Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-15888551-20130819093722/@comment-75.89.17.81-20161217005502

A huge concession of the fantasy genre as a whole is the concept of Mideval Stasis, for some reason or another technology doesn't advance. So as players it's kind of on us to question why that happens. I don't think it's as simple as "oh we have magic we don't need technology" sure that covers *some* technology but even in game renders some of the biggest explanations moot: "Why make guns if you have fireballs?" is often a go to and I'd point out that clearly wizards aren't that powerful and have limits otherwise there wouldn't be any other soldiery, wizards have limits. But I'd argue this is the wrong place to be looking, the industrial revolution in our world was fueled by much more mundane innovations that aren't even remotely covered by magic in TES, so I have one basic question: Where in the Elder Scrolls have you seen a printing press? Now I know the textiles industry moreso than printing but the point still stands, why aren't there technologies to improve basic life that magic doesn't cover. So naturally there's not really anything solidily said in game about this phenomenom of the genre so my advice would be, pick someone who wouldn't want mortals to have the means of ripid quality of life improvment, power and influence; got one in mind? Good! They're responsible for the lack of technology. Granted Dwemer play with this a little, they did devolop steam technology and fused it with that most mysterious of fantasy technologies, magitech, but they were way ahead of everyone else and not good at sharing.