The Case for Cannons

[Deflare]

In Update #5, the devs have informed us that the major powers of the setting are largely possessed of late medieval/early Renaissance technology, including early firearms.

 

Please, please, please, please do my history-major self a favor and include cannons in that.

 

A brief history: Gunpowder's first use after its invention in China was in fireworks, because why not. Someone got the bright idea to point fireworks at enemy soldiers, which, while frightening, isn't terribly good at maiming or killing. Then, someone got the idea of strapping a gunpowder bomb to a castle wall or door, and that was effective, though rather dangerous.

 

So the first reliable, safe use of gunpowder in warfare was the cannon. The larger barrels of cannons allowed them to handle greater stresses than something that could be carried by a person, which make their manufacture somewhat easier. They also fulfilled a valuable niche: Blasting down increasingly large and rugged castle walls. For this reason, cannons were being used in European warfare as eary as the 13th century--a good two or three centuries before handguns became prolific. Their rate of fire was slower than other siege weapons, but against a wall, who cares? They hit a lot harder, and were scary to boot.

 

Translating this to a fantasy world, the logic holds. The physics are (probably) the same, so cannons are still easier to make. They're still good at smashing down stone walls (even if those stone walls are magically reinforced, given the precedent of firearms being able to puncture such barriers). A lucky shot means they could likely pulverize a lot of large monsters, especially slow ones or ones made from stone. There are logistical difficulties in transporting cannons, of course, and they require more specialized resources than, say, trebuchets, but a wealthy kingdom will very likely find them worthwhile.

 

Obviously, cannons don't need to feature in your average dungeon crawl. I'm just thinking that if we see a siege at some point, or read an account of one happening now or in the recent past, they should be a thing that exists. It's starting to bug me how many high-medieval settings don't have any sign of them, y'know?

 

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to the game. )

[Klaleara]

I approve of cannons in all forms, as they are awesome if animated/sounding right. Fortresses, ships, etc.

[general_azure]

1) Place recieving end of portal spell in front of cannon

2) Put the other side before whatever fool got in your way

3) Profit

 

Ah, how I've missed that spell...

[septembervirgin]

I think hand cannons and spear-tip rockets would be quite the sight!

[C2B]

Interesting discussion.

 

Just informing that Josh Sawyer is a history major himself, so I'd think he knows that (the history part at least)

Edited September 21, 2012 by C2B

[Canova]

A brief history: Gunpowder's first use after its invention in China was in fireworks, because why not. Someone got the bright idea to point fireworks at enemy soldiers, which, while frightening, isn't terribly good at maiming or killing. Then, someone got the idea of strapping a gunpowder bomb to a castle wall or door, and that was effective, though rather dangerous.

 

So the first reliable, safe use of gunpowder in warfare was the cannon.

yeah... in OUR world. P:E isnt set in our world.

its explained that firearms in P:E were invented specifically as a weapons against mages

[nikolokolus]

Who's to say another world's tech would develop along the same lines as our own? Perhaps gunpowder is extremely unstable in large quantities thus making it prohibitively dangerous to store.

 

In principle I'm kind of opposed to extensive use of cannons in this game. Wheel lock muskets and arquebuses are about as much as I'd like to see.

Edited September 21, 2012 by nikolokolus

[C2B]

A brief history: Gunpowder's first use after its invention in China was in fireworks, because why not. Someone got the bright idea to point fireworks at enemy soldiers, which, while frightening, isn't terribly good at maiming or killing. Then, someone got the idea of strapping a gunpowder bomb to a castle wall or door, and that was effective, though rather dangerous.

 

So the first reliable, safe use of gunpowder in warfare was the cannon.

yeah... in OUR world. P:E isnt set in our world.

its explained that firearms in P:E were invented specifically as a weapons against mages

 

Well, yeah. He probably meant it more as something that would fit what eternity is going for.

Edited September 21, 2012 by C2B

[Kissamies]

Yeah, I think cannons would make sense. Personal firearms might be rare but cannons could have replaced mechanical artillery as siege weapons. As for how this would appear in game, think how trebuchets and ballistas been in previous cRPGs and you probably get pretty close.

 

But how about grenades? You know those black iron spheres filled with gunpowder and a fuse. Those would fit the apparent tech level too and maybe even be adventurer equipment.

[Infinitron]

The Ultima series had cannons everywhere. Still felt perfectly medieval fantasy.

[Zoma]

Or this. If Eternity includes oriental inspired race.

 

[Entropious]

General history of Europe teaches us that cannons firing stone balls were used as early as the late 13th century. So, since in general this universe shall be set during Late Middle Ages, cannons would be most fitting as an in-game element, if only as part of the background and perhaps one or two dialogue mentions.

 

By the way, I'm George Bush.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Entropious

[Jarmo]

Doesn't really matter either way.

Against castle walls and stuff like that, not useful against a party of six, or luggable against monsters.*

 

So for the purposes of the game, it doesn't really matter if it's a cannon, a ballista or a trebuchet.

It won't come into play (unless there's a nice cutscene where it does).

 

Throwable bombs and placable explosives on the other hand, yeah!

 

*Although I've long thought an oversized arquebus would have been just the thing against dragons and ogres.

(the line of thinking that doesn't have too much real-world use, or even in game use for that matter)