Low Passage and Ageing

[kilemall]

Traveller introduces a rather steep aging curve, which seems a poor fit for nutrition, medical science, and biotech three millennia beyond our own. I would argue for significantly expanded youthful vigor and overall life expectancy even without anagathics.

If you could extend each decadal characteristics by five years, you'd have teen-like resilience until 25, twenties-like peak until 40, thirtysomething okay-ness until 55, forties-ish can-almost-keep-up-but-beat-the-youngsters-with-experience until 70, fifties I-can-teach-you-whippersnappers-a-thing-or-two until 85. Retirement age might be 100 (equivalent to 70), just to make it a round number, but lots of folks would still be able in mind and body to work until 115 or so.

I can't see how three millennia would fail to get us there.

Perhaps so, but the rigors of space travel, all those rads, and dangerous woundings/atmos/exotic diseases etc. may take a toll that offsets what medicine can do.


"It's not the years, it's the mileage".


Another factor to consider is that maybe yes it is all possible, but it's also expensive, and only the connected and the rich get access to it. Then you get two tiered societies with the high end SOC and possibly the lowlife types are often out to earn enough to keep the anagathics and functional equivalent treatments/genegineering coming.

 

[aramis]

Traveller introduces a rather steep aging curve, which seems a poor fit for nutrition, medical science, and biotech three millennia beyond our own. I would argue for significantly expanded youthful vigor and overall life expectancy even without anagathics.

Which is probably why DGP made the Sollies use a slightly different one. Fundamentally, it's shifted down one number until age 65.
But it expends a 7777__ expected life from the late 60's into the mid 90's.

 

[Proneutron]

It's hard to imagine keeping troops in watch for long periods of time. I would think they would just develop a disassociative disorder being "away" for all that time.

Naw, in earlier time troops were sent away to isolated (for them) areas for YEARS at a time before returning home. It was the norm in many militaries.

 

[Proneutron]

Traveller introduces a rather steep aging curve, which seems a poor fit for nutrition, medical science, and biotech three millennia beyond our own. I would argue for significantly expanded youthful vigor and overall life expectancy even without anagathics.

Yes, there is no known reason why, once we REALLY understand genetics and the human body systems better that we cannot stop or GREATLY slow ageing. By TL 15 we should at least have a 10:1 effect going. The ageing process is after all a "programmed" thing.

 

[kilemall]

Yes, there is no known reason why, once we REALLY understand genetics and the human body systems better that we cannot stop or GREATLY slow ageing. By TL 15 we should at least have a 10:1 effect going. The ageing process is after all a "programmed" thing.

That's probably reasonable, but also probably only for people who stay in the cocoon of such a society.


A lot of effects show up where things get weird.


Imagine a situation where Lincoln literally had the Founding Fathers to consult or influence events. Does the American Civil War actually happen, or do the FF come down on the side of slavery and the abolitionist movement never really gets going? Does Mozart jam with the Beatles and what does that end up looking like?


Birth rates per century would have to plummet, or maybe eggs cannot retain viability past a woman's first century so she HAS to get them on ice routinely and conception has to be a VERY deliberate act. Or here is one for class society ugly, high SOC/money people can get their eggs protected for their lifespans and lower classes can't, they literally have their children all in their first century and have relatively short lifespans cause they can't afford/given the good stuff.



I think you would get some incredible very talented people that would just get better that advances things quite a bit. OTOH the dead hand of several generations that are still here and have the connections to maintain influence could have a very deadening effect on the arts and sciences.


However, Travellers risk all outside of that TL15 cocoon. It makes our characters iconoclasts and rebels just for risking their 800 years on adventure in their first century, when they are just kids.


But it may be worth it just cause that lower tech frontier is where all the different and change and history happens.

 

[Condottiere]

Also, author's intent, direct from the source.

 

[Proneutron]

That's probably reasonable, but also probably only for people who stay in the cocoon of such a society.

Not really. It would most likely be a reprogramming done after puberty to have the body maintain certain levels of growth hormones, et al. OR, a one time genetic therapy that reprograms the DNA to NOT start ageing process. So once you're an adult you don't need constant medical treatment.

 

[mike wightman]

Go to a TL9+ medical facility if you have suffered from an aging roll.

Roll 2d, if you roll lower then the TL of the facility your aging roll effects are erased.

DMs up to the referee but I would suggest at least total terms as a penalty to the roll and medic as a bonus.

Costs are also up to the referee but it's probably a good way to remove goodly amounts of cash from the character.

 

[coliver988]

Go to a TL9+ medical facility if you have suffered from an aging roll.

Roll 2d, if you roll lower then the TL of the facility your aging roll effects are erased.

DMs up to the referee but I would suggest at least total terms as a penalty to the roll

Costs are also up to the referee

I like this the best so far. Like the jump drive, "normal" humans in space is also a main conceit of Traveller I think.

Now, Traveller is very sandboxy and designed (at least originally) to play into any SF trope/theme you want. So I certainly see variations on the aging process (some of the Cepheus variations do this, and there is always Mindjammer for Traveller as well for an entirely distinct game play)