While the Elder Scrolls is fantasy, so tech stagnation is to a certain point a part of the setting, am I the only one surprised at the tech stagnation TES experiences?
It's been two centuries since Oblivion and technology seems stuck in the same place. Everyone's still clobbering each other with blades, maces and axes, deflecting blows with metal or leather armors, the spells differ in marginal ways. There's no sign that anyone's developing any kind of technology, much less adapting old ones. Skyrim designs are very similar to those in Morrowind and Oblivion or even worse in certain aspects.
Anyone else bothered by this?
No, this question comes up every now and then and there are many possible explanations for it. It could be fear for the technology the Dwemer had and the faith they suffered. It could be financial, why invest in technology when magic can do the same and cheaper? It could be control, why would the elite invest in technology where everybody could have it instead of magic which is an enemy they know and already somewhat control? It could just be that because it isn't necessary nobody has gone looking for it. Perhaps the Daedra stop technology.
But what's also important is that you don't underestimate the technology that exists.
Space ships, ways to travel the moon, travel systems where you can travel hundreds of miles in mere seconds, they are capable of building great and large buildings, they have windmills and can at an astonishing rate produce large amount of medicine. The technology isn't all that bad.