Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-15888551-20130819093722/@comment-24999978-20140705153057

The point is, magic is Tamriel's replacement for technology. Rather than having top engineers, physicists etc, the role is facilitated by mages who have a deep understanding of the mechanics of the Aurbis. Some would find more technology useful, but there are less people who are willing and able to create them. Neccessity is the mother of invention, and there are already alternative uses in the form of magic, so there is not such a pressing need to create the mentioned technology, as the individual is still able to learn magic (even if they choose not to). Part of the reason, I would think, you would so appreciate a feature is because of your familiarity of it in the real world, but from a Tamrielic perspective, there is far less reason to attempt to make it more like our world. Things work differently in fantasy lands, and we do not need to make them more like real life when they function perfectly well how they are.