Its been a while since I've read the Loveletter, and I'm too lazy to right now, but I've been bothered by the setting. From what I remember and have gathered from my rather quick and less than thorough look over the letter, the setting (I believe 5E911) seemed "futuristic". Is this correct?

well, being that it is set in the future it is "futuristic" by default

there are mentions of typical "futuristic" things, such as space ships, in both the loveletter and other sources though. however, i doubt its your traditional sci-fi looking place really. in my mind it looks sort of like the future earth in the first Matrix film, which i suppose is sort of accurate (underground living, sandstorms and all).

I just find it odd that they stayed at the level of medieval technology for thousands and thousands of years, and then, in (I'm guessing) a few thousand years shot up, past our level, to a cyberpunk (again guessing) form of technology.

There is technology and techonological advancement, but it does not progress and retrogress according to our skewed perspective of "progress" since that expecation comes entirely from the last two hundred years of Western European history.
Actually, I would shout that at the top of my lungs if it didn't require retyping it in caps.

Given that they went back in time to give the letter, I would suspect that the same technology was used to bring Pelinal back in time as well.

I don't think we can fault it. Advances occur as fast as is pressured.

And we don't know what pressures the 4th era brings. Well, this hints somewhat at it, but I certainly don't know what it is, nor do I want to hazard a guess.

And as much as I despise using real life comparables, we are already getting ready to start thinkign about virtual reality. When 100 years ago, a personal transportation device, was the same as it had been for longer than 2000 years, a horse. What I mean is your distorted view of advancement isn't accurate on Nirn.

As as LN said, I don't think it will be your typical Sci Fi setting. It sounds shockingly similar to Chronicles of Riddike.

We really don't know how long the 4th age is going to be. It may be thousands of years long. Maybe they just discovered Sotha Sil's workshop, which already is futuristic. It's not like the peoples of NIRN don't already have some futuristic things. The Dwemer had plenty of stuff we would consider futuristic, and all it would take is some enterprising person to start building off of it again (like Sotha Sil did, or Davyth Fyr, Baladas and Master Aryon are doing). TES already has spaceships and space stations. And most of the advancements that you are talking about took only a couple hundred years for us. If you look at a line chart on how many inventions we've had, it was pretty much nothing till the industrial revolution, where things shot up. 400 years ago, most people were still living in medieval conditions. And TES does already have gunpowder, so they aren't so far behind us in terms of advancement.

And they're discovering how to repair and even build Dwemer Animunculi. And with all the Dwemer blueprints and schematics that are being discovered, and the Orrery repaired, their technologies may make a return in Tamriel.

If only.

Well, I think that's true somewhat. But I know what you mean, I also was wondering whether to re-write that.

Why did Redguards start building ships? Because they were tsunamified. Why did they build canons? Because they don't like magic and there were pirates.... Now they are pretty much the leaders of that trade in Tamriel.

Pressures give you advancement. Admittedly to an extent, and I do agree with your skepticism.

"Right this way prisoner... TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW!!!"

Welcome to the world of tomorrow !

Other than that TES already has lots of Steam-punk themes inside it, i'f it wasn't the gods hate tech ... Dwemer are quit Steam Punkie if you ask me ...

You see, I would say that multiple attempts by gods at destroying the world would be considered "pressure".


I would believe both instances to be magic, its still a Fantasy game.

Steampunk is Victorian, and the only thing in ES I can think of as Victorian is Oblivion's horrifying Middle Class Heroes.
Or maybe I'm just thinking of Alessia Ottus.

TES already is "futuristic." There's already spaceships and robots and cannons and so forth. Yet it's subtle and well-integrated. I don't see that changing and that doesn't worry me.

Actually, I think the cannons were just in the jokebook, not in-game, which does my heart good. Naval cannon would NOT be an example of 'well-integrated.' So I can just think of Sentinel's cannons the same way I think of Dagon's wasabi.

Really? I swear I remember Shades saying they were in-game somewhere in Daggerfall.

Really? I swear I remember Shades saying they weren't in-game anywhere in Daggerfall.

Aw, shucks.

:ahhh:

I hope there's a fight.

The "tech" in Tes is almost exclusively "magic" dependant. And "magic" is divine.

I realize there is technology in TES, and believe its well integrated, as much of it is co dependant on magic. What worries me is if it becomes more "cyberpunk"; where technology is much more defined and separate from magic. If Bethesda decides to make a post landfall in a cyberpunk setting, I will be disappointed. I would much rather see a plot involving landfall being prevented.

I have no problems with cyberpunk, but its not the Elder Scrolls.

Er.

Firstly, medieval is more a cultural classification than a technological one. I'm not sure what makes you think they stayed at the same level of technology for thousands of years, or how you can judge the length of the fourth era, but technologies have been both lost and gained, some civilisations of antiquity having sprung up already advanced, which reduces the need to pioneer new things. See, for example, the Dwemer. Still, Tamriel seems to have gotten the printing press, new types of armour have been created by the Dunmer and magic has alway been considered a sort of science, and that isn't going to change any time soon.

Secondly, cyberpunk isn't a form of technology, it's a sci fi genre and an aesthetic associated with anti-heroes running through heavily urbanised futuristic dystopias. And yes, it would be silly for a shaking sugar-cat to be hacking a computer to get his next fix, so that ain't going to happen.

I'm aware that the term "medieval" is more of a cultural term, however during that time there were swords, as there are in TES. I know about the Dwemer, but the throughout history most of the major civilizations have maintained a similar level of technology. There have been some steampunk machines infused with magic occasionally.

As for cyberpunk, I'm also aware that it is not a technology level. I was referring to the mix of magic and scifi (shadowrun .etc) and the rather bleak setting.

"Past" and "future" may be irrelevant soon, if nonlinear time returns. Jubal-lun-Sul may have found time "travel" an easy accomplishment should the Dragon return as Free Serpent.

___TWM

Yes, but I imagine non linear time would be difficult to pull off in a game.