I have a pressing question about the Daedra technological level. How advanced are they in comparison to say like the 'mortals' they hate.

I'm not sure, but considering the Empire has developed the deus ex machina, I don't think the Daedra are even anywhere near their level.

Given that they got elevators, Sigil Towers, and the Siege Crawler, I'd say that the Dremora are pretty advanced compared to any race besides the Dwemer.

They are very steampunkish.

Given that all of that doesn't necessarily require technology, only majick, the Daedra aren't that advanced, just majickly inclined

Yeah.

While the Dwemer were "hella crazy" with Magicka, they did have some unique general technological advancements, I feel, as well.

Note that in Daggerfall, the Daedra higher-up Imago Storm expresses the idea that mortals may have more technological prowess than immortals due to said mortality; the Daedra, while immortal, are essentially and, more or less, generally "bored," while mortals, needing to preserve their futile existence, HAVE to be technologically savvy.

Magick or no magick, Sigil Towers are impressive examples of construction. Corpse Mashers appear and sound completely mechanical, and the Siege Crawler, while powered by a Sigil Stone, have a mechanical mode of locomotion.

Besides, technology is always easier when you got magical power sources.

Neither the elevators or the siege engines where 'only magick'...

Well, magick to an extent, maybe?

In a universe where electricity is barely used, I just feel like some "advanced" technology uses magick to a minute degree, at least.

Hell, I could be wrong. I've been slacking in my reading.

well it really depends on your definition of technology

none of these items uses any kind of advanced energy generators, only majick to power them. While it seems the corpse mashers and elevators use gears for locomotion, the original power for such actions comes from majick, and therefore isn't really advanced. If humans had access to a nuclear reactor or even a simple battery back in the Middle Ages, we could have much better technology now, but since the TES universe doesn't need any kind of power generator, just majick, their technology has to be graded on a different scale. When Mephala calls me up on her IPhone, ill say they are technologically advanced

I disagree.

Battery technology has been around for far longer than the European renaissance. The problem, is that many people are terrified of new things. This last century is unprecidented in the number of new technological advancements that have been made, and moreso by how willing the world's populations have been to embrace such advancements. It has never been this way before, as far as we can tell. Even in the golden age of Greece there was a strong undercurrent against heavy industrialism, and a powerful over current to prevent the spread of advanced knowledge to the general public.

There is a reason why the "Great Thinkers" of such eras were "legendary"-- it was because access to the knowledge was greatly restricted.


However, even today there are people who rail against the totally free exchange of information-- major government leaders being key proponents of such notions. Even today, not just ANYONE can tinker with high voltage technologies, or with new microcircuit design. It is still highly controlled.



As for technology in the TES universe, I will agree there that the NEED for a nuclear reactor just doesn't exist, given the number of absurd enchantments I have seen floating around-- the energy requirements to accomplish something similar with our own technology being astronomically high-- and often times found in cute little trinkets no less. (what I could do with a handful of CE shock damage enchantments would make your head swim... but I digress)

Part of the reason why we strive for more efficient, higher quality technologies is because of the innate limitations on available energy resources we must endure. We invest huge amounts of money and manpower into this, so as to better utilize the energy sources we DO have. it is also the reason why we are exploring fusion technology and friends. The people of Nirn don't have that problem. Even if they totally enclosed the sun's star-hole, and gobbled down 100% of the energy bleeding out through it, there would still be an infinite quantity leaking out through the other star holes, and magicka would likely not be too adversely impacted. In short, there is just no shortage of magicka, so the only innovations in terms of magicka consumption would come about from fixed charge devices, or in ways to improve a person's individual control over magicka, as both of those are limited.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and magic indeed does fill many needs. It does not fill all of them though. I still want to see a magickally powered horseless carriage, as it would solve several logistical problems in supply movement, commerce, and the like. The problem is the "unspoken rule" that Tamriel must remain in the dark ages indeffinately, because if it did not, it would not be a "Sword and Sorcery" setting any longer.

I consider that genre stereotype to be boring. I dont think I need to point out what MK has to say about boring things either. Not here anyway.

With my overall idea, or the idea about Middle Ages scientists with Nuclear Reactors?

The "Sword and Sorcery" Stereotype is what you're referring to, and not my post, correct? Forgive me if it seems vain, but for some reason whenever people quote me i assume the entirety of their post is about my post

I disagreed about how dark age people would have had an explosion of run-away growth if they had access to battery technology. They wouldnt have.


And yes, the sword and sorcery stereotype is what I was referring to. The one that silently prohibits the idea that guns can exist, and that the horse drawn plow is the most advanced piece of technology to be found, and that EVERYTHING else must be done with magick. (And if it cant be, then it is just omitted.)

Personally, I'd find it boring if there were things such as guns or tractors or such things. If you're going to create technology, create something new that way I don't have to be reminded of how boring the actual world is when I see a gun in my fantasy world.

There are any number of ways one could implement a "Magic gun", that would not be boring. The problem, is that the "magic gun" becomes an 'easy kill' device, which renders a GAME boring, by removing challenge.

I suppose if it were not absolutely absurd, the ideal weapon for a sword and sorcery motif would be a spoon then. It would be quite challenging to beat the game with.


Same thing with agricultural technologies. A tractor looks the way it does, because of the method of it's power source, which is a rotating shaft inside an internal combustion engine. When you use magic as the energy source, whole new methods of implementing an agricultural apparatus become apparent.

Would you consider a scarecrow that shoots lightning bolts at crows "boring?" (What if it were to EAT them too?)

What about a machine with 100 mechanical arms, each holding a reaping scythe? Or instead of a plowing tractor, you put "plowing stakes" at the corners of the field, and it magickally upheaves and tills the soil?

The problem is not that technology makes a game or environment boring--- the problem is the idea that technology in a magickal world has to look and feel the same as the technology we use, and consider mundane.

The Deadlands are mostly lava oceans- huge amounts of thermal energy. They don't need magic to power their devices.

The Daedra seem to be heavily influenced by steamworks but are still magicak inclined to not be entirelly a creation of steampunk

Proweler, you are a master of the double meaning. :bowdown:

Is your "god from the machine" referring to the Numidium or Akatosh just popping up and saving the day from Dagon in full James F. Cooper style?

Who's in charge of building all those architectural marvels in Oblivion planes though? Perhaps [insert Prince name here] just dishes out the plans and says "build x here or I whip you, thrall"?

Siege crawlers are an interesting one though; guys who can't maintain a small bridge can manage to build something that would have been impossible before the 20th century. Maybe they put all their engineering skills to work building siege crawlers and have no time to keep their bridges in a good state of repair?

I'm not so sure elevators and siege crawlers are all that technologically advanced. Their gearworks are no more advanced than a good rope and pulley system (merely more permanent, and with a different power source), and the siege crawler, which isn't so much a matter of sophistication as scale (and legs, which could easily be the result of the siege crawler being not technology per se, but a creature of sorts). What the daedra have in both cases is not so much sophistication, as scale, provided by raw power.

"modern" real world elevators are not far removed from "rope and pulley" either you know.