Reasons for low TLs

[Ishmael]

depends on how you define tech level, eh?

I figure tech levels based on PE social characteristics and population size as modifiers....
To me, tech level is the level of manufacturing capabilities on the world.
Starport type follows local tech level ( not vice versa )
Technology in use depends on tech level of nearby worlds/trade partners.
Except for pockets of primitives, knowledge tech is equal to PE tech level.

I don't have too much problem explaining things...I just can't use canon materials unmodified is all. So what?..a lot of it is wacky and not in step with my own vision anyways.

 

[Icosahedron]

I figure tech levels based on PE social characteristics and population size as modifiers....
To me, tech level is the level of manufacturing capabilities on the world.
Starport type follows local tech level ( not vice versa )
Technology in use depends on tech level of nearby worlds/trade partners.
Except for pockets of primitives, knowledge tech is equal to PE tech level.

I don't have too much problem explaining things...I just can't use canon materials unmodified is all. So what?..a lot of it is wacky and not in step with my own vision anyways.

Can I persuade you to share your house-rules? I share your view of canon, but I never got around to tweaking Sysgen - much.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Strict LBB6

MTU is being generated with strict LBB6 rolls (in a frickin' HUGE Excel spreadsheet!), then tweaked to make some things sensical. Because it's in a spreadsheet, I simply tweak the roll and let the formulas recalculate. It makes a difference:

:alpha: If you change the starport, it changes the TL. I changed a couple from As to Cs and the system actually dropped below starflight-capable! (So, I adjusted the TL roll. )

:alpha: It doesn't matter how much you tweak the size roll if the planet is in an Inner orbit around the right kind of star - it will be a small airless rock.

:alpha: Moving the pop roll for one planet (with a result of Pop=7) to another (nicer) planet won't necessarily give you the same result (like a Pop=3).

So, I'm trying to only shift the TL when it looks like I would need to....

 

[Ishmael]

Can I persuade you to share your house-rules? I share your view of canon, but I never got around to tweaking Sysgen - much.

sure thing....
Here is my method for generating worlds.
--------------------------------------------------

size = 2d6
As I am generating a main world here, I want to skew it towards more
earth-like ( size 8 )

atm=2d6-7+size
hyd=2d6-7+atm
I figure that atm pressure would keep liquid water from boiling off.

pop = 2d6 - dm's
atm dm = int(abs(atm-6)/1.5) or
-1 for taint and -1 for each step away from standard
hyd dm = int(abs(hyd-6)/2.5)
gov = 2d6-7+pop
law = 2d6-7+gov

tech = 1d6 + (pop-6) + dm's
the 'pop-6' represents the level of population needed to maintain a
minimum tech
dm's:
+2 +1 0 -1
radical progressive conservative reactionary
enterprising advancing indifferent stagnant
expansionist competitive unaggressive passive
fragmented discordant harmonious monolithic
militant neutral peaceable concilliatory

These dm's are based on the assumption that military and growth needs
drive research and technology. Lower dm's represent idyllic, pastoral worlds
full of luddites and hippie communes.
This tech level is local manufacturing, not local knowledge. Any
technology higher than this must be imported in some fashion. Technology
available from imports is the highest tech level from a :
class A starport within 4 jumps
class B starport within 3 jumps
class C starport within 2 jumps
etc.

starport type ;
tech - 6 = 'A' if 7 or more
'B' if 5 or more
'C' if 3 or more
'D' if 2 or more
'E' if 1 or less
'X' if -4 or less

I feel that starports should be maintained by local manufacturing and i
nfrastructure. Higher tech can be imported of course.
Experience shows me that tech levels will end up lower than OTU average
( which suits me just fine! ).

Thats pretty much my idea in a nutshell. Referees should change
anything/everything for the sake of the story/personnal preferences. I just got
tired of airless rockballs with billions of people...and random starports
without influence from anything else.

Its not perfect and you can still get "odd" results
I hope its helpful

 

[jwcarroll60]

One possibilty is that this is a 'lost colony' recently rediscovered. The starport represents the investment of the Polity/Corporation/Consortium to allow development/exploitation of this gem...

Then again they could be recovering from a devestating world war...

 

[Icosahedron]

Thanks Ishmael, I'll check those out with a bit of playtesting sometime.

A couple of quick questions, though:
Maybe I'm being dense, but what is 'int abs' in the population section? and are you sure you have the 'fragmented to monolithic' line the right way round? I'd have thought your hippie commune would be fragmented rather than monolithic.

 

[Ishmael]

Thanks Ishmael, I'll check those out with a bit of playtesting sometime.

A couple of quick questions, though:
Maybe I'm being dense, but what is 'int abs' in the population section? and are you sure you have the 'fragmented to monolithic' line the right way round? I'd have thought your hippie commune would be fragmented rather than monolithic.

the 'int' and 'abs' are for a spreadsheet, sorry. They mean integer and absolute value. The atm line is what I use instead of the 'taint'. The dm increases for every 1.5 away from '6' the uwp atmosphere value is.

The fragmented, represents various political groups, pockets of dissidence, labor groups, etc. whereas in a monlithic society everyone works towards common goal. I figure more tech is needed to coordinate and control disparate groups...or keep them under surveillence....police technology.

 

[Golan2072]

A few possibilities:

1) A hunting-resort or safari world; most people around carry off-world tech (especially hunting gear) but the local production capabilities are extremely limited.

2) A penal colony; the gravity might be good and the atmosphere breathable, but the world might be cold, have extreme weather or be otherwise undesirable for normal colonists. Instead, criminals/dissidents are dropped on its surface and not allowed to have any tech past TL2.

3) A worldwide renaissance fair (with higher-tech medical, sanitation and safety tech imported to keep the participants alive and well).

4) Not really low-tech; just a new colony using mostly imported gear, with the local production capabilities being limited to a few small workshops (for the time being).

5) A monastery or religious retreat backed by a powerful offworld church (powerful enough to keep others from investing in the world or colonizing it).

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Ooooh, good ones, 2-4601! I like #3 - a specialty vacation world!

 

[GypsyComet]

A few possibilities:

1) A hunting-resort or safari world; most people around carry off-world tech (especially hunting gear) but the local production capabilities are extremely limited.

2) A penal colony; the gravity might be good and the atmosphere breathable, but the world might be cold, have extreme weather or be otherwise undesirable for normal colonists. Instead, criminals/dissidents are dropped on its surface and not allowed to have any tech past TL2.

3) A worldwide renaissance fair (with higher-tech medical, sanitation and safety tech imported to keep the participants alive and well).

4) Not really low-tech; just a new colony using mostly imported gear, with the local production capabilities being limited to a few small workshops (for the time being).

5) A monastery or religious retreat backed by a powerful offworld church (powerful enough to keep others from investing in the world or colonizing it).

Traveller assumes that #4 is the default case, actually, and that shipping high TL goods from the (hopefully nearby) sourceworld will be easier and cheaper than building the infrastructure to make such things locally. *Particularly* when the "colony" only has 4000 people and no great survival drive to require local high tech development and upkeep. The barrier to reaching locally high TL isn't really time, it's a great deal of "why bother?" This is why "for the time being" can go on for decades or centuries.

The other reasons all occur in Canon as well, but are special cases by comparison.

 

[Icosahedron]

I like Droyne668's idea from the Lone Star:

5. Distribution of TL and Wealth - the Nobles IMTU own everything. The way they maintain their position is controlling wealth and technology and distributing/allowing it for their vassals depending on whim, favor, service, potential threat, etc. So, a bunch of scruffy Free Traders are less likely to be tolerated with a Regina-Biobuild Enhancement than would be a Noble Lady of Mira.

6. So there's this huge black market in stolen high TL goodies. People will pay a lot to live 500 years or more. People who want to stay in control will do a lot to make sure they don't have competition. Big risk in "tech running" to lower TL worlds, but a big payoff if it works.

7. But even if you get some TL 15 goodies to a TL 8 world, they don't always work (hand wave) forever. There's no infrastructure to maintain them. Some are designed to routinely self-destruct and stop operating if they're moved or if the light is the wrong wavelength. Most are just incomprehensible and no one knows how to recharge/reload.

 

[Icosahedron]

Thanks for the clarification, Ishmael.

 

[Ishmael]

my pleasure, Icosohedron.
If you find mistakes or ways to improve it, please let me know.

 

[Icosahedron]

<grin> I always find ways to improve every ruleset. Whether anyone agrees that they are improvements is another matter.