Missed Opportunities and Misapplied technology in fiction

[Seppl]

The problem with Warcraft (and Skyrim and similar settings) technology is, that it just is not as effective as the equivalent tech in our world. Take guns: Apparently, a Warcraft musket has an effective range of some 20 meters, and it also takes some 20 shots to take an enemy soldier out of the fight. Even when that enemy is just a normal dude, not a demonic monstrosity. It also takes 20 hits or so to kill someone with a sword, but when you are going to be in melee anyway, most people will prefer the melee weapon.

Of course, that is mostly for reasons of gameplay, with a healthy helping of writers underestimating the power of technology. Does anyone know if guns are this ineffective in the fluff books? If they are lethal in the books, is there any justification why a Dwarven army with guns and cannons does not cut down any enemy they meet?