Patrick-Leigh
Inkling
In developing ideas for my flintlock fantasy setting, I've been weighing the possibilities of "mechanized carriages" being a thing. Steam engines and steam powered ships are coming into the fore, but I've been thinking that land-based vehicles with engines should also be something I should include. While some would be steam powered, I think that most mechanized carriages would actually be moved by sterling engines. Here's a video explaining the principles of such engines.
Since the cutoff date for most forms of technology that I'm adopting into my setting is about 1850 (with some exceptions,) sterling engines are viable since they were invented in 1816. The way they would work in my setting would be that magic would provide the heat/cold effects needed to cause the air to expand and contract in the pistons. Of course, such engines would be costly, so mechanized carriages would not be in widespread use, but the sight of one traveling down the road would not be unprecedented for most people, especially if they become a status symbol for the wealthy to possess. In other words, seeing a mechanized carriage would usually mean seeing a member of the aristocrat or wealthy gentry. As for how these vehicles would look, I think the electric runabouts that were used in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries would be a good starting point. Here are a few examples:
As you can see, their designs would still be very much in line with a carriage, buggy, cart, etc., because that is the only point of reference most designers would have as a basis. These vehicles are a new frontier but people wouldn't want a design that's too great of a departure from what is familiar to them, ie, animal drawn vehicles. Additionally, even though they could go faster than a horse drawn vehicle, that doesn't mean people would drive them that much faster in most places due to the design of the roads and the regular carriages and wagons they'd encounter on the roads. Further, I don't see the engines powering them being too powerful, so most would have a top speed of about 20-30 mph, except for those owned by the exceptionally wealthy.
I feel that vehicles like this are viable in my setting, though I am concerned that they might not gel for some readers, since the overall aesthetic is Baroque while runabouts are associated with the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. However, I also feel that they make sense. For starters, if I have steam powered ships, it's logical that people are going to be trying to make steam powered vehicles. Since the sterling engine was conceived in 1816, it's also logical that someone would come up with it in my setting. Combine that with a magical heating and cooling system, and the sterling engine becomes quite viable, more than it was historically and presently. (Seriously, we've had this technology for over 200 years and it's still largely ignored!)
The largest limitations would be the magical power source. Power Gems that store large amounts of Aethyr are not cheap, but synthetic Power Cores (basically artificial Power Gems) are becoming easier to synthesize. That said, the larger and heavier the vehicle, the more juice your going to need to power the heating/cooling systems that make the pistons work, which means a larger and more expensive Power Core. This, combined with the precisely shaped components of the engine, would put a big limit on how large these vehicles would be for most people. The super wealthy could go with a mechanized coach, complete with heated seats and magical shock absorbers, but most nobles and wealthy gentry could only afford a small mechanized carriage of the runabout variety. Even these would not be commonplace, but they also wouldn't be a rare sight.
In other words, they're a status symbol that all the well-to-do would seek to own in order to stay in vogue.
But, again, I am concerned that such vehicles might not gel with the overall aesthetic for some readers, so I'd like to get people's feedback on this. Do you think that magically powered sterling engines in runabouts are all right to include in a Baroque-style setting or do they seem too Victorian/Edwardian to feature? Let me know what you think. Also, if you do think I should include them, what are some other magical features these vehicles could have? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that, too.
Thank you in advance for any feedback you have!
As you can see, their designs would still be very much in line with a carriage, buggy, cart, etc., because that is the only point of reference most designers would have as a basis. These vehicles are a new frontier but people wouldn't want a design that's too great of a departure from what is familiar to them, ie, animal drawn vehicles. Additionally, even though they could go faster than a horse drawn vehicle, that doesn't mean people would drive them that much faster in most places due to the design of the roads and the regular carriages and wagons they'd encounter on the roads. Further, I don't see the engines powering them being too powerful, so most would have a top speed of about 20-30 mph, except for those owned by the exceptionally wealthy.
I feel that vehicles like this are viable in my setting, though I am concerned that they might not gel for some readers, since the overall aesthetic is Baroque while runabouts are associated with the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. However, I also feel that they make sense. For starters, if I have steam powered ships, it's logical that people are going to be trying to make steam powered vehicles. Since the sterling engine was conceived in 1816, it's also logical that someone would come up with it in my setting. Combine that with a magical heating and cooling system, and the sterling engine becomes quite viable, more than it was historically and presently. (Seriously, we've had this technology for over 200 years and it's still largely ignored!)
The largest limitations would be the magical power source. Power Gems that store large amounts of Aethyr are not cheap, but synthetic Power Cores (basically artificial Power Gems) are becoming easier to synthesize. That said, the larger and heavier the vehicle, the more juice your going to need to power the heating/cooling systems that make the pistons work, which means a larger and more expensive Power Core. This, combined with the precisely shaped components of the engine, would put a big limit on how large these vehicles would be for most people. The super wealthy could go with a mechanized coach, complete with heated seats and magical shock absorbers, but most nobles and wealthy gentry could only afford a small mechanized carriage of the runabout variety. Even these would not be commonplace, but they also wouldn't be a rare sight.
In other words, they're a status symbol that all the well-to-do would seek to own in order to stay in vogue.
But, again, I am concerned that such vehicles might not gel with the overall aesthetic for some readers, so I'd like to get people's feedback on this. Do you think that magically powered sterling engines in runabouts are all right to include in a Baroque-style setting or do they seem too Victorian/Edwardian to feature? Let me know what you think. Also, if you do think I should include them, what are some other magical features these vehicles could have? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that, too.
Thank you in advance for any feedback you have!
Istar
Myth Weaver
