Timewaster's Guide Archive

Local Authors => Writing Group => Topic started by: Necroben on March 23, 2009, 04:23:47 AM

Title: What would be cooler?
Post by: Necroben on March 23, 2009, 04:23:47 AM

The ability to see the electrical impulses in a person’s nervous system. 

Or to be able to see body heat, which would also include any residual heat in their surroundings. 

All in the dark, of course.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: maxonennis on March 23, 2009, 04:26:29 AM

Absolutely the electrical impulses. For one thing, it would give a more defined impression of the body. Other than that I just think it'd be cool.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Chaos on March 23, 2009, 05:31:11 AM

Electrical impulses. Not only is that cooler, but if it's for a magic system, that seems much more unique than seeing body heat. Thermal vision always reminds me of the Predator anyways. Not that the Predator isn't cool, of course, but I've certainly never seen any story use electrical impulses before, so I give it my support.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Necroben on March 23, 2009, 05:41:07 AM

Yeah, it goes along with the magic system.  One of my main characters will have to fight a group of people in a dark room.  Heat vision would be easier, but that might be cliché for fantasy.  So I came up with the other idea, trying not to stray too far from the science of it all.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: maxonennis on March 23, 2009, 05:27:41 PM

Question Necroben, would the character be able to see all electical impulses or just the ones in bodies? If he/she can see all, that would make for a pretty fun ability to play with.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Necroben on March 23, 2009, 05:49:29 PM

To make the scene work I have to have her see all.  So I'm currently doing research in electromagnetism.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Shaggy on March 23, 2009, 05:56:33 PM

Definitely go with the electromagnetism. Big words make people feel smart for reading them and make them wanna read more.

(And it's cooler.)

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Silk on March 24, 2009, 07:11:28 AM

Gotta agree. Eleeeeeeeeeeeectric.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Chaos on March 24, 2009, 08:13:16 AM

One interesting aspect, Ben, could be that she can see electrical impulses in the body just fine, which aren't that powerful, but maybe on some really high voltage electrical device, it could blind her.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Shaggy on March 24, 2009, 04:39:53 PM

Like flaring tin during the day.

Title: Re: What would be cooler?
Post by: Renoard on April 01, 2009, 11:53:15 AM

Electrical impulses is a cool idea.  For another way that someone, not necessarily Ben, could use- -the character could have vision that shifts just a few hundred nanometers into the infra-red.  Normal vision, but seeing additional light that we call "heat" of infrared as if it were just additional shades or red light. Comparing the character's vision to normal vision would be like comparing normal vision to being color blind.  So no Predator(tm) bits with the character seeing everything distorted like through a sniper scope. 

Besides, "nanometers" is a $20 word too...