This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Krid: "*Subverted in Stargate SG-1 where many civilizations such as the Asgard and Goa'uld never developed gunpowder. They apparently skipped from bows and arrows right to particle beams. Naturally this means the bullets are needed to save the universe."
You're kidding, right? First: It's never established that they "skipped" gunpowder, only that at this point the idea would never have occurred to them. Second: Stargate is one of the worst offenders - not only to people independently develop their technology along the exact same lines, they often develop their cultures and architecture along the exact same lines as well!
Cort Jstr: I remember it as Thor saying that the entire concept of gunpower/bullets had not occurred to their race at all. But I haven't seen the Replicator episodes in a while. I know remember that I should've have included the Goa'uld (sp?) because much of their technology is stolen so they are an example of the skipping mentioned in the 2nd paragraph. The cultures and architecture advancing on the same lines is part of the premise of the show, that the Goa'uld/Ori are externally influencing each planet as false deities. Although when it happens in the Pegasus galaxy that's a better example of the trope.
Krid: I remember that episode, but I recall it more as Thor saying that they wouldn't have thought of using chemically-propelled objects to do gross physical trauma, as they've only considered reaching for higher levels of technology. I dunno about you, but if I encountered a creature that was Immune to Bullets, then I'd probably try bigger bullets instead of trying bows and arrows or knives. Of course, the real reason why Thor scooped up armed humans is likely that the Asgard aren't built for combat, and they're too depopulated to present an effective fighting force anyway.
Ununnilium: This is actually a page where the first-person perspective for a single sentence works.
Pengvado: I would have cited Civilization's tech trees as an aversion of the trope: Each tech has some prerequisites, usually logically related. There is no total ordering imposed on the player's research.
Joeyjojo it's this trope aleast partly justified? Any technological developmental will need a basis in a related previous one and likewise influenced later developments.
Peteman: Is it true that the Asgard never developed bullets (or kinetic weapons), or was it simply that bullets were not used for such a long time that no one thought of them. Remember, the Asgard were the contemporaries of the Ancients. Their civilization is millions of years old. A technology that was useful 2 million years ago might not be considered effective when your most effective modern weapons, aren't that effective. I recall them saying (I'm paraphrasing here) "we never would have thought of using projectiles propelled by chemicals", but not "We never used bullets".
Evilest_Tim: Shouldn't this trope also include the other "technology levels" idea that anything at a "higher" level is instantly better in every way than something at a "lower" level, regardless of anything? For example, that a projectile weapon, no matter how advanced, is by default inferior to an energy weapon.
