04-21-2018, 11:17 AM | #21 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Quote:
__________________
Collaborative Settings: Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting! |
|
04-21-2018, 11:51 AM | #22 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Quote:
It's mostly hard to assess the technological realism of movies; you can't present the crucial details without a lot of talking heads.
__________________
Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more. |
|
04-21-2018, 12:02 PM | #23 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Quote:
__________________
Collaborative Settings: Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting! |
|
04-21-2018, 12:28 PM | #24 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Thanks for that; just bought it.
__________________
The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques. |
04-21-2018, 12:38 PM | #25 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Quote:
And really I don't get why it's important. |
|
04-21-2018, 01:44 PM | #26 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Quote:
Anachronistic technology isn't superscience.
__________________
I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
|
04-21-2018, 01:59 PM | #27 | ||
On Notice
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Quote:
"We went to the very heart of the vessel, the propulsion unit. It was apparent that Captain Nemo had discovered what mankind has always sought, the veritable dynamic power of the universe. Much later Nemo talks about how that power can lift mankind to the heavens or destroy it heavily implying that it is atomic power. Though it is never said what that power was. In the dimly remambered The Return of Captain Nemo series the Nautilus' power source is clearly identified as a nuclear reactor. On a side note the Turtle makes an appearance as drawing under Advanced Submarine in Steampunk and under Nautilus in Steamtech. This is different from the Nautilus Andrew Campbell and James Ash built in 1886 which was driven by electric motors powered by a storage battery. Quote:
Last edited by maximara; 04-21-2018 at 02:11 PM. |
||
04-21-2018, 02:28 PM | #28 |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
I think there's a very good chance you'll enjoy it. I found it a great pleasure: the technical exposition is good, there's some real depth of character interaction, and above all there's a strong sense of theme in the story. And the prose is quite satisfactory.
__________________
Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more. |
04-21-2018, 02:35 PM | #29 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Quote:
But it's different if you write a story that intends to be exploring the possibilities of current technology, or of a modest improvement in current technology. And that's clearly what Verne was doing. His theme was "real technology can potentially do this amazing stuff, wow!" Consider, for example, that Nelly Bly's career got a big boost from her actually circumnavigating the world in 80 days. Of course, if we know more about technology than Verne did, we can say, "Well, that wouldn't work," and then we can make up a new scientific principle that lets it work. But no such principle was present in Vern'e story. And then we have to choose either NOT to explore the other implications of the principle (if Captain Nemo had atomic power, why didn't he do more with it than build one submarine?) or to explore it and tell a radically different story. Whereas if you just set aside the whole issue and accept that the Nautilus's batteries have the necessary high power output, you can explore Verne's theme and situation.
__________________
Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more. |
|
04-21-2018, 03:05 PM | #30 |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
|
Re: Tech Level Confusion
Interesting that you are defining current to mean current to the period in the story/setting, while most of us define it as the literal present.
__________________
Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check. |
Tags |
tech level |
|
|