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<blockquote data-quote="GrumpyOldMan" data-source="post: 3478450" data-attributes="member: 16469">I’ve recently been reading a couple of very interesting threads over on the HârnForum on similar topics. What started off as a discussion on locks and lockingng mechanismmse rapidly moved to a general discussion on medieval society and the concept of privacy. The consensus seems to be that, even though it’s a lot more ‘medieval’ than most fantasy rpg’s Hârn is still far removed from medieval reality, especially regarding personal space and privacy.To go through your points.The lack of a cohesive history, with cultures using the same weapons and armour as they did millennia ago is simply down to laziness on the part of the world designer. Hârnic weapons and armour are at, approximately, the ‘post norman’ level. No full plate, and limited plate pieces. But remember that the Romans had chain mail and partial plate, and so did the Normans, and there isn’t much difference in manufacture (though helmet styles changed dramatically). That gives a thousand years of ‘similar’ armour (very broadly speaking). Similarly, medieval folk used to gamble, there are plenty of games of skill and chance to be found. Without relying on poker and blackjack (which require card manufacturing technology). Why not use skittles, darts, nine mens morris or draughts (that last is ‘checkers’ to the yanks I believe).On Hârn, gunpowder does not explode, but magic works. Unlike here, where, unfortunately, the opposite is true. That’s an easy solution to the guns &amp; fireworks issue.There is an alternative to ‘grunt labour’ available for certain tasks. Hauling things requires a man, or an animal to do the work, but milling, fulling and crushing can be done by mills.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="GrumpyOldMan, post: 3478450, member: 16469"] I’ve recently been reading a couple of very interesting threads over on the HârnForum on similar topics. What started off as a discussion on locks and lockingng mechanismmse rapidly moved to a general discussion on medieval society and the concept of privacy. The consensus seems to be that, even though it’s a lot more ‘medieval’ than most fantasy rpg’s Hârn is still far removed from medieval reality, especially regarding personal space and privacy. To go through your points. The lack of a cohesive history, with cultures using the same weapons and armour as they did millennia ago is simply down to laziness on the part of the world designer. Hârnic weapons and armour are at, approximately, the ‘post norman’ level. No full plate, and limited plate pieces. But remember that the Romans had chain mail and partial plate, and so did the Normans, and there isn’t much difference in manufacture (though helmet styles changed dramatically). That gives a thousand years of ‘similar’ armour (very broadly speaking). Similarly, medieval folk used to gamble, there are plenty of games of skill and chance to be found. Without relying on poker and blackjack (which require card manufacturing technology). Why not use skittles, darts, nine mens morris or draughts (that last is ‘checkers’ to the yanks I believe). On Hârn, gunpowder does not explode, but magic works. Unlike here, where, unfortunately, the opposite is true. That’s an easy solution to the guns & fireworks issue. There is an alternative to ‘grunt labour’ available for certain tasks. Hauling things requires a man, or an animal to do the work, but milling, fulling and crushing can be done by mills. [/QUOTE]

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