CT Only: How To Reconcile TL?

[creativehum]

Quite possibly because the tables weren't revised for the far less "remote" Solomani Rim. And the Marches, as presented in TTA and SMC, aren't really that remote in feel, despite being as far from the 3I core as one can get.

In this case, Judges Guild did a far better job than GDW for sector flavor - they changed the default ship encounter tables for at least one the sectors they did.

Excellent points... and something I did not consider. I would have assume the world generation tables would have been rebuilt as one got closer to Core. Honestly, I'm astounded they weren't!

But this exposes one key quality about me when it comes to Traveller... I'm kind of crazy ignorant when it comes to Traveller as a setting. As my focus is on Classic Traveller as a rules set this gets me into a lot of unfortunate miscommunications because, of course, the Traveller rules and the Traveller setting often don't match up.

 

[creativehum]

While this may not be of much importance for a higher TL rifle, as you have more, for your few precious SDBs things may change.

I agree 100%. This leads to two compelling results for me:

1. It explains why "primitive" weapons are so common in the "frontier" of the Far Future... primitive weapon are easier to maintain, easier to replace, easier to reload than more advanced weapons. I love the color of this. It's like the logic of the AK-47's ubiquitous presence across the globe bled into the future.

2. All sorts of adventure grist that the PCs can get involved with. It is possible to cripple portionas of a world's military without having to engage the military directly. Assassinations, hijacking a shipment, destroying stockpiles or repair depots... and all sorts of paramilitary operations and off the books ops. All of these are things the PCs can get involved with, and have a big impact on in local politics, that make perfect sense within the fragile polical/economic ecosystem that marks the frontier setting of Science-Fiction Adventure in the Far Future.

 

[Supplement Four]

Now, it occurs to me I have been digging at the fundamental point of your fun. Because I honestly don't see why you are making this so complicated. The whole Personal Tech Level thing is... well, I don't get it at all. But you do. So if I'm getting in the way of your fun, or being annoying, let me know. Because I'm looking at what you're thinking through and thinking, "Dude, why are you making this so hard when the game, in its blunt wisdom, doesn't need you to solve a problem... because there is not problem." But if you want to make a problem and solve, that's cool and I'll be quiet.

Naw, man! Quite the opposite. I'm enjoying the conversation!

That's why I started the thread--to talk about it. :coffeesip:

I enjoy speculating about this stuff, and I like reading the takes of others.



EDIT/ADD: Traveller is full of fun details. At least I think that they are fun. I enjoy the heck out of DGP's Grand Census/Survey.

 

[Supplement Four]

I1. It explains why "primitive" weapons are so common in the "frontier" of the Far Future... primitive weapon are easier to maintain, easier to replace, easier to reload than more advanced weapons. .

I like that point, too.

But, also...CT really doesn't have a lot of "high tech" weapons. The TL 8 Laser Carbine and the TL 9 Laser Rifle? That's it, unless you look to Book 4, where we get into gauss, accelerator, and plasma weapons.

To me, only the plasma stuff is really high tech. TL 12-15. And, those are not easy weapons to use.

 

[kilemall]

Generally speaking, if a regime has the money, they can buy military toys at a technological level way above than that they can maintain and operate, which is where Imperium military personnel could be lent out, or private military contractors contracted.

As regards to technology dissemination, South East Asia is inundated with smart cellphones, and before that, scooters.

Anything that's actually useful and adds value is likely to get imported.

For the fight to regain Texas and the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico ordered two ironclad steam warships in the 1840s- crewed by British for the most part, since steam at that point was something akin to nuclear propulsion. One of them was literally the first iron steam warship built- ever. AND- she carried Paixhans, the high tech gunnery weapon of the age. So TL ability certainly factored there.

https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=11583

Unfortunately they came up against Commodore Moore, an audacious commander who beat them using sailing ships.

Other factors relevant to this discussion- the British crews reportedly were very sick with 'Montezuma's Revenge', diarrhea brought on by immune systems not used to the local e. coli. Hence their combat efficiency was not optimal.

Also, as soon as their enlistment contracts ran out, the British crewmen refused to reup and left, leaving the damaged but otherwise functional ships unscrewed and therefore useless. No evidence I've read as to why they quit, but the disease, the proven fact the Texas Navy would come out and kill crew thus making it not a milk run against locals, and losing at least one of the captains to battle were likely elements.

Something to think about for those high tech SDBs.

 

[Supplement Four]

HOW I RUN MTU



1. A ship's TL can usually be found (because CT usually doesn't bother with ship TL) by comparing the highest drive value on the Tech Chart.

2. Ships with M-1 drives cannot make escape velocity from Size 8+ worlds. Those ships must have M-2 or better launches or use high ports or use planetary shuttles.

3. The TL of the world is the TL of the Starport. But, Starports also have minimum based on the port's services and the Tech Chart.

This means, a TL 15 vessel will have to find a TL 15 world for annual maintenance.

You can also tell the TL typical of a subsector by looking at the TL of the Class A ports.

4. Enlistment in the Imperial Navy is normally only possible on worlds with a IN Base. Same goes for Scouts.

5. Imperial Naval vessels are not automatically TL 15. This is supported by Sup 7.





I am leaning strongly to EDU serving as a character's personal TL, if higher than his homeworld. But, the jury is still out.

I also like what I see in the MT Ref's Manual about a character's effective TL. I may adapt that for use in my CT games.