User blog comment:MiniDaggers/RWBY Volume 4 Commentary Summary/@comment-25936766-20170623001241/@comment-25936766-20170623030916

@Chish: That example of "Steampunk PS4 controller"......honestly, that's more "Clockpunk" than actual "Steampunk".

The difference between the two being that Clockpunk looks a bit further back than the Victorian-era and Steam-powered tech, aiming for a more Rennaissance/Baroque style and more emphasis on gears and "simpler" machines.

Steampunk "fashion" is based on Victorian fashion, and in the end "Steampunk Fashion" by itself is pretty much just an exagerated, artistic Victorian.

Steampunk is characterized by 2 things: Victorian style, and Steam-powered technology. But if you only leave the Victorian style, even if exagerated for art, you don't get Steampunk, you just get Victorian.

That is why. Steampunk without Steam is not Steampunk. Because it's the Steam what defines the genre, the style, and what separates it from any other thing based on "old" technology or the Victorian era.

And that is why Aesthetics are irrelevant. Either it's Steampunk in name only, or the government is stupid.

-If they meant "it only looks Steampunk but doesn't run on Steam", it's not Steampunk. Anachronistic at best.

-If they meant "They use Steam Dust", the government is stupid for not using more conventional, cheaper, more available Dust.

Now, if they actually do use Steam-powered technology, I'll be happy. Because then it really would be Steampunk, it still justifies how Remnant hasn't reached space, and it makes Mistral look smart for actually not being so dependant on Dust.