Originally Posted by Kromm

That's exactly what I was aiming for. Artificers aren't really supposed to revolutionize the setting's technology or retire on earnings from patents. I hinted that there are people like this in town but that the artificer PC differs from these in that he revels in solving problems on the fly instead of inventing the big stuff. It's the "wizard vs. enchanter" distinction all over again, but in the context of technology rather than magic. Put another way, artificers are MacGyver, not Captain Nemo.