Nuke it smarter, not harder [Open]

[wizardsaregodtier]

Outside the Sensorium, a large floating sign proclaimed in large text:

SENSORIUM IN USE. PRIMARY OCCUPANT: AIBGHALIEN MARSAI. PURPOSE: DEPLOYMENT OF SIMULATED AND GENUINE MAGIC. VISITORS WELCOME. CAUTION! NONSIMULATED MAGIC IN USE!

A helpful magic mouth also repeated these words verbally to those who drew close, a necessary sop to potential issues of translation (or literacy). Despite this ungainly addition tio the illusory sign, Aibghalien was pleased with his idea.

Such thoughts had fallen far to the back of his mind, however, as in the Sensorium he had created a fourfold simulated environment. One quadrant, which the door opened onto, consisted of his tower laboratory from his days as a regent, with tables of magical and alchemical apparatuses set up in various states of use or disarray. The next quarter clockwise was a battlefield, with two armies clashing in a seemingly perpetual state of conflict. Continuing around, in the third quadrant, a group of orogs shuffled aimlessly around a dungeon hallway in exactly the manner one would assume orogs would shuffle about while waiting for adventurers to burst in on them in their otherwise empty and joyless 20x20 dungeon room. Finally, in the fourth quadrant stood Aibghalien, dispassionately deploy a mighty gout of fire from his hands into a swarming mass of Kessek.

“Pause,” he said out loud – not necessary, but Aibghalien found it helpful to set deliberate barriers between his general mental thought processes and the commands he intended to give the sensorium. The image froze in the midst of the fire impacting the Kessek armor. Nodding to himself, Aibghalien stepped forward to examine the intersection of attack and defense, analyzing the impact with the intent of improving it.

Comments

[wizardsaregodtier]

Getting his hopes up was the last thing the elf intended to do. "While possible, empirical evidence suggests that the actual idea that magic can be learned without possessing some inherent gift, talent, or ability to use it simply has not occurred to the overwhelming majority of worlds represented on this ship."

[anwei]

She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Are there other inherent qualities that make magic harder or easier for a person to learn? If enough qualified people showed up, you could train them yourself - start with a blank slate, as it were."

Certainly people with exceptional qualities were showing up all the time.

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Intelligence and a willingness to put in effort," he said drily. "I have extended offers to teach the crew before, and receptions had been poor at best. In general our crew prefers to focus on their existing specialties and talents, rather than branch out."

[anwei]

"You would think they would welcome the chance to learn new combat skills - especially since, in theory, there are records accessible across the Multiverse detailing their actual skillsets. If the enemy can access those, they could anticipate what they would be facing - unless the people they faced attacked with entirely new abilities."

She looked thoughtfully at the frozen fire. "Maybe record sessions such as this, and add a descriptive narration of how these skills can be shared? So that people who referenced it would know to come to you?"

Aibghalien doing infomercials for magic. Hey, it could work!

[wizardsaregodtier]

"While noble on theory, the fact is that after a substantial period of learned and determination, the greatest amount of power a person is likely to gain is, well, magic missile. There's no denying that the basic weapons we have are more efficient, more effective, and require less training. The higher levels of spells require much, much more study to master."

He followed her glance, then smiled. "Though admittedly this is a terribly weak spell itself..."

[anwei]

Anwei thought for a moment, her eyes lolling and then coming back to the elf's face.

"If casting complicated magic is so difficult, I'd be more interested in determining what is the minimal amount of magic needed to disable the enemy. Say making a very fright light that parked itself directly in front of their eyes? Or something opaque that blinded them?"

The thought of the Kessek stumbling about with big black rectangles covering their faces was not without appeal.

That fire was a weak spell? Oh dear.

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Which is an excellent question. The problem is of scale. A beginning wizard could at best disable three enemies before having exhausted their repertoire of spells for the day. In the encounters we typically engage in, that is so small a difference as to be nonexistent. Silent and generally static illusions are available at that level, but similarly limited. Permanent blindness is available at the next level of spells, but again, is limited in scale. It might be possible to develop a mass version of such a spell, but it would require far greater skill in wizardry to cast."

The fire is a weak spell cast by a very capable caster. Of course it appears powerful!

[anwei]

"My understanding of magic is quite limited. Is there such a thing as a self-targeting spell that you could cast at the enemy that would find the highest-ranking opponent and blind just that one sentient? Or does magic normally work on the line-of-sight principle?"

Nothing was quite so intimidating as a missile whispering by overhead, and knowing that the optical scanner in its nose was primed for a certain target. Couldn't the same be true of magic?

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Damaging evocations and conjurations rely primarily on line-of-sight. Magic generally has no reliable way to interrogate the multiverse directly with regards to identification such as rank in the same spell as an attack," he said.

[anwei]

"Interesting. Interesting..." She stepped a little closer to the magical fire, looking at it without quite seeing. "And the three spells a day - it doesn't matter if they are large or small, you can only do three? Three within your level, that is."

[wizardsaregodtier]

"A wizard must memorize and prepare their spells ahead of time," he clarified. "That being said, there is no limitation on their selection. Provided the spell is in their library, they may prepare it freely."

[anwei]

This was starting to sound very time-intensive.

"Which explains why people seem to be so attached to magic books. Is it - forgive me if I am breaking taboo - but do people write new spells, or is there a fixed selection of spells to be memorized?"

[wizardsaregodtier]

"I hold very few taboos about the process, outside of necromancy," he said, smiling. "Spell research continues constantly."

[anwei]

More and more interesting! If only her species did not have such a limited lifespan - but then again, she knew people who had much longer lifespans. In fact -

"Do you think that an artificial intelligence could learn magic, or does it require an organic body?"

[wizardsaregodtier]

"I assume it is possible," he said with a shrug, "but I am assuming that on the basis of my research into intelligence formed by magical means. It is entirely possible that a creation of magical energy is more capable of wielding said energy than a purely technological construct."

[anwei]

Talking to Aibghalien was like reading a book that grew pages as you went on: more and more ideas were popping into Anwei's head with every word. Of course she might not have the skills to bring these ideas to reality, but at least she could find out all she could, and maybe hand off the concept to someone more qualified.

"So you can build a sentient life-form with only magic? That must be a very high-level spell. Is there a limit to how intelligent they can be?"

[wizardsaregodtier]

"I have never heard of an intelligent item created at a level higher than the uppermost limits of human intelligence, but that does not mean it would be impossible to do so." Simply unlikely, since as the absolute leading authority in wizardry, his best guesses were the latest theories.

[anwei]

"The uppermost limits of human intelligence are very high." She considered for an instant. "I was thinking more of the fact that an artificial intelligence can think and learn hundreds or thousands of times faster than an organic brain. If it had the guidance to be able to teach itself, how quickly could it advance in magic, I wonder?"

Even if it started at below human intelligence, there was no reason why it couldn't climb beyond it.

[wizardsaregodtier]

He raised a finger. "That may be true of technological intelligences, but magical intelligences, though occasionally alien in nature, generally process and comprehend in a manner indistinguishable from a biological one. It may be that a technological intelligence's artificial nature does not allow it a 'will' that it can impose on reality through prescribed manipulations."

[anwei]

Anwei blinked. Her AI Horanckk certainly had a will of his own, and could be breathtakingly stubborn on occasion (and she loved him for it). If only he were here, he'd undoubtedly take Aibghalien's words as a challenge.

Perhaps she should try and follow in his footsteps - not that he had any feet, usually.

"Would you be interested in experimenting with seeing if an AI can learn magic? But if you're certain that you couldn't teach one, of course, I wouldn't want you to waste your time."

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Certain? Not in the slightest. Every day I am reminded that what is possible is far more varied and broad than any mind can truly comprehend. It would be worth the experiment, I think, informative no matter the results."

[anwei]

"As it happens, I have recently acquired a Ninth Empire artifact that has - well, not sentience, but the seed of sentience. I will probably be spending considerable time seeing if I can uplift it. If I succeed, and if the AI is interested, I would be flattered to have it be your student."

It or she or he or whatever.

"Would two students be better than one? I learned a great deal about mathematics and programming rather late in life, so I know I have the ability to learn new complex systems."

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Assuming the intelligence in question is interested, yes, absolutely I'm willing to make the attempt. As for two students... well, that all depends on the interest, willingness, and talent of the students in question," he said with a smile.

[anwei]

"I - don't suppose there's such a thing as a standardized magical aptitude test? Or should I - or we - just try to learn and see if we succeed?"

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Are you interested and willing to put in effort? That is the only aptitude test there is. Of course, intelligence plays a role in it, but I think that isn't a problem." Both because she seemed reasonably intelligent and because it was highly unlikely any lessons would advance to a level where she might be incapable of understanding the work.