Out of all descriptions you choose pancakes.
And technology is really, really wierd in the lore… And in WoW.
Waaaait a minute 
i got brain worms
I quite like the idea of technology being magic for the magically inept. Studying for hours to master the arcane’s intricacies is now a thing of the past when you can instead press this big red button.
Both set things on fire, so it’s basically the same*
*Results may vary.
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Very much find myself agreeing with this. I know that it’s effectively up to an individual who and what they play, but seeing like a Night Elf engineer/gadgeteer (I have seen one before) was quite jarring for me. Sure, on the flipside it’s something to react to, and you probably do get the odd maverick like that. But it would be annoying (imo) to see that become the norm, if that makes sense?
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Yes
Mecha-Gallvin coming soon
In the mechagon unlock questline one of the tinkologists at the vault is a night elf. I imagine outliers against normal social norms do exist like that, sure it’s gonna be an eyebrow raise when encountered. However I imagine it wouldn’t be the norm, people often choose a race to RP for a lot of the themes associated and well, tinkering and elves isn’t so common.
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Well, about the ‘solving issues’ thing everyone seems to be talking about; I believe there’s a difference between using technology IC to ‘solve issues’ in that way, and solving issues using the technology you have on hand IC. The two are often confused.
As far as I’m concerned, if you have a flintlock pistol IC, you’re likely to use it. Then again, do not expect the pellet shooter to be overly successful against a high fantasy RPer who spends his time cleaving demons in half, clad in enchanted armor.
I very much dislike how, say, someone purposely lessens the impact of another’s perfectly valid technological/magical endeavour, because it doesn’t fit into their vision of WoW, even though it’s common in the setting. Like fire never being successful as an attack, in RP. Literally never is.
Whenever someone gets hit by a fireball IC, they’re all “stumbles back, grunting in pain.” It’s a fireball. If you’re an unarmoured or leather-clad mortal with no magical defenses to speak of, you should be on fire. And if you don’t want your character set on fire, why consent to being struck?
My entire character revolves around using devices to even out his battles. My absolute favourite thing to use is the gnomish shrink ray, which essentially shrinks down the target thrice their size.
I also use flamethrowers/plasma shields/rocket boots and things like that, when it comes to technology it’s very important for a gnome to use everything at his disposal to make the fights fair and also more fun.
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Relevant to the topic and OP’s race, I also like to highlight that “technology” has nuances of application and usage between races.
As Koiffen stated, to use the sort of ubiquitous and everyday technology a Goblin, Gnome or Dwarf may, without being any of these races, to my mind rids them of some unique flavour. Draenei on one hand, do have advanced technology, arguably the most, but it is not as industrialised in use as these three races.
Draenei technology also heavily relies on a mixture of “technology” and magic. Arkonite and Argunite are the batteries so to speak that power much of their technology, and it’s a quite rare substance, especially Argunite, which is now essentially a finite resource.
My point is, it’s important to understand the distinctions between races usage of “technology” and if you’re going to RP a technologically driven Draenei, you need to take into account the way Draenei use technology and its (very large) drawbacks relating to how they power it in the first place.
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I’m a bit of a boomer in this regard, but like I’ve said in other threads, my personal taste is that I’m not a big fan of much technology in RP. As others have pointed out, it isn’t presented as sparse enough to make sense that it wouldn’t be widespread.
With no offence to any gnomish RPers, rocket launchers and rocket boots and the like really detract from a scene for me and very much take me out of it. Whilst I agree technology has always been a part of WoW (gnomish and goblin, occasional dwarven), I feel Cataclysm really pushed the zaniness of it up to 100 and consequently impacted the way a lot of people respond to technology and portray technology.
It’ll always be down to preference. I intentionally avoid tech-based RP when I can, but I don’t downright blacklist gnome RPers (would be kinda cringe tbh). It’s the benefit of having a universe that contains a mishmash of pretty much everything: you can pick and choose what you enjoy and engage with. I’d never deny its existence in the setting, but I do feel like certain technology detracts from it; there’s a difference between flying steam-powered zeppelins and automated machine guns.
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My biggest issue with technology as solution for obstacles in RP comes from two scenarios, neither of which applies to technology alone, but can also be common with magic users:
- A character who has pre-written tools for every situation and is therefore never really caught off-guard.
- A character who has very vaguely written tools, but gets new gimmicks added onto said tools in the heat of the moment, just so that they can’t be caught off guard.
Both are a problem because they keep the character from ever being involved earnestly in a tense situation.
A much more enjoyable take on that idea, imo at least, would involve one simple thing; time.
Sure, a Goblin or a Gnome, when their group is caught out in a situation, could plausibly figure out some widget or gadget that could massively help, because that’s one of their races traits/advantages that makes up for, y’know, being short and a bit weedy! (Sorry, not sorry~)
But! They need time to kludge together whatever gizmo they’re working on. Which rolls right back to the point about tension; can their friends hold off the threat? Can they stick the right oojimaflip onto the thigamibob? Who knows!
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Afaik there used to be a a really comprehensive list of technology in the setting made by Fyne back in the old forums- It covered eveyrthing from just about daily applications to combat enhancing stuff to limb replacements, mounts, etc, having some really cool minor details.
A really cool approach is when technology is always as much of a problem as it is a solution. This doesn’t always mean trying to balance it by constant comical backfiring - there’s plenty of other interesting ramifications to consider.
Applies to magic too, really.
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Ahh so many replies, I’m enjoying all this input. Plus I’ve been armed with a PC now.
I agree yeah, technology underwent quite a damn quick BOOM in WoW lore. From the stuff in Wrath, which was already pretty cool, till Legion with the Vindicaar and everything. Personally I adore it, like you do, embracing the utter chaos of it all. Also in line with Azareal’s comment, that things are arguably becoming magic but in physical form. That’s the way I personally prefer it, though that is obviously a very subjective opinion.
A whole slew of you have also mentioned the “drawbacks”. Which, like anything in RP, is of course quite important to consider. Overcoming weaknesses and such, after all, is a lot more rewarding than simply being OP. What I’ve found is that my use of technology in RP, is often that sort of weird mix between advanced sci-fi and high fantasy. I adore the fusion of the two, to the point where one could basically replace the other.
And rooted in IRL scientific theories from a while back, if memory serves. I remember searching around after I read the RPG books and was like “Hold up, this guy doesn’t look like a Warcraft gnome…” 
.
I like the idea about time/effort as well, and I think that’s perhaps the most vital part. It doesn’t “require” you to constantly set yourself up for failure, because you use the time to actually make something that will work. For an artificer, I portray that as careful study and research into the problem, while also creating various schematics with benefits and drawbacks to them all. I remember we did an event in the Hand of Xe’ra, where we gathered Draenethyst because Torahuurn needed it in a big project.
So yeah! I personally view technology and magic quite similar, arcane in particular. This scientific approach to doing things, whether that be constructing a device that can teleport you, or developing and memorizing a spell to do it. That’s only a single way to view it of course. Keep the wisdom flowing, I’m loving the conversation on this topic so far. Lots of brilliant thoughts!
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You could say that really the constant warfare has pushed the onwards march of science and technology to meet the constant shifting demands of the conflict. If you really needed a sort of worldbuilding background explaination for it all. Over the course of the Warcraft games and expansions especially. We went from Wrath with one of the new large gunships for each faction built to navigate a place like Icecrown to seeing more constructed. Flying machines that existed back in the old wars becoming more common place.
Even the Iron Horde as different as it later became was at the core origin a moment of technological uplifting. Garrosh bringing the Iron Star technology that bought effectively the combustion engine to a less advanced time period and the knowledge to actually utilise it.
Even in our own history in the real world. Technology in many areas surged forward because the need was there, necessity is the mother of invention. This also helps explain in many areas why large parts of other areas of technology haven’t advanced. Peasants still work farms, while advanced gunships fly overhead. The technology associated with warfare has moved on in the Warcraft setting but many other areas haven’t.
The Horde advances, the Alliance advances. Each to outdo the other, to maintain their edge.
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As long as it isn’t used in place of having an interesting character, and isn’t used to invalidate the presence of another character or group of characters, technology (like magic) is fine. I’d say, really, that at least the second part of that comes down to feeling the room. Try to understand the kind of RP going on around you before you roll out the death ray, nano-shield, and pocket teleporters.
Personally, I don’t much enjoy technological focus in RP, largely because 80-90% of my interactions with it have run afoul of the above. The relatively few positive interactions with it, focusing more on the juxtaposition of different characters than “look at my bling,” have been pretty enjoyable, though.
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