Mana (Concept)

Mana

CONCEPT

A meter measured much like HP that depletes when you use magic, and depending on the game, regenerates over time or can only be regenerated through rest or potions. Mana is usually displayed as a blue bar beneath it's red counterpart, the HP bar.

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Overview

Mana is magical energy in its purest form. Magic users are able to tap this resource and use it to cast magic spells. In most games, a spellcaster will have a limited amount of mana at their disposal, which may be replenished with consumable items, resting, or simply waiting for a period of time. One's mana pool can also be increased by gaining levels of experience; this enables the magic user to cast more powerful spells with greater frequency, without having to constantly replenish their supply of mana. The usage of mana in video games is distinct from the Biblical manna, the food which the Israelites ate on their desert sojourn. Mana is also often used in video games as another way of referring to MP.

History

The concept of mana as used in video games mostly originates from the Austronesian cultures of Southeast Asia and Oceania (Location), where mana is a spiritual quality considered to have supernatural origin, a sacred impersonal force existing in the universe. The video game franchise most often associated with the concept of mana is the Mana (Franchise) series, an action RPG franchise created by Squaresoft (Company) (now Square Enix (Company)) in 1991.

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