One of the problems with my approach, though, is that it flys in the face of the rules. CT does state that EDU is akin to SOC in that each level means a certain level of schooling--CT just stops short, though, of assigning a degree to a particular EDU level.
Still, I think my approach is more useful when actually playing: that EDU is a representation of the character's formal and informal eduction plus his ability to use that learned knowledge (and INT represents the same with innate knowledge).
Those posts does bring up the point: exactly what is education? A barbarian growing up on a TL-0 world may have an education of A. But how does that stack up to the education A of a TL A+ world (assuming the barbarian's education was based on his world, and the TL A+ education based on that tech level).
Here's another item to ponder: That of assigning the importance of TL to skills (not just stats).
Say there are two characters, both are Medical-3 doctors. Both have the same EDU A.
But, one is a doctor from a TL 4 world where as the other is from a TL A world.
For simplicity reasons (and the fact that something like this will hinder characters who move from place to place in a game called
Traveller), the game ignores TL effects.
But, should we?
I know if I had a heart attack, I'd rather someone with modern medical knowledge go in and take care me than someone who's working with WWII era knowledge.
But, then, there's another way to think about it...
Maybe TL is
implied with skill level?
So, if a character gets a Medical-1 skill, he's as competent as any other from any other background, no matter the character's background.
In order for a character to get Medical-1 on a TL 4 world, he has to have access to much higher tech (maybe at the starport?), or he'll never reach the Medical-1 designation.
This way, skill level travels from place to place, and one can be confident that a character with Engineering-2 from Pysadi is just as capable as the character with Engineering-2 from Regina.
Maybe there's an across-the-board certification system?
Or, we could house-rule it...
And, another thought--something that I've toyed with but never fully implemented--is some type of TL modifier for the character.
This would be based on the character's homeworld (or where he spends most of his time). Either the character would have an overall TL assigned to him (usually the TL of his homeworld), or each skill could be rated with a TL showing the tech at which the character learned the skill.
For example, a character on a Free Trader might have Navigation-2 @ TL 13. But, he spends some time on a TL 4 world, and that's where he learns Medical-1. Thus, his Medical skill is @ TL 4.
Using this idea, the GM has to change his thinking a bit when judging and implementing tasks. He'll have to weigh the TL influence on a skill check.
A TL 4 character with Admin-2 would probably have no modifier on this skill check, even if he were trying to navigate through red-tape on a TL 10 world.
That same character, though, would probably have a penalty applied to him when he tried to use his TL 4 Medical-1 skill on a crewmate who was showing signs of contracting some strange alien disease.
There really is no universal way to handle this type of thing. Which is why Traveller never really addresses it in any of its rule sets.
But...there should be a standardization implemented on character TL and skill use. The question is: How do you easily go about doing it?
