Posted by epdiii on 3:08 8/10/01
In reply to: (none)
What kind of technology does Verduria have? What "Age" is it in? I can tell that it's way behind what Earthlings would call "modern times;" but exactly what level of advancement are they in to Earth's standards? Do they use the same kind of weapons that we used (swords, bows etc.), or do they have a unique selection of weaponary? Will guns ever become available in Almea, or will they invent a completely different type of advanced weapon? Is military orginization on Almea similar to what Earth's used to be?
Verduria is roughly comparable to England or France in around 1750. It's ahead in some areas (notably biology, linguistics, and the separation of church and state), behind in others (ballistics, colonization). Printing, telescopes, and the joint-stock corporation are old hat by now; more recent developments are the isolation of oxygen and other gases, gas streetlights, and ironclads.
They have black powder, the old form of gunpowder (modern terrestrial guns use 'smokeless powder'... as a hobbyist's site says, "Black powder is messy, smelly, smoky, and corrosive, and not as safe to handle or store as smokeless powders."). Verdurians have invented the cannon, but their smaller guns are not very accurate, slow to load, and have the reputation of being more dangerous to the shooter than to the target.
It's also relevant that Verduria hasn't had a major war for nearly two centuries (the last one was with Kebri), so there hasn't been a serious drive to improve weaponry.
As for military organization, see the Thematic Dictionary for Verdurian military ranks (and some of their weapons).