For this, I need opinions. Working on an anthology set within a specific setting, most people travel across lands by use of portals. And due the ancestral political and technological state of the lands and Balkinization the numerous nations within the lands all have varying levels of technology. Some more advanced than us, others are little more than glorified bronze smiths. Pretty every body knows about stuff like cell phones, but not every one may have the chance to own them. During a single persons lifetime, their country could literally advance from the Bronze Age to space age FTL. However, they could also regress. Despite roughly 20k years of globalisation, the world is still being colonized (as in completely uninhabited land, Australia when the aborigines landed there), nations still are making first contact with completely new cultures and countries. There is no novelty, no real technological advancements have been made, uninhabited lands were inhabited before their inhabitants died out. Land and resources seem infinite, except when within your own borders. With thousands of nations, quadrillions of people, a literally immeasurable amount of land, terrifying diseases, cures for everything (except death and life), nuclear bombs, high tech radiation cleaning, etc, etc. If that was the world we lived in, where a nation of bronzesmiths could become a nation of astronauts in a single generation (and vice versa), what would be your most powerful fears and aspirations?
On our boring world, technology works by having a common need (phones replacing written messages for faster dialogues between parties, farming equipment for agricultural efficiency, etc.) and everyone slowly builds up knowledge either from fighting for it, stealing it, or simply exchanging services. I know you've considered this, I'm just confused as to how advanced socially and materially a society can get without colonizing the Earth's land for extra resources. If I was living in such a world, I'd aspire to at least make some difference or get out of there- because my fear would be that I'd end up contributing to an endless cycle of vulnerable states being taken by over invulnerable states, leading to weakened countries that once again get preyed on, and nothing really changing.
Perhaps the best way to say it without specifying anything in particular, is most scientific technology is bought or traded between nations, while some of the more advanced technology has been gradually lost throughout the ages. Also, the landmasses could not from pangea, since there is less than water between. Also been thinking of doing the stories in reverse order to gradually reveal the beginning
This world doesn’t seem authentic to me, but my greatest aspiration would probably be as widespread, advanced, durable, and standardised infrastructure as possible. Roads, for instance. In such a world, it would simultaneously be the greatest blessing and curse. If I was a ruler of a nation, it would allow me to swiftly and efficiently crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentation of their women. Exploit resources of less advanced or populous nations, draft them, enslave them, and keep on expanding. Make them dependent on the infrastructure, and use it to punish them if they rebel. That’s the Roman way, the geography was favourable, and it worked for them. Your world appears to be similarly accommodating. The positive side of this is that food and technology can be distributed much better. Is this the kind of answer you were hoping for, or is my inner Conan vocalising needlessly?
