Tell us about your day. -cuz we love to listen-

[Serenity Reed]

Uh, uh, uh............

Magic is more powerful and can create wide-spread damage, of varying degrees. You just need to focus (reload) and have enough of a will for it. Cannons are the type that have a hunk of gun powder that shoots out a giant ball--it doesn't explode, but it can rip off your leg.
Of course, since magic is so good at its job, technology falls behind--they haven't developed anything smaller than 'rocks shot out through large amounts of gunpowder'. (I, of course, need to research more of this--I'm not yet too sure. They've fallen behind from isolationism in terms of the rest of the world, kind of like Japan did.)  

[Darak]

Coming from a guy who knows a guy.

Cannon ammunition (and I'm guessing were talking basic Napoleonic era cannons here?) comes in a lot more forms than just the solid shot, as you described. Solid shot is only used for basic siege warfare, for armies to stay at a distance and pound the hell away at walls and other stationary defenses, not people. On the other hand, in a battlefield situation, cannons could be loaded with a good number of anti-personnel projectiles. Like Chain shot (Two metal balls chained together), Canister shot (Canisters filled with shrapnel), Carcass (Incendiary bombs), and Shells (Basic, good ol' American bombs).

And FYI, basic handguns have existed since the 10th century. And the Japenese had acquired guns long before the age of the samurai, but simply regressed back into sword warfare due to a several century long peace that settled over the nation after its unification under the emperor except for that little war they had with Korea, where they dropped that samurai honor bullshit and went bats hit over the Korean populace (Killing more unarmed civilians than they did soldiers) with cannons and katanas, and still ended up having their asses handed to them by a technologically superior Korean navy.

Bitches.  

[Serenity Reed]

Wow, I didn't know you'd freak out so much, guy who knows a guy. XD For the record, I'm a bit fuzzy, but I did know that handguns existed--I just thought that was only in China.
*searches for more info*
I was focusing on more medieval siege weapons for the bigger stuff, and ship cannons around/before early 1800 for 'naval' warfare. (Shrapnel stuffed in the barrel, non spinning, not very accurate...)
Wait, why don't we just make a thread or something? It could be useful for all of us to have someone who actually knows something, and not just me who is throwing half-correct information into blank gaps. XD


*reads about cannons* I wonder if the school library has any books on the subject...  

[Darak]

Start what kind of thread? A warfare thread? Or some kind of general Q and A type thing for people who are looking to do research on various subjects necessary for their writing?  

[Serenity Reed]

Various subjects, I'd say. =3

Man, Geek-a-thon was FUN. I relived my childhood for a few moments in Mario Kart 64. WORTH EVERY MOMENT. And then we played DDR! YAY!  

[Darak]

Various subjects. Sounds good. I see you got it started  

[Serenity Reed]

.....Yeah but I suck. ; ___ ;  

[Darak]

I've been taking a look at it, I don't think you exactly need to do a post for each subject, but wait for people to start asking questions, or just have it as a forum for research advice like I did before with your comment on firearms. Then, after you have answers up, you can start to create links to the research discussions in the first post under different subjects. What do you think about that?  

[Serenity Reed]

That's the plan, but I thought I'd have some 'general subject' posts pertaining to a few wide subjects to catch some of the subjects I think will have lots. I'd really much rather like the first post to be an index instead of cluttered with even more linkage. =3 I suck, but I'd like the thread to be clearly navigable.  

[Darak]

Okay, just remember to do one on government and politics. I'll try and get some research going then whisper you what I find, okay?  

[Serenity Reed]

Oh yeah, I was thinking I was missing some. Should I include history under this topic, or have a misc.?  

[Darak]

History is good, though a bit vague as a title, I guess general world history could go there.  

[Serenity Reed]

Sigh. Why has it been such a busy day? *mope mope mope*  

[Darak]

Well at least you got stuff done, not everyone can say the same for their busy days.  

[Spastic waffles]

Sorry I disappeared for a couple days.

Basically last week I had the project of death to do.
Then I went home on spring break and people kept stealing me away from my internet. This is the first time I've even gotten to get on my computer since I got home on Friday!!!

-mwah-

Hi my lovelies!