One of the things I love about the worldbuilding...

[The Kraken's Daughter]

There's a trope in a lot of fantasy stories of technological stagnation. A civilization might have been around for hundreds or even thousands of years but will be using mostly the same technology for all that time. But in TWOK, we see an elderly ardent couple make a discovery about spren, and the armorsmiths of Jah Keved made those half-shard shields that can stop a Shardblade. Even with the upheaval caused by the Recreance, the fall of the Hierocracy, and various wars, the people of Roshar are discovering and inventing new things. There's a sense of progress, and I really like seeing that in a fantasy novel.

[Karger he/him]

I also love that their progress is in not really analogues to ours in most ways.  To often I feel that it authors just do what we did but with magic as a facilitator or addition.  Roshar is advancing along entirely different but also sensible lines.

[RShara she/her]

2 hours ago, The Kraken's Daughter said:

There's a trope in a lot of fantasy stories of technological stagnation. A civilization might have been around for hundreds or even thousands of years but will be using mostly the same technology for all that time. But in TWOK, we see an elderly ardent couple make a discovery about spren, and the armorsmiths of Jah Keved made those half-shard shields that can stop a Shardblade. Even with the upheaval caused by the Recreance, the fall of the Hierocracy, and various wars, the people of Roshar are discovering and inventing new things. There's a sense of progress, and I really like seeing that in a fantasy novel.

You should also read Mistborn Era 1 and then Era 2. It's really cool watching how they advance with magic in the mix.

[earthexile]

That's one of the things that's going to make this Desolation different. Taln notices it immediately, when he has a lucid moment; this is the most technologically advanced that Roshar has ever been. 

[Karger he/him]

11 hours ago, earthexile said:

That's one of the things that's going to make this Desolation different. Taln notices it immediately, when he has a lucid moment; this is the most technologically advanced that Roshar has ever been. 

At least in an extremely long time.