yeap. my point, though, is ... even if we don't know the world is changing, it changes faster than we think.
I'd like to explain my thought process, just so, if people don't understand where I'm coming from, at least you'll see the way I got there.
Using Azelor examples as a start:
1492-1453 = 61 years. A single lifetime.
1750-1820 = 70 years. Your dad could have seen the invention of the "irrelevant" new technologies.
60 years ago, children in America were being abused at school because of their skin color, and almost no one cared.
When I was a kid there was no such thing as internet, and less than 20 years ago, cell phones looked like a brick.
Change happens rapidly.
My point was that whatever technology we give our world, by the time the children are grown, it will be a totally different world.
I like to work with several generations in a world, so when I think about what the actual MAXIMUM level of tech I want to deal with (and those arquebus are probably that outer limit for me, personally) and then I go back, at least 200 years, and say... "Let's START here, so we can have a nice long trip to THERE."
I'm not as firm on it as I would be with my own personal world, by the thought process is still the same
So, while I'd prefer no gunpowder at all (cause it can spiral quickly) I'm not completely against low-tech, large, inefficient guns like cannons.. But cannons, in a few generations, will probably be a lot more.
And the HIGHER the level of tech you start with, the FASTER it advances.
It's hard for people who've only used wood and stone to learn to work with metal.
It's less difficult for people who've worked with bronze to learn to work with iron.
From there, once they are aware of how useful it is, they quickly (relatively) learn to work with steel.
With gunpowder... it starts off as something you just light on fire. Then someone puts it in tubes. That takes ages... why would they do that? Then cannons, cause someone says "this could be a great weapon!" Then relatively quickly, smaller guns, then better guns, and better guns, and the next thing you know, a sniper's killed all the wizards, and you're fighting battles with tanks instead of horses. Because the more tech you have, the more you can conceive of.
And yes, that takes many generations... or did, on earth. Maybe not exactly as long on another planet. maybe longer. but faster than I like.
Then again. ... I usully start my worlds with cavemen, and go from there, so I'm probably a lot slower than everyone else here.
EDIT: Oh, my preferences... Throwing weapons, spears, swords, whips made out of scorpion tails, halberds etc... shortbows, i guess longbows, maybe even some crossbows.... I don't really like cannons, but I wouldn't oppose them as a new-ish thing
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