[Nico]

Btw, contrary to common belief, Middle Age did see a lot of technological improvements ( weaponary, architecture, mechanics, maths, etc etc ). Getting rid of it won't makes things go faster.

[Stryke 9]

Who cares? The image of a trebuchet-launched space shuttle is just too good.

[Nico]

Originally posted by StrykeIX
Who cares? The image of a trebuchet-launched space shuttle is just too good.

who needs the shuttle? launch the astronauts that way

[beatspete]

...somebody has been playing civilization too much...
I always did find it amusing how the Aztecs invented atomic fusion, conquered the world and populated Alpha Centuri.

[Anaz]

hey...at least give me credit if you quote me BP

[Sandwich]

I Liek Harry Turtledove!

[Carl]

The question you're all asking: Why develop all those weapons if Rome controls the world?

The answer: To stay that way!

[Corsair]

Originally posted by Carl
The question you're all asking: Why develop all those weapons if Rome controls the world?

The answer: To stay that way!

That doesn't answer my question. Does Rome become Christian or does it crush Christianity and remain pagan?

[Stryke 9]

The only people who should be named "Harry" are porn stars. Same goes for "Dick". And "Wang". And "Alphonse".

[Black Wolf]

I have a dog named Harry

On a related note to this Carl, I was watching this docu on a guy called Heron of Alexandria - apparently he built the worlds first steam propelled rotator over 2000 years ago - it was only a half step away from being a full steam engine (particularly given that they guy already knew a fair bit about pistons and such) and it was the fastest rotating object in the ancient world. People have built working models to prove that it could have worked, and nobody is quite sure why he never made the final half step and built a actual steam engine. Given the profound effect that the steam engine had on society (The Industrial Revolution, which effectively shaped modern society), something like this was very, very close.

That said, the human race has learned a lot that it quite possibly wouldn't have - if, for example, Heron had built his steam engine and ushered in an IR, then people would have been even more cramed together when the Black Plague struck from Asia. Or we could be going to Mars without even the faintest concept of what really caused disease and how to treat it (Bacteria were discovered with complex optics that we have no evidence that the classical world really comprehended, and Antibiotics entirely by accident, something which may never have happened except in the precise set of conditions that we actually had)

[q]Originally posted by Venom2506
Btw, contrary to common belief, Middle Age did see a lot of technological improvements ( weaponary, architecture, mechanics, maths, etc etc ). Getting rid of it won't makes things go faster.[/q]

Not quite true. A lot of that was simply relearning what the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians already knew. Most of that knowledge was simply lost when the library of Alexandria burnt down, and when the church started burning scientific documents (and scientists) as heretical. If it hadn't been for the collapse of Rome and the subsequent dark ages, we would be significantly further along than we are now.

[StratComm]

Originally posted by Black Wolf
Not quite true. A lot of that was simply relearning what the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians already knew. Most of that knowledge was simply lost when the library of Alexandria burnt down, and when the church started burning scientific documents (and scientists) as heretical. If it hadn't been for the collapse of Rome and the subsequent dark ages, we would be significantly further along than we are now.

Well, that is arguable.  Technological development probably would have stagnated anyway, as the geo-political restructuring of Europe (and some Christian thought believe it or not) was really necessary for post-Renaissance(sp?) thought and the Scientific revolution to come about.  The developments made by the Romans were actually not that significant, they had a way of copying from other cultures rather than invent things for themselves, so I really think that they would have ceased technological progress once they achieved secure hegemony over probably Europe, maybe a little into Aisa.  And besides, all the big breakthroughs came from the Greeks, and they had fallen from prominence on the global stage before Rome ever even became a significant Mediterranian power.  It really is impossible to do a "what if" scenario that takes all variables into account, but you can't just say that we would have reached the same point in technology sooner had the dark ages not occured.

[Black Wolf]

Originally posted by StratComm


Well, that is arguable.  Technological development probably would have stagnated anyway, as the geo-political restructuring of Europe (and some Christian thought believe it or not) was really necessary for post-Renaissance(sp?) thought and the Scientific revolution to come about.  The developments made by the Romans were actually not that significant, they had a way of copying from other cultures rather than invent things for themselves, so I really think that they would have ceased technological progress once they achieved secure hegemony over probably Europe, maybe a little into Aisa.  And besides, all the big breakthroughs came from the Greeks, and they had fallen from prominence on the global stage before Rome ever even became a significant Mediterranian power.  It really is impossible to do a "what if" scenario that takes all variables into account, but you can't just say that we would have reached the same point in technology sooner had the dark ages not occured.

Well, yeah, the Romans did tend to copycat  lot, but the Greeks and Egyptians didn't (even though the egyptians already long since stagnated by the time the Roman influence began) - between them and the collective minds of the rest of the Roman empire, things would have gone far. Note that under roman rule, the Greeks were able to essentially combine the Roman and Greek cultures, meaning most of the Greeks abilities remained there - some even grew a bit.

I'm not saying they would have just skipped the milenium or two in the middle, but we would have far more advanced technology by now - perhaps not the same advanced tech, but it would be more. There's practically no question when you take into account the sheer volume of knowledge that was lost, and then not allowed to be regained by the church during the dark and middle ages.

[Nico]

Originally posted by Black Wolf
Not quite true. A lot of that was simply relearning what the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians already knew. Most of that knowledge was simply lost when the library of Alexandria burnt down, and when the church started burning scientific documents (and scientists) as heretical. If it hadn't been for the collapse of Rome and the subsequent dark ages, we would be significantly further along than we are now.

ah... oh well, I know I'm right, but I don't feel like argueing, sorry

[Carl]

if there was no technological advancement in the middle ages, then Age of Kings wouldn't have been a very fun game.