I'm wondering if anyone out there has heard of or devised a listing of kit and equipment and its cost, weight, volume, and performance at different TL's? If not that, then has anyone come up with a methodology to calculate these values? For example, PRIS binoculars become available at TL 12, but let's say you want to buy a set manufactured on a TL 14 world. There are bound to be differences in cost, weight, vol, performance, etc. Same goes for almost any conceivable type of item. Can anybody help?
Buying Similar Equipment at Different Tech Levels
- Thread starter sadismo
- Start date
Someone has done something like that. Somewhere there is a very, and I do mean very, comprehensive list of every piece of equipment ever published for each of the Traveller game systems. From memory it's by item type so you get lists like
CT Vacc suit TL8 xxcrs yy wt
MT Vaccsuit TL8 xx crs yy wt
TNE Vacc suit TL8 xx crs yy wt
CT Vacc suit TL 9 xx crs yy wt
MT Vacc suit TL 9 xx crs yy wt
etc etc etc ad nauseum so it kind of does what you're asking only also with every other game system thrown in for good measure, but sorry I'm damned if I can remember where I saw it maybe Downport.com maybe the Traveller webring.
On a side note I've recently been designing a family of gauss rifle's from each of the tech levels from 10 onwards. Usually in the TNE design sequence step one is select a muzzle velocity but I've instead selected an energy requirement, ie the same energy requirement accross all tech levels thus each rifle can use the same magazines as the battery output is equall to the weapons requirement. It's been an interesting experiment to see the difference in capabilities a TL or two does to the same amount of raw input power.
CT Vacc suit TL8 xxcrs yy wt
MT Vaccsuit TL8 xx crs yy wt
TNE Vacc suit TL8 xx crs yy wt
CT Vacc suit TL 9 xx crs yy wt
MT Vacc suit TL 9 xx crs yy wt
etc etc etc ad nauseum so it kind of does what you're asking only also with every other game system thrown in for good measure, but sorry I'm damned if I can remember where I saw it maybe Downport.com maybe the Traveller webring.
On a side note I've recently been designing a family of gauss rifle's from each of the tech levels from 10 onwards. Usually in the TNE design sequence step one is select a muzzle velocity but I've instead selected an energy requirement, ie the same energy requirement accross all tech levels thus each rifle can use the same magazines as the battery output is equall to the weapons requirement. It's been an interesting experiment to see the difference in capabilities a TL or two does to the same amount of raw input power.
As a VERY conservative rule of thumb, apply the 10% rule - every tech level improvement reduces the cost, weight and volume by 10%. I generally apply this to items that don't have tech improvements listed in the sources, i.e. the PRIS gets lighter and cheaper, but you can't buy a lighter, cheaper PGMP12 on a TL15 world.
Also not applicable to things that must be a minumum size... no TL15 water bottle that holds 10 liters in a 2.2 liter volume!
Also not applicable to things that must be a minumum size... no TL15 water bottle that holds 10 liters in a 2.2 liter volume!
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Of course, dehydrated water takes up less space...
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Not a bad idea!
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Not a bad idea!
That TL 15 water bottle is an outstanding idea! Set it out uncovered in an area where there is some breeze. A low output power supply could be in the base of the canteen and could slowly boil the water that is collected. The cap could contain a long circular filter inside (that could double as an external drinking straw for chem suits and vac suits), and that could be easily cleaned when removed. The power supply could even be connected to a solar array grafted on the outside of the canteen, or as a rolled-up solar panel and adapter carried on the outside of the canteen carrier. Hmmm.....
As far as the 10% rule is concerned, that should work, I guess. A higher TL item may be smaller, and weigh less, but that begs the question that at higher TL's there may be more functionality, longer endurance on power cells, etc. Would these improvements and refinements cost the same or more? Just a thought.
As far as the 10% rule is concerned, that should work, I guess. A higher TL item may be smaller, and weigh less, but that begs the question that at higher TL's there may be more functionality, longer endurance on power cells, etc. Would these improvements and refinements cost the same or more? Just a thought.
You're looking for the Traveller Consolidated Equipment list, I think by Peter Vernon. Google fu, don't fail me now!
Look about half way down this
http://www.sff.net/people/kitsune/traveller/peter/vehicles.html
But in general, here's my rule of thumb:
For an item of similar capability, drop 10% of remaining weight and cost per TL (diminishing returns).
A TL-15 sleeping bag which would have the same performance as a TL-6 sleeping bag would weigh about 0.39% of the TL-6 version. If you paid the same weight as the TL-6 version, you might well have incredible performance.
Now, if you like a larger factor, use 15 or 20% per TL.
Generally, another aspect worth thinking about is exchange rates. I charge cost in standard credits at the TL the item is being produced at (Sleeping Bag TL-6, let us say), and modify for the relative value to where it is being sold (TL-10 world, it won't be worth a lot) using the rules from JTAS that covered exchange rates versus the standard TL-15/Starport A Imperial Credit. (This might be on the net somewhere, it is in JTAS or the reprints).
Look about half way down this
http://www.sff.net/people/kitsune/traveller/peter/vehicles.html
But in general, here's my rule of thumb:
For an item of similar capability, drop 10% of remaining weight and cost per TL (diminishing returns).
A TL-15 sleeping bag which would have the same performance as a TL-6 sleeping bag would weigh about 0.39% of the TL-6 version. If you paid the same weight as the TL-6 version, you might well have incredible performance.
Now, if you like a larger factor, use 15 or 20% per TL.
Generally, another aspect worth thinking about is exchange rates. I charge cost in standard credits at the TL the item is being produced at (Sleeping Bag TL-6, let us say), and modify for the relative value to where it is being sold (TL-10 world, it won't be worth a lot) using the rules from JTAS that covered exchange rates versus the standard TL-15/Starport A Imperial Credit. (This might be on the net somewhere, it is in JTAS or the reprints).
