Average TL of the Imperium?

[Carlobrand]

My counter-theory sir is that the Terrans had a much more disparate TL at contact. Jump drives, sure TL9...but most other systems TL 10 and even 11. So when they hit Vilani, the contest was closer than it would seem. ...

Maybe, maybe not. Terrans have a long history of becoming really clever and innovative when they get embroiled in war. Must have been a hell of an incentive to get out there and find out there was someone bigger and stronger than you, and - most important - the Vilani by all accounts really didn't take them seriously until it was too late. Underestimating your foe has brought many a great power to its knees.

The Terries benefitted from a change-oriented culture and a smaller population base - compared to the Vilani - in which to disseminate technological change, allowing them to integrate improvements much more quickly than their conservative, sprawling counterparts. And, half the battle in science and tech is knowing something can be done.

 

[mike wightman]

GT:ISW is the definitive text for this period

During the periods of peace between conflict Earthers were trading with Vilani planets and client races They could basically buy there way to TL10 which was fairly unrestricted Vilani tech. TL11 would come from reverse engineering war trophies, espionage an the like. The jump to TL12 is a bit more interesting.

The Vilani had been TL11 since 912BC - over 3000 years at TL11 before encountering the Terrans. During all that time experiments and research were still being conducted, it was just a conscious choice of the first Imperium to maintain a TL of 11.

Note these are Traveller TLs not GURPS.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

The big jump in GURPS:IW is when the Terrans hit TL 12 during the Eighth Interstellar War. The Terrans develop Meson Guns and Jump 3. Now Jump 3 may be a logical progression, but Meson Guns are compeletely new. The interesting point there is that in "standard TL" progression of the Third Imperium, Meson Guns are available to purchase at lower TL in High Guard. Perhaps a case of once the principles are known, reverse engineering the manufacturing process simpler.

 

[Carlobrand]

The big jump in GURPS:IW is when the Terrans hit TL 12 during the Eighth Interstellar War. The Terrans develop Meson Guns and Jump 3. Now Jump 3 may be a logical progression, but Meson Guns are compeletely new. The interesting point there is that in "standard TL" progression of the Third Imperium, Meson Guns are available to purchase at lower TL in High Guard. Perhaps a case of once the principles are known, reverse engineering the manufacturing process simpler.

I'm not real proficient with GURPS Trav, but doesn't GURPS TL12 line up with CT TL14?

 

[mike wightman]

Yes, you have to be careful with GT an GT:ISW to translate the TL to standard Traveller.

 

[rancke]

Yes, you have to be careful with GT an GT:ISW to translate the TL to standard Traveller.

You can use GTL and TTL instead of TL if there is room for confusion.


Hans