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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Switchblade" data-source="post: 3983378" data-attributes="member: 56246">Nitpicking a little but Ars Magica doesn't do that exactly (Uh, I am an edition behind mind as everyone down this way took one look at 5th ed and ditched it in favour of 4th)  It states what is possible within the current boundaries of Hermetic Theory.  This does not neccisarily apply to other types of magic and can be broken by the Original Research rules from the Wizards Grimouire as it is magial theory rather than law.Ultimately it all comes down to what makes a good game and what the players want but I can see no reason why magic and "science" (read technology) should be mutually exclusive.  Sure, the lightbulb and gas lamp may not get anything other than curiosity value when for 25gp a continual light can be cast but generally magic would not impact too closely on peoples lives to prevent people seeking innovation to make their lives easier.  Magic isn't going to replace the three field system, replace the horse collar and plough.  People are still going to boil water and ships are going to need bilge pumps so there is no reason magic would stop the invention of the railway.  Magic isn't likely to provide a cheaper mass transport alternative so that could quite easily develop without magic undully influencing it.  Mills and factories aren't going to be useless even if some bloke can cast a fireball.  I quite like the idea of mages illegally downloading the latest spell onto their laptop to avoid paying royalties and a seer using a computer model of the planets to predict the future for an insurance company or steam engines that use wonderous items of "heat metal" to put into the water (i.e magic fuel rods) to power trains and power stations rather than coal.  Cheaper and cleaner in the long run.There are so many possibilities, it seems a shame to deny them when there is so much fun to be had crafting such a world and working out how they would impact on each other.</blockquote>

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