Duel Monsters, Solid Vision, and Human Interaction

[SynjoDeonecros]

So, I got this idea when i was thinking of the applications of Solid Vision and the "card crushes" duelists have, as depicted by Chumley, Bastion, and Cyrus in GX (yeah, I'm that perverted, shut up), but I feel it can be applied to other areas, as well.

Okay, so in the original series, all the way up to 5D's, Solid Vision was holograms that were insubstantial, but as lifelike as possible. In the original series, we had no real monster spirits that might interact with the characters, so the interaction between Duel Monster and Duelist is negligible (I'm not counting Awaken the Dragons, because it was an anime-only side story that had no bearing on the rest of the series, as far as the whole "monsters are real" thing goes); only thing we get is the possibility of the monsters being the reincarnation of the "ka" monsters from the ancient Shadow Games, and the Shadow Games can bring those monsters into the real world.

However, in GX, and to a lesser extent 5D's, it's revealed that the Duel Monsters are real and exist in their own dimension that can be crossed over by either side. This puts a whole new level of interaction between monster and duelist; how do we know that the monsters being summoned are just holograms, and aren't the monster spirits themselves? What about in the Duel Monsters dimensions, where they still use the game to settle things, but those monsters DO exist? In the original series, the monsters didn't seem to have much personality to them or interest in their owner or the other monsters they battle with, but they show more concern about it in GX and 5D's. How do we divide the monster from the hologram?

Beyond that, we see Duel Monster holograms being used for things other than dueling, like destroying a satellite, or waking someone up with a loud noise. What other utilitarian ways are these holograms used? How could they be used, if they're supposed to be impermeable, unless they really are the embodiments of the monsters they represent?

Now, with Zexal, this gets tricky; it's AR, so technically it doesn't exist in any form other than as an image on a screen, yet we see the same "impacts make the player fly back" phenomenon as the holograms in the previous series do. And the monsters have more interaction and reaction to their surroundings than before; while it's not permanent, monsters seem to interact with the scenery more with summoning and attacks than the previous series. Now, we don't exactly have dimensions where the monsters exist, but we do have the Astral and Barian dimensions, where such things could exist, so that provides at least a little bit of oomph to the theory that the monsters could be more than just images.

And now, with Arc-V, with have the Solid Vision with Mass system, which is literally just a Star Trek holodeck applied to Duel Monsters; you can touch, ride, and interact in several ways with the holograms, and as a result, the bond between duelist and monster becomes even tighter. However, this series has the least connection to an actual Duel Monsters dimension where the monsters exist than any other; there's the other dimensions, but they're inhabited by actual people and not monsters, as far as we know, and except for the connections between the Yuyas, the Yuzus, and Yuya's pendant and Yuzu's bracelet, there's really nothing mystical about any of this. So, what can we infer from that?

The evolution of the game's interaction between duelist and monster is a fascinating one, and while one can twist it into a darker turn (either adult or grotesque and nightmarish), one can't help but wonder where it'll go in the future, and what the implications of it is.

What do you guys think?

[iNfiniTe Se7eNz]

What I find somewhat odd (in Arc-V in particular) is that for all intents and purposes, the "hardness" of the solid vision system can be adjusted, as is explicitly stated. However, it seems that the hardness has a disproportionate effect on living matter as compared to nonorganic compounds. Really, Dennis ought to have been vaporized since Eternal Avenge took a huge chunk out of the stadium, but he's unfortunately alive and well.

[Sanokal]

What I find somewhat odd (in Arc-V in particular) is that for all intents and purposes, the "hardness" of the solid vision system can be adjusted, as is explicitly stated. However, it seems that the hardness has a disproportionate effect on living matter as compared to nonorganic compounds. Really, Dennis ought to have been vaporized since Eternal Avenge took a huge chunk out of the stadium, but he's unfortunately alive and well.

It was an attack on a monster, so I presume that he was far enough away to avoid it.

[SynjoDeonecros]

Yeah, that is odd; I know that the field spell for the children is rubberized, so they can bounce on it like a trampoline, but wouldn't that conflict with the very hard ground millimeters below the illusion?

[Mari]

What I find somewhat odd (in Arc-V in particular) is that for all intents and purposes, the "hardness" of the solid vision system can be adjusted, as is explicitly stated. However, it seems that the hardness has a disproportionate effect on living matter as compared to nonorganic compounds. Really, Dennis ought to have been vaporized since Eternal Avenge took a huge chunk out of the stadium, but he's unfortunately alive and well.

If I recall correctly the stadium breaking was all Chaos Giant falling to its demise. I guess each duelist can set their own level of impact and all Academia duelists have it in the maximum setting maybe.

(Though, that leaves the doubt as to why Shun didn't set it at the maximum setting before attacking Dennis too but it doesn't matter)

[Brightshine Stardust]

or waking someone up with a loud noise.

I didn't remember this happening. What series, and which episode?




(Though, that leaves the doubt as to why Shun didn't set it at the maximum setting before attacking Dennis too but it doesn't matter)

Reiji removed the carding function out of Serena and Shun's Duel Disk, there's a good chance he also changed the maximum setting as well to a lower level.

[ScionStorm]

We are asking these things when Satellite Falcon literally flew out of the atmosphere, broke escape velocity and remained a solid hologram projected in space?! Do duel disks really have that extensive a reach?

[iNfiniTe Se7eNz]

We are asking these things when Satellite Falcon literally flew out of the atmosphere, broke escape velocity and remained a solid hologram projected in space?! Do duel disks really have that extensive a reach?

Broke escape velocity? That's an understatement. It hit low Earth orbit in seconds.

[SynjoDeonecros]

It's another case of the whole "Holodeck matter can't exist outside of the holodeck, except when the plot demands it" issue from Star Trek.

[Sanokal]

It's another case of the whole "Holodeck matter can't exist outside of the holodeck, except when the plot demands it" issue from Star Trek.

Presumably it was being projected by the City systems.

[Brightshine Stardust]

We are asking these things when Satellite Falcon literally flew out of the atmosphere, broke escape velocity and remained a solid hologram projected in space?! Do duel disks really have that extensive a reach?

Speaking of space, CNo. 9 was SUMMONED in space. Satellite Cannon Falcon at least was summoned on earth before flying high.

[Sanokal]

Speaking of space, CNo. 9 was SUMMONED in space. Satellite Cannon Falcon at least was summoned on earth before flying high.

AR/Barian/Earth shenanigans. In theory that virtual reality is limitless in its illusory scope.

[SynjoDeonecros]

Now, remind me, the Solid Vision w/Mass only works in specified arenas, right? Otherwise, they're just normal holograms? Or are they solid all the time? Because in that case, why bother with an arena? And, if they're solid outside of the arenas, what kind of stuff do you think duelists do with them during their non-dueling hours? Don't just mean pervy stuff, but like, practical or entertainment aspects, like the NetNavis in MegaMan Battle Network...

[Sanokal]

Now, remind me, the Solid Vision w/Mass only works in specified arenas, right? Otherwise, they're just normal holograms? Or are they solid all the time? Because in that case, why bother with an arena? And, if they're solid outside of the arenas, what kind of stuff do you think duelists do with them during their non-dueling hours? Don't just mean pervy stuff, but like, practical or entertainment aspects, like the NetNavis in MegaMan Battle Network...

Only with the ARC System and specified duel disks, yes.

[SynjoDeonecros]

Okay, so they don't actually have portable holodecks on their arms. That's good to know.

I'm still interested about the correlation between Duel Monster holograms and Duel Monster spirits; it was an erotic story, but I wrote a chapter of a series that explored the connection between the two, and the possibility that the monsters being summoned are actually imbued temporarily with the spirits of certain Duel Monsters, or have spirits themselves. I'm surprised they never explored this aspect of the game and its mythos, before, and its implications, like how ethical it would be for a Duel Monster spirit in its own dimension to have a duel to the death using Duel Monsters cards, like we see in GX.

[Zarkiel]

Now, remind me, the Solid Vision w/Mass only works in specified arenas, right? Otherwise, they're just normal holograms? Or are they solid all the time? Because in that case, why bother with an arena? And, if they're solid outside of the arenas, what kind of stuff do you think duelists do with them during their non-dueling hours? Don't just mean pervy stuff, but like, practical or entertainment aspects, like the NetNavis in MegaMan Battle Network...

It works in specified arenas of the standard dimensions. Yuto and shun both had the ability to put mass in their monsters with their duel disks (this is most likely the case since I don't think they have powers) and Reiji used Yuto's duel disk to buff the lancers. Obelisk force also has this technology since Ancient Gear Hound could incapacitate Sora and block him from using his duel disk. Security also had the technology since gate blocker could trap people.

I think its safe to assume that everyone other than the people of standard who are not lancers have the ability to produce solid vision with mass in their duel disks. One could argue whether Yuzu actually has said technology since she never got reiji's upgrade, but I'm not going to try to double check whether her duel disk in the synchro dimension is the one from the bike or her personal one.