I think I found out what was bothering me in Arcanum.

There seems to be 3 types of "things":

- technology (realistic, fully possible technology) example: steam powered cellphone :)

- fantasy technology (impossible, but makes sense/could be possible if, generally something that has explanation in science (even if flawed or if it ignores some "less important/unknow laws)) example: Frankenstein (body is commanded by electrical impulses from the brain (true), so if we apply a lot of electricity maybe the system will "restart" (untrue)); Jules Verne "cannon to send people to the moon" (true) but it ignores the acceleration forces (impossible, passengers will arrive dead)

- magic (impossible, not based on science at all) example: mage casting a fireball

I personally find the first two (technology and especially fantasy technolgy) perfectly fitting the steampunk theme. But magic (like elves and casting spells in Arcanum) makes it akward for me.

And another observation.

The whole Vicorian era was an era of reason and enlightement. They *dispised* medieval times (completely unlike we now), religion, spirituality, everything that was unscientific.

But, the funniest thing is that at the same time they breed insane amount of superstition :) For example, contrary to common belief, witch hunting was not done in medieval times (it was really minor then), but the mass witch hunting originated from enlightement era (the famous Salem witch hunt was in 1692, that's almost XVIII century!), same for Lovecraft and his "cthulth" (1890). It seems, that when they went 100% science and locked down poor elves their human minds simply resisted and... "rethemed" all the spiritual/magical things :D

It seems magic can't die, even in a fully scientific society :D