtedly be a huge Swath of different elements the mechs would have to sort through and calculate. unless our elements don't extend to Other players' creatures when we click them???
i'm not criticising. i'm simply trying to figure out where the edges of this thing are and how they come into play with myself and my style of play.
at any rate, it's an interesting idea. though i question how well it will work out for people (both the players and those working at the back end) it's still quite a feat to handle.
trust me. i tried doing genetics with some creatures i did as "adoptables" in ages passed... it was a Hellish Mess that Seemed like a fascinating idea on paper, but the Actual doing of the thing was... SHUDDERS this seems like it would have a Similar tangle to unsort. and given that the poor little mechs running the site Already have issues... (winces)

[Reima]

I personally didn't really think much of the personalities. I had made my choice even before the quest got to that point. I dunno, maybe it's the inner RP interest & making OCs that had me think of that stuff, but still xD Usually I'd go for ice, snow, winter, cold. But there's Technically no pure form of that here to choose from. It's either Fire for heat, or Water with a side of Ice that isn't present on the surface, it's an added on thing so to speak.
So I had to choose something else. And Air spoke to me, for some reason. Maybe it's the dreams I've had previously that categorised me like that earlier, the fact that I like getting creative with wind (it can do so many things, even simulate that cold wintery feel - or on the opposite end, blowing through warm things can make the wind unpleasantly warm lol). Who knows, I just felt like out of the options, it just seemed the one I'd go for.
I didn't really mind the personality stuff because I had already chosen xD They're a nice little flavour text thing, especially to those who can't decide without them (I do like the descriptions of the elements on the first post though), but I certainly don't mind if I don't fit the description, I'll be here anyway lol~
I think 'not choosing a specific element' would be the same as remaining neutral. Unfortunately there's no bonus to neutral creatures, but they make up the majority of all creatures on the site, so it somewhat makes sense I suppose

[SkyeWyven]

I just want to share the most recent hatches I've experienced. I couldn't figure out a way to get a nice screenshot so they're all in a separate protected tab here:
I figured it out (had to fiddle with the container margin to get to work), here's a screenshot:

Spoiler

They were placed in Rosehill's IFN ('to hatchling only' section) approximately 24 hours ago as of this post and were not submitted to any other click threads or growing sites. They have spent at least the past hour in hidden/protected tabs as well - since when I was first able to check on them. From the growth I can assume that there are an abundance of water-aligned magi at the moment and this provides some support for what I was trying to convey in my last post.

The Water Crystalwings have grown considerably more than the others and have all surpassed 15%. I am currently not aligned with any element but even if I were water-aligned I would not be able to reduce their growth using a Fine Tuning Glass. This is what I was talking about when I said that the new mechanics would not only fail to fix the issues with the FTG that people were already complaining about but, in fact, make them worse because they now make it even harder to catch a creature at a specific maturity.

[Dancingstar]

9. Roc - listed as neutral - it flies for pete's sake, should be air

Just because it flies it doesn't mean it has air magic. It's a large bird. It needs to control it somehow to have the air element.
"Air - The magical ability to control winds, and travel through air like a fluid"

its exactly like how charizard is a dragon in every way but in terms of type.

[Rosehill]

They were placed in Rosehill's IFN ('to hatchling only' section) approximately 24 hours ago as of this post and were not submitted to any other click threads or growing sites. They have spent at least the past hour in hidden/protected tabs as well - since when I was first able to check on them. From the growth I can assume that there are an abundance of water-aligned magi at the moment and this provides some support for what I was trying to convey in my last post.

The Water Crystalwings have grown considerably more than the others and have all surpassed 15%. I am currently not aligned with any element but even if I were water-aligned I would not be able to reduce their growth using a Fine Tuning Glass. This is what I was talking about when I said that the new mechanics would not only fail to fix the issues with the FTG that people were already complaining about but, in fact, make them worse because they now make it even harder to catch a creature at a specific maturity.

I feel like you are making a few assumptions here that don't get support from the facts.

Firstly, as of this moment here are the amounts of user alignments:
Fire: 15 people
Water: 19 people
Life: 31 people
Earth: 19 people
Air: 17 people
Light: 10 people
Void: 66 people

So, there isn't a huge majority of water-aligned users. In addition clicking on creatures is a finicky thing, as the random amount that a creature grows from one single click can vary from a tiny amount to quite a lot within a specific range, and it is also affected how fast the creature grows in general. Looking at the image you posted, there are also earth, light, and void hatchlings that are around the 30%-40% mark as well, their sample size is just smaller. Altogether the sample size is pretty small and the growth of the creatures can be attributed to a lot of different things, including people only clicked on certain creatures, and the random generator behind the scenes was being random.

Secondly, the increase of allowed percentage on the Fine Tuning Glass is not in response to "complaints", or a way to "fix" something regarding it. The increase in matching element growth also isn't nearly big enough that it would normally pass a hatchling above the 15% mark from an egg stage.

Say you have an old frozen hatchling at 6% that doesn't match your element. Now you can go the the Merchant District and look for a person whose element matches the creature's element and get them to use the Fine Tuning Glass on it, thus giving you a lower% hatchling and the other user maybe a little gold. The Fine Tuning Glass in itself is a vanity item, and is something that many people don't use because they don't care about the percentage. Those who do, and want lower% creatures now have more chances to get them, not less, even if it may require a bit of effort.

[le sigh] my personality matches up mostly with void but it seems to be getting creatures with that element is, unfortunately for me, out of my reach. myself, in an rpg sort of thing, i'm usually aligned with neutral/nature/shadows. not Quite "dark" or "black" magic, more in tune with say, Grey.
that we aren't allowed to Be neutral confuses me. if we're going to insist on using personality types to decide what element we're aligned with, surely some people would be neutral by nature. neither shy nor outgoing. nor are they interested in the basic machinations of the rest of the "world" so to speak. they're academics with more interest in learning things than the politics of the rest of the populous.
or is it a case of that being only allowed for the npcs? if so, i can understand that, i guess. it might leave more room for whomever is around at any given time to slot into playing whatever npc needs running at the time. and make it harder for regular players to "phone in" their participation during rpg related events.
hmmm... the more i think about it, the more i think i should ditch my having an element at all. i don't really care if my creatures grow faster/slower. and honestly, wouldn't that make things Harder for the mechs running the site when there's this huge mash up of different elemented players clicking the creatures? i.e. i use Rosehill's IFM thinger so there would undoubtedly be a huge Swath of different elements the mechs would have to sort through and calculate. unless our elements don't extend to Other players' creatures when we click them???
i'm not criticising. i'm simply trying to figure out where the edges of this thing are and how they come into play with myself and my style of play.
at any rate, it's an interesting idea. though i question how well it will work out for people (both the players and those working at the back end) it's still quite a feat to handle.
trust me. i tried doing genetics with some creatures i did as "adoptables" in ages passed... it was a Hellish Mess that Seemed like a fascinating idea on paper, but the Actual doing of the thing was... SHUDDERS this seems like it would have a Similar tangle to unsort. and given that the poor little mechs running the site Already have issues... (winces)

The way the element system is implemented doesn't really make any difference in how much the site needs to process data, compared to the situation pre-elements. There isn't anything complex about the elements that needs calculating behind the scenes, it's basically just "give a normal click" or "give a matching element click".

The choice of attuning to an element also isn't meant to be pushed as a "personality type". The descriptions in the quest are a very short flavor text, and everyone is free to relate to an element in a way that they feel fits them, and role-play (or not!) around it like they want.

[Mysfytt]

Elemental Rundown

Since the release of element based magic to the world of Magistream I thought I would put this in to hopefully clear up some lingering confusion (or maybe just confuse everyone more.)
First of all, this system is based on an Eastern philosophy, namely Buddhism, but also draws from Hellenistic Greek and Japanese teachings, rather than a more ‘traditional’ Western view of magic many are probably more familiar with and which many sites, books, movies and other of this genre use, so that might be where a lot of the confusion is coming from these pre-conceived notions.

To keep it unique and to fit in more with the Magiverse I have also added my own twist to it as well, which is why there are 7 not 5 elements. Neutrality makes up the 8th, the number 8 being significant as an auspicious or lucky number in Eastern Culture. It also represents infinity and completeness.

The word ‘element’ literally means ‘a piece of the whole’, in this case, a piece of the state of existence of matter in the world, both physical and metaphysical.

The four core elements are well known – Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. They have been represented in movies such as The Fifth Element, and animated series such as Avatar, The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korah, and for those who are old enough to remember, Captain Planet. The fifth element is actually aether or void, representing the universe other than earth – literally sky/heaven, but many represent it as ‘Life’ to round out the entire existence of matter in the world - so that is what I have also done. Traditionally Fire actually carries the representation of energy and life so I guess I have split this one into two.

The Buddha's teaching regarding the four elements is to be understood as the base of all observation of real sensations rather than as a philosophy. The four properties are cohesion (water), solidity or inertia (earth), expansion or vibration (air) and heat or energy content (fire).
They can also encompass emotional states, Stability, Volatility, Adaptability and Serenity. While one can be attributed to each – Stability/Earth, Volatility/Fire, Adaptability/Water and Serenity/Air, each carries a part of all 4. My little horoscope write-ups when choosing were meant to be a light hearted explanation of this concept for all 7 of my affiliations.

Balance is the core teaching of Elements in all forms of teaching. Just like the Force of Star Wars, there is no singular ‘evil’ or ‘dark’ element nor is there a singular ‘good’ or ‘light’ element in that sense. The one who wields it uses it for good or evil, the Force just is. Element magic also ‘just is’ and can be used both for benefit or harm. Each element interacts with the others, there are no real opposites. Each element also represents give and take and is its own opposite depending on how it is used.

So, a detailed rundown of each.

Fire – Not the visible flame of combustion but the manipulation of heat and energy. This magic can cause an object’s temperature to rise – exciting the molecules to the point it spontaneously combusts, literally bursting into flame. It can also remove the heat, calming the energy of molecules until they slow down to a stop, freezing them. This is why there is no ‘ice’ element. They are the opposite sides of the same coin. A person/creature can use this magic to heat air or stone, freeze water or evaporate it. On the dark side of the coin, a person can cause your blood to boil or coagulate and freeze inside you. Mixing fire and earth magics causes lava, mixing it with water magic causes ice.

Water – The manipulation of the shape of water. Water magic users cannot create water, but they can call it out of the air, condensing it into a liquid. They can also cause it to break apart and evaporate back into the air. They can also shape water, change how it flows and moves, even seemingly solid ice can be made to flow and shift using this magic. A person/creature can use this magic to still an ocean, or to create a tsunami, to call up rain clouds or cause the land to become parched and arid. On the dark side of the coin, a person can call the water out of a body, desiccating it in seconds, or cause it fill and bloat with fluid until it explodes.

Air/Wind – The ability to move the gas molecules in the atmosphere. This magic can cause wind to gust or lay still. It can separate toxic gasses from breathable ones. Most commonly associated with weather patterns and phenomena it can also be used to make a thing defy gravity, becoming ‘lighter than air’. A creature that should not be able to fly would use this magic (think how wingless Chinese Lung dragons actually fly). A person using this for evil can suck the air out of your lungs or change its composition to become toxic. Mixing with Fire causes static electricity – literally lightning.

Earth – The ability to manipulate grains of sand, stone, metal and crystalline gems. This magic can cause a mountain to form, or cut it open into a deep valley. With enough force sand can be turned into diamonds. A stone building can be built up or crumble into dust in seconds. A person wishing harm on another can cause the calcium in your bones to disintegrate, or coalesce through your whole body effectively turning you into stone.

So those are the 4 core elements and they deal with the physical world. The rest deal with the metaphysical.

Life – The energy of life/living things. Primarily a healing magic, it can also stimulate growth to vigorous levels, especially plants. Taking away this energy results in rot and decay – in itself not evil, just a part of life. It can even be used to animate that which is not alive – though with varying degrees of success. Used for evil it can cause vigorous malignant growth of cells, or cancer, in a body. And the life energy can be completely stripped out of a body killing someone instantly. Partially giving life to a corpse creates ‘zombies’, held forever in a state of rot and decay.

Because Void is a part of the original teaching, I decided to keep it as its own element as it was originally represented.

Void – Literally spacetime. This element deals with the cosmos. The movement of time and space, and relative dimensions as well. (yes TARDIS) Using this magic a person/creature can speed up or slow down time, causing fruit to ripen out of season or someone to remain seemingly ageless. It can also phase shift out of time, causing effects such as invisibility or seemingly impossible speed. It can also take you into other planes of existence or allow you to dream walk. A person using this magic for dark purposes can use it to deceive others.

Light – Literally knowledge, enlightenment and understanding, though it also encompasses the actual illumination of things. Anything that enhances learning or creativity uses this magic. It is also used to bring heatless light to a place, or take it away to plunge it into darkness. Knowledge is probably the most dangerous of all weapons, and a person can use this magic for nefarious means to cloud the minds of others, change or control their thoughts or even to strip their intelligence clean away.

Because they readily intermix an element affiliated creature/person can have strong ties to more than one element, a primary and a secondary, and in some cases even a tertiary. This is seen mainly in those of ice or lightning use, but others also readily use more than a single element in their daily lives. Their affiliation comes from the strongest use of a particular element magic.

And you will notice I have not listed ‘Neutral’ as an actual element. This is because it is not an element. It is non-affiliation. All and none at the same time. A neutral creature is not free from magic, it just does not strongly associate with one particular type of magic. It can use all of the magic forms to equal degree and some do, creating a magic that seems non elemental in origin but in fact uses many at once. Or it may be that the creature is indeed non magical, mundane. Most humans and every day creatures are considered neutral rather than just non-magical. Neutrality represents balance as a whole.

[Mochipet]

I have a couple questions.

1) once you choose an alignment is it permanent or can you change it?

2) I clicked 'accept' on the quest and now I'm not sure where to go next?

[Munin]

I have a couple questions.

1) once you choose an alignment is it permanent or can you change it?

2) I clicked 'accept' on the quest and now I'm not sure where to go next?

You can repeat the quest after a month to re-attune to a different element. Once you have gathered the necessary foxes the "attune to an element" quest is available in the Keep (world map keep of course) and offers you a list to choose from.

[Mochipet]

I have a couple questions.

1) once you choose an alignment is it permanent or can you change it?

2) I clicked 'accept' on the quest and now I'm not sure where to go next?

You can repeat the quest after a month to re-attune to a different element. Once you have gathered the necessary foxes the "attune to an element" quest is available in the Keep (world map keep of course) and offers you a list to choose from.

Thank you! I did accept the quest and have one of each fox now but I'm not sure where to go next. It's not on my quest list anymore.

[Pounces]

It should be at the very bottom of the quest list now, at this link: https://magistream.com/world/1
Attune to an Element

Edit: Side note, just in case - all the foxes need to be fully grown.