11-11-2016, 12:55 PM | #31 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Roads Not Taken
Quote:
Transgenic crops are mostly out without modern microscopic tech. But there are mutagens and methods of forcing hybridization with chemicals that wouldn't otherwise cross. That is how triticale is forced to reproduce.
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11-11-2016, 01:04 PM | #32 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Re: Roads Not Taken
Certainly, a very low-TL medical tech timeline that's otherwise TL 8 would be weird, and like I said, probably fatalistic. "Yes, we know there's little specks that grow in wounds and make people die, but what's a human life compared to the efficient running of an server farm or a sufficiently high-velocity NTR?"
Here's a different one: Gunpowder could conceivably be developed somewhat earlier. Lacking the needed metallurgy, grenades and rockets would be the other option. |
11-11-2016, 01:06 PM | #33 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: Roads Not Taken
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11-11-2016, 02:05 PM | #34 | |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: Roads Not Taken
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11-11-2016, 03:49 PM | #35 |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
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Re: Roads Not Taken
Another favourite of mine to do with gunpowder weapons is the Whitworth rifle. It was rejected by a committee that could have selected it for standard issue to the British army. It later saw service as a "sniper" rifle of sorts and arguably could have changed some aspects of british colonialism.
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11-11-2016, 04:01 PM | #36 |
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: Roads Not Taken
It apparently cost about four times as much as the then standard rifle. It's kind of hard to get a weapon like that adopted as standard.
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11-11-2016, 04:02 PM | #37 |
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Re: Roads Not Taken
Taking away nitrate based explosives could be interesting. You would probably eventually get compressed air guns, fuel air explosives and steam cannon, but you would prolong late medieval warfare for a while, and keep swords a relevant backup weapon for a long time.Could give you some nice airships and crossbows adventures.
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11-11-2016, 04:13 PM | #38 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Roads Not Taken
Difficult to do at any time past the agricultural revolution; if you've got fertilizer, you've got nitrates (fertilizer factories are in the category of 'things that blow up spontaneously every so often').
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11-11-2016, 04:18 PM | #39 |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
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Re: Roads Not Taken
True, but the quoted reason for not choosing it was it didn't fire a large enough bullet. (From memory)
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Waiting for inspiration to strike...... And spending too much time thinking about farming for RPGs Contributor to Citadel at Nordvörn |
11-11-2016, 04:20 PM | #40 | |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Roads Not Taken
Quote:
That's what made dynamite such a wonderful invention.
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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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divergent technology, technology |
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