raison d'etre behind differing TL's?
- Thread starter lisagb
- Start date
Is rural France the same Tech Level as the city of New York? Or Zimbabwe the same as England? No it will inevitably very from place to place.
There are areas of this planet that don't even have electricty and have never heard of television. And in some others there are just more important things.
There are areas of this planet that don't even have electricty and have never heard of television. And in some others there are just more important things.
Father Fletch
SOC-12
Very good question. And the previous reply does well to address real world differences. In the Traveller universe there are planets which are relatively inaccessible due to politics, planetary conditions, cultural differences, distance from nearest main, and a whole host of other reasons.
The short and RPG oriented answer is that it makes things more interesting to play. If you look at the TL stats for the Solomani Rim you might notice that there is a more even layer of TL and prosperity, as well as higher population levels.
This reflects a longer settled area with more even trade and technology distribution.
The Vland Sectors as well have a long settlement period with steady trade, even during parts of the Long Night.
To look at a real world history and analysis of how a frontier can become a central part of "civilization" read
Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West by William Cronon
To pull the editorial review from Amazon.com: "Cronon's history of 19th-century Chicago is in fact the history of the widespread effects of a single city on millions of square miles of ecological, cultural, and economic frontier. Cronon combines archival accuracy, ecological evaluation, and a sweeping understanding of the impact of railroads, stockyards, catalog companies, and patterns of property on the design of development of the entire inland United States to this date. Although focused on Chicago and the U.S., the general lessons it teaches are of global significance, and a rich source of metaphors for the ways in which colonization of physical space operates differently from, and similarly to, colonization of cyberspace. This is a compelling, wise, thorough--and thoroughly accessible--masterpiece of history writ large. Very Highest Recommendation."
I find it easy to substitute the word city for world and railroad for starship and you get an idea of how some well meaning people and entities can succeed wildly while some others fail miserably.
When you add the general Imperial attitude of "look out for yourself" as far as planet development goes, the varying levels of TL, starport and trade are understandable.
Compared to Hiver or Zhodani space, which seem to have much more interventionist governments/philosophies, the Imperium is very uneven in weatlh/tech/trade distribution.
The short and RPG oriented answer is that it makes things more interesting to play. If you look at the TL stats for the Solomani Rim you might notice that there is a more even layer of TL and prosperity, as well as higher population levels.
This reflects a longer settled area with more even trade and technology distribution.
The Vland Sectors as well have a long settlement period with steady trade, even during parts of the Long Night.
To look at a real world history and analysis of how a frontier can become a central part of "civilization" read
Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West by William Cronon
To pull the editorial review from Amazon.com: "Cronon's history of 19th-century Chicago is in fact the history of the widespread effects of a single city on millions of square miles of ecological, cultural, and economic frontier. Cronon combines archival accuracy, ecological evaluation, and a sweeping understanding of the impact of railroads, stockyards, catalog companies, and patterns of property on the design of development of the entire inland United States to this date. Although focused on Chicago and the U.S., the general lessons it teaches are of global significance, and a rich source of metaphors for the ways in which colonization of physical space operates differently from, and similarly to, colonization of cyberspace. This is a compelling, wise, thorough--and thoroughly accessible--masterpiece of history writ large. Very Highest Recommendation."
I find it easy to substitute the word city for world and railroad for starship and you get an idea of how some well meaning people and entities can succeed wildly while some others fail miserably.
When you add the general Imperial attitude of "look out for yourself" as far as planet development goes, the varying levels of TL, starport and trade are understandable.
Compared to Hiver or Zhodani space, which seem to have much more interventionist governments/philosophies, the Imperium is very uneven in weatlh/tech/trade distribution.
Consider also the base of infrastructure required to maintain a given tech level... people in, say, Shanghai are more likely to have a cell phone than a reliable sewer system, because one was -really- easy to put in and pays for itself almost immediately and one takes years, and hundreds of millions of dollars, and it's very profitable.
It's interesting that there is a similar conversation going on at JTAS boards as well. 
I think that it is important to remember that tech levels are somewhat subjective in nature. You can say that a worlds tech level represents the highest tech found on a givin world. Or tech level can represent the highest localy produced stuff.
I submit to all, that if the first, it is not Traveller, because Traveller is based on a high trade model. Otherwise the "Long Night" can not happen. So IMTU if you go to a tech 2 world don't be surprised that the cops have equipment that is somewhat higher in tech level.
I think that it is important to remember that tech levels are somewhat subjective in nature. You can say that a worlds tech level represents the highest tech found on a givin world. Or tech level can represent the highest localy produced stuff.
I submit to all, that if the first, it is not Traveller, because Traveller is based on a high trade model. Otherwise the "Long Night" can not happen. So IMTU if you go to a tech 2 world don't be surprised that the cops have equipment that is somewhat higher in tech level.
IMO the TL in the UWP represents the 'prevailing TL' -- that which will be most commonly encountered on the world, and of the most commonly available export-goods. Higher TL goods can and will be encountered as novelties and imports, but the listed TL represents what travellers are most likely to see away from the starport, and what's most likely to be available for purchase.
As to why the disparity, the canonical answer is Economics -- resource-poor worlds don't generate enough trade to be able to afford to import enough technology to improve their infrastructure, so their technology stalls/drops to the level that can be maintained locally. Remember, the biggest factor in determining a world's TL (aside from random chance) isn't population or environment, but starport type (i.e. quantity of offworld contact/trade).
As to why the disparity, the canonical answer is Economics -- resource-poor worlds don't generate enough trade to be able to afford to import enough technology to improve their infrastructure, so their technology stalls/drops to the level that can be maintained locally. Remember, the biggest factor in determining a world's TL (aside from random chance) isn't population or environment, but starport type (i.e. quantity of offworld contact/trade).
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
LisaGB asked why there were differing TL's in theImperium. The following answers are all correct. Well settled areas have very little variance in TL; the frontiers are where you have variance.
One last region I'd like to forward, LGB, are balkanized worlds.
One can view present day Earth and see everything from TL-0 (New Guinea's deepest jungles), to TL-6 & TL-7 in many third world nations, to TL-8 & 9 in the US and Western Europe/ Red China.
Which can make for exciting trade opportunities in the TU for a sharp minded Far Trader skipper, if he/she knows the best places within system to pick up a cargo and drop it off at a place where the price will be at a premium to his/her initial cost.
One last region I'd like to forward, LGB, are balkanized worlds.
One can view present day Earth and see everything from TL-0 (New Guinea's deepest jungles), to TL-6 & TL-7 in many third world nations, to TL-8 & 9 in the US and Western Europe/ Red China.
Which can make for exciting trade opportunities in the TU for a sharp minded Far Trader skipper, if he/she knows the best places within system to pick up a cargo and drop it off at a place where the price will be at a premium to his/her initial cost.
trader jim
SOC-14 1K
You all may discuss the difference in Tech Levels,
and th difference in Worlds, and discuss their distances apart - but - No one can explain why they ALL know and understand what COFFEE JUICE and HOOCH is!!!!
heheheheheheh
and th difference in Worlds, and discuss their distances apart - but - No one can explain why they ALL know and understand what COFFEE JUICE and HOOCH is!!!!
heheheheheheh
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
TJ said-"You all may discuss the difference in Tech Levels,
and th difference in Worlds, and discuss their distances apart - but - No one can explain why they ALL know and understand what COFFEE JUICE and HOOCH is!!!!"
____________________________________
Hooch, as you so quaintly put it, has existed since the days of Egypt on Terra as far as recorded history goes. Therefore, wherefore goest man, there goest alcohol soon after!
As for CJ...stewed from VB's, I believe George Boyett sez, is a byproduct you have latched onto, and we have abetted thee in promulgating (even now, in this post!).
Therefore, I think some royalty credits are in order, on that score, now matter the TL.
Me personally? I prefer diamonds, and zuchai cystals please.
and th difference in Worlds, and discuss their distances apart - but - No one can explain why they ALL know and understand what COFFEE JUICE and HOOCH is!!!!"
____________________________________
Hooch, as you so quaintly put it, has existed since the days of Egypt on Terra as far as recorded history goes. Therefore, wherefore goest man, there goest alcohol soon after!
As for CJ...stewed from VB's, I believe George Boyett sez, is a byproduct you have latched onto, and we have abetted thee in promulgating (even now, in this post!).
Therefore, I think some royalty credits are in order, on that score, now matter the TL.
Me personally? I prefer diamonds, and zuchai cystals please.
I've developed the impression that TL represents the highest locally produceable Technology. TL7 doesn't imply that there wont be any TL12 or 14 stuff around, just that it will be very expensive for the local population. TL would indicated what is easy to get at a decent price on a world. Because local governments have so much autonomy in the Imperium, development policies would varry widely. The prevelance of interstellar trade means that a world does not have to develop for it to have access to advanced technology, but it does for that technology to be common.
Just my thoughts,
Rob
P.S. I taught comparative politics of developing countries this summer, and it only reenforced this view for me.
Just my thoughts,
Rob
P.S. I taught comparative politics of developing countries this summer, and it only reenforced this view for me.
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
Thou art most welcome, as usual, lass.
[drops another rose here].
[drops another rose here].
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