Intelligent Weapons Part 2: Constructed Weapons

This next group refers to those weapons which have intelligence as part of their design. Such weapons serve to enact the will of whoever designed them.

Mythological and Literary Examples

While this might seem identical to how the attitude of Muramasa came to be imbued in his blades, the crucial point that differentiates the two is that weapons with constructed sentience are rationally conceived. While affinity weapons have an intelligence that happens to them almost by way of accident, here the swords bare intelligence because of their designer's intent. Such weapons say nothing definitive about the soul or mentality of the one who made it, at least, not directly.
How does this archetype manifest itself? Why would such an idea ever have become a trope? What implications does this have for game design? Let’s examine a few case studies.

The Flaming Sword of Eden

When God casts Adam and Eve out of the garden, he sets angels to guard against their return and, somewhat curiously, a flaming sword.

He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen. 3:24)

Note that the angels are not described as wielding this weapon, the sword is an independent addition to the angelic security. As cherubim are already intimidating beings, even by the standards of mythic tradition, what does the addition of a flaming sword bring to the party? I would argue that it adds a level of impersonalisation. Of incorruptibility. The angels are capable of destruction just like humans, but that is not their sole, or even primary function. They speak and can be spoken to. Perhaps, by implication, even reasoned with. But a sword is more limited. It is only capable of violence. The effect here, is that God’s will on this issue is unbreakable.

Explusion From the Garden of Eden by Thomas Cole

Sikanda

In the Neverending Story, Bastian is gifted the sword Sikanda. This blade seems to have a mind of its own, guiding the wielder’s strikes so that they are a peerless fencer. However, the sword has a number of severe limitations. First of all, it can only be wielded by one who has bathed in the flames of the Many-Coloured Death. Secondly, it can only be used at a time of its own choosing. When Bastian attempts to force the sword from its scabbard against its will, Sikanda's magic is broken.

The effect elicited in this tale is that the world has to be taken on its own terms. Bastian can be powerful only when he abides by the rules of conduct that have been laid out for him. When Bastian is following these rules and acting in the role of the chosen one, he is unstoppable. But this power is not his own. He is merely harnessing it. The illusion of self-empowerment is shattered when he attempts to go against the will of the blade.

Excalibur

Another example of intelligence as extension of deign is Arthur's Excalibur as it is represented in John Boorman's titular film. When Arthur begins losing his contest against Lancelot, he calls upon the power of Excalibur to destroy his opponent, only for Excalibur to break.

The effect of this is the humaising of Arthur and the exaltation of the weapon and its designer. Like Bastian, Arthur's relative invincibility is merely due to his adherence to a code of conduct defined by others, in this case, God. Here, the message is made explicitly that Excalibur can only empower an individual if one paradoxically practices an ethos of self-denial and to bring about a very specific goal: the unification of humanity. The will of God must carried out by humans, and none of these individuals are perfect. However, the instrument that God sends to them possesses an intellect that takes this human-error into account.

Psychological Implications: A World Beyond the Character

These weapons can work to expand the world in which they are depicted beyond the scope of the protagonist's mind or history. What manner of thoughts govern the flaming sword of Eden? Who proscribed the nature of Sikanda? Why does the Lady of the Lake keep Excalibur? All of these questions are implicitly raised by the presence of these weapons. Their intelligence makes them and the worlds in which they exist, more complex. This adds a depth of mystery and history to the world, and create systems that are prior to the characters and speak to a deep intellect that exists behind the world around them.

They also serve to constrain and define the choices that can be made in the world. While the characters do have choices, the framework in which these choices are made is completely beyond their control. The characters have to take the world on at its own terms. Attempts to force their will upon these constructs is met with failure. The only way to the and mastery that these weapons confer is to align onseself with the path that leads to strength and mastery.

Implications for Games

Such world-building has been attempted by countless games, generally with mediocre success. As enthralling as the Zelda games are for their gameplay, the Master Sword of the series is transparently shallow in its execution and implications. It is enough that the sword was made "long ago" and to be used against "evil" for the purposes of a game which is less about painting a deep narrative and more about evoking a sense of adventure. The series is flawless in its execution of this atmosphere, the Master Sword itself is simply a necessary step along way and does not draw the player further into the world in any meaningful way.

The Mana Sword

Use it indeed...

An example of where a weapon served to both build the word and draw the player into the experience is the Mana Sword as depicted in Secret of Mana. Here, the protagonist Randi is compelled by circumstance to draw a rusty blade from a stone in a nearby stream. This sets the entire plot into motion as monsters begin inexplicably flooding into the vicinity of his village. It is revealed that Randi has upset an order of which he knew nothing: the sword had been warding off creatures with a magical barrier. The plot thickens further when it is explained that the sword is actually part of a deep history which involves Randi's origins as the Hero of the Mana Tribe, the Mana Tree, the Mana Goddess and the very fabric of existence itself. Actions are taken by the game's antagonists to thwart the player's strengthening of the sword. Ultimately, advancement of the plot, the strengthening of the player's ability to fight the game's adversaries and the unfolding of the world's tapestry of history all revolve around actions involving, or taken by, the Mana Sword. Its choices, actions and relationship to the narrative are indicative of its nature as a major character in itself, and an example that advances the aforementioned themes.

Atma Weapon

Atma is not impressed with our heroes.

Another example of weapons clearly bearing their own intellect are the weapons of the Final Fantasy series, specifically Atma from Final Fantasy VI. In this game, the source of the word's magic comes from the Warring Triad: three giant statues atop the Floating Continent The nature and origin of three statues are never fully elucidated in game, but they do imply that the nature of magic and perhaps the world itself is the result of a deeper design or history than humans are aware. Atma, the being that defends these statues, is much like the flaming sword of Eden. It too bears the characteristics of a creature that was constructed. Atma speaks to the characters when they face it and displays its intellect. Yet, the sense is clear that this creature is either incapable or uninterested in dialogue. One gets the sense that its apparent sentience was not crafted to give the creature a sense of self-determination but to assist in the completion of its mission.

Constructed Weapons in Conscientia

Pictured: A sub-optimal
weapon design.

In Conscientia, have two different creatures that attempt to get across this concept, the first and most important would be the character of Luin. Luin is to be this game's Master Sword. A weapon that is available to the player right from the beginning. However, for this game we felt that it was important to build the world up as much as possible. Creating an affinity-based weapon seemed to be a bit hollow here as the player has no context for how they would define what the weapon is. For this reason, a weapon with a constructed intelligence seemed the logical choice. The question was: what would a weapon with an intelligence be like? Would it be serve a similar function as a service manual? "Hello! My name is Luin. If you want to kill with me, hit the B button!" At best, it seemed we would create a character like Clippy.

Luin: Blade of Vanargand

Or perhaps, we should assume a weapon would be bloodthirsty. An aggressive intelligence that would egg the player on. "Greetings human scum! My name is Luin! Who shall we kill today! I long to bathe in blood! Mwahahaha!" Again, it seemed the best we would get would be a mindless psychopath that would be generally pretty annoying.

What we went with, was the concept that Luin is a user-friendly weapon. Like Sikanda, it will assist the player, and merely owning Luin will allow a person to be a master fighter. This works well for your gameplay design where we want the choices to be meaningful and carry a great deal of momentum. Merely choosing to carry Luin is enough to become a formidable fighter in Conscientia. However, a user-friendly instrument would not be a death-crazed lunatic. It should be controllable, but eager and ready to fight. For this reason, we wrote Luin as having the demeanor of a well-behaved child. It enjoys its existence as a weapon. In its mind it is too young to have awareness of the consequences of death. It wants to be used and no qualms about killing because it views combat as mere play. However, it is relatively mild-mannered and will obey the orders of its "elders". That is, if it doesn't get too carried away...

There are more examples of such creatures in Conscientia, but they go beyond the scope of this article.