01-04-2017, 08:38 AM | #21 | |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
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But yes, TL3 is probably sufficient for moveable type.
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01-04-2017, 08:44 AM | #22 | |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
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Showing an earlier culture at TL3 when some later cultures were still TL2 would also be a good first step in getting rid of that pesky assumption of history as an inevitable progression to our inimitable selves, which often seems hard-coded into many people's view of the world.
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01-04-2017, 11:20 AM | #23 | ||
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Central Europe
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
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One cool thing is that this project is still ongoing! It has won many battles over the past 300 years, but there are still trade secrets and very expensive books and datasets and long copyright terms. Arguments about "security through obscurity" and how to distribute academic research are just the latest skirmishes. Quote:
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"It is easier to banish a habit of thought than a piece of knowledge." H. Beam Piper This forum got less aggravating when I started using the ignore feature Last edited by Polydamas; 01-04-2017 at 11:44 AM. |
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01-04-2017, 01:54 PM | #24 |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
Sean's right: the printing press had almost nothing at all to do with the spread of technology between cultures.
Anthony's right: the Romans could not have developed a Gutenberg-style printing press (movable type made from lead won't work). The best they could have done is wood-block printing.
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Compact Castles gives the gamer an instant portfolio of genuine, real-world castle floorplans to use in any historical, low-tech, or fantasy game setting. Last edited by DanHoward; 01-04-2017 at 02:01 PM. |
01-04-2017, 02:32 PM | #25 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Austin, TX
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
Were the Romans incapable of reproducing the lead-tin-antinomy alloy used to make Gutenberg's type? They clearly had access to all three metals in some form, but apparently not metallic antimony. But Gutenberg didn't have access to metallic antimony, either, so I'm not sure why that's a limitation.
Gutenberg also had to re-engineer the hand press to apply pressure more consistently across the entire press. I'm not sure if that modification was beyond Roman engineering or just something they hadn't need to do because it's an unnecessary frill when you're pressing olives.
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01-04-2017, 02:36 PM | #26 |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
I thought that another often overlooked necessity to the printing press was the invention of the right inks.
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01-04-2017, 03:08 PM | #27 | |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
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Compact Castles gives the gamer an instant portfolio of genuine, real-world castle floorplans to use in any historical, low-tech, or fantasy game setting. Last edited by DanHoward; 01-04-2017 at 03:12 PM. |
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01-04-2017, 05:23 PM | #28 | |||
On Notice
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
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Technologically the Roman could have developed the printing press. The precursor skills were there but the incentive to put them together wasn't Slaves that were able to read and write were rare though exactly how much of the Roman population free and slave was literate is debated (I have seen it as low as 5% and as high as 30%). Also Mechanization (of a sort) existing in Roman times with water power being the go to. Thanks to the cam water power could pound objects faster and harder then any human being. Quote:
One of the things medieval monasteries did was copy what survived the Western Roman empire going down the tubes. In fantasy terms we are talking about normal to high sanctuary with many monks having Blessed or even better Power Investiture making the Copy spell a very common spell. Last edited by maximara; 01-04-2017 at 06:12 PM. |
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01-04-2017, 07:17 PM | #29 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
Even today one of the reasons that places like Silicon Valley exist is because it is easier to hire skilled workers in a narrow specialty to get the rest of your workers up to speed on it. So you setup shop near others in the field.
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01-05-2017, 03:17 PM | #30 |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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Re: Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding
That is a novel, not a historical document. Realistically he couldn't have done this without Gutenberg's rather specialised knowledge and skillset.
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Compact Castles gives the gamer an instant portfolio of genuine, real-world castle floorplans to use in any historical, low-tech, or fantasy game setting. |
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armor, fantasy, low-tech, opinions, worldbuilding |
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