I will attempt to describe my setting succinctly. The world follows real world physics with exemptions for magicka and alchemical enhancements to an extent. It is divided into three zones analogous to hemispheres; the Old World, the New World, and the Lost World.
The dominant world power, the Hartlynd Imperium, originated in the Old World, but early in its history gravitated towards virgin lands for conquest in the "New World" of the west. The Imperium is the most technologically and socially advanced nation in existence by a wide margin. It has complete dominance over the New World, vast territories in the Old World, and holds many territories in the Lost World, where it is engaged in a cold war with an ancient, magical race.
The Imperium has developed rifling, metal cartridges, and early semi automatic weaponry. For the most part, its soldiers make use of bolt action rifles with eight cartridge magazines. These are intended to be comparable with mid 19th century weaponry. Elite units are armed with semi-automatic rifles or longrifles with a maximum effective range of 1200 meters. The sharing of Imperial technology with foreigners is considered treason and punishable by death. No other nation has the knowledge to create such weapons, let alone manufacture them on a large scale. The primary firearms in the Old World are still muskets or hunting rifles, if access to firearms is even available.
Orcs do not use any rifles or muskets, but occasionally make use of scavenged pistols and the rare revolver. They dwell in a land of steppes and desert. Orcs are nearly all trained horse archers and their leaders consider primitive firearms inefficent in comparison to their recurved compound bows. They are a large, powerfully built people and can draw bows no other race could hope to use. They can shrug off several bullets from even standard issue Imperial rifles, but the Orc bow can pierce plate armor from distances within 50m.
Various nations and provinces of men in the Old World do make use of muskets, hunting rifles, and various artillery, but still field heavy cavalry, archers, halberdiers, and pikemen amongst other medieval units. It has been centuries since a major war has broken out and outside of the 'big three' powers, the arms race is often ignored.
The Estari Empire does not completely shun firearms, but rarely employs them outside of warships, naval bases, and artillery. They still prefer to make use of multipurpose skirmishers augmented by heavy cavalry, heavy infantry, and their specialty, battlemages.
The Imperium's foe in the Lost World was rapidly defeated in the last war (some eighty years before the current year). They rely heavily on strange alchemy to create brutish warriors and monsters that can shrug off small arms fire, but even with their magic, can not hope to hold out much longer against their foe's supeior firepower.
The foe in the Old World, the Empire under Kahaz, consists of 'demonic' beings the smallest of which stand over seven feet tall, incredibly strong, and protected by thick plate armor. Their size grants them great resistance to small arms fire and previous wars against these fiends resulted in great loss of life.
To summarize: I am attempting to justify rifles and other fireams being juxtaposed with melee for the following reasons:
1) Only one nation has access to top tier weaponry and is the most dominant power in the world by far.
2) Many species/creatures are resistant to even advanced small arms fire.
3) Only small arms are severely restricted, rifled cannons are ubiquitious in the free world
4) Magic and alchemy are used to counter more 'scientific' technology
I greatly appreciate your thoughts and criticism.
The dominant world power, the Hartlynd Imperium, originated in the Old World, but early in its history gravitated towards virgin lands for conquest in the "New World" of the west. The Imperium is the most technologically and socially advanced nation in existence by a wide margin. It has complete dominance over the New World, vast territories in the Old World, and holds many territories in the Lost World, where it is engaged in a cold war with an ancient, magical race.
The Imperium has developed rifling, metal cartridges, and early semi automatic weaponry. For the most part, its soldiers make use of bolt action rifles with eight cartridge magazines. These are intended to be comparable with mid 19th century weaponry. Elite units are armed with semi-automatic rifles or longrifles with a maximum effective range of 1200 meters. The sharing of Imperial technology with foreigners is considered treason and punishable by death. No other nation has the knowledge to create such weapons, let alone manufacture them on a large scale. The primary firearms in the Old World are still muskets or hunting rifles, if access to firearms is even available.
Orcs do not use any rifles or muskets, but occasionally make use of scavenged pistols and the rare revolver. They dwell in a land of steppes and desert. Orcs are nearly all trained horse archers and their leaders consider primitive firearms inefficent in comparison to their recurved compound bows. They are a large, powerfully built people and can draw bows no other race could hope to use. They can shrug off several bullets from even standard issue Imperial rifles, but the Orc bow can pierce plate armor from distances within 50m.
Various nations and provinces of men in the Old World do make use of muskets, hunting rifles, and various artillery, but still field heavy cavalry, archers, halberdiers, and pikemen amongst other medieval units. It has been centuries since a major war has broken out and outside of the 'big three' powers, the arms race is often ignored.
The Estari Empire does not completely shun firearms, but rarely employs them outside of warships, naval bases, and artillery. They still prefer to make use of multipurpose skirmishers augmented by heavy cavalry, heavy infantry, and their specialty, battlemages.
The Imperium's foe in the Lost World was rapidly defeated in the last war (some eighty years before the current year). They rely heavily on strange alchemy to create brutish warriors and monsters that can shrug off small arms fire, but even with their magic, can not hope to hold out much longer against their foe's supeior firepower.
The foe in the Old World, the Empire under Kahaz, consists of 'demonic' beings the smallest of which stand over seven feet tall, incredibly strong, and protected by thick plate armor. Their size grants them great resistance to small arms fire and previous wars against these fiends resulted in great loss of life.
To summarize: I am attempting to justify rifles and other fireams being juxtaposed with melee for the following reasons:
1) Only one nation has access to top tier weaponry and is the most dominant power in the world by far.
2) Many species/creatures are resistant to even advanced small arms fire.
3) Only small arms are severely restricted, rifled cannons are ubiquitious in the free world
4) Magic and alchemy are used to counter more 'scientific' technology
I greatly appreciate your thoughts and criticism.