Jon_Lincicum at stream.com wrote: >>Things like radio are certainly worth mentioning--however, in most >>instances, I'd say that psionic communication beats it hands-down. Radio >>is not so much an "advantage" as it is a way for the Easterners to "keep >>up" with the Dragaerans. Still important, just not decisive. >> >> > > Can they record psionic communications? Being able to record is a big advantage. Can psionic communications be intercepted? I suspect yes. Codes can be used, but cyphers might be harder. >What really leaps out at me in this discussion is that sorcery seems to >have no problems interacting with the physical world, but technology has >not been shown to have any influence on sorcerous abilities. > > Remember that before the Orb made sorcery easy, things were very different. Technology is used for shipping even after the Orb. Technology is used for farming. Technology is used for heating and cooking. Technology is used for swords and armor. When did people forget technology, and why? I suspect they didn't. I propose that the people didn't move arrive from a far future Earth - but instead were pulled over from our past. Time/Space works funny with the Jenoine and the gods. Try one experiment with people pulled from afar, maybe discard the remains and try another. >Given that a sorcery seems to be able to operate with impunity against >technology, however, while the reverse is not the case, leads me to think >that the sorcerers would prevail. (Which may be why the Jenoine want >access to it so badly...) > > > Prevail? Why should it be a war between technology and sorcery? If watches aren't needed anymore because the orb can always tell you the time, you don't need to discard the clock that runs your irrigation equipment. If sorcery can beat guns in an open battle, that doesn't mean guns aren't useful in crime. If sorcery can make some weapons more powerful, that doesn't mean you close down your steal production. >In both cases, we're talking about "limited war", however. The civilian >populations are not targetted, and there are other conventions that are >being adhered to. It'd be interesting to see what tactics Sethra might use >in "total war" where anything goes, so to speak. > > > We've seen the total war weapon.