Actually, whether they were based on electricity or ancient magic, it doesn't really matter.

Technology is simply a means to turn a raw source of energy into something different, more useful and more usable. What that power source is doesn't matter.
Dwarver automatons use soul gems as a power source. In that sense, they're no different than your battery-powered rl mobile phone. The only difference is, in our world we study every last detail of something before we put it into our technology. And that is the biggest difference between magic and science: in science, we have a full understanding of the laws that govern whatever we use. In magic, one uses it by simply understanding the laws of how the end results are determined, but not how it actually works.
To someone having no idea of the laws of physics, the electricity coming out of a battery would be no different than the power pouring out of a soul gem...

So, the evolusion of technology and magic are not mutually exclusive: magic can be used as the power source to fuel devices that would make it possible to do things that magic by itself could not... For example: television! Sure, who needs it when we have mages that are experts in projecting images, right? WRONG! Projection magic might be enough for establishing contact between a few people, but there's no way it could pull out something as complex as, say, a live transmision of the Tamriel Champions League Final (or whatever sport actually exists in Tamriel, lol) in every household across the continent... yeah, you might say there's no real reason to make such a technology in Tamriel... yet, somehow someone made it here on Earth, even though we didn't really need it either...
Or even warfare... sure, you might argue that magic as is can be more than enough in war... however, the Dwarven Centurions -which are only powered by a couple soul gems mind you- would disagree, and would be eager to show you what they could do against an army of mages... magic is nice, but magic chanelled appropriately through technology is a few steps ahead...

The only reason that Tamriel, which has been stuck in the Middle Ages for so long - idk much about the lore, but I believe it's about one millenium from the little I've read - hasn't advanced, is imho because it's just a small continent remote from the rest of the world... the only thing outside it that they know of is what, just Akavir... the rl world went from middle ages to modern-ish in just a few centuries, because there were so many different, equally big and cultivated countries and civilisations present at that time in Europe, that helped in collecting and utilising all the accumulated information. While ancient civilistations like Egypt or Mesopotamia took many millenia to reach the same amount of progress, because they were more or less left with themselves all of that time...

BTW, there are many RPGs who feature worlds whith both cutting-edge tech and magicusers and divine beings - most notable of which, the Final Fantasy series.

Early firearms were as dangerous to their users as they were to the enemy. I'm not sure how feasible gunpowder based weaponry would be when your enemies are attacking you with firebolts and lightning, as if loading and firing canon and musket wasn't already dangerous enough. And would you dare employ your own mages around all that powder? Certainly we wouldn't want to find out what happens when a flame atronach finds it's way into the powder stores.

But mills =/= windmills

People used to mill grain by hand long before windmills and watermills were widely used.

I never saw a windmill or watermill in any previous Elder Scrolls game. So i'm thinking it is a new invention.

About 6500 years have passed since the end of the Dawn Era.

Your description of technology can also be used to describe magic, a way to turn a raw source of energy into something more usable.
The Dwemer practised technomancy, mythopoesis, they tampered with the mythical bones of the earth themselves in order to understand creation and uncreation. They worshiped no gods, but they were pious.

And again, Tamriel is not medieval.

I disagree. There's a big gap between invention and a viable product, and even if a new invention may potentially supplant it's competitors, the fact that there's a well-intrenched alternative in place is often enough to prevent the invention from taking hold. We can see this today: nuclear power is far more efficient than fossil fuels, and especially in the United States (where it was invented, interestingly) it remains very very difficult to actually get a nuclear plant built. There are a few factors at play here, one being the low cost of coal, the other being the (mostly irrational) fear of nuclear disaster. The situation is similar on Tamriel: gunpowder exists (cannons in Hammerfell) but the fear of innovation is very real due to the Dwemeri disappearance, and the fact that magic is such a powerful replacement.

Everyone can use magic in TES. Even someone with no training, aptitude, or special equipment can learn to shoot a basic firebolt from their fingers for the cost of a nice sword, and can get off 2-3 shots off before their magica is depleted. There's no reloading between shots, no ammunition or powder, no chance of a backfire. Early firearms were expensive, dangerous, and really really slow to reload, not to mention inaccurate at anything approaching long range. In a world with magic as accessible as it is on Tamriel, you would not be able to sell anything resembling an early firearm because there would never be anyone who would want to use one.

Yes, a modern fire-arm would be better than magic as it exists in the Elder Scrolls, but if there's no demand for primitive firearms, there's no way the industry can advance to the point where such guns can be created.

It's also relevant to note that science simply works differently on Nirn than in our world. The sun is a giant hole in the sky, the planets are dead gods, and belief is reality. Radiowaves might not exist, plagues may be curses instead of microbes, and for all we know the Ra'Gada cannons only work because they are blessed by the Yokudan god of explosions or something.

Staves fill this role perfectly. Granted, bullets are cheaper than soul gems, but it's not like this is something without any sort of anolog.

I disagree with the op. Russia, Africa, North and South America? They seemed to stay within their own technological limit without inventing or advancing as a culture. It seems that countries that are very different yet close together such as in Europe advance the quickest compared to the rest of the world. Asia's technology was dramatically different, and trading with them was huge. Different cultures mixing together helps a lot.

That said, Urn could do the exact same thing. Not advance the slightest throughout the years. They have magic, so what's the innovation in creating a better technology? The closest culture to succeed is the dwemer, but their manipulation with aedric power has gotten the best of them.

THIS!
Who needs technology when you got magic?

The "it's not Earth" argument isn't exactly sound because the writers and developers clearly borrow from our world to give Nirn a more accessible and believable presentation. Nirn has all of the same universal laws we do--and then some more. There's gravity and mass, friction, etc. While Nirn may not have an identical periodic table to ours, you can bet there are alchemical agents that share similar properties to our own. Whatever that purplish goo is on the floor, it certainly burns like gasoline.

Second, magic does not necessarily mean that technology cannot develop. Look at the Final Fantasy universe--full of technological know-how and plenty of magic existing in harmony without upsetting the suspension of disbelief.

I think the OP raises a valid point: there is simply no observable advance in technology from one era to another in the Elder Scrolls, when there likely should be.

The easy answer is that the game would become something entirely different if the world in which it takes place is unrecognizable. If we had flying ships in Skyrim, it would be harder to buy into the idea that it was Nirn. It has more to do with game design, I think, than any intentional decision on the part of the lore writers.

There is plenty of technology, though only because the Empire are borrowing from the Dwemer, it would take far too long to start from scratch.

So whatever they find useful they take it, the Scroll Screening device, is an example of that, though the empire haven't found it yet, only the player.

From a lore standpoint, firearms seem like a completely dumb idea.

If LOTRs had magical AK47s, it definatley wouldnt be my favoutie movie series.

When you imagine a world which is magical and medieval, you never associate it with things that seem fairly modern like guns, so they are never in.

Then only things with swords, magic and guns is Final Fantasy and the like, but that is classed as high fantasy, not a believable fantasy game like skyrim

How is one fantasy anymore believable than another? Isn't that the point of fantasy?

lots of cool arguments

for me it something like this

robots = summoned servants
rockets = fire balls
guns = staffs
airplanes = dwemer airships
cars = Teleportation
Telephones = mage telepathy (like Psjic guys)

so I imagine tech will take a lot longer to develop in Tamril because they have magic and dwemer craziness and zombies and ghosts and active Gods and demons (sort of) its a very different world

Thanks, your whole post is good, but this is the part I couldn`t be bothered to respond to. the `it`s not earth` just does not work where most everything in it is taken from real world history of Earth, including simple things like the word, `Jarl`.

Every advancement in technology that is truly noteworthy is more than likely to stem from a need. Civilizations such as the Incans and ancient Egyptians were very sophisticated. They had only a certain level of technology despite being very old civilizations, however.

When the Industrial Revolution came about in the real world, there were things being done on a scale that were not possible other ways. Technology needs a lever, an impetus. Certainly some of it in the real world is inquisitiveness. But consider- the term 'horsepower' for example. We rate engines in this way. Why? Well, it stems back from when horses were widespread prime movers on Earth.

On Nirn, where the horse is still a prime mover, but travel is augmented by sophisticated means such as teleportation and other uses of magicka, I can't say I'm surprised that development of technology is odd compared to a real-life history of the planet Earth.

...magicka clearly flies in the face of conservation of energy, and a couple laws of physics

Well you have different types of fantasy don't you? Like I mentioned the medieval fantasy of LOTR compared to the high fantasy of Final Fantasy where people swing huge swords at lightening speeds.

One is more believable as it relates to our history, laws of physics, etc

Another example what is more believable and relatable? A Nord hunting for rabbits to bring back to his home in Riverwood, or a pig shooting a nuke at a rabbit with a penguin head? They are both fantasy...

Thus the "and then some more." Basically everything besides magic follows our basic universal laws. You don't see farmers magically grinding grain or doors automatically opening and closing because of some magic aura. That's because most fantasy is grounded in some realistic way. If the people of Nirn used magic to defy the laws of physics, they would have planes, cars, and other technological innovations but they don't because then it wouldn't be enough fantasy for people. You also have to take into account the fact that the people who can't use magic should still be able to innovate. But if we had realistic innovating going on, we would begin to see flintlocks and other projectile weapons. And then we would have people whining about how TES had apparently become too realistic or some other BS that denounces advancement.

Here's an interesting question, what groups are best equipped to develop gunpowder weapons? I'd personally guess mages are. They tend to have the broadest alchemical knowledge, they tend to be the ones investigating Dwemer ruins and culture, and it's a profession that attracts a substantial percentage of Tamriel's intellectuals.

Followup question: why would mages develop gunpowder weapons? At the moment if you want someone with massive destructive capabilities you need a mage, but gunpowder weapons could potentially supplant them.

A group that doesn't like mages may have the impetus to develop weapons like this, but they don't necessarily have the resources. They also have no guarantee that this technology is worth pursuing. We know guns can be effective, but we're aware of eight hundred years of firearm developement (and gunpowder was discovered several centuries before the earliest firearms).

I could see a group of wizards or unaffiliated alchemists discovering gunpowder, and even messing around with it a bit. But early attempts to create firearms would have been embarrassingly ineffective compared to a mage, so finding people to pursue (or invest in) this research would be very difficult. In the real world even primitive firearms are impressive, but in Tamriel I just don't see why a military would be interested when they could just get a pile of mages instead.

This can be applied to some other technologies, although clearly it doesn't explain every area there is an apparent lack of innovation. We know that a large number of people, included many mages, have attempted to recreate dwemer technology with only limited success. This doesn't mean there is necessarily an active force preventing these discoveries, but there could be a vital breakthrough required to understand these other technologies.

If you want to look at it realistically, I'd say it's strange that anything gets done at all, much less technical innovation. Most people have zero short-term memory. They introduce themselves to me again and again, despite the fact that I live down the street and am the only dark elf running around in dragon bone armor. Maybe they DID invent guns but forgot it.

People are also lazy. One farmer paid me 10g a piece to harvest his cabbage. It was five seconds of work. The guy just stands there all day and can't pick a cabbage?

What about war? That's another source of innovation. Why bother? The army has about 20 guys in it.

When you think about the basics needs that should lead to innovation, they're met. Health and disease? Potions fix that (cheap potions at that). And if you DO die, does it matter? An afterlife is confirmed. No need for faith. Whatever length of your life doesn't matter next to eternity.

Light? Check. Ever-burning torches.
Transportation? Check. Carriage ride gets you there, hassle-free, every time.
Love? Throw an amulet on and get hitched the next day.
Food? Food never spoils. It keeps forever from the highest castle to the deepest ruins. Just remember, no more than 5 apples to a barrel.

If they had guns, it would just be another boring call of duty-ripoff shooter.

How did the Dwemer Satchel Packs work?
Magic is my guess, a package with instant fireball explosion effect. Basically a bomb, caused by a delayed spell.
So what's the use for tech?

We got staves, scrolls, spells and enchanting.
Even people without skills within the lore of Magicka can use a scroll or staff.
A mage could be paid to enchant your sword.

While It's true that inventing gunpowder would be very hard and mostly pointless to people, you need to take into account the human's ability to do things just for the hell of it. It just takes one mage or alchemist to say "Let's see if I can do this without magic" to incite a technological revolution. I can understand support for this invention would be little but I don't believe that for hundreds of years no one was messing with chemicals, found one that made a sizeable explosion, and used it as a propellant.

Even if Bethesda says "we want nothing to do with guns in TES" I can't believe that they would just leave everything else the way it is. They could make hot air balloons using a mage's fire abilities or some other siege machines for some other civil war. In fact The Witcher 2 made a big deal about balistas, like they were this powerful new technology. I would love the next TES game to have some underlying theme of innovation wich will aid in some new gameplay features and other interesting plots like Deus Ex's "Technology is good but can be abused" plot-line.

Unlike every main character you play not everyone in Skyrim or all of Tamerial can use magic which is why there are warriors with actual weapons, so the "cause there is magic" is a [censored] excuse why technology hasn't grown and actually went down. Real reason why there isn't better tech is because BGS didn't add it either that's due them not wanting or couldn't add which can be due to several reasons.

I'm with the Gods on that one. CoD thataway--------------------->