Robots and Healing Magic

[Probotector 200X]

Xenogears doesn't really count IMO because gear battles were completely separate from regular battles. The stats were reworked, attacking mechanics were different, combos were reworked...it was a completely different battle system altogether.

I haven't played Xenogears in a LOOOONG time, but, when on the field, characters can call their Gears during battle. And you can individually make characters go in and out of Gears from the status menu, on the field. So you can have your little 2d sprite human characters fighting alongside your giant 3d polygonal giant robots.

 

[gvduck10]

I haven't played Xenogears in a LOOOONG time, but, when on the field, characters can call their Gears during battle. And you can individually make characters go in and out of Gears from the status menu, on the field. So you can have your little 2d sprite human characters fighting alongside your giant 3d polygonal giant robots.

Was always really tough - but there were some "large" enemies that you could kill with hand to hand combat if you're characters were strong enough

But back OT, in the case that you had some characters in Gears and some not - healing abilities worked as I described previously. HP heal for humans, Armor Loss restore for Gears

 

[Cutie Mark Keldeo]

It's really based on how you define magic in your game's world.  Magic is well... magic, so it's not exactly bound by the laws of real-world physics. In a similar vein to Robo from Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII's Cait Sith is a toy controlled by remote, but is just as susceptible to healing magic as anyone else in the group.  This would also go for IX's Vivi, although despite being an artificial construct, how "alive" he is is the subject of debate among fans.  Personally I see no issue with a robot character being healed by "normal" curative magic, but you can just as easily decide that magic only works on organics. 

 

[Centipede]

Might that robot be a cyborg? Might he have little creatures inside him that repair him taht may be empowered by organic magic?

 

[omen613]

Might that robot be a cyborg? Might he have little creatures inside him that repair him taht may be empowered by organic magic?

No sir, he is full on robot.... an 8' droid programmed to protect the group.

 

[Lunarea]

I would, personally, keep the blood magic and use it as an excellent conversation starter between party members. Someone could comment that blood magic shouldn't work on something that has no blood. Another could hypothesize that oil is kind of like blood, hence why the magic works. And yet a third could say that maybe it's not reacting to blood, literally, but the life force/sentience that is within the robot.

You could take it a step further and have it only work on the tank robot (and not machinery in general), suggesting that there's something extra special about him. That makes for great characterization.

Lastly, it can make for one awesome quest. Imagine the party briefly heading out to figure out a way for blood magic to work on the robot. Maybe they need to find a special vial that can be integrated into the circuitry. And then they need to find a rare monster with blood potent enough to trigger the magic, yet can still fit into that small vial.

So, I wouldn't abandon the idea. Just find a logical way to make it work.

 

[omen613]

I would, personally, keep the blood magic and use it as an excellent conversation starter between party members. Someone could comment that blood magic shouldn't work on something that has no blood. Another could hypothesize that oil is kind of like blood, hence why the magic works. And yet a third could say that maybe it's not reacting to blood, literally, but the life force/sentience that is within the robot.

You could take it a step further and have it only work on the tank robot (and not machinery in general), suggesting that there's something extra special about him. That makes for great characterization.

Lastly, it can make for one awesome quest. Imagine the party briefly heading out to figure out a way for blood magic to work on the robot. Maybe they need to find a special vial that can be integrated into the circuitry. And then they need to find a rare monster with blood potent enough to trigger the magic, yet can still fit into that small vial.

So, I wouldn't abandon the idea. Just find a logical way to make it work.

Why didn't I think of this? This is usually the way I treat other aspects of the characters interacting with each other. Great suggestion Lunarea. I'll probably run with this one.

First battle with the robot and the blood mage.....

"dunno how much more of this he can take! We better make a run for it"

"Why don't you heal him like you healed us earlier?"

"It's an abomination thats why. The lord grants me the power to restore the life-force of his creations, an eye for an eye, blood for blood."

"Guys we're surrounded, this doesn't look good"

"He is over heating!"

"Damnit! Heal him already!"

"You ignorant fool! Look it doesn't work on it, it has no blood-wait, what?"

"HAHA looks like your god likes abominations after all!"

"B-but it."

"Little help over here?!"

something like that lol