Most advanced pre-industrial world possible

How advanced can we make a pre-industrial world? We'll use the standard of no mass production and no or few combustion engines, and, if there's any electric generators, they are limited in size and scope (local windmills and waterwheels).

What technology can we get?
How advanced can medicine get?
Communications?
How about infrastructure?
Politics?
Agricultural technology?

etc. etc. etc.
 

Rockingham

Banned
How advanced can we make a pre-industrial world? We'll use the standard of no mass production and no or few combustion engines, and, if there's any electric generators, they are limited in size and scope (local windmills and waterwheels).

What technology can we get?
How advanced can medicine get?
Communications?
How about infrastructure?
Politics?
Agricultural technology?

etc. etc. etc.
Easy, Aliens visit the Earth and deposit all possible tech/medicine/political knowledge/etc/etc/etc without pushing the civilisation over the inustrialisation edge.
 
Ever see pics of Renaissance-wank? I remember seeing a pic of a castle, built over a waterfall that had 'pools' built for hot-air balloons with cannons and such. I think that's a glimpse of what you're suggesting. Also: Alchemists actually doing something useful and having guilds and whatnot that made useful chemicals. Think Greek fire type weapons.

Some pre-industrial, or even early-industrial machinery could be in use. The spinning jenny, for example, or a crude version of steam engines, minus the industrial capability (so, hobby stuff, or workshop stuff rather than factories).

I don't remember where I saw this picture.
 
Top