View source for The Sliding Scale of Magic Versus Technology

{{trope}}
Mostly in fantasy/sci-fi works, one thing is very evident when it comes to Magic and Technology: 

The level of technology is inversely proportional to the amout of magic available. In a work that is filled to the brim with magic, it is very unlikely that it will advance anywhere past the [[Dung Ages]]. The only exceptions to this are [[Magitek]], where technology is powered by magic, and a situation where the [[Muggles]] don't know about the magic, and thus have advanced.

This exists in several types:

* Medieval magic: Magic is virtually everywhere, or at least very common. In contrast, the technology is Medieval, or the users of the advanced technology don't know how it actually works (see [[Clarke's Third Law]]).
* Renaissance magic: Magic is uncommon, and the technology may be between Renaissance or Victorian.
* Waning magic: Magic is rare either due to energy, supply, or lack of talent. We find ourselves either in the modern day, or [[Star Wars|a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.]]

There are also outliers on the scale:
* No magic: There is no magic at all. However, there is no constraint on technology, which may be primitive or modern.
* [[Magitek]]: There is plenty of magic and technology, and they work together to what appears to be modern tech. 

Not to be confused with [[Magic Versus Science]].

{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* This is particularly evident in the anime adaptation of ''[[Dungeon Fighter Online]]'', where in Cabensis' world, magic has been sealed, and as a result, technology reigns, while in the main world the story takes place in, magic is plentiful, and as a result, they are stuck in the Dung Ages. 

== Film ==
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' falls firmly on the strong technology. In the name of a science fiction series, it has its own unique type of magic called "Force" around.

== Literature ==
* The ''Bas-Lag Cycle'' by [[China Mieville]] has the tech level is late 19th/early 20th century, with magic being present, but not omnipresent. 
* Also evident in ''The Chonicles Of Narnia'', where they have been in Medieval Stasis for longer than mankind has existed on Earth. 
* [[Discworld]] offers another, less common example, with a world that has magic, but very little, and much more technology than other magic-related stories.
* ''[[The Ship That Won]]'' by [[Anne McCaffrey]] has a pair of travellers discovering a planet with magical activity. It is then discovered that the magic is really advanced technology but the users have forgotten how it works. 

== Video Games ==
* In [[Arcanum]], even the character sheet has a quite literal sliding scale between the two.
* This appears in several of the [[Final Fantasy]] titles appearing all over the scale
** ''[[Final Fantasy I]]'', a classic RPG leaning far more to the magic side, where technology is medieval. 
** ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', electricity, steam and internal combustion technology is far more prevalent than magic (but with the implication of some degree of Magitek in the more advanced technology and weapons).
** ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'', the technology seems more [[Magitek]] in nature and magic is overall more apparent.
** ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' is an odd case with tons of advanced tech lying around AND tons of magic. [[Clarke's Third Law|Most likely appears to be magic, since the technology is so advanced that only a handful of people can even understand how it works (let alone WHY).]]

== Web Comics ==
* ''[[The Wotch]]'' only has rare elements of magic in a modern society. This doesn't prevent magic from fixing broken video game consoles.

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