Does anyone else prefer industrial fantasy to medieval fantasy?

[Bohemiana]

I'm very much a fantasy fan as opposed to science fiction, but I haven't been interested in building medieval settings in quite a long time. If I do make something with they typical dungeons and Dragons/Pathfinder medievalesque weapons and armor, I include a level of magical integration with technology that results in an industrial revolution. I usually go farther with that, though, making cartridge firearms the dominant weapons of the setting. I like guns in my fantasy. My medieval magitech work always has the arquebus, and I would never make a setting where trains weren't a common technology. I wouldn't call anything I do Steampunk, as I lean more towards Gaslamp Fantasy or something set in a fantasy expy of the mid 20th century, but I use some Steampunk and Dieselpunk elements, and do not dislike either style. I do not do Urban Fantasy, as I prefer my magic to be publicly known.

Does anyone else like more technology in their fantasy?

[Meshon]

Magitek Armor! Chung! Chung!

I tend towards medieval fantasy when I make maps or adventures, but really like playing with industrial ideas when I'm just imagining or pretending to world-build. I would really love, at some point, to do a convincing map of something in the arcane industrial age.

Also, I cannot deny, that the opportunity afforded by an industrial setting to throw dirt and smear grease on a map does fill me with delight.

cheers,
Meshon

[Diamond]

I'm with ya, Bohemiana. I used to be all about the traditional medieval setting, but over the last few years that's lost its appeal for the most part, and I go for more technological settings and/or different cultural archetypes than the default European.

[Bohemiana]

I'm with ya, Bohemiana. I used to be all about the traditional medieval setting, but over the last few years that's lost its appeal for the most part, and I go for more technological settings and/or different cultural archetypes than the default European.

When it comes to cultural archetypes, I tend to lean towards North American these days. I love it. I worldbuild for RPGs (mostly Pathfinder), and I have a group of friends that are split between who wants to play European characters and who wants to play Chinese or Japanese characters. By focusing the story on North America, I can please both factions and add in Native American, Mexican, and African cultural archetypes, all while maintaining thematic consistency (thematic consistency is pretty important to me). My preference for firearms and railroads also makes perfect sense in a North American setting.

[waldronate]

Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology (attribution left as an exercise for the reader).

[Meshon]

Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology (attribution left as an exercise for the reader).

I bet it was Cid.

[Jagged]

Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology (attribution left as an exercise for the reader).

"Any sufficiently analysed magic is indistinguishable from science"

- Girl Genius

[Azélor]

Steampunk, yes I like both genre a lot. But whether a world is interesting, it all comes to the details. Some medieval fantasy universe are boring, while others are good.

[Larb]

I have a couple of other underdeveloped worlds I write and draw for whenever I feel like a break from fantasy stuff. I do sometimes get the urge to do science-fantasy or sci-fi things now and then but fantasy is my main focus though.

[Gamerprinter]

I get into different moods all the time. Though I mostly play fantasy based settings. While I was in a feudal Japan mood, I published the Kaidan setting of Japanese horror (PFRPG) as an imprint under Rite Publishing. Recently I got into a Victorian/Old West mood, and am currently working on a setting intended for publication called Gothic Western, also for Pathfinder, which will indeed feature PF's Advanced Firearm rules, though also heavily borrowing from Cthulhu and gothic horror.

For a while, a few months ago, I was in a sci-fi mood, but then Legendary Games needed a half dozen maps for a sci-fi/fantasy adventure module, and I got my sci-fi mood to pass...