Thanks for the responses. But doesn't that effectively just make TL a
worthless concept? If a character wants a piece of TL 12 gear and can
easily obtain it, what point is there in saying that Oriflamme (or any
world in the RC) is of a lower TL? Who cares if the locals all use TL 8
cars and telephones if my PC always has access to the good stuff. It's the
TL of the PC's gear that is really going to set a tone, don't you think?
Scott
On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 4:39 PM, 'D. Stanley' [Traveller_TNE]
<> wrote:
>
>
> Iâve got to agree with Harold here, while TL8 stuff will be everywhere,
> they probably mfg a small amount of TL9 and maybe even TL10 gear. TL11 and
> 12 gear will be very available at any store, there might be a premium on
> some of the larger items simply because of the logistics in shipping them.
> TL13+ is going to require that you know a guy who knows a guy who found
> something that âfell off the back of a truckâ.
>
>
>
> We have to keep in mind that these TLâs are a snapshot, a moment in time
> and unlike the Imperium where those TLâs might exist for decades or even
> centuries on a world the RC is ârecoveringâ and theyâre recovering fast so
> itâs quite likely that by the time NE3 rolls about Oriflamme might be TL10
> or 11 and Aubaine might be TL13 or 14 simply due to the nature of the beast.
>
>
>
> Realistically Aubaine might have some TL13-15 manufacturing capabilities
> at NE1 but itâs so small it doesnât count. IE. There might be a factory
> making TL14 tablet computers or blue tooth headsets. These would be way
> faster and more advanced than the rest of the world is capable of making
> but theyâre so limited in production that they cost a fortune.
>
>
>
> Iâve been harboring a strong dislike of the Tech codes for ages,
> particularly in the TNE setting where things are changing so fast. In my
> own things I tend to divide up the planetary capacity in terms of broad
> categories, Medical Supplies, Weapons, Vehicles, Starships, Equipment. And
> I might break it down further and say things like, well these guys have a
> TL15 PRIS goggles factory thatâs operational, just for flavor.
>
>
>
> *From:* [
> ]
> *Sent:* Friday, May 09, 2014 1:23 PM
> *To:*
> *Subject:* [Traveller_TNE] Re: Tech Levels - 'Splain them to me
>
>
>
>
>
> I've always played it such that tech level was what was "commonly
> available and/or able to be manufactured", rather than it being a hard
> number where nothing higher tech was available. The Imperium is/was a
> start spanning empire where interstellar travel was very common. Sure
> there were backwater areas and worlds that were "off limits", but how else
> do you explain a world that has thousands of inhabitants is at TL6 with a
> very thin, tainted atmosphere? They import the goods necessary to survive.
>
> Thus, in the TNE setting, a world might be TL 8, but they may have
> everything from TL 8 to TL 15 available in terms of merchandise. The TL
> 12 stuff might come from a nearby TL 12 world (along with some TL 11 items
> manufactured as that world progressed--think old computers that people in
> the West treat as near junk, but to someone in Ethiopia they are super
> powerful PCs), TL 13-15 stuff would naturally be salvaged relic equipment
> that would be expensive and finding spare parts could be challenging.
> Local people would of course be making TL 8 stuff, and depending on what is
> was (say farm equipment or tools) it would be "good, sturdy gear". Not
> everything needs to be the latest and greatest technology--indeed locals
> may even have a preference for the lower tech stuff.
>
> So if I were on Oriflamme, I'd expect that most things would be TL 8, in
> some tech areas there was be a fair amount of TL 11-12 imported gear,
> especially electronics (light weight, easy to ship in bulk, ask the
> Japanese...). But if "you know a guy who knows a guy", maybe you can get
> hold of a precious TL 14 Solomani holo projector. The rest is up to your
> imagination and how you "make it work" for the game you are running.
>
>
>
>
>
worthless concept? If a character wants a piece of TL 12 gear and can
easily obtain it, what point is there in saying that Oriflamme (or any
world in the RC) is of a lower TL? Who cares if the locals all use TL 8
cars and telephones if my PC always has access to the good stuff. It's the
TL of the PC's gear that is really going to set a tone, don't you think?
Scott
On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 4:39 PM, 'D. Stanley' [Traveller_TNE]
<> wrote:
>
>
> Iâve got to agree with Harold here, while TL8 stuff will be everywhere,
> they probably mfg a small amount of TL9 and maybe even TL10 gear. TL11 and
> 12 gear will be very available at any store, there might be a premium on
> some of the larger items simply because of the logistics in shipping them.
> TL13+ is going to require that you know a guy who knows a guy who found
> something that âfell off the back of a truckâ.
>
>
>
> We have to keep in mind that these TLâs are a snapshot, a moment in time
> and unlike the Imperium where those TLâs might exist for decades or even
> centuries on a world the RC is ârecoveringâ and theyâre recovering fast so
> itâs quite likely that by the time NE3 rolls about Oriflamme might be TL10
> or 11 and Aubaine might be TL13 or 14 simply due to the nature of the beast.
>
>
>
> Realistically Aubaine might have some TL13-15 manufacturing capabilities
> at NE1 but itâs so small it doesnât count. IE. There might be a factory
> making TL14 tablet computers or blue tooth headsets. These would be way
> faster and more advanced than the rest of the world is capable of making
> but theyâre so limited in production that they cost a fortune.
>
>
>
> Iâve been harboring a strong dislike of the Tech codes for ages,
> particularly in the TNE setting where things are changing so fast. In my
> own things I tend to divide up the planetary capacity in terms of broad
> categories, Medical Supplies, Weapons, Vehicles, Starships, Equipment. And
> I might break it down further and say things like, well these guys have a
> TL15 PRIS goggles factory thatâs operational, just for flavor.
>
>
>
> *From:* [
> ]
> *Sent:* Friday, May 09, 2014 1:23 PM
> *To:*
> *Subject:* [Traveller_TNE] Re: Tech Levels - 'Splain them to me
>
>
>
>
>
> I've always played it such that tech level was what was "commonly
> available and/or able to be manufactured", rather than it being a hard
> number where nothing higher tech was available. The Imperium is/was a
> start spanning empire where interstellar travel was very common. Sure
> there were backwater areas and worlds that were "off limits", but how else
> do you explain a world that has thousands of inhabitants is at TL6 with a
> very thin, tainted atmosphere? They import the goods necessary to survive.
>
> Thus, in the TNE setting, a world might be TL 8, but they may have
> everything from TL 8 to TL 15 available in terms of merchandise. The TL
> 12 stuff might come from a nearby TL 12 world (along with some TL 11 items
> manufactured as that world progressed--think old computers that people in
> the West treat as near junk, but to someone in Ethiopia they are super
> powerful PCs), TL 13-15 stuff would naturally be salvaged relic equipment
> that would be expensive and finding spare parts could be challenging.
> Local people would of course be making TL 8 stuff, and depending on what is
> was (say farm equipment or tools) it would be "good, sturdy gear". Not
> everything needs to be the latest and greatest technology--indeed locals
> may even have a preference for the lower tech stuff.
>
> So if I were on Oriflamme, I'd expect that most things would be TL 8, in
> some tech areas there was be a fair amount of TL 11-12 imported gear,
> especially electronics (light weight, easy to ship in bulk, ask the
> Japanese...). But if "you know a guy who knows a guy", maybe you can get
> hold of a precious TL 14 Solomani holo projector. The rest is up to your
> imagination and how you "make it work" for the game you are running.
>
>
>
>
>