What icon best represents magic?

[smirt362]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

Well, because they're for a gui instead of part of the world I never intended to give them the full depth you'd expect from their shapes.

I understand that, but I think it would look better with more depth. Just my opinion, don't really know what the rest of the GUI is going to look like so it might turn out nice.

[Elk]

I'd go with psychological complementary here using blue instead of green :o

else it reminds me of trafficlights

might aswell change the red tone(violet) and the green tone(blueer)

[Loriel]

Originally Posted by Elk

I'd go with psychological complementary here using blue instead of green :o

Yeah, Mana bars are blue, does that guy not know anything?

[Elk]

Originally Posted by Loriel

Yeah, Mana bars are blue, does that guy not know anything?

Sarcasm?

Anyways, green would fit more to some spiritual/nature energy...blue would be more pure

[Demisis_P2P]

Elk is right that green is too natural of a color to represent something as supernatural as magic. But blue also feels very natural to me as well, it's just not as earthly as green.

I always think of magic as purple.
I guess it depends where you think that magic comes from within the human body.
I associate magic with the power of the mind, but maybe that is just me.
But every time that I have used magic in real life it has manifested as a purple glow around my hands.

[adam]

Originally Posted by Demisis_P2P

Elk is right that green is too natural of a color to represent something as supernatural as magic. But blue also feels very natural to me as well, it's just not as earthly as green.

I always think of magic as purple.
I guess it depends where you think that magic comes from within the human body.
I associate magic with the power of the mind, but maybe that is just me.
But every time that I have used magic in real life it has manifested as a purple glow around my hands.

It really depends on the background of the class/player using the magic for me, although often that part is not given. In fiction magic usually comes from a variety of sources: nature, mind, body, aliens, gods, demons, etc... So it's hard to peg what people universally recognize as a magical color. Although I do kinda like the purple idea, because generally magic is power, and purple often represents royalty. Also because the stoplight analogy is valid.

To comment on the rest here, I don't disagree that you have used magic in real life, I just don't think it's a good idea. o.O Want to talk more, pm I guess.

[Loriel]

Originally Posted by Elk

Sarcasm?

No, it is just that mana bars and mana potions are blue in WoW, and also in Diablo I believe~

[Elk]

Yeah but that statement is so nerdy :P

[Dnegel]

Originally Posted by Loriel

No, it is just that mana bars and mana potions are blue in WoW, and also in Diablo I believe~

Yah.

I've seen on some Zelda games (ALTTP f.eks) that there is green jars, and the mana is green.

And too Dusty:
I like the orb, it looks nice, and it fits the heart. But I dont like the color of it. :/

Maybe try making it look more like a Water bubble kinda, here's an example from LOZ:OOT

Like that but without the scale, would been sweet.

[DustyPorViva]

Eh... by popular demand, I guess:

[Deeek]

You better make that and the heart sit right next to each other or people aren't going to know what the heck that is

[DustyPorViva]

Originally Posted by Deeek

You better make that and the heart sit right next to each other or people aren't going to know what the heck that is

Well it's not exactly rocket science For example, in Diablo 2 the player is just presented with two colored orbs:

Regardless, there are such things as tutorials and letting players know by telling them. Also, players will probably deduce things in a matter of seconds if they use a spell and see the numbers next to the orb decrease!

The whole point of this thread was indeed to establish a reliable icon, so there is purpose behind what you say. But I did learn a few things, 1) There doesn't seem to be any universal icon for magic like there is for health. There are a lot of icons for various attributes of magic, but nothing for magic itself. That icon being a magic hat would make just as little sense, or less, as what I have now in a world that doesn't have wizards or when players realize a hat doesn't grant magical abilities and 2) blue seems to be the universal color for magic instead(I still think green!), in which if players see a RED heart, and a BLUE orb, then deduction will lead them to know that the blue must be the magic.

[Crono]

It's blue in Warcraft 3 and HoN too.

[Dnegel]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

- Much text and a big picture -

Mmmh, I remember when my big brother played Diablo 2, I thought those two "orbs" was two diffrent worlds.
The one with the angel was the good place, and the devil was the evil world. I have no idea why I thought they were worlds but meh.

Health is red mostly because of blood. Mana, idk.
Make a brain as a Mana Icon? xD

Also, the new color of your orb looks better.

[DustyPorViva]