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Post by dmsam on Apr 11, 2016 21:19:42 GMT
I like the whole discussion about age of the characters. I have often wondered what longevity does not only per character, but entire cultures as well. Humans are known for their great ambition in most fantasy settings, but their relatively short lifespans and self-destructive behavior limit their cultural advancement. Elves on the other hand live for 750 years, yet their culture never truly advances in any meaningful way (Glamdring, Orcrist and Sting are better than any "modern" elven sword in LOTR. Then you have gnomes, which should take over the world based on their advance technology/magic and longevity, but somehow don't.
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Post by DM Windhover on Apr 12, 2016 19:44:54 GMT
In Middle Earth there's an easy answer. Technological advance happens when societies have problems they need to solve. If a society has reached a kind of perfect harmony with its environment, then it naturally won't advance technologically. That's what we see with Tolkien's elves. They live in perfect harmony with nature, rather than attempting to bend nature to their will.
Whether that'd happen in the real world or not, eh. But that's the reasoning behind it. The elves actually represent a medieval pre-Cartesian view, in which science and knowledge of the world should be pursued for the sake of contemplation rather than control. Hobbits represent pragmatic relationship in which "man" works to use nature without abusing it. The forces of evil represent exploitative forces which abuse nature for their own selfish purposes, not caring that they destroy it in the process (think about how Mordor is stripped of resources to become a barren wasteland). And Tolkien would hate me for making 1:1 comparisons like that, given his annoyance with direct allegory, but it's pretty much there in the texts.
(And I'd take issue with the assumption that the swords found by the adventurers of the Hobbit were obviously better than "modern" elvish weapons. The elves of Rivendell are able to reforge Narsil into Anduril, after all, so we don't know that for sure.)
Long and short of it, I think, is that a culture's philosophies will determine its development at least as much as if not more than its mere longevity. A culture which believes happiness is found in the acceptance of one's own mortal limitations will never desperately pursue improvements in medicine to extend the lives of its people. A culture which believes happiness is found in peace will not develop significant military technology. A culture which believes happiness is found in bending oneself to nature rather than bending nature to oneself will never develop much of what we think of as "advanced technology" at all.
So if gnomes don't come out and conquer everyone with their superior technology in your homebrew setting, decide why that is. What philosophy or philosophies deter them from that path?
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