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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nyeshet" data-source="post: 3112010" data-attributes="member: 18363">I observed a while back that there is an almost exponential increase in technology. By around 1998-1999 we get to less than a year per 'age', but obviously that hasn't happened. Our advances are now limited by the speed we can 1) understand what we discover, 2) make use of what we understand to make more advanced tech, and 3) make use of new / advanced tech to learn / discover more. And the cycle repeats. Our advancement rate is now limited by the limitations of being human, it seems. 1993 ~birth of the Internet / Info Age1987 ??1975 Computer Age1950 Nuclear Age1900 Electric Age1800 Steam Age1600 Age of Discovery / Exploration (late Renaissance, Reformation)1200 High Middle Ages (~1300-1350, the Proto-Renaissance)400 (start of the Dark Age ~350-400, so perhaps from 400-1200 should be ignored in favor of 800 years prior to 400, as little advancement occurred between ~350 / 400 to ~1000 / 1050.)-400 (?? Late Hellenic / Early Roman period, Late Iron Age, steam toy and simple bronze clock-works in Greece around this time)-2000 Iron Age (~1900, Hittites, is generally viewed as the source of western Iron Age, although Iron was not commonly in use until ~1200 (Trojan War period), later in N.Europe)-5200 Bronze Age (farming, first cities, etc, bronze usage rare until ~3000 as I recall)-11800 first use of Copper, as I recall, is found around -10k, some agriculture already long in practice, sometimes referred to as the 'early bronze age' although bronze was quite rare for several thousand more years. -24400 (There was a cultural / technological explosion of sorts ~30,000 bc. Some believe that a new gene mutation involving brain development may have been responsible, as one has been shown to have occurred in humans sometime between -20k and -50k.)It is a bit of a stretch, I realize, but then I was not expecting a perfect matchup. Merely enough to suggest that a pattern might exist. In any case, as some have already stated, Faerun is on the edge of a Renaissace. They are developing new technologies (on Lantan), new spells (nearly everywhere), vast trade systems, and more and vaster social organizations / kingdoms / empires. They are beginning to explore their world - discovering and likely soon to start regular trade with (or colonization of) KaraTur and Zaakhara - and those Mesoamerican-style sub-continents / isles, if I recall correctly. There is even an entire unexplored continent on the far side of the world, waiting to be explored, colonized, etc. Only their various wars and their deities might slow down their advancement - which, to be honest, seem to have notably slowed them down anyway, as has their reliance on magic rather than learning to wield non-magical techniques. Unless a massive conflict - the type leading to a Dark Age - occurs in the next century, the up coming 2-4 centuries are likely to be very busy, very productive, and result in a very different Faerun. It would be like comparing 13th century Europe to 17th century Europe. I expect the rise of a new Nether, actually, floating cities and all, by the year 1800 in Faerun, if not sooner (maybe 1700).</blockquote>

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