Do you think there's any chance we'll see any technological advancements in the ES world? Well, maybe not something as drastic as the Industrial Revolution in real life, but after so many centuries some non-magic users are bound to invent something that would make life a little easier right?

Or if we wanna go for the drastic change route, perhaps someone could stumble across a huge cache of undamaged Dwemer blueprints in a long forgotten city? Thus, Nirn goes through its own tech revolution (I know that's almost a blatant rip-off from Mass effect, but still...)

What do you think should happen to the ES universe in terms of tech advancement?

We found plenty of Dwemer schematics in Morrowind. The Dwemer machinery still works and everything. The other races just can't make heads or tails of it, and thus it remains unused. Also, technology has been pretty stagnant since the beginning of time. There's been very little technological improvements.

That's because the Elder Scrolls is medieval-style fantasy game with armor and swords and wizards and trolls and goblins. If you bring too much technology in then it stops being that and starts being something else. Too much technology would ruin the series for a lot of people. It's two completely different styles.

Also, I'm sure they could come up with a lore-related reason as to why technology pretty much never moves in any expected direction.


The leap between Oblivion and Skyrim is the largest we've seen. Between Arena and Oblivion, it's only been approximately 50 years.

Many will tell you the use of magicka nullifies the need for technology, though I strongly disagree with that. Basically the reason is exactly what Velorien said. The style of the game is what makes for the lack of development, though their not completely devoid of advancement. Ship design is relatively advanced for the general setting, they also have printing press's plus steam powered robotics (from the dwnemer) and depending on your interpretation of an ingame scene in Redguard plus an obscure text from Daggerfell the possibility for gunpowder is there though untapped.

As for timeleap, from Oblivion to Skyrim is further by far than any other we've scene.