> (Probably being one of the fans you refer to here, I must say
> when it comes to the 5A that the opposite happened to me:
> I initially liked the concept, but the grew to dislike it.)
Yes, I remember. Consequently no, you were not one of the fans I was
referring to previously.
In general, most of my examples would not be so sweeping as "the 5th
Age" or "the Chaos War". The setting and plot elements I'm thinking of
would be smaller in scope: for instance, the afflicted kender or, as a
much older example, the Silvanesti-Qualinesti devisiveness.
> The only real successful "mix" I can think of is Star Wars,
> which has some fantasy elements in an otherwise science fiction
> setting, using features from both traditions in a new way making it a
> truly compelling setting.
I agree that Star Wars represents a good example of "fantasy
technology", though it is one set in a "futuristic" setting rather then
a "pseudo-medieval/renaissance" one.
> With such an enormous change and development in the age we live
> in, we too often expect fantasy settings to develop as quickly and
> fundamentally as our world, particularly if technology is introduced.
And that hits upon the very misconception that I was referring to
earlier. The idea that everyone gets into their heads whenever they
hear the world "technology" (it happens with science too....and for
that matter, religion), they think of the real world. And yes, they
rather dogmatically think that the only way technology or science could
exist is how it exists in the real world. And that's just not the case
at all. Take Star Wars for example. The lightsaber has been shown to
be a technological and scientific impossibility, according to our real
world standards. And yet we can accept it as part of an entertaining
setting filled with many more such examples. Therefore it is possible
to get past the "dogma" of the real world as it relates to technology;
you just have to have world-builders creative enough (and brave enough)
to do it in a smart, well-thought-out, and "non-artificial" manner.
You are right about the gnomoi of Taladas examples, but your also right
because those developments are interesting and entertaining...and are
not all all possible according to any real world standards for either
science or technological development (trying to actually design a ****p
that could traverse the lava seas, even with completely modern, high
tech materials, is nearly an engineering impossibility...and yet we can
accept it for the reasons you stated. That's an insight that can be
applied far, far more wildly then it is. And I think settings (as well
as openmindedness) would benefit from it. We know that fantasy fans
can accept these things (they accept that half-elves can exist, after
all...); it's something that needs to be better developed. And I do
think it will give gamers a lot more flexibility in making their own
stamps on the setting in individual RPGS....as well as make playing
gnomes...yes even the inept ones....much more interesting.
The mistake is not to let the real world dictate the only rules that
are possible.
Frank the Wanderer
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