Tl2+?

[epicenter00]

I'm curious about a few things on your world, because weird archeotech worlds are fascinating to me - the goofy "practical steampunk" stuff is a huge addiction of mine.

But this being Traveller...

Exactly what constitutes "muscle power"? What exactly defines genetically engineered? I assume that defines most laboratory manipulation with people with vials and microscopes. I assume selective breeding is still legal.

While most of us imagine horses being the primary non-human muscle element, the Traveller universe isn't Solomani-centric. The letterhead of the ISS features some strange vaguely Saurian beast with multiple legs (I'm sure it's named somewhere, but I'm not such a fan of Traveller stuff that I have the publication). What if there were similar beasts with some more desirable traits than horses (stronger, better endurance, whatever) were present on the planet? Even without such alien beasts, what if, for instance, elephants were very common on your world as well as horses? Having non-horse animals to help with labor actually would change the nature of what can be done with TL2 quite a bit.

I assume while genetic engineering is frowned upon, what about genetic engineering that already exists? Crop rotation science might not be necessary if farmers had been growing nutrient-fixing genetically modified wheat for hundreds of years. Yes, there was some nasty "Frankenstein" manipulation going on, but it's so far back that your farmers (usually your most stogy conservative types) are going to have been growing the stuff for longer than three generations, which fulfills the "that's the way it was done in my grandfather's day" which is the extent of most conservative thinking. Even religious conservatism - these what strains would probably have been in cultivation for over a thousand years, since before the Rule of Man.

 

[rancke]

Exactly what constitutes "muscle power"? What exactly defines genetically engineered? I assume that defines most laboratory manipulation with people with vials and microscopes. I assume selective breeding is still legal.

Basically, if the Church figures out, through long and intricate arguments, that something is contrary to the Natural Order, they'll ban it. And if people who've been raised from infancy to believe that technology is evil can tell at a glance that something is "just plain wrong", you'll get a lynch mob even without the help of a priest.

I don't think selective breeding would fall under the ban.

While most of us imagine horses being the primary non-human muscle element, the Traveller universe isn't Solomani-centric. The letterhead of the ISS features some strange vaguely Saurian beast with multiple legs (I'm sure it's named somewhere, but I'm not such a fan of Traveller stuff that I have the publication).

It's called a poni.

What if there were similar beasts with some more desirable traits than horses (stronger, better endurance, whatever) were present on the planet?

Knorbes happened to have a horse-racing industry. After the collapse, some horses escaped into the wild and began breeding. After a while, the Knorbians began breeding them for strength and endurance. There are no more suitable draft animals around.

Even without such alien beasts, what if, for instance, elephants were very common on your world as well as horses? Having non-horse animals to help with labor actually would change the nature of what can be done with TL2 quite a bit.

No elephants.

I assume while genetic engineering is frowned upon, what about genetic engineering that already exists? Crop rotation science might not be necessary if farmers had been growing nutrient-fixing genetically modified wheat for hundreds of years. Yes, there was some nasty "Frankenstein" manipulation going on, but it's so far back that your farmers (usually your most stogy conservative types) are going to have been growing the stuff for longer than three generations, which fulfills the "that's the way it was done in my grandfather's day" which is the extent of most conservative thinking. Even religious conservatism - these what strains would probably have been in cultivation for over a thousand years, since before the Rule of Man.

The people are against genetic engineering because, as everybody knows, such technology eventually leads to the manufacture of deadly diseases. So the benfits of such manipulation does not outweigh the horrible risks. But stuff that was geneered long ago is not a problem.


Hans

 

[aramis]

That beast is a Poni, which is, according to DGP sources, either Sylean or Vilani (I can't recall which), which was used by accident in the Early 3I, when a reference to the Poni Express occurred. Specifically, it's the emblem for the Communications office.