Have you ever considered how vast the 3rd Imperium is?

[Nathan Brazil]

Going over recent posts:

Vilani nobles and "cooks"
The Vilani "cooks" <i>shulgii</i> were the class that held the secrets of breaking down native Vland life into food to which Vilanii could in fact could eat due to biological incompatabilities. One source called it "fermentation", which lends itself to jokes about drunk Vilani.

Vilani "Nobles"
Vilani already had a defacto system of nobles. Necessary like in the 3I because of distances and all that. The system is based on corporate feudalism, not your standard military feudalism. The positions were semi-hereditary, but always the case. However, due to the caste system in place it may as well have been. When the Terrans took over after the Interstellar Wars, the Terrans kept the existing social structures in place, but also introduced the direct hereditary system.

Secret J6 Xboat Network
This is detailed more in Keepers of the Flame for TNE when describing the the differences between the old 3I Xboat Networks and the new Jump Web. It's existence as secret is explicitly stated there I think. It speaks about the outrage the March peoples had when they heard that advance notice of Virus came from the J6 network. Sure it saved the Spinward Marches, but the existence of the network infuriated non-nobles because of the perception, rightly so, of faster communication that the "common folk" could not make use of.

 

[Chuck Anumia]

I am not sure if I understand the question. Hop Drive is not different from Jump other than going farther, faster.

Based on the T5 RAW:

Jump Drive Standard TL of Introduction: TL-9 (Rated in pc /week)
Hop Drive Standard TL of Introduction: TL-17 (Rated in 10's pc /day)
Skip Drive Standard TL of Introduction: TL-20 (Rated in 100's pc /3.5 hours)

​

Experimental versions of technology are Standard TL -3
Prototype versions of technology are Standard TL -2
Early versions of technology are Standard TL -1

All "Hyperdrives" (of various levels) do not have a Jump/Hop/Skip Governor at below Standard TL, and thus always Jump/Hop/Skip their full rated distance (i.e. they cannot jump less than their rating). To deliberately do this at below standard TL, one must aim for a 100-dia gravity well and "force precipitate" the ship out of jumpspace at the destination 100-dia limit.



Exactly the point. NOBODY would likely be using an Experimental Drive outside the Imperial Research Stations or the Jumpspace Institute, Prototype Drives would probably be undergoing testing at such an institute (or in special circumstances might be used for a mission where it was desperately needed). An Early Drive, on the other hand, is an actual basic limited-production model.

I believe the implications of the above posts were suggesting that on Capital there may indeed be access to some TL-16 technology "secretly" in use by the Imperial Services, which might allow for the possibility of some Early Hop-1 Drives (assuming Hop Drive is a Standard TL-17 invention). But that is speculative/debatable.

And you're right: I certainly wouldn't want to be Hopping around with an Experimental or Prototype Drive, either.

I like the chart of possibilities for Hop Drives and Skip Drives by Tech level as stated here.

Hop Drives (10 Parsecs):
Experimental versions TL- 14
Prototype versions TL -15
Early versions TL -16
Standard Versions TL - 17

Skip Drives (100 Parsecs):
Experimental versions TL- 17
Prototype versions TL -18
Early versions TL -19
Standard Versions TL - 20

I would rather ride a Prototype than and experimental version but for game mechanics I would use whatever is available to move the game down a certain path.

Tech Levels:
A- 10
B- 11
C- 12
D- 13
E- 14
F- 15
G- 16
H- 17
I- 18
J- 19
K- 20
L- 21
M- 22
N- 23
O- 24
P- 25
Q- 26

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

TL-E!

The TL-17/TL-18 issue is an errata-in-process, but the bulk of the texts seem to imply TL-17. Assuming TL-17 as their standard TL, that would make Hop-Drives Prototype (not Experimental) at TL-15. At Capital, if TL16 is being developed/secretly employed behind the scenes, it would make them Early Hop-Drives at TL-16.

I remember when in the earlier drafts Hop Drive was TL-14, so I favor TL-H. It also means that maybe only folks like Strephon and maybe Norris have them.

Chuck, just to let you know your hex is off for TL-18, which should be "J" as "I" and "O" are not used to avoid confusion with one and zero.

 

[aramis]

I remember when in the earlier drafts Hop Drive was TL-14, so I favor TL-H. It also means that maybe only folks like Strephon and maybe Norris have them.

Chuck, just to let you know your hex is off for TL-18, which should be "J" as "I" and "O" are not used to avoid confusion with one and zero.

J is used in CT/MT/T5. See CT Bk 5 pp 23-24, T5 pp. 34.

 

[Blue Ghost]

The Imperium of the 1100s has been TL15 for all of 100 years, bit early to be experimenting with TL16/17 stuff don't you think?

Its is also possible that Imperial scientists never make the breakthrough needed to understand the hop drive even exists.

TL11 Vilani never invented the meson gun, TL12 Terrans didn't invent the meson screen. Just because something is possible on the TL charts doesn't mean it is automatically discovered in the setting.

A good post. This is something that's been touched on before and fleshed out, but never [to my knowledge] officially adapted as such into the rules.

TLs, in my book, are general guides as to what you would typically find in store, household or business on that world, but not so much as the actual prevailing tech-ceiling nor tech-base, but rather what is commonly used as a matter of convenience (or inconvenience) due to social codes, available materials, or other factors.

What this has to do with the size of the Imperium is that I think a good chunk of the worlds in the heart of the Imperium are TL15 with smatterings of TL2 or TL5 here and there, as well as slight nods towards TL16 or TL17, but nothing ubiquitous as such on that world or elsewhere.

The reason being is that it just may be cheaper and easier for a poor farmer on a world to use an ox or horse with a plow than to invest in a fully automatic AI multi-bladed harvester that spots animals and people in the fields, and knows when to stop, blow its horn to get that person to move so it can continue onwards.

On other worlds, even though they have TL17 in select areas here and there, maybe there just isn't enough power for anti-gravity cities or something. Maybe that tech is strcitly applied to recycling the H202 from acid into water and oxygen for life support.

My point being is that as per the OP, the Imperium [space itself, as per Douglas Adams] is big. And the varieties and plethora of technologies and settings is really left to your imagination, unless you're playing a very hard OTU. I mean, whose to say some duke in some subsector doesn't have a warp powered personal fleet with ship-mounted disintigrator barbettes, or "Tantalus field" like security with AI ships? Sure, they outclass the Emperor's Sylean class BBs, but they're still at the Emperor's beck and call because there's the whole honor thing going on, and, even though said duke's fleet can maul the Emperor's home guard, he can't take on the entire Imperium.

I could go on and on with this topic, but will refrain. One of the reasons I gravitate towards Traveller and not, oh, say, Gamma World or Jovian Chronicles, is because of Traveller's generic setting. If you really wanted, you could do the TTA RPG using Traveller rules. Ditto with any sci-fi property, and, with the Traveller rules, you can expand, tweak and improve on the setting you imported.

Just my daily rant. Don't mind me

 

[whulorigan]

J is used in CT/MT/T5. See CT Bk 5 pp 23-24, T5 pp. 34.

I think Magnus was saying that "I" is not used.

Chuck's Table should be:
[FONT=arial,helvetica]
Tech Levels:
A- 10
B- 11
C- 12
D- 13
E- 14
F- 15
G- 16
H- 17
J- 18
K- 19
L- 20
M- 21
N- 22
P- 23
Q- 24
R- 25
S- 26[/FONT]

 

[Blue Ghost]

Exactly what does TL26 even look like? o:

 

[Nathan Brazil]

From Campaign 1: Secrets of the Ancients: Ancient civilzation is touched on to display what they are capable of at different steps before the Ancient's War

Ancient Technology Level: 18–19 at the core; 16–17 at the fringe systems
All characters have personal fusion pistols
Warships are using disintegrators as their primary weapon and are protected by black globes.
Self-aware AIs are possible, but uncommon.
Travel is via starship or shuttle; experiments in teleporter technology have begun, but currently teleportation is uniformly lethal to living creatures.
Power is generated by microfusion power plants.
Communication is still limited to slower-than-light mesons or jump-6 jump torpedoes.
Creation of the Vargr

Ancient Technology Level: 19–21 at the core; 18–19 at the fringe systems
Personal disintegrators and force shields are common smallarms
Ships are equipped with proton screens and long-range tractors as well as disintegrators; the new breed of warships have spine-mounted relativity beams that attack enemy ships
in the past.
Terraforming has advanced massively – Cordillon for example (originally X443423–C), has been turned into something close to a garden world.
Teleportation portals are not yet in common use, but every big ship and city has a few.
The Empire has grown too large for the current centralised government to manage; even the establishment of a super-fast jump relay grid (comparable to the X-Boat network, but composed of millions of jump-capable microdrones) has failed to stem the tide.
During the course of the adventure, the ansible network is revealed (TL22): An ansible network allows for instantaneous communication across tens of parsecs. It operates on a higher level of jumpspace than that accessed by conventional jump drives.


Ancient Technology Level: 26+ at the core; 23–24 at the fringe systems
At this level of technology, teleportation portals are ubiquitous.
Whole planetary systems can be crossed with a single footstep.
While some ships still have their own jump drives, it is more common to use interstellar gates to travel from system to system.
The ansible network links the entire Ancient civilisation together.

 

[Reban]

Exactly what does TL26 even look like? o:

TL26 looks like: world scale constructs, socioengineering, bound drives and implantable ethics according to T5.

By TL26 you can already rapidly terraform a world with nanoswarms or "Goos" while inertialess drive powered spacecraft bring in the colonists who are psionics who can use their minds to create anything they need. Matter transportation across planetary systems is easy and has been around since TL21.

 

[rancke]

Exactly what does TL26 even look like? o:

About nine to ten levels under what the Ancients had.


Hand

 

[JimMarn]

I thought of tech level 21 as having spacesuits that looked like the character was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, shoes optional.

No radio required for conversation in such suits. You just turned to the other person, and chatted.

The suit understood if you wanted the conversation to be private or public. And set the maximum distance you would be heard.

 

[JimMarn]

Exactly what does TL26 even look like? o:

Imaginations run rampant.

 

[aramis]

About nine to ten levels under what the Ancients had.


Hand

Nothing shown in prior canon implies much past TL 26 for the ancients...

 

[rancke]

Nothing shown in prior canon implies much past TL 26 for the ancients...

"The technology used to create the Ancient teleport networks comes from a variety of tech levels. Creation of portals to pocket universes is about TL 25. The actual pinching off of pocket universes is closer to TL 35." [Secret of the Ancients, p. 41]​

Hans

 

[Blue Ghost]

Oh wow. So gravitic cities become pase, as possibly do Dyson spheres. Geeze.

Okay, I'm getting inspired to write another adventure.

 

[Brian Smaller]

Without me buying the book, how much fuel does a Hop drive use? 10% tonnage per hop or what?

 

[rancke]

Without me buying the book, how much fuel does a Hop drive use? 10% tonnage per hop or what?

And how much will it use if he does buy the book? :smirk:


Hans

 

[whulorigan]

Without me buying the book, how much fuel does a Hop drive use? 10% tonnage per hop or what?

1% tonnage per Hop #.

And how much will it use if he does buy the book? :file_22:
Hans

 

[Blue Ghost]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph5EJw6jXnk

 

[esampson]

1% tonnage per Hop #.

To clarify what Whulorigan said, I believe he meant 1% per parsec, or 10% per Hop #. A Hop 1 is 10 parsecs, so the fuel would be 10% of the ship. Similarly a Skip is 10% per Skip #, or .1% per parsec.