There are spells and various effects that can be used vrs. flying creatures as well. Part of the arms (and magic) race. 

Keeping the most of gunpowder tech and similar out is fine by me.

I am interested in seeing how the tactical battles will pan out.

I think a very rudimentary form of flying machine, musket and bombard cannon could work, as long as by that stage the magic and abilities of other typical fantasy military units are not overwhelmed by them. Remember, some factions utilise 'technology' while others focus on 'magic' (both seperate in terms of research and applicability)

Quoting Asharak,

reply 16

Quoting Skinner, reply 15

I always liked the idea of a random tech tree, a la MOO3.

If it was in MOO3, it could not possibly be a good idea.

- Ash

MOO3 had some pretty amazing ideas in there... it just that the execution was not up to par.

I actually liked the MOO (1) approach where the selection of technologies that you could research was random.  In some games, your scientists just didn't envision some technologies, and you had to work around their lack.

netWilk

Personly I don't think gun's would ruin the "fantasy" element of the game. If the game implements them much like the Warhmmer universe it would add to the "fantasy" element I think.

That being said, I still agree that they probably shouldn't be in the game. The problem...When factoring in the element of the tactical battles. Anyone who has played Medieval 2 total war will tell you what gun powder does to the game. Firstly they can punch through city walls way too easily and seriously upsetts the balance of the game. They would make defence very impracticle, and create a technology "rush" so to speak of who could get to the guns faster, taking away much from the game. Another problem is AI programming. While I know thats the Stardock guys speciality, it would be quite difficult. Again in Medieval 2 if you attack an enemy unit the AI was programed to wait for you to come to it...even if you have cannon's with a huge range. You could practically destroy half the enemy army this way, and they would just sit there and take it...the reason being the AI was mainly programed for close quarter combat, and simple ranged units such as the archers. It would make things even more imbalanced when you add in infantry rifles and things. This is why I'm quite sceptical about Empire: Total War. Basically guns will be a programing nightmare for you guys at Stardock, and it would create an atmosphere where the player feels he has to rush to research guns, or be destroyed, which will take away alot from the game.

I would like to add that I also wouldn't like guns to be in game.  I was digging what Brad was saying about the Silmarrilion, and was hoping that this would follow along with being somewhat Tolkien-esque.  In otherwords not going beyond the equivalent of Third Age technology.  The pinnacle of technology should be something like mithril forged, magic enchanted armor and weapons with the occasional trebuchet or catapult if you must, not gunpowder/steam powered technology.

Another thing, how long is a single game going to take in terms of abstracted time?  If the game lasts long enough to develop gunpowder tech then wouldn't your heroes from the beginning of the game all die of old age?  Is your channeler immortal?