Effect of Tech Levels on Skills

[Ben W Bell]

Okay here's one for you.

Last night I was running a session and basically one of the players is framed for a murder. Now under the laws of this planet, associates of the accused may perform an investigation parrallel to the police investigation.

The situation I came across was, one of the players had the same level of Forensics skill as the chief official investigator. However the world the crime took place on is TL 8 wheras the players, being Imperial Scouts in a milieu 0 universe, are TL12.

Ignoring equipment differences, woudl it be reasonable to assume that the higher TL training would make a difference in their relative skills as the Imperial character would know more advanced techniques than the TL8 native.

Ben Bell

 

[hunter]

Without access to the more advanced technology, I would say no. I don't think that being from an advanced technology would necessarily equate to being better at basic investigative technique. It is the increase in technology that introduces the 'new' techniques. Without it, those techniques are useless.

My 2 cents for what its worth

Hunter

 

[Gallowglass]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hunter:
Without access to the more advanced technology, I would say no. I don't think that being from an advanced technology would necessarily equate to being better at basic investigative technique. It is the increase in technology that introduces the 'new' techniques. Without it, those techniques are useless.

My 2 cents for what its worth

Hunter<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That may be a slightly present day centred view. Compare a police investigation in the 1950's (Fingerprinting, the beginnings of psychological profiling) with one in the 1850's (Finger printing yet to be invented (but technologically possible) and Phrenology (bumps on the skull determine personality) yet to be discedited))...

In one case there is a technique which it is possible our hero's (in best A Team style) can improvise even though it's not in use at the local tech level. In the other case, our heros come a background which has a greater understanding of certain key sciences.

So I would be tend to invite the lpayers to postulate an area where there hi-tech background _would_ help them, and adjudicate accordingly. And I do agree with you Hunter that at the higher tech levels, the diferences are _more_ likely to be inherent in equipment avaialable (DNA fingerprinting in 1960 vs the same technique in 2060) than in actual knowledge...

 

[hunter]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gallowglass:
That may be a slightly present day centred view. Compare a police investigation in the 1950's (Fingerprinting, the beginnings of psychological profiling) with one in the 1850's (Finger printing yet to be invented (but technologically possible) and Phrenology (bumps on the skull determine personality) yet to be discedited))...

In one case there is a technique which it is possible our hero's (in best A Team style) can improvise even though it's not in use at the local tech level. In the other case, our heros come a background which has a greater understanding of certain key sciences.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Quite true! In such a case though I would tend to assign a penalty to the attempt to use such advanced knowledge due to having to use tools somewhat inadequate to the job. Of course even then, I agree something like fingerprinting wouldn't carry to much of a penalty. The tools for that would not be hard to acquire.

The hard part would be having to convince the local authorities that fingerprints were a valid science. That would be about as hard as convincing them that phrenology was a joke.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
So I would be tend to invite the lpayers to postulate an area where there hi-tech background _would_ help them, and adjudicate accordingly. And I do agree with you Hunter that at the higher tech levels, the diferences are _more_ likely to be inherent in equipment avaialable (DNA fingerprinting in 1960 vs the same technique in 2060) than in actual knowledge...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree, this goes along with what I said above about penalties.

But if the 'scene' is not going to be played out, I'd still say they would be about the same given that I would tend to offer a penalty to the higher TL team for having to resort to lower TL tools, and a penalty to the lower TL team for being lower TL. The penalties would pretty much offset (unless there is a large difference in TL) in this case.

For example, the classic situation where the PCs are stuck in a mansion during a storm, cut off from outside contact and someone has been murdered. They are racing against someone (others) to solve the crime for some reason. Most high-tech solutions are pretty much out the window, leaving everyone to rely on their basic crime solving and deductive skills. Means, Motive, and Opportunity!

Hunter


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[PVernon]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hunter:
I agree, this goes along with what I said above about penalties.

But if the 'scene' is not going to be played out, I'd still say they would be about the same given that I would tend to offer a penalty to the higher TL team for having to resort to lower TL tools, and a penalty to the lower TL team for being lower TL. The penalties would pretty much offset (unless there is a large difference in TL) in this case.

For example, the classic situation where the PCs are stuck in a mansion during a storm, cut off from outside contact and someone has been murdered. They are racing against someone (others) to solve the crime for some reason. Most high-tech solutions are pretty much out the window, leaving everyone to rely on their basic crime solving and deductive skills. Means, Motive, and Opportunity!

Hunter


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have not gone back and reread the thread, but my take on this is, with in the Imperium, don't sell the local short. In that I mean for example you are on a tech 3 world and a murder has been commited. The police have been summened and are investigating. Most people seem to be of the opinion that the techneques used would those of tech 3 Earth. I say wrong! They would be tech 10+ probably tech 14 or 15. Why? Because the profesionals involved would read the profesional journals etc. and may well have a stellar normal education and background. People who are living below tech 10 are probably do so by choice.
Just my .02 cr
Peter V.

 

[PVernon]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hunter:
I agree, this goes along with what I said above about penalties.

But if the 'scene' is not going to be played out, I'd still say they would be about the same given that I would tend to offer a penalty to the higher TL team for having to resort to lower TL tools, and a penalty to the lower TL team for being lower TL. The penalties would pretty much offset (unless there is a large difference in TL) in this case.

For example, the classic situation where the PCs are stuck in a mansion during a storm, cut off from outside contact and someone has been murdered. They are racing against someone (others) to solve the crime for some reason. Most high-tech solutions are pretty much out the window, leaving everyone to rely on their basic crime solving and deductive skills. Means, Motive, and Opportunity!

Hunter


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have not gone back and reread the thread, but my take on this is, with in the Imperium, don't sell the local short. In that I mean for example you are on a tech 3 world and a murder has been commited. The police have been summened and are investigating. Most people seem to be of the opinion that the techneques used would those of tech 3 Earth. I say wrong! They would be tech 10+ probably tech 14 or 15. Why? Because the profesionals involved would read the profesional journals etc. and may well have a stellar normal education and background. People who are living below tech 10 are probably do so by choice.
Just my .02 cr
Peter V.

 

[T. Foster]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BenBell:
Ignoring equipment differences, woudl it be reasonable to assume that the higher TL training would make a difference in their relative skills as the Imperial character would know more advanced techniques than the TL8 native.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Without access to their high tech equipment, I'd say "knowing more advanced techniques" wouldn't be of much/any help, and actually (per MT) they'd be at a skill DIS-advantage if they're being forced to rely on lower TL equipment then they're familiar with (TL 12 (Avg Stellar) to TL 8 (Pre-Stellar) = -2 penalty) -- their first instinct will be to scan the scene with a Biosniffer and then analyze the DNA samples, but they can't do that. Instead, they'll have to (clumsily and awkwardly) manually dust for fingerprints and so on.