“That type of weapon wasn’t invented until 12__ and didn’t come to Europe until 16__, so you shouldn’t have it in your fantasy story.” – Steve Is my fantasy story set in Europe (or our world, for that matter)? No. Was the weapon in question used well before the date Steve provided? Yes. And invented/used independently in multiple places outside Europe? Again, yes. Did Steve even get the Europe date right? Not by a long shot. I don’t even think he bothered Googling it. Even had he been right about the dates (which he glaringly wasn’t, and I could have told you that even before my history degree), it makes no sense to demand that a fantasy story set in a fantasy world follow the exact historical trajectory of Europe (or any other region). That’s not how history works! The beauty of fiction is exploring how things could or would happen in alternative or different worlds. Had even the slightest choices been made differently, our own history could have been radically different. The history of another world should be internally consistent and logical (however chaotic or random events may appear on the surface). But that history need not mirror our own (in fact, demanding such is just bafflingly ignorant). If you’re going to impose our history on fantasy worlds (please don’t, but if you must), at least get it right. What boggles my mind is how often these pedantic corrections are wildly, hilariously wrong. I’ve even wondered once or twice if this is sabotage disguised as constructive aid. Steve does seem the type 😅 Regardless, don’t let anyone box in your story with cheap history. Your world’s history is yours alone, and ours to discover.