XEL
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Yes, magic has no fewer possibilities than modern technology. In some places, even more. But the technologies of the Ancients are not the technologies of today, nor are they even at the level of, for example, Starcraft. A blaster in MM is a weapon of immense power; this was even reflected in the balance (although in terms of balance, the blaster is far from the most powerful weapon) — it ignores armor and magical protection. And Bracada wouldn't have been so desperate to seek out the Ancients if their magic could replace technology and the Ancients themselves. Yes, an archmage's beam is a laser (roughly speaking), but not an Ancient's blaster.
I still lean more toward the second option: that the weaponry in terms of power equals the technologies of the Ancients (meaning missiles and flamethrowers are slightly stronger than those in modern technology and the near future); besides, it seems the goblins' blasters are indeed from MM.
Although both options are plausible, I think that in the original AB (in which everything was completed except for the last campaign map), the plot intended for Forge to possess weaponry comparable to the technologies of the Ancients, while balancing it in-game with a giant cost and small growth. But the first option (with Ancient technologies at the seventh level, and the rest not drastically higher than modern Earth equipment) is also quite interesting and fits in.
Added after 2 hours 14 minutes
With the cancellation of Forge, many aspects of the "Armageddon's Blade" plot changed, not just the main storyline. But in the pure AB, with a separate disc, many moments reminding one of Forge remained. More details on this are in the file below.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/nkq0ec
I still lean more toward the second option: that the weaponry in terms of power equals the technologies of the Ancients (meaning missiles and flamethrowers are slightly stronger than those in modern technology and the near future); besides, it seems the goblins' blasters are indeed from MM.
Although both options are plausible, I think that in the original AB (in which everything was completed except for the last campaign map), the plot intended for Forge to possess weaponry comparable to the technologies of the Ancients, while balancing it in-game with a giant cost and small growth. But the first option (with Ancient technologies at the seventh level, and the rest not drastically higher than modern Earth equipment) is also quite interesting and fits in.
Added after 2 hours 14 minutes
With the cancellation of Forge, many aspects of the "Armageddon's Blade" plot changed, not just the main storyline. But in the pure AB, with a separate disc, many moments reminding one of Forge remained. More details on this are in the file below.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/nkq0ec