12-27-2015, 03:56 PM | #61 |
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Re: Technological development without fire.
The cook spell takes care of food prep and replaces smoking for food preservation. Essential wood can harden javelin and arrow tips. Various earth/metal spells can replace the need for fire in a forge. Light spells cover fire's second biggest benefit. A simple warming spell would help with fire's biggest benefit. The only thing you lose is the chaotic destruction of an uncontrolled fire (and fatigue points).
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12-27-2015, 05:28 PM | #62 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Re: Technological development without fire.
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What I was saying could not be done is some of the more freakish modifications relying on bombaring seeds with gold nanoparticles laced in genetic cutoffs or crispr-cas9 stuff, getting goats to have spider silk in their milk, golden rice, winter wheat, and other really cool 'full on genetic engineering' stuff. In theory our ancestors could have brought about our current level of selective breeding pretty much anywhere along the line if they just had the understanding of genetics, inheritance, statistics, and measurement we have today (Oh, and if being able to wipe out a whole strain of goats because they are developing features you don't like would not cripple the farm/country- which comes with relative prosperity). |
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12-28-2015, 12:37 AM | #63 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Technological development without fire.
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It's not the concepts of taking this and that from life forms to make this life form do what you want it to that's high tech. It's actually doing it using physical objects and understanding what's changing when you alter them.
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Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check. |
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12-28-2015, 01:22 AM | #64 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Charlotte, North Caroline, United States of America, Earth?
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Re: Technological development without fire.
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I think, however, that at TL7 and TL8 biology you can start theorizing with a much greater certainty about traits and their inheritance, while having much more precise records and knowledge of how the process works. But it's a technology as old as mankind. I know old ladies with greenhouses who have been doing this since before I was born(actually, that's exactly what my great grand mother and her sisters did).
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Hydration is key |
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12-28-2015, 03:38 AM | #65 |
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
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Re: Technological development without fire.
Part of the problem is a failure of imagination. This discussion is thinking of TL0+8 as having some kind of bioengineered roundup ready crop. That's not what alternate tech progression even means., It means having something that has the productivity of TL8.
TL8 biotech crops might flavour themselves according to colour-sensitive enzymes, removing the need for long-distance trade patterns and multiple crop types, thus increasing effective productivity. They might have active antibodies that recognise more types of bugs and bacteria, removing the need for insecticides because they are their own insecticide without needing to be naturally toxic. They might grow in places that conventional crops don't, allowing greater farming density without necessarily having more "fruit" per plant. And so on. Roundup ready is just one interpretation of TL8 biological science. |
12-28-2015, 01:39 PM | #66 |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
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Re: Technological development without fire.
Following the train of thought that the elves will probably breed for a more diverse range of characteristics than we do (productivity, fashion, reduced chemical use, appearance etc)
I can see a longer productive time for fruits and vegetables being a early target i.e. year long food production. Health in all its forms and resistances Altered palatabilty, tastier for elves less so for bug. Labour reduction. Fruits that dry on the tree maybe Magical interaction. Best berries for a X potion. Material production. This could be a big thing with minimal fire use. Complicated grafting procedures and breeding could be used in various material proctor techniques. E.g. take a branch from an elven Lancewood graft it on to an althoith for a year for malliability, cut and shape it, graft it on to a bronzewood for hardening, cut and place in a Kauri bleed to give it a protective coat. Maybe even use biology for more "mining" like procedures lyderian crystals grow on these trees when they are planted over X rich soil. Improved symbiotic relationships with beneficial animals. The sugar aphid thrives on the bark of this beech tree. Pseudo alchemical botany. Mix x with y with a and c etc. Defence. The agavit wasp goes berserk in the presence of safu juice. Power. Dervin vines possess a large amount of elastic energy when wet. Natural paper and inks Quite easy to keep going. Also a good justification for some of the fantastic plants and animals in this fantasy world
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Waiting for inspiration to strike...... And spending too much time thinking about farming for RPGs Contributor to Citadel at Nordvörn Last edited by (E); 12-28-2015 at 01:50 PM. Reason: Spelling |
12-29-2015, 04:06 AM | #67 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Technological development without fire.
John Varley's classic Gaea Trilogy has a wealth of ideas for genetically engineered plants and animals that often mimic traditional tech.
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