Tech Levels & Jump Drive rather screwed

[far-trader]

Sorry for being so adamant about it, but I'm never wrong! :devil:

No sweat, I've been known to miss the obvious and you had me wondering if maybe I was again

However, I still believe that the different drives and power plants don't need to have a variety of tech levels assigned based on size. Using the description of Tech levels, you get a good indication of what tech level the different items can be built at.

Quite. I just wondered if Mongoose were intending to follow CT and then split off at some point. It seems like that's the case. For the better in ways, though a note of minimum TL for Maneuver Drives wouldn't have hurt. I did notice the fission and fusion noted on page 4, though again, tying that a little more directly by repeating it in the build chapter would be good.

I'm still baffled by the whole TL Software idea. I mean totally. I just can't see a reason or rhyme for it. If anyone can propose an idea that doesn't sound like "Well... because! So there!" I'd love to hear it

I mean what changes at TL8 from TL7 that suddenly I can program my TL7 model/1 computer to do celestial navigation and handle drive commands or whatever and write that Maneuver-0 program?! Obviously the computer is the same and not the limiting factor. The maths are no biggie either. So what is?

 

[aramis]

Dan: The software isn't software, but a firmware module set, with some App-specific hardware plus IVM* drivers, and the needed memory and dedicated SPUs... taking up a certain number of backplane slots.

*Imperial Virtual Machine.

 

[christopher.boote]

Thank you to all for your comments - some more informed than others!

So it is clear that MGT did try to shoehorn jump drive sizes (A B C) into TLs by use of the 'fudge factor' of software - I'd missed that

Actually, that's quite an elegant way of preventing too high a jump at too low a tech, while permitting the 'potential' to exist

It also allows for constructing a lower TL ship, then retrofitting the computer at a higher TL & installing new software to make use of all that unused potential. The requirement for a model/N for Jump-N as well as the jump-N program hasn't gone away don't forget

Thanx again

 

[far-trader]

...It also allows for constructing a lower TL ship, then retrofitting the computer at a higher TL & installing new software to make use of all that unused potential.

That's an... interesting... twist :smirk:

And a totally unintended one I'm all but certain. I'd like to hear Matt's take on it

 

[aramis]

PP is clearly listed on MGT TMB p 4.

TL 6: (Industrial) TL 6 brings the development of fission power and
more advanced computing. Advances in materials technology and
rocketry bring about the dawn of the space age.

TL 7: (Pre-Stellar) A pre-stellar society can reach orbit reliably and
has telecommunications satellites. Computers become common.
At the time of writing, humanity is currently somewhere between
TL 7 and TL 8.

TL 8: (Pre-Stellar) At TL 8, it is possible to reach other worlds in
the same system, although terraforming or full colonisation are not
within the culture’s capacity. Permanent space habitats become
possible. Fusion power becomes commercially viable.

TL 9: (Pre-Stellar) The defi ning element of TL 9 is the development
of gravity manipulation, which makes space travel vastly safer
and faster. This research leads to development of the Jump drive,
which occurs near the end of this Tech Level. TL 9 cultures can
colonise other worlds, although going to a colony is generally
a one-way trip.​

bolding mine.

TL8 is thus the point where we get fusion PP, and also system capable drives.

Given the correspomdence with programing, it is reasonable to say TL 8 minimums for listed Letter-drives.

 

[robject]

In CT (the only other version to use a drive letter model*) there was a Tech chart (describing worlds in LBB3 rather than with the ship design in LBB2) that showed the breaks by drive letters. [...]

* EDIT - actually there might have been another come to think, I'm not sure, T4 maybe?

Not T4. T5.

T5 uses a drive potential table for ships up to 2400 tons. The table, up to around 600 tons or so, is nearly identical to Book 2. Mongoose Traveller borrowed the T5 table for its shipbuilding rules.

 

[RockyMountainNavy]

Jump TL Table

In the High Guard SRD 1.0 (available for download in the Mongoose Traveller Developer's Pack) there is a M-Drive/J-Drive TL Table

J1- 9
J2- 11
J3 - 12
J4 - 13
J5 - 14
J6 - 15

I recognize this is not a "published" item and I don't have my copy of High Guard handy to see if it made it in there but the table - from Mongoose - exists.