Their technology isn't so bad. They constructed automotons that we would have difficulty recreating with today's technology.
We could make a lot cooler shit if soul power was a thing. I'm pretty sure Hitler would have made Jew-powered missiles or something. Given what the Dwemer have available, their technology blows. Every single one of their ruins has open-air mechanically driven steam pipes. That's awful, just awful, and it's even worse knowing they are from the future.
Dwemer technology was built in such a way that it would almost never rust or break down, still be operational after thousands of years with literally no maintenance or oversight, and run perpetually despite there being no apparent source of energy producing the steam. You don't think that's advanced? And let's not forget the Numidium, an achievement so remarkable that its construction broke all the laws of physics and erased the Dwemer from the face of Nirn. And speaking of which - I know I said I wouldn't bump old posts in this thread anymore, but this is relevant, and it needs to be addressed:
Funny, history isn't my specialty, but I can't quite recall Mesopotamians having steampunk architecture and technology.
They also didn't become part of the golden skin of a giant robot or create animunculi. As I said, the connection is superficial, but it's more significant than the connection to Dorfs.
Outside of Kirkbride's vicarious Vivec (Vivecarious?) fanfics, the idea that the Dwemer were literally transformed into Numidium's skin is probably his weakest OOG addition to lore. It's far too superficial, too mundane, too physical a solution to a mystery that's supposed to be steeped in the strange metaphysics of the universe. I don't think the mystery of exactly what happened to the Dwemer will ever be properly answered in the games, nor do I think it ever should be, but that theory is just too dumb to merit serious consideration.
It looks like we can play TESO without a sub now. It seems to be a little early, but whatever.