Burton, go ahead and post a new topic in either Beginner's or Extract forum, so that you get more replies to your lager question.
But, regarding the ale, it's a question of yeast. Most ale yeasts have a range that they work best at. Nottingham dry yeast, for example, lists 57-70 degrees. That's a big range, but most yeasts work best in the middle of their range. And they all taste cleaner and less fruity if you ferment near the bottom of their range. And say your room is 70 degrees. The fermentation inside your carboy/bucket can raise the temperature several degrees. So, really, fermentation might be happening at 73 degrees or more. That is above the recommended range for this yeast.
So, as a rule of thumb, most ale yeasts can work at 65-68 degrees. But it's always best to follow the directions.
Lager yeasts have a range of 48-55 degrees usually, depending on variety.