At this point, we don't really know much about Tyranny. We have only the vaguest notions of what the setting is, and even hazier notions of the gameplay, story and characters. But some of the details are tantalizing--what leapt out immediately to me was that the civilization(s) of Tyranny are approaching what in our own history was a monumental, revolutionary epoch.
I am referring, of course, to the dawn of the iron age.
It's not something frequently discussed, but the transition from bronze to iron tools was enormously important in the real world. The advantages of being able to smelt iron absolutely cannot be understated--iron weapons and tools gave the civilization that possessed them an enormous tactical edge. And because of this, the actual know-how, the intelligence on how to actually smelt iron in the first place... was zealously protected and kept secret. It is no exaggeration to say that ironworking was the foundation upon which some of the greatest ancient empires were built.
Which makes that transitional period between everyone-using-bronze and everyone-using-iron... extremely compelling. At least potentially.
But with Tyranny... there's another problem: magic.
From the brief previews we've seen, magical powers are as world-shattering as in any other high fantasy setting. Does this worry anyone else? I see some fantastic potential for the setting in the era Obsidian chose, but I worry an overreliance, or overfocus on magic might render that potential meaningless.
I can't help but think an Iron Revolution setting would benefit much more in a low-fantasy, or no-magic setting.
I am referring, of course, to the dawn of the iron age.
It's not something frequently discussed, but the transition from bronze to iron tools was enormously important in the real world. The advantages of being able to smelt iron absolutely cannot be understated--iron weapons and tools gave the civilization that possessed them an enormous tactical edge. And because of this, the actual know-how, the intelligence on how to actually smelt iron in the first place... was zealously protected and kept secret. It is no exaggeration to say that ironworking was the foundation upon which some of the greatest ancient empires were built.
Which makes that transitional period between everyone-using-bronze and everyone-using-iron... extremely compelling. At least potentially.
But with Tyranny... there's another problem: magic.
From the brief previews we've seen, magical powers are as world-shattering as in any other high fantasy setting. Does this worry anyone else? I see some fantastic potential for the setting in the era Obsidian chose, but I worry an overreliance, or overfocus on magic might render that potential meaningless.
I can't help but think an Iron Revolution setting would benefit much more in a low-fantasy, or no-magic setting.