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Old 04-16-2021, 01:58 AM   #33
Michele
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Udine, Italy
Default Re: Create Food and it's effect on infrastructure

Quote:
Originally Posted by ravenfish View Post
The mention of wars and soldiers raises another question. Historically, wars were generally fought ultimately to gain resources. If resources are effectively unlimited, is there any impetus for the development of a warrior class? Of course, if, as mentioned, there are dangerous inhuman enemies, a warrior class might develop to fight them, and they might then fight their counterparts in other groups to avenge insults or just prove their strength. In such a case, I see warfare as being highly ritualized, with the goal being the demonstration of superiority rather than the inflicting of casualties.
As mentioned above, war may be about human resources. Women. Slaves. Human sacrifices to your divinity. Yes, these wars may be ritualized, but they may still be bloody (think flower wars).

Once that sets the war ball rolling, it remains to be seen if Create Food also starts a boom in further magical reasearch, which means an overall post-scarcity economy. If it does, there's no need to make war for gold, iron, timber, wool, coal and oil. Because you'll be producing those magically, or have magical heating, transportation etc.
But if you only have magical food, well... you'll still want those other resources, and if your population grows explosively because there's no food shortage ever, you will soon deplete your own forest of timber, or exhaust your gold mine. At that point, you'll look around, and maybe your neighbor still has some forests or mines...
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Michele Armellini
GURPS Locations: St. George's Cathedral

Last edited by Michele; 04-16-2021 at 02:01 AM.
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