Technology Levels Redefined!

[Mewsland]

I have recently seen a lot of RPs and factbooks identifying tech levels and I was wondering if I could clear up some of the indecision. This scale is used for A Compilation of Tech Levels, the newest RP resource.

Prehistoric Technology <PHT>

Prehistoric tech would involve technologies developed up until around 3 000 BC. The wheel, fire, simple tools, et cetera. Not many nations use PHT, so I will not go further into detail.

Early Technology <ET>

Early technology includes development of more complex tools, civilizations, et cetera from 3 000 BC up until the turn into CE. Early swords are being developed, better spears are being designed, you get the picture.

Past Technology 1 <PT1>

Technology from the turn into CE up until the 9th Century. Magic is still "practiced" regularly, however, religions such as Christianity and Islam take root in a belief that there is no such thing as magic.

Past Technology 2 <PT2>

From the turn of the 10th Century to the middle of the 19th, magic was in its decline. Religion was taking hold all over the world, and technology was undergoing a relative stagnance in its development. Astronomy was in its infancy, even in the 15th Century. Railroads take hold in the early 19th Century.

Industrial Tech <IT>

Industrial tech ranges from around 1850-1920, and involves the techs developed in the Industrial Revolution <telephone, telegraph, radio, cars, et cetera>.

Modern Tech 1A <MT1A>

World War I tech. Early fighter and bomber planes, travel in planes, true "machine" guns, you get the picture. Modern Tech 1A lasts until around 1925.

Modern Tech 1B <MT1B>

Post 1925 tech up until the end of World War II. The atom is split, nuclear power research begins, the atom bomb is developed.

Modern Tech 1C <MT1C>

The Atomic Age. Computers are created, atomic bombs grow in strength. Lasts up until about 1969.

Modern Tech 2A <MT2A>

Early personal computers, such as Apple's Macintosh, are developed. Other innovations not listed here. 1970-1980.

Modern Tech 2B <MT2B>

The IBM PC is developed. The predecessor to the Internet is formed. Innovations in cars such as air bags and anti-lock brakes. 1980-1995.

Modern Tech 2C 1996-2009. Cell phones. Faster computers. Microsoft Windows becomes user-friendly. Smartphones invented.

Present Tech <Modern Tech 3> <MT3>

Current technologies from 2008-2012.

Modern Tech 4 <MT4>

2013-about 2050. MT4 includes breakthroughs in computing and medical fields. Eco-friendly cars and fuels.

Post-Modern Tech <PMT>

2050-2120. A prerequisite to get out of PMT is to develop some form of FTL transit and find cures for AIDS and cancer.

Pre-Future Tech <PFT>

2120-2200. Star Trek: Enterprise type technology. Teleporters. Faster FTL. More medical breakthroughs.

Future Tech 1 <FT1>

2200-about 2600. The galaxy is explored. There is not quite enough advancement to begin inter-galactic or inter-dimensional travel, however, time travel is commonplace by about 2550.

Future Tech 2 <FT2>

Inter-galactic travel is developed. Early artificial intelligences are created. 2600s.

Future Tech 3 <FT3>

2700-3000. AIs develop farther. Inter-dimensional travel developed.

Future Tech 4 <FT4>

Also known as Star Wars Tech <SWT>. Post-3000.

If there are any suggestions, please wire me a telegram or post here.

[Maraque]

Somewhere between MT4 and PMT. Not quite full fledged PMT but not squarely in MT4 either. We have aspects of both.

I like this list.

[Mewsland]

What would be your definition of your tech... I may create either an MT4B or a PMT1 and PMT2 based on it.

It is a work in progress, but thanks for the compliment!

[Mewsland]

Could I get comments/suggestions/where your nation would be on this list, please?

[Zeppy]

Nice!
I am at Present Tech <Modern Tech 3>.

[Mewsland]

Excellent! Hopefully we may be able to get this stuck! It would be an incredibly useful resource!

[The Grand World Order]

You have to remember that there was pretty much a technological standstill from the Roman Empire's days to the "Enlightenment," as things didn't change drastically in the Dark Ages until the Crusades and the invention of gunpowder.

Also, "inter-dimensional" transport happens all the time. In fact, we travel along three dimensions.

[Saurisia]

Future Tech 1

[Our Lady GaGa]

Hmm, I like it. MT-4.

[Mewsland]

...............................

"Inter-dimensional" as in beyond our FOUR dimensions.

[Storm Gard]

Please note that Star Wars technology is often considered to most FTers to be rather primitive.

Didn't see the tech level before it, I apologize.

[The Rich Port]

Ah, PMT! I found the cures to AIDS and cancer YEARS ago.

BTW, what is "FTL"?

[Arwennick]

I suppose we're MT1A

[Mewsland]

Do what???????

FTL comes in late PMT, which is two eras before time travel <FT1>

FTL= Faster Than Light

[Othyl]

Well, this is all well and great, but I don't fit in there. I have FTL and fully sapient synthetic intelligences all over the place, but no time travel or inter-dimensional travel or anything like that.

[The Rich Port]

Do what???????

FTL comes in late PMT, which is two eras before time travel <FT1>

FTL= Faster Than Light

Hmm... I wonder if mass drivers can accomplish FTL speed...

[Mewsland]

You would probably be jury-rigged into FT2 or 3. It's going to happen. People cross bounds.

[Augarundus]

Augarundus takes place mostly (though all of its history is charted, I'm refering to RP) in an MT4 world, but Augarundus would have late MT4/almost PMT tech at an early era, due to it being a major scientific and economic centre.

[Angermanland]

umm, regarding technological standstills? that's not quite true, at least according to what I've come accross and remember. administrative/infrastructure type tech went Backwards for a bit, and consequently so did construction technology, but metalworking and agriculture tech just went right on trundling forward, as did weapon and armour designs.

the dark ages are so called primarily due to the lack of records there of, nothing more. they also end, if memory serves, a bit before the Norman invasion of England. (possibly earlier, not sure on that).

gun powder didn't really change the way wars were fought for quite some time either. a lot of development had to go into it's use and the associated weaponry before it was truly useful. and once it did, while it changed seiges a lot, it still took some time to be useful for foot soldiers, and even then the resulting guns just replaced the crossbow. (which was, combined with the longbow and pike, already putting an end to the battlefield usefulness of heavy cavalry like knights).

there were also many social changes.

and while the enlightenment, if i'm keeping my events and eras straight, brought about great development in the arts, actual scientific developments took a significant hit, at least in parts of europe, due to a pervasive view that an idealised version of how the romans did things was the best and right one.

if you want a technological stand still, at least in terms of military tech, the days when the roman empire was coming apart, but had not yet collapsed, is probably a better example. and even that's probably not very accurate.

on a different note, 1AD (the whole CE thing just pisses me off <_<) probably isn't a particularly good break point, tech wise, though i do see how it's a convenient way of doing it.

10th-19th centuries see Huge developments in naval technology, economic theory, agricultural technology, construction, military theory (though whether that one was an Advance or not is debatable) and administration. including the printing press. not to mention significant social changes.

now, fair enough, a Lot of technological development has been packed into a very short space of time in the last ~2 centuries, but any reference to 'stagnation' if you're trying to make a generally applicable scale is unlikely to be accurate. you're either looking at a Very narrow definition/subset of technology, or at the wrong part of the world at the time.

please note that the above is based on my memory of several years worth of incidental encounters with information and research into specific things for current RP and other projects. factual inaccuracies may (probably do) exist.

And Angerman's tech level is 'whatever the heck it needs to be for the current RP' ... though usually tends to end up with something approximating 30 years war tech, with occasional shifts for napoleonic, ancient, or sci-fi stuff. yes, i'm aware that's not using teh scale.

[Grandtaria]

Could you add AT, Alterinitve tech, IE, steampunk, and the like

[Novus Niciae]

OOC: Where does Gurps 3rd ed TL10-11 (borderline 11) sit on this system?
http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Tech_level

[Ramsetia]

We're willing to vary our tech level for RPs, but generally, we'd rather not be constrained by a certain level. It's more fun if we don't have to be shackled by what's worked in the real world and functioned with standard technologies.

'Alternative' or 'mixed' Tech would probably fit us best, if you see fit to include those options.

[Techno-Soviet]

I am FT and I use diesel-fueled low-bypass jet turbine engine-powered main battle tanks with 90mm coilguns, 30mm coaxial cannons and 13x108mm machine guns, 7mm assault rifles, 120mm anti-tank missiles, ramjet powered, waveriding fighter aircraft, nuclear-powered ramjet bombers and tactical nuclear weapons in the year 4338 CE.

Where does this put me?

OOC: Where does Gurps 3rd ed TL10-11 (borderline 11) sit on this system?
http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Tech_level

I use antimatter engines (Valkyrie engines), so I must be Tech 17 according to that.

[Rusikstan]

great job. i like this list, to me it seems to place a good grasp of all the time "eras", though nations some could be more advanced in some areas and less in others when regarding the MT's b/c of the short span of each, and i do think that AI's could be moved to FT1 for the earlier systems and then have them further develop in FT2, but that's just me (i know little about AI advancement).

[Techno-Soviet]

:clap: great job. i like this list, to me it seems to place a good grasp of all the time "eras", though nations some could be more advanced in some areas and less in others when regarding the MT's b/c of the short span of each, and i do think that AI's could be moved to FT1 for the earlier systems and then have them further develop in FT2, but that's just me (i know little about AI advancement).

I also have completely, 100% sapient AIs. I use them on ships and in infantry drones.