Dirk Gently. Things will turn bizarre, weird, but very interesting.

A book sounds like a good idea, actually. I bet it would sell well.

I'd appreciate any kind of advice in that area. As a still prospective game developer, I'm still seeing how many hats I need to be wearing.

Lab coat, goggles, frazzled hair, smudges of grime on hands and face. Pocket protector.

Yes, I'd be interested in why you have this take.

I'd say it depends on the nature of the book. For an often used manual, hardcover. For an adventure pack or setting resources, maybe just softcover.
Both if your fanbase is diverse enough.

That said, if you're not good at it, you can turn it the wrong ways, and weird things can happen.

In a sense. The flow is always there. You just have to learn how to properly scoop it towards your intent.

Thus, there is no way to overpower oneself, just manipulate the magical flows better. Like a directional siphon that reaches into the 4th dimension and changes the fabric of our reality. Control of that manipulation is what makes someone a great mage (or Psion, priest, or alchemist).

My setting does not use that sort of magic power as a gauge. Magic is like neutrinos, invisible, undetectable, and passing through sold matter freely, almost as if it is a different dimension. Those who can reach in a 4th dimension can manipulate these particles and affect reality.

Thank you!
Feel free to DM if you ever want to know more, or have a look at the Discord.
Thank you for the enthusiasm!

No, I do not use classes in the game. I believe they are too restrictive to playing the exact character you want.
That said, there are career paths called capstones that a character can work their way toward, if they so choose. These depend on setting usually, but can also be created by the player.

Thank you! I am attempting to make a game where you can do anything, but still have a decent amount of "crunch". It's quite the line to straddle.

What a wonderful post! Thank you for lifting all boats, as it were!

This is another reason I'm loving Bluesky so far - the sense of community.

I have a pantheon of 20 deities. Each is less a separate entity and more a different aspect of sentient nature. Power from them can be called upon, but saying they are gods is a matter of personal opinion.
So... Yes and no.

I would posit that it doesn't need to be complex even with a high degree of crunch.

My biggest influence is music and a little sleep deprivation.
The works of Jean-Michel Jarre are particularly inspiring to me, particularly Ethnicolor.
Jarre has created the tapestry in my mind upon which I can insert the details.
I draw upon folklore, but also nature, sci-fi, and astronomy.

I agree. Streamlining initiative is one of the goals of my game design.