[Mkguild] Fwd: On stempunk

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

Good points! Automatons are a rare item. The big stumbling point is organization. One reason ther Roman empire could build such massive buildings and projects was the centralized government that could muster the resources needed.

Chris
The Lurking Fox

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rimme the Weasel <ontherimme at gmail.com>
To: mkguild <mkguild at lists.integral.org>
Sent: Sat, Nov 25, 2017 5:04 pm
Subject: [Mkguild] Fwd:  On stempunk




I've never seen MK as steampunk -- nothing is steam-powered, and searching for "steam engine" turns up nothing. The closest would be automaton magic, but as the name implies, Madog and other automatons are powered by magic, not steam (or combustion engines in general). There is a trope called Magitek that applies here, where mana and magic are substituted as energy sources to mimic technology.


I think the major point of distinction is economic scale. Metamor Keep still follows a medieval economy, where ruling power is very decentralized, often with several overlapping jurisdictions and local lords vying for power, while the world itself is a dangerous place. Lutin invasions are still real threats to caravans. Secret magic societies frequently destabilize local governments. There are the occasional plagues that wipe out families and, presumably, entire villages. These instabilities prevent mass-scale production of magic-powered goods, and the expansive trade networks that define the mercantilist societies of our RL Renaissance. Medieval Venice is a major exception, precisely because of their structured aristocracy (the Grand Council) and their dominance of Adriatic sea routes over pirates.


Steampunk, meanwhile, is inspired by the Victorian era, which has a strong centralized state, a heavy bureaucracy, a relatively stable legal system, and a huge working-age population. There is enough wealth and knowledge to go around for a well-to-do genius to create their own scientific inventions, mass produce them in giant factories, and embark on grand expeditions in search of more wealth and knowledge, without having to worry about untimely death or destruction.


Not to mention that magic is itself a limited resource -- it primarily exists in three forms: sorcerous, ritualistic, and divine. (http://mkworld.wikidot.com/tech:magic) The only form which can be scaled up is ritualistic, which would still require a scale of education that most medieval states didn't have.


I am not an expert in economics, but to summarize: steampunk may be "creeping in", but it won't alter medieval society any more than talking animal people did.




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