The Official OTC TBRPG Planning and Organization Topic

[Havelock Vetinari]

Eh, I don't think Technos goes that far on their robots. I sort of think them as being the same height as an average human being.OK, I am officially confused...

If these robots operate on microchips or any sort of computer, they'll have the tech to build guns. Schizo tech doesn't go that far. They have rather high walls that guns can be mounted on. Ergas has swords. With a rather short range......Most siege engines historical Kingdoms with Ergas's tech level built siege machines and towers out of wood. And they moved very slowly. Guns and cannons on the other hand, when wheeled/carried about on robots, move very very fast. I think you can see where any battle between the two is heading. Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[Blessed Blade]

I don't know, Ergas does have magic?I'm new at this. I'm confused.

Let me put this into gaming terms: In Skyrim, there's a rather nasty type of Dwarf robot, called a Centurion. I normally play mage characters. In general, I have to spend most of the fight running away and getting in a potshot. I can hurl a fireball at them, but all that does is warm them up a bit. I stop moving for a second, I get smashed flat.Now add guns to those robots. You'll see the problem.

Can these robots take a rock from space to the face? No? Problem solved! Just give all of Ergas' mages Meteor, or Meteor Swarm for even more destruction! =D

[JiMing]

But the mages and wizards also have really good spells to decimate large amounts of robots and to boost the defense of warriors/heal them.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Dark Pit: Servant to None

[Blessed Blade]

Don't forget revival spells. If they can't ever truly die, there's not really anything that Technos can do, aside from trying to kill the Mages first. =P

[Havelock Vetinari]

But the mages and wizards also have really good spells to decimate large amounts of robots (like Meteor) and to boost the defense of warriors/heal them.

How nice. Snipers. Mages powers are flashy. Easy targets. The standard anti-material rifle or cannon shot can go through several men. So shield walls won't work.Really good spells don't do much to even this out. Just gives the swordsmen some hope before they get slaughtered. Have you seen what urban warfare does to modern armies? Imagine a modern army going up against some fellows with swords. All the magic in the world won't save them. Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

See, defining Ergas's magic might help a bit, but you've already said that Ergas is significantly worse at defending their borders than Technos, and are on the verge of declaring war on Technos out of jealousy regarding their standard of living.Players are going to flock to Technos, because they don't want to be on the obvious losing side of a war. Even if the mages somehow have the power to call down meteors (which seems like a bit of a big thing, in terms of effort), Technos has guns and robots. A bullet is going to lodge itself in that mage's cranium faster than that meteor is going to get from the upper atmosphere to the robot.And heal spells don't do much if a cannon shot has spread your warrior across a square kilometer of battlefield. Spells to decimate large numbers of robots are going to exhaust the mage much more than a machine gun is going to exhaust the gunner in charge of it, and a machine gun is just as good - if not better - at decimating a medieval-style army.The fact is that Ergas would either become a hole in the ground or a vassal state to Technos.

[Blessed Blade]

Indignation. A single bolt of lightning fries the entire army, and the colonel who called it down brushes his hands off, adjusts his glasses, smirks, and heads back home.If we're going off snipers, then we have mages who can create barriers. Barriers which block bullets; and mages never travel alone, that's just like leaving our gunmen alone on their own against an army.Also, as for the city not being defended; if the Technos build their walls high enough, and have other such defenses, obviously they'll have higher defenses against monsters...For the record, I'd play on Ergas' side.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

If a single character does all that in the game - wipes out an army and it doesn't even cost any effort for him - I'm calling godmodding and leaving it at that.Barriers have limits. Anti-materiel rifles are designed to shoot through rather thick walls - a magic barrier raised by a mage from an impoverished kingdom that is so desperate that they're willing to declare war on a place like Technos probably isn't going to hold that back.As for the point on defenses, the point is that Technos has the resources to build defenses capable of holding the monsters back. This isn't even about technology level, as ancient China could build the Great Wall. This is simply about the fact that Ergas seems to have no other way of keeping the monsters away than sending soldiers against them, while Technos is so rich that even when they do have to send soldiers out, they can send robots instead of people.Technos could win this war without a single life lost on their side. They have the numbers, the guns, and apparently the brains.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Yeah. G-modding. That's exactly what it is. What you described. If mages can do that why aren't the monsters extinct?We covered this. Shield walls would do exactly nothing against them. Shield magic....well, let me put it this way, most buildings have trouble taking a cannon shot. Let alone say, four cannon shots fired from entrenched positions with high explosive shells fired by accurate robots. Dead mage.In sum, Ergas stands no chance if Technos is at all competent. They'll have machine gun bunkers built into the wall, massive amounts of artillery support and if they can create robots, dollars to donuts they'll have some sort of bombing aircraft.In the war between magic and technology-technology beats magic.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Unless the magic is like, Cthulhu magic. Like, sufficiently-advanced alien magic.Like if the magic is actually good enough to keep the monsters from killing anybody at all.In which case of course the magic wouldn't be tied into specific people (god-moddy) but rather used as a substitute for technology.You have robots? We have golems held together with magic.Would be a bit hard to find a magical substitute for a sniper rifle, but that's what brainstorming is for.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Even then, it's not a sure thing. But it would be a bit more equal. Technos would still have a ton of advantages. They'll be fortified, dug in and ready for an attack. Typically, unless you've got six or seven nations willing to throw troops away by the thousands, that doesn't end well for the attacking nations.

[JiMing]

OK, let's tone down the monster casualty thing for Ergas, I kind of exaggerated it.For the record, Ergas is no worse at defending against monster attacks than other kingdoms. Technos is just crazy good.And another reason for starting a war. The people who run Technos have publicly insulted Ergas, and I don't think they'd be very good at coping with damage to their pride.Also, I believe many kingdoms will sympathize with Ergas, for example, the lava beings from Terrakon would most likely aid them, and I think they'd be much harder to kill than a human.To me, mages are more suited for attack magic. That's why we have wizards. Who's to say mages and wizards wont back each other during a fight, creating a dynamic offense?

[Trad]

The monsters could be immune to magic or something?Why do Ergas need to actually war if they have been publicly insulted? Diplomacy could smooth many things over. Maybe they have been blockaded or declared as freaks of nature for using magic?

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

The distinction between mages and wizards is kind of unnecessary. The terms are often used interchangeably, usually at the discretion of the author, so why not just make there be different specialties for mages/wizards/whatever you want to call them? You could have some acting as sharpshooters, some controlling the big stone golems, perhaps some raising fortifications and repairing damage to physical structures, some acting as medics...If Technos requires a coalition of every other coalition against them just to make the war interesting, you need to think about making Ergas a bit more interesting to keep the fight fair.Also, if the leaders of Ergas would declare war on a more advanced nation over some unkind words, they shouldn't be in charge.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Lava beings. Meet artillery shell. Meet a wall of steadily advancing bullets that can make a tree into Swiss cheese. This are the kind of fortifications you were talking about. Giant walls. Bristling with robots and guns. Doesn't matter how hard you are to kill, a tank would have issues standing up to such punishment. Heck, throw in explosives and Rommel himself, with ten divisions of crack Panzers couldn't take it. A bunch of lava creatures and fellows with swords wouldn't do any better.See aforementioned points brought up against magic for the wizards and mages. Still dead. Very dead.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[JiMing]

To be clear, the people who run Technos insult nearly every other kingdom, by saying how Technos is superior to X, and they are only willing to accept a couple kingdoms as near-equals.I'm going to brainstorm on how to make this fair, but I do think it's possible with the whole medival-fantasy vs. future technology gist.

[ZTG]

To be clear, the people who run Technos insult nearly every other kingdom, by saying how Technos is superior to X, and they are only willing to accept a couple kingdoms as near-equals.I'm going to brainstorm on how to make this fair, but I do think it's possible with the whole medival-fantasy vs. future technology gist.

Maybe make it steam punk.

[JiMing]

To be clear, the people who run Technos insult nearly every other kingdom, by saying how Technos is superior to X, and they are only willing to accept a couple kingdoms as near-equals.I'm going to brainstorm on how to make this fair, but I do think it's possible with the whole medival-fantasy vs. future technology gist.

Maybe make it steam punk.

I don't know, I don't have much experience with steam punk, and I kind of want the whole, "citizens are clueless and have a perfect life" sort of thing.I'll have to think about it...

[Havelock Vetinari]

...Future technology? Oh boy. This goes beyond cannons then. This get's into fighter jet territory.Steam punk is probably the best option here.

[Blessed Blade]

Unless the magic is like, Cthulhu magic. Like, sufficiently-advanced alien magic.Like if the magic is actually good enough to keep the monsters from killing anybody at all.In which case of course the magic wouldn't be tied into specific people (god-moddy) but rather used as a substitute for technology.You have robots? We have golems held together with magic.Would be a bit hard to find a magical substitute for a sniper rifle, but that's what brainstorming is for.

Now this, is an interesting idea. I think that'd work, though that'd ultimately be JiMing's call.

If a single character does all that in the game - wipes out an army and it doesn't even cost any effort for him - I'm calling godmodding and leaving it at that.Barriers have limits. Anti-materiel rifles are designed to shoot through rather thick walls - a magic barrier raised by a mage from an impoverished kingdom that is so desperate that they're willing to declare war on a place like Technos probably isn't going to hold that back.

1. Indignation costs about 100 TP(The MP substitute) in the game it's from. Just because the guy who uses it is a freak who can still use rather high level spells after getting his abilities sealed, doesn't mean that it doesn't take effort. But let's put it this way; if a giant lightning bolt hits the field, filled with armoured people, then people are going to die, just because lightning, you know, kills people. Plus, while I specifically said a colonel; that's just an example. Didn't mean it was tied to one person, just that that person was capable of such a thing, as I wanted to use an example from a game I play. =P2. Magic is magic; if they have strong enough magic in general, if they can sustain it, then it would likely repel it. The problem is that you guys are assuming they have modern qualities for everything; they might not have armour piercing rounds here, because they might not need them. If the only thing they'd need them for, are the monsters, then why would they waste their time, when a normal blow to the face or unarmoured part of the body with a normal bullet would suffice?

[ZTG]

To be clear, the people who run Technos insult nearly every other kingdom, by saying how Technos is superior to X, and they are only willing to accept a couple kingdoms as near-equals.I'm going to brainstorm on how to make this fair, but I do think it's possible with the whole medival-fantasy vs. future technology gist.

Maybe make it steam punk.

I don't know, I don't have much experience with steam punk, and I kind of want the whole, "citizens are clueless and have a perfect life" sort of thing.I'll have to think about it...

I'm a fanatic on steam punk do I'd be happy to help. If not, I still want to help on this RPG idea, it's sounds awesome.

[JiMing]

Yeah, I was sort of thinking with having magic as a substitute for technology for Ergas. That is an interesting idea.Exactly, what Technos has for defense is only what they need.

[Havelock Vetinari]

2. Magic is magic; if they have strong enough magic in general, if they can sustain it, then it would likely repel it. The problem is that you guys are assuming they have modern qualities for everything; they might not have armour piercing rounds here, because they might not need them. If the only thing they'd need them for, are the monsters, then why would they waste their time, when a normal blow to the face or unarmoured part of the body with a normal bullet would suffice?

Yeah, I was sort of thinking with having magic as a substitute for technology for Ergas. That is an interesting idea.Exactly, what Technos has for defense is only what they need.

Technology doesn't work that way. To my understanding, technology is created to solve a problem or make something easier. Technology is then used to improve other technology. These are the flaws in your reasoning.1. If the mages are as strong as you seem to think they are, these monsters would have to be very strong to stand up to them. Strong enough to tank through an AT round.2. If the monsters are that strong then the defenses around Technos will have to include some nice pieces of tech to hold them back. Well, alot of tech actually.3. As I said, technology doesn't work that way. You can't have muskets and robots at the same time. In wide use. Technology would have been used to improve the muskets as it was used to improve the robots. Let's use a caveman example. Oog finds out that a rock sharpened to a point makes a fine spear. Fug uses this idea and makes a spear that's easier to hurl. Since this rock is so hard, other members of the tribe use it for other things. Other tools.Get it? And yes I know that was historically inaccurate, but it gets my point across. Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[ZTG]

It sounds like a good idea, and fits well.Magic vs Machine.That sounds a good idea. But now it's harder to decide whose kingdom I want to be a part of....dang it....

[JiMing]

OK, now that I thought about it, given that Ergas is one of the larger kingdoms, they should be better at defending against monsters.I don't really know how we're going to resolve this here...

[Blessed Blade]

The mages might be strong, but even they know not to hurl lightning bolts at everything to solve all their problems. For instance, Indignation? A typical mage, if they even were able to reach the strength of Jade Curtiss from Tales of the Abyss(Where I grabbed the spell and example from to show the potential), it'd only have four uses, because the spell would drain 100 MP per use. Therefore, they'd more or less save that for emergencies.Why? If they can't pierce steel, or get above the walls, then they have no need for 'defenses'; and in the rare occasion they'd go outside the walls, they'd just hire bodyguards.They might have pistols(That's JiMing's call); I didn't say anything about muskets. I said they'd have protection; and that if they don't have a need for things, they wouldn't upgrade them. Robots would be to help improve the quality of life in the city; but if there's no need for weapons in the city, and they're outlawed, why improve them? They already consider themselves superior to the others, after all.

[Havelock Vetinari]

The mages might be strong, but even they know not to hurl lightning bolts at everything to solve all their problems. For instance, Indignation? A typical mage, if they even were able to reach the strength of Jade Curtiss from Tales of the Abyss(Where I grabbed the spell and example from to show the potential), it'd only have four uses, because the spell would drain 100 MP per use. Therefore, they'd more or less save that for emergencies.Why? If they can't pierce steel, or get above the walls, then they have no need for 'defenses'; and in the rare occasion they'd go outside the walls, they'd just hire bodyguards.They might have pistols(That's JiMing's call); I didn't say anything about muskets. I said they'd have protection; and that if they don't have a need for things, they wouldn't upgrade them. Robots would be to help improve the quality of life in the city; but if there's no need for weapons in the city, and they're outlawed, why improve them? They already consider themselves superior to the others, after all.

.....Your logic makes zero sense both from a military standpoint and a technological standpoint. I'm sorry, but it does.And they'll be facing a wall full of robots and nasty technology. Guess what? After those spells are done, assuming the mages survived long enough to cast it, the robots would still have more bullets. Any fortification worth it's weight would still be standing. Do the math......Technology doesn't work that way. Never has and outside of certain animes, never will. If they have robots, then as a matter of course, they'll have at least the technology we have in the modern day. Technology is used to improve technology. It's not something a government can control, it's not something you can stop as a whim. If the government doesn't do it, an inventor will. I highly doubt the same people have been in charge throughout the entire history of this kingdom. Look at Europe. They'd have to have been around for at a fraction of the time Europe, as a populated continent has been. Look at the chaos that is Europes history. Now, beyond GM g-modding, Technos would have the same chaos, or at least a fraction of it.It's how history works. Even China, the largest continuous state in history, had it's periods of chaos. Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[JiMing]

How clear do I have to be, the people living in Technos do nothing. That means there are no inventors there, or any other occupation for that matter, because the robots do everything. The people in charge of Technos are in charge of the technology, so they can stop when they see no further need to continue.And who's to say Technos didn't have it's period of chaos? Who's to say it didn't lead to this kind of life for the people?

[Blessed Blade]

... You know, I just remembered why I gave up trying to post my own original RPG here again, aside from lack of Co-Hosts.Because you guys rely on logic and real life physics way too much. >_< It's a game, it doesn't have to make perfect sense; for all we know, this world has enough materials possible to make robots; but the materials to create guns aren't around. Especially armour piercing rounds.Whatever; I'm done trying to argue in favour of magic(Which is freaking magic; it'll take as short a time as it likes to activate; it doesn't apply to the real world, because magic doesn't exist in the real world); though to mention, Final Fantasy's done the tech vs. magic thing ten times over(I think literally too, by this point...), and yet the only problems it runs into are the whiny fans complaining it's not totally non-linear like the original three games, or like FF7.I'm not saying you guys are bad RPers; you aren't. I just don't understand why we can't just suspend disbelief, like we do for muscled people who yell to turn their hair gold and become powerful enough to destroy the world, or like we do for tiny mouse creatures who can deep fry a giant 80 foot whale for a fun match to gain money and fame.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Pit: Arrow of Light

[Havelock Vetinari]

How clear do I have to be, the people living in Technos do nothing. That means there are no inventors there, or any other occupation for that matter, because the robots do everything. The people in charge of Technos are in charge of the technology, so they can stop when they see no further need to continue.And who's to say Technos didn't have it's period of chaos? Who's to say it didn't lead to this kind of life for the people?

That is fundamentally impossible. Every society has it's rebels, it's freethinkers. Unless you've got a 1984-style dystopia. Even then....Someone had to invent the robots. History had to see them to the point where they had the technological capacity to make robots. You can't have it both ways. You can't have robots and muskets or flintlocks. Technology by it's very nature, will not allow it.

Because you guys rely on logic and real life physics way too much. >_< It's a game, it doesn't have to make perfect sense; for all we know, this world has enough materials possible to make robots; but the materials to create guns aren't around. Especially armour piercing rounds.I'm not saying you guys are bad RPers; you aren't. I just don't understand why we can't just suspend disbelief, like we do for muscled people who yell to turn their hair gold and become powerful enough to destroy the world, or like we do for tiny mouse creatures who can deep fry a giant 80 foot whale for a fun match to gain money and fame.

Even fantasy-games operate on certain assumptions. Even fantasy games operate on gravity still, by and large being in effect. On diaspora and technology and invention working like they do in real life. Those things are human nature, heck the nature of any successful sentient species.Changing facts like that....well, that needs a lot of justifications. The one's provided are...illogical. Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[Alex Humva]

Something I'd like to point out, though it may just be the engineer inside of me nitpicking. If the magic users are going stand a chance, they need some way to stop artillery shells. Even in a steampunk setting, artillery is still very viable, though admittedly not as good as, say, an M198 howitzer. Let's say you have an old fashion artillery cannon, and since I have no wish to do out the dozen or so equations pertaining to figuring out a projectiles speed after flying though the air, we'll generalize it to 300 kph (rather slow, but this is assuming old-fashion steampunk), and a round of... let's be nice and say 25 kilos, nothing compared to some old timey cannons. The ones that took down Constantinople come to mind. The equation for figuring out kinetic energy of things like this is rather easy (Ke=1/2MV²), so a quick jot gives us roughly 86,112 joules. So, in order for a warlock to stop an artillery shell like that, s/he'd need to exert 86,112 joules over a rather quick period of time. I give it three seconds. Power is work divided by time, giving us 28.7 kilowatts of power. Now, I'm not going say that this means this RPG is horrible and must comply with physics. It's magic for Pete's sake, or whoever's sake you happen to have at this moment. I'm saying, however, that you could use this to further the story. Perhaps the Technos realize that magic users have this immense power, and could revolutionize their society, so thus want to turn them into slaves? These guys would have to be pretty powerful to go toe to toe with technology, but in doing so you could have a dozen new ways to further the story. Use physics to your advantage, in both gameplay and plot.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Game Master Alex Humva

[Blessed Blade]

Lemme used the example of Pokemon again.There are no guns in Pokemon. There are, however, massively advanced machinery that barely even exist in real life. Heck, there's a flying boat in BW2! But yet, the only thing that's even remotely like a gun, instead runs off a certain... 'power source' to prevent massive spoilers of BW2 that I haven't already said. Yes, gravity is in effect for the most part otherwise, but in this case, it's like this RPG; they stopped development of weapons, in favour of perfecting Pokeballs(Which, also seem to have stopped, given the placement of BW2 in the timeline), and other pieces of technology, not related to weapons.

[Havelock Vetinari]

There are no guns in Pokemon. There are, however, massively advanced machinery that barely even exist in real life. Heck, there's a flying boat in BW2! But yet, the only thing that's even remotely like a gun, instead runs off a certain... 'power source' to prevent massive spoilers of BW2 that I haven't already said. Yes, gravity is in effect for the most part otherwise, but in this case, it's like this RPG; they stopped development of weapons, in favour of perfecting Pokeballs(Which, also seem to have stopped, given the placement of BW2 in the timeline), and other pieces of technology, not related to weapons.

Wrong. Team Rocket used a gun to threaten someone in an episode that's been banned in the US.

[Blessed Blade]

Anime's non-canon. =P But touche; though they've never been seen again; which means either they aren't convenient, or that was retconned because it didn't fit into established canon. I forgot about that episode, though, because I had never seen it. You have a point with that one part. =P

[Alex Humva]

Yeah, us Americans are cool with our children watching people be brutally tortured by manipulating the blood inside of their bodies to twist muscles and break bones, but pointing a gun at someone? The horror!In non political-ness, I think that this RPG could do well, because you can take these fantastic elements and seeming absurdity and use it to reinforce itself. It's completely circular, but in story telling circular logic can actually work.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Anime's non-canon. =P But touche; though they've never been seen again; which means either they aren't convenient, or that was retconned because it didn't fit into established canon. I forgot about that episode, though, because I had never seen it. You have a point with that one part. =P

Or, in a meta-sense, they got sick of wrestling with american censors. They wanted the world to operate on logic, but the censors wouldn't let them. Granted, it's useless to speculate on that matter.Humva, you are *kind of* right. But changing big facts outside of comedy novels (discworld) needs a lot of explanation. Logical explanation that doesn't make the reader want to shut off their brain.

[ZTG]

... You know, I just remembered why I gave up trying to post my own original RPG here again, aside from lack of Co-Hosts.Because you guys rely on logic and real life physics way too much. >_< It's a game, it doesn't have to make perfect sense; for all we know, this world has enough materials possible to make robots; but the materials to create guns aren't around. Especially armour piercing rounds.Whatever; I'm done trying to argue in favour of magic(Which is freaking magic; it'll take as short a time as it likes to activate; it doesn't apply to the real world, because magic doesn't exist in the real world); though to mention, Final Fantasy's done the tech vs. magic thing ten times over(I think literally too, by this point...), and yet the only problems it runs into are the whiny fans complaining it's not totally non-linear like the original three games, or like FF7.I'm not saying you guys are bad RPers; you aren't. I just don't understand why we can't just suspend disbelief, like we do for muscled people who yell to turn their hair gold and become powerful enough to destroy the world, or like we do for tiny mouse creatures who can deep fry a giant 80 foot whale for a fun match to gain money and fame.

I agree Blade. RPGs are about having fun. Screw logic, I mean an RPG is limited by our imaginations. We shouldn't way it down by logic, unless we WANT it to.

[Havelock Vetinari]

I agree Blade. RPGs are about having fun. Screw logic, I mean an RPG is limited by our imaginations. We shouldn't way it down by logic, unless we WANT it to.

It is possible to have a fantasy RP and have it be intellectually fulfilling. The difference between good RP's and pure fantasy-fulfillment is that good RP's operate on logic or at least, some form of it.Dark Pit seems to be going for a serious RPG, not fantasy fulfillment. Serious RP's demand a certain amount of logic. Edited July 22, 2012 by Basilisk

[ZTG]

I agree Blade. RPGs are about having fun. Screw logic, I mean an RPG is limited by our imaginations. We shouldn't way it down by logic, unless we WANT it to.

It is possible to have a fantasy RP and have it be intellectually fulfilling. The difference between good RP's and pure fantasy-fulfillment is that good RP's operate on logic or at least, some form of it.Dark Pit seems to be going for a serious RPG, not fantasy fulfillment. Serious RP's demand a certain amount of logic.

Well yea I know, but it's seams that's a problem. I'm not knocking the whole idea, I fully support this RPG idea. Just that Im not too fond of RPGs that use logic. That's why I play RPGs on here kid Icarus, Rise of the Rockets, because they need logic, but logic doesn't weigh it down. That's just my opinion.But I am willing to help out with this RPG idea, namely the whole idea of Magic vs Machine, and it makes me wonder, who will win? What will happen? Edited July 22, 2012 by Zacax

[Alex Humva]

The goal is to, rather than shutting off your brain, fool the brain into thinking that it could actually work. A dystopian civilization, with 1984 style control, seeking to make turn magic users into a slave force to power their cities? Imagine the sort of revolution it'd be, if this is a steampunk world. I figure mages are going need to be able to generate a lot more energy than 28.7 kilowatts, but let's say they can semi-safely maintain fifty kilowatts. This would probably be turned into electricity by them turning a lever or something. While admittedly not conceivable for mass electricity production (for instance, using calculations done by XKCD it'd take millions of Yodas to power the US), it gives a very real motive for the Technos to want a slave labor force to, say, power research facilities, the head of state's house, etc.Of course, at the same time, steampunk implies that they know how to burn coal. Which means they can make a coal power plant. Which is what powers most industrialized nations nowadays. So...