D&D General Technology in D&D, the IRL Timeline, and Pausing It.

[HammerMan]

So, much like calling a species “more evolved” than another, calling a society “more advanced” than another assumes a proper trajectory which societies have some natural inclination to follow. Furthermore, it treats Western Europe as the blueprint for that proper trajectory. There are many reasons that a very ancient society might lack any given technology and many reasons that a very young society might possess any given technology.

maybe if you get into close things (This knife vs that knife, a bow vs a sling) but I mean we can very easily give levels of technology levels...

having a computer, smartphone and internet is more advanced then any bronze age technology.

if (and I do) you believe the Turk was an ancient computer and that Egypt could harness some form of electricity that SOUNDS like they are close to a computer. But really they are close to what a 18th or 19th century computer could look like (yes in BC and even then there is no evidence that it was ever put together) You still hit the problem that in 1998 the not smart phone I carried and the digital calculator watch I wore both had more computing power then my uncle had access to when he worked on Apollo missions.
(My uncle died before I got my first iphone. I often wonder what he would say about TODAY's smart phones when he used to talk with such joy and awe about any cell phone and big bulky laptops)

there isn't a single through line, infact our line double back on itself many times... but yes technology advances.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

if (and I do) you believe the Turk was an ancient computer

It was a hoax. It has been known for a long time that it was human operated and certainly there is absolutely no reason to assume that 18th century tech could come even close creating an actual chess computer.

 

[Micah Sweet]

This is of course another thing to consider. Would any societies ever become institutionalized in a world where create or destroy water existed? History suggests probably not, or at least not in the same way. Though a possible alternative might be that such magic is the product of institutionalization. A technology developed by the wizards in their magical academies.

I think there's a perhaps erroneous assumption here that, because these spells exist, they are easily accessible to society. Magic in most D&D worlds requires either significant study or random chance of fantasy genetics for even relatively simple stuff. Neither case implies widespread use.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Everything from several sentient species coming at various times plus magic and literal god interventions, tech may be oddly distributed.

Then you get into worlds like Dragonlance where the Gods simply prevent tech from advancing (gunpowder just doesn’t work) or required to be very overly elaborate to be almost useless (that steam powered cart is 3X the size you would think it needs to be). Especially when magic can do the same thing easier.

Same with medical science. A level 1 cleric can fix almost any Ill like 3X a day.

But overall, magic is what comes into play. How quickly/slowly does tech advance when magic can do it for you?

Personally, I think tech would keep advancing just slower. That in unless, like in Dragonlance (or Hollow World etc) the Gods simply prevent certain sciences and tech from working.

I believe you're thinking of Greyhawk in regards to gunpowder not working. Don't recall anything of the sort even being mentioned on Krynn.

Incidentally, that Grey hawk moratorium was and is one of the sillier bits of D&D lore to my mind.

 

[HammerMan]

It was a hoax. It has been known for a long time that it was human operated and certainly there is absolutely no reason to assume that 18th century tech could come even close creating an actual chess computer.

that 'hoax' is highly debatable. there is no reason a mechanical computer "if this then that" but with gears could not be made

 

[Crimson Longinus]

that 'hoax' is highly debatable. there is no reason a mechanical computer "if this then that" but with gears could not be made

To put this kindly, you’re wrong. There is no reasonable doubt about the matter whatsoever. It is ‘debatable’ only in a sense that “maybe aliens build the pyramids” is debatable. (They didn’t.) It was already widely understood in the 19th century that it was a hoax, merely the exact working of the machine (I.E. how the hidden person operated the machine) was not known.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I believe you're thinking of Greyhawk in regards to gunpowder not working. Don't recall anything of the sort even being mentioned on Krynn.

Incidentally, that Grey hawk moratorium was and is one of the sillier bits of D&D lore to my mind.

I may be wrong about the gunpowder but Im fairly sure the Krynn Gods prevent science from working to far. Something like certain metals don't conduct electricity like they do in RL etc.

 

[HammerMan]

To put this kindly, you’re wrong. There is no reasonable doubt about the matter whatsoever. It is ‘debatable’ only in a sense that “maybe aliens build the pyramids” is debatable. (They didn’t.) It was already widely understood in the 19th century that it was a hoax, merely the exact working of the machine (I.E. how the hidden person operated the machine) was not known.

ironically you "aliens built the pyramids" has the same energy as "it had to be a hoax" both discount what someone can do when they put there mind to it.

could aliens have come down and done some things... sure I can't disprove it, but most likely not. We have machines that can compute astral body movements perfectly that predate the turk. We have modern engineers that can duplicate the turk. so could it be a hoax, yes it could. is it a proven fact it is, no no it isn't.

 

[éxypnos]

Is there anything to looking at the other races and their lifespans. steel,

Why would he spend 500 years working on something he didn't know could exist? Hardly likely at all. Especially since strong non-rusting metals already exist. Like Mithral. Or, FAR more likely he spends 2 years working on a rust preventative spell.

 

[aco175]

Why would he spend 500 years working on something he didn't know could exist? Hardly likely at all. Especially since strong non-rusting metals already exist. Like Mithral. Or, FAR more likely he spends 2 years working on a rust preventative spell.

You missed my point. It is the idea, rather than my example, of a long-lived race creating something and then being stuck since it was just invented one generation ago. That generation to an elf or dwarf, or dragon for that matter, could be 10 human generations. The question is if humans are quicker to build upon the knowledge of ancestors faster than the longer lived races.

This may lead to help explaining why the OP is questioning the pace of change and technology.