Blackpowder elves:just an idea,but please give feedback!!!

kisko · Post by **kisko** » October 12th, 2006, 1:44 am

This is just an idea,but hopefully it will evolve into something more.
Ok,We all know that there are many instances of dwarves(or dwarvish creatures) having better technology.guns,gyrocopters(I've only seen this as an idea,but i have an old version of wesnoth with no internet so i do not know) even robots in some player-made eras.But what if this kind of technology was discovered by elves?I'm picturing...less bulky.
Like long,elegant muskets,davinci-like flying machines(with flapping wings instead of helicopterishness),maybe even clockwork horses. The elves would still wear fancy armor,but blacker,and spikier.It would be an elvish race where the elves took the science route instead of the magic route.
It may seem like it clashes,but picture the tech more victorian,and it will make more sense.
Please give feedback!!!!

halleck · Post by **halleck** » October 12th, 2006, 2:26 am

It sorta makes sense... I dont see anyone stopping you.

Why would thier armor be black and spikey though? Are they emo elves?!

PS: Our last drummer died from choking on another woman's vomit... The one before that spontaneously combusted...

Flametrooper · Post by **Flametrooper** » October 12th, 2006, 2:53 am

Woah - check out his join date and postcount. What a lurker!

Anyways, the idea is...interesting. A different spin on a race, a busting of an old cliche. Turin will hate you for that, but I don't think it's that bad.

Can you do art?

Post by **Noyga** » October 12th, 2006, 12:04 pm

Well some parts of this already exist in some user factions :
- The Dwarves of the Extended era have Gyrocopters, flamethrowers and Wheel vehicules.
- The Clockwork Dwarves have robots and all the faction is based on their more advanced clockwork technology

Feral · Post by **Feral** » October 12th, 2006, 3:23 pm

Interesting idea, but i think elves are a little too magic-oriented. I would suggest a more, um, scientific-ish creture,like dwarves (but that's already been done, of course), so i would suggest gnomes or their ilk. Some short, relatively pathetic creature whose survival as a race largely depends on technology. So they get inventive. But then, that's just my opinion.

Jester · Post by **Jester** » October 12th, 2006, 7:00 pm

Feral wrote:Interesting idea, but i think elves are a little too magic-oriented. I would suggest a more, um, scientific-ish creture,like dwarves (but that's already been done, of course), so i would suggest gnomes or their ilk. Some short, relatively pathetic creature whose survival as a race largely depends on technology. So they get inventive. But then, that's just my opinion.

Who cares about stereotypes! There is nothing more wrong with current fantasy than those them stereotypes! Break away from them (as I'm doing in with project -see sig-). Go for it, make them Clockwork Elves.

Feral · Post by **Feral** » October 12th, 2006, 8:06 pm

Just a note:

That's why i put 'but that's just my opinion'.

Don't get me wrong, i think it's a good idea, but i just personally think elves aren't the best race for such an idea. Or their technology should be magic-based. But still don't get me wrong. It's just MY opinion, and if you wanna ignore it, i don't have a problem with it.

Dragon Master · Post by **Dragon Master** » October 12th, 2006, 8:58 pm

would be cooler if you could find a way to intergrate magic into the elves' technology instead of dwarven tech. I know the stereotype is overused, but elves with machines and such just seems out of place and doesn't sound attractive. I'm surprised Turin hasn't posted here yet (develop as quick as you can

)

Post by **Maeglin Dubh** » October 12th, 2006, 9:14 pm

If you follow the sterotype, they're not the best for it. Obviously. But these are not stereotypical elves, either. That's the -point-.

They will never make it into mainline. Just so you're aware.

Rather than sleek muskets, perhaps cavalry with pistols or carbines.... I would imagine heavy weapons (muskets and cannon) to be the Dwarves' purvey.... Just a thought. More later, if I'm in the mood.

kisko · Post by **kisko** » October 12th, 2006, 11:02 pm

Ok,the blackness was because of soot,we don't need spikes.It was just to show thier,"grittyness" compared to other elves.I would like it too feel magical,but still be tech.very stylised compared to dwarves.
And yes,i kind of am a lurker.I've played the game for years....

Post by **turin** » October 12th, 2006, 11:28 pm

Flametrooper wrote:Woah - check out his join date and postcount. What a lurker!

Anyways, the idea is...interesting. A different spin on a race, a busting of an old cliche. Turin will hate you for that, but I don't think it's that bad.

Can you do art?

Don't tell me what I'm going to hate!

The idea of elves using technology is not in and of itself bad. However, you have to really consider how the elves' being immortal would change the development of technology. IMHO doing this leads to much different details than you've come up with. And the devil is in the details.

Flametrooper · Post by **Flametrooper** » October 12th, 2006, 11:52 pm

Sorry - premature assumption based on, er, past experience. Forgive me, O Black Sword.

So, are Wesnoth's elves really immortal? I guess so, but I always though they weren't really - My impression was unlike in Tolkien, they just lived for a really long time. But even that might effect technology - they would get really old, and they would learn more and more, get better and better... If an elf had a lifetime, and that lifetime lasted forever, he would become nigh-invincible, especially if he could integrate some magic into it as well. Although magic integration would be cool. Imagine - magically targetted weapons, flying transporters, teleporters, telekenisis-operated devices - all powered not by future technology, but rather by an infusion of science and magic.

Cuyo Quiz · Post by **Cuyo Quiz** » October 13th, 2006, 12:01 am

I think the french company Rackham did a very good job with their "Cynwall Elves". They basically have a plethora of very decorated armour, early firearms, clockwork androids and other small contraptions, like special systems inside their crossbows.

It goes from this kind of tiny guy to this kind of guy.

I do consider clockwork elves to be a good concept, and you don't seem to shoot too far from what they did. They do use magic there, though.

Flare · Post by **Flare** » October 13th, 2006, 12:38 am

Maybe it's just me, but every time I hear technological elves, I hear 40K Eldar. In any case, I don't think a discussion of elves with technology would do well without considering how the Elvish psyche would approach things of craft. For example, I can see Elves using light flying machines, but not steam, and I can't see an elf with a gun. The Elvish fascination with magic would also seem to indicate that they would merge any sort of technology with magic. Wrong time period, but the 40K Wraithlord (Take a robotic shell, use "magic" to transfer the spirit of a dead guy into it, presto, instant killing machine) is an example of what I'm talking about.

ch40s · Post by **ch40s** » October 13th, 2006, 8:08 am

I think there are already too much elves