Tamriel and Technology

Post » Thu May 19, 2011 12:36 am

Then give examples next time you post. I didn't understand the term medevil fallout. I agree with these kind of small-scale advancements.
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Jade Barnes-Mackey
 
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Post » Wed May 18, 2011 9:34 pm

Ryan you know that series created by Interplay then failed by Black Isle then bought by Bethesda.
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Anthony Diaz
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 6:52 am

YES! VESSSELS YES! FINALLY SOMEONE WHO GETS IT! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAD IN MIND THANK YOU!!!!

Pretty sure they're already at that stage. Games just haven't always featured them due to limited resources and tech (IRL, not in the fictional universe).
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Vivien
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 12:54 am

Actually in real life we had the dark ages following the fall of the Roman empire. Our technological development came to a complete stop that lasted more than 800 years. I imagine Tamriel is in a similar dark age, and you can't forget the looming dragon threat.


Only in Europe... China didn't and other eastern lands didn't have a dark age.
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Blessed DIVA
 
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Post » Wed May 18, 2011 5:43 pm

Well, I don't see much problem if at some point in the future games they will introduce a http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=764&q=trebuchet&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq= or medieval http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1440&bih=764&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=medieval+battering+ram&aq=f&aqi=g2g-m1&aql=&oq=, if that is what you meant. (Or maybe an Imperial http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&q=roman+ballista&revid=374035424&sa=X&ei=c33nTbTyNoWWvAOMrojoDQ&ved=0CDgQ1QIoAA&biw=1440&bih=764 in Skyrim to shoot down 'dem big geckos with wings).

Yeah I think most gamers could probably agree with those sorts of small scale advancements. ;)
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Angelina Mayo
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 7:44 am

I think it'd take away the mystique that draws me to the fantasy genre, It's progressive yet unchanging unlike the world we live in and
thats why I love the Elder Scrolls. No Guns,No Steam Power whathaveyous (Dwemer excluded) :tes:
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Vahpie
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 7:01 am

Only in Europe... China didn't and other eastern lands didn't have a dark age.


They may not have had a dark age but they certainly had extended centuries of practically no technological development.
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Tikarma Vodicka-McPherson
 
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Post » Wed May 18, 2011 9:16 pm

Also there is no way you can compare the two. The major factor is that MAGIC exists in TES and not in our world, therefore normal parameters for 'technological evolution' would not be the same e.g. the invention of electricity for light, one spell and a http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Welkynd_Stone stone and you have your answer. There is no incentive to try.
[/thread]


Well, you actually stumbled upon the Achilles heal of High Fantasy. If magic exists with such commonality, and since magic is essentially free energy (or at least exceedingly cheap energy) then why isn't it used to scale?

To be clear, I'm not interested in seeing the setting of TES evolve into steampunk. I like it just the way it is. But to keep a high fantasy setting from becoming steampunky requires a certain amount of cognitive dissonance.
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brenden casey
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 9:14 am

TES already has Cannons, Siege weapons, Catapults, Ballistae, Ships, Galleons, Skiffs, Carriges, Carts, Pullies, Cranes, Crossbows (well not for 2 games) gear opened gates, draw bridges, windmills,dams, Dwemer Airships (used by redguards) irrigation, resevoirs, sewers, plumbing, fountains etc etc etc


what more do you want? you do not introduce more tech without going to crap like guns and electricity just because much of the above has not been represented in TES games so far does not mean its not there..because it is in lore, Blame beth for not bringing them in game
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Kayla Keizer
 
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Post » Wed May 18, 2011 10:39 pm

Well, you actually stumbled upon the Achilles heal of High Fantasy. If magic exists with such commonality, and since magic is essentially free energy (or at least exceedingly cheap energy) then why isn't it used to scale?

To be clear, I'm not interested in seeing the setting of TES evolve into steampunk. I like it just the way it is. But to keep a high fantasy setting from becoming steampunky requires a certain amount of cognitive dissonance.


But it is utilised to scale. See my previous comment about the Battlespire for one.
Magic does the job of technology in Tamriel and it is an advanced science. They do amazing things, like travelling to the outer realms and creating and maintaining pocket dimensions.
Building an Ingenium to try and keep Baar Dau from falling.
The towers of the elves and Numidium and Akulakhan.
Not dark ages at all, but a highly advanced magical society.
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Rob
 
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Post » Wed May 18, 2011 8:14 pm

Why do people seem to push away the development of technology in Elder Scrolls games? I not saying we should have guns and make it into a medieval Fallout (without the Fallout) but just the development of technology itself (inventions that do jobs magic couldn't achieve) in our human history did we have a stand still in the development of technology? No, I'm saying they should introduce all this tech all at once but gradually over the next couple of games, seems like a reasonable argument what do you think?

It defeats the purpose of having a medieval-style fantasy game. People like that setting and the more technology you add, the less it becomes a medieval fantasy game. The end.
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Shelby Huffman
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 7:43 am

It defeats the purpose of having a medieval-style fantasy game. People like that setting and the more technology you add, the less it becomes a medieval fantasy game. The end.


There is nothing medieval about Tamriel. Why do I have to keep repeating this?

Technology wise they are around renaissance-ish. The government structure, the life of the common people, they have a lot of advancements we didnt have until the late 17th century.
Magic wise they are highly advanced and if one were to translate that to technological ability we are talking serious science fiction. But it is magic.
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matt
 
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Post » Wed May 18, 2011 9:09 pm

But it is utilised to scale. See my previous comment about the Battlespire for one.
Magic does the job of technology in Tamriel and it is an advanced science. They do amazing things, like travelling to the outer realms and creating and maintaining pocket dimensions.
Building an Ingenium to try and keep Baar Dau from falling.
The towers of the elves and Numidium and Akulakhan.
Not dark ages at all, but a highly advanced magical society.


I see what you're saying, I just don't think many High Fantasy settings have really sat down and considered what can be done practically with that amount of magic. I'll give you some examples using just what we know from TES magic.

- We know Netch are farmed already, so why aren't the Dunmer breeding them for construction of air-ships?
- Why isn't Enchanting industrialized? Especially if even lowly farm animals have souls and can therefore act as a battery?
- Why aren't Fire Atronauchs summoned simply to drive steam engines?
- Where are the large scale Mark/Recall freight transport operations?
- Why aren't there flying steel battleships with rows of constant effect feather/levitate enchantments on their hulls?

I believe these are only a few of the many things that would quickly appear in a high fantasy world. But usually the authors of such worlds are more concerned with "what would the powerful people do with Magic" or "how would Magic affect war" rather than "what would entrepreneurs do with access to that kind of magic"?
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Thomas LEON
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 3:37 am

There is nothing medieval about Tamriel. Why do I have to keep repeating this?

Technology wise they are around renaissance-ish. The government structure, the life of the common people, they have a lot of advancements we didnt have until the late 17th century.
Magic wise they are highly advanced and if one were to translate that to technological ability we are talking serious science fiction. But it is magic.

I'm well aware that Tamriel isn't medieval-Earth. I actually feel like I have to tell people that all the time. But TES is in that style. It's sword-and-shield and heavy-armor combat combined with magic. It's in that category. My point still stands.
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Taylrea Teodor
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 7:51 am

Actually in real life we had the dark ages following the fall of the Roman empire. Our technological development came to a complete stop that lasted more than 800 years. I imagine Tamriel is in a similar dark age, and you can't forget the looming dragon threat.



indeed

and you should see the Monolith ruins in my town, I do still think we DEVOLVED technologically and biologically for some unknown reason, since there is no way in hell we can build or even move stuff like it now a days.

(check it out on the net, just type Baalbeck monolith stones or biggest ancient ruin ON EARTH)

and besides in ES they have magic which is a HUGE factor in their cultural development.
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Eilidh Brian
 
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Post » Wed May 18, 2011 10:53 pm

I'm sure I'll be branded as a complete [censored] for suggesting such a thing but I'd like to see smoke bombs and other rogueish tools implemented. Not guns, though.
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Glu Glu
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 7:28 am

I see what you're saying, I just don't think many High Fantasy settings have really sat down and considered what can be done practically with that amount of magic. I'll give you some examples using just what we know from TES magic.

- We know Netch are farmed already, so why aren't the Dunmer breeding them for construction of air-ships?
- Why isn't Enchanting industrialized? Especially if even lowly farm animals have souls and can therefore act as a battery?
- Why aren't Fire Atronauchs summoned simply to drive steam engines?
- Where are the large scale Mark/Recall freight transport operations?
- Why aren't there flying steel battleships with rows of constant effect feather/levitate enchantments on their hulls?

I believe these are only a few of the many things that would quickly appear in a high fantasy world. But usually the authors of such worlds are more concerned with "what would the powerful people do with Magic" or "how would Magic affect war" rather than "what would entrepreneurs do with access to that kind of magic"?


Yes, good points.
Of course, reasons can be imagined why those things dont happen.
Magic is still somewhat dangerous and perhaps using a fire atronarch for such a menial task would attract unwanted attention from things higher up the daedra chain?

There is some evidence other races wont use things like Dwemer airships because they view them as 'profane'.
It is very possible that advancement in Tamriel is nothing more than knowledge granted by the gods.
The Dunmer attribute all sorts of things to Boethiah, from architecture to lawmaking.
This may mean that the gods do not like devices such as the Dwemer made, and discourage people from using or developing them.
Maybe the gods have a direct influence on how day to day life is organised, and something like a rat farm for soul traps would be considered profane.

Mark and recall might very well have weight or mass limitations, and distance limitations. We dont know.
We can reasonably say that it cannot be used to transport yourself and a passenger though, as in-lore usage such as the poison song invariably describes it as one person only.

These are all just specualtions though and the real reason probably is that they want a low-tech and magical world.

But postulating why things as they are are logical, I think is a nice way to spend the time :)
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Janeth Valenzuela Castelo
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 6:00 am

I believe the ayleids and dwemer had much better technology.. but when their empires collapsed, most stuff got plundered afterwards.
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Bonnie Clyde
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 8:31 am

I don't want to see technology advance.
I like TES just the way it is, classic fantasy. If I want a setting with more technology I'll play another game.
I suggest you do the same, play another game instead of trying to ruin TES for other people.
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James Hate
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 4:07 am

But postulating why things as they are are logical, I think is a nice way to spend the time :)


Indeed, good sir. On this we agree.
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Steeeph
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 6:50 am

Indeed, good sir. On this we agree.



indeed

I remember the dwemer air ship that crashed when it left Morrowind, because it left the energy field the dwemer created so that they can bend the rules of reality in order to un-create themselves, and return to a state of being where Gods were still being born, and become one with the "creator" sort of.
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Jason White
 
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Post » Thu May 19, 2011 5:45 am

Actually in real life we had the dark ages following the fall of the Roman empire. Our technological development came to a complete stop that lasted more than 800 years. I imagine Tamriel is in a similar dark age, and you can't forget the looming dragon threat.


...

Really?

So all of the progress in the Middle East never occurred? The Far East? The progress that some monastic societies made didn't exist?

Yes, much of Europe was in turmoil and the standard of living decreased for them. But that's far far far from the entire world.
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Emmanuel Morales
 
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