#trying to write realistic stories is impossible when people can rewarp

[randomnameless]

Re-reading the completely translated interview, there is something that picked my interest about the so called technology stagnation

Kusakihara: The development team was pretty particular. Basically, they used dishes from the Age of Discovery as a model, then added fantasy-like twists. We especially wanted to give some reality to the ingredients and preparation methods, so we deduced what kinds of vegetables you could grow and fish you could catch based on the topography. Faerghus, Leicester, and Adrestia all have wildly different climates and cultures, so we adjusted how nobles and commoners would live, what kinds of food they’d acquire, and even what flavors they’d enjoy alongside each character’s likes and dislikes, and that’s how we formed Fodlan’s worldview. And if they have magic, then maybe they could make this in the greenhouse, or since there’s ice magic, maybe they could make something like ice cream. We thought of all kinds of stuff like that. The monastery is on top of a mountain, so it’s a bit of a cold climate, so I think the greenhouse runs on magic. It’s a world where there’s magic instead of scientific progress, so they’d have to adapt like that.

So, despite me being the loser who made a post about dishes, their ingredients and what they could mean - which was actually something the devs thought to flesh out their countries, since the game visuals doesn’t tell us a thing - I already noted the magically made ice creams and magically matured meat.

And yet, at that time, I wasn’t really paying attention to all kind of discourse and all, but the “techonology” discourse always baffled me in a way because...

Why are we wondering about lenses to see from afar, when long range magic and siege tomes (magic in this opus) have always been a thing? Are we supposed to believe FE7′s Sonia used a telescope to shoot boltings right and left, just like FE8′s Selena?

Oil could be used to make fire... but every peon with an E rank in magic can use a Fire spell (with crap might though).

Since when technology has been so important in the FE verse? Almyra has boats with canons? Well, I have a Dark Flier who can use magic and bomb their ships with a single spell.

I think the first time I went “nope not dealing with this shit” is when someone pointed out Claude, because Almyra is Middle Eastern inspired, would be appalled at seeing Fodlan’s backward... medicine ? Because - and I suppose this take was made by someone very knowledgeable on medicine and healing in Western Europe during the Middle Ages - Fodlanese people would still try to use leeches to heal when Claude, would know basics of what we call now modern medicine.

And yet... No? Maybe Fodlanese healers can’t perform eye surgery, but why would they need to? Just use a Heal spell, or a Restore spell ! Heal is the very first spell you get when you have a D rank in faith!

You have punctured lung, lost 1L of blood and broke both of your legs? Just use an Elixir, it restores all of your HP!

Of course it might be difficult to roleplay, or to write “gritty novelizations” if you take into account magic, pegasi, swords giving +3 strength and people who can transform in dragons... But this is Fire Emblem. Performing eye surgery has never been an issue.

However, I think it became one, especially with FE16.

Because a certain TV show was running during its development that prides itself on “gritty realism”, and because Fodlan tries to shake off the “fantasy” from the FE series. Manuela will explain the difference between healing magic and medicine, even if, from a gameplay point, both restore HP. 

And also, because the weird mole people are here, and “technology” and “magitech” is used to show how those people, the Agarthans and the Nabateans, are different from the rest of Fodlan people, highlighting their differences - and ultimately influence.

Tl; dr : why is it so important to some that Fodlan people cannot build firearms  when they can already shoot light beams from their hands and heal by snapping their fingers or drinking weird potions?