How technologically advanced is Equestria?

[MidnightBlackhorn]

At first I thought it was in medieval times basically, but then I thought of a couple of things:

1. Spikes 7 hour bubble bath. This one is just minor but, Ponyville has running hot water? That doesn't seem like much at first, but that is WAY advanced from the dark age-esque front he show puts on. And more importantly:

2. Vinyl Scratch's turntables (not to mention huge speakers). How could those possibly be there if Equestria wasn't modern based?

I know this has probably been beaten to death, but I need answers.

Help?

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Equestria, or the world of FiM, does not have a specific time period tech level. They technology is spread out, with things like camera's being used, yet there is no mechanical farm equipment.

Equestrians seem to want minimal technology. Ponies like doing work (such as Applejack), and doing their part to help out the community. They don't want easier lives (Applejack rejecting Flim and Flam), they are content to work, day after day, long hours or short, just until everything is done. They live life simply, but everypony gives something that helps out, even if they don't get anything tangible in return. Fluttershy takes care of the animals, and gets their gratitude. Do you think she gets paid for that? I assume there is some sort of system in place the grants bits to everypony that uses their talent, yet doesn't perform a job that brings in income (Twilight Sparkle and her research).

So, you can't really put a tech level on Equestria. Their tech is skewed and sometimes random, but it boils down to usually something that has a purpose. If it doesn't serve a useful purpose, or if it takes a job a pony could do, it's probably not going to be present.

[Bellosh]

Equestria is subject to the realities of Schizo Tech. However, my assumption is that specific pieces of technology exist only if a magic spell can't do the same thing or if it won't steal somepony's job.

[MidnightBlackhorn]

Hmm.... i seem to remember reading something about there not being video games according to RP board canon. Why is that?

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Well, for a long long time in the show, we never saw them. When they appeared in Hearts and Hooves Day, we counted it as a 'gag item'. Something that appears just for laughs, but perhaps does not even make sense in the show. Although it is possible that it was a pinball machine, which are pretty low tech, or magically powered. However, for the sake of simplicity, and because they only appeared once for a few brief seconds, we've just decided it's easier to leave them out for now.

[TotalEcplise]

Equestria is subject to the realities of Schizo Tech. However, my assumption is that specific pieces of technology exist only if a magic spell can't do the same thing or if it won't steal somepony's job.

What this pony said.

Coal powered trains, hydro electric dams, advanced turntables and speakers, their tech is all over the place. The flintstones could get away with it because they made everything out of rocks and sticks and powered it with a person or an animal. Equestria obviously has decent metallurgy and metalcrafting so they are free to build what ever they want and power it with magic and say 'magic, we aint gotta explain snit'.

[MidnightBlackhorn]

What this pony said.

Coal powered trains, hydro electric dams, advanced turntables and speakers, their tech is all over the place. The flintstones could get away with it because they made everything out of rocks and sticks and powered it with a person or an animal. Equestria obviously has decent metallurgy and metalcrafting so they are free to build what ever they want and power it with magic and say 'magic, we aint gotta explain snit'.

I loled

But you are right

While we are on the subject:

Computers/TV

Go

[Lerian]

I always go with, (ie headcanon), necessity and desire drive invention. So for example trains are used for freight (too large/heavy for ponies) and long distance travel but there are no cars as ponies are happy to walk/trot/gallop for longer distances than humies. Electronics exist to a degree but are less developed than IRL, either due to a different social outlook (ponies are even more social than humies so less personal/family unit entertainment e.g. TV's and videogames). They are used however for science SCIENCE, (Twilights lab), and information/education (look at the style of TV programming 30,40 or 50 years ago).

Just my 2 bits.

Also magic, we don't know exactly what things can be covered by it. Apple picking machinery? Twilight de-apples a huge number of trees with (specialist level?) TK in SSCS 6000....

[Rosewind]

I think the main problem is that Equestria keeps getting compared to the tech level of real life. Equestria is its own tech level -- which can vary by episode -- and it's left open on purpose to give creative wiggle room to the development team.

For the sake of RP here on Canterlot, we like to keep the tech level (what Scotchie has dubbed) comparative to Little House on the Prairie.

[elsporko]

I think the tech level is overall low with the high level tech being the result of a unicorn's individual magic with little mass manufacturing.

Flim and Flam have a magic powered automobile/apple harvester but if you were to give one to an average pony it would be useless as they don't have the magic and knowledge to run it so mass production of automobiles would be pointless. Trains going to Canterlot are powered by coal, or magic but the train going to Appleoosa was not, which is sensible if you think how a tiny frontier town has fewer resources then the capital, so the rail line would be out of date

There just seems to be a large disparity although in Ponyville at least there is also quick advancement, which could be a result of Twilight being there seeing as she is both powerful and well connected.

[shadowrush]

from watching multiple episodes I am gonna guess equestria is in a magical industrial era. think about it, a rainbow factory in cloudsdale, steam train powered by coal or magic, Flim and Flam's apple cider Machine which looks like an Automobile, Vinyl Scratch's Turntable and speakers with records, and if you remember in the Apple Family Reunion episode it showed them using sewing machines to finish the quilt. and of course in ep. 100 it showed a brief scene with Doctor Whooves and you know what he has. but he's the Doctor so he shouldn't really count. and pinkie has a party cannon. it might not use gunpowder but it still functions like a normal cannon. so I got enough evidence to say that equestria is in a magical industrial era.