Amber Chancer
SOC-12
I have always worked on the basis that TL is what CAN be manufactured or repaired on the world ... somewhere.
A community may have items that are beyond the tech level of its manufacturing ability. Think of the leaders of under-developed countries driving round in shiny black Mercedes limousines, and equipping their air-forces with second-hand MiGs and their armies with umpteenth-hand Panzer IVs ... done of which can be built in their countries, and many of which will simply be put aside when they break down because they can't be repaired either. Think of native Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries, trading for guns ...
I see no problem with the idea that a community might be able to carry out routine, or even advanced, maintenance on technology that it cannot itself manufacture or repair (many people can service a car's engine ... few people can design and build one).
The world's tech level is the highest that is achievable on that world (so Earth is currently Tech 7 or 8, depending upon what view you take of our space prowess ... but I tend to stick with 7). However, there are MANY places on Earth where you cannot actually have something made or repaired to a level much beyond Tech 3, even though items at Tech 6 and 7 are in daily use.
A community may have items that are beyond the tech level of its manufacturing ability. Think of the leaders of under-developed countries driving round in shiny black Mercedes limousines, and equipping their air-forces with second-hand MiGs and their armies with umpteenth-hand Panzer IVs ... done of which can be built in their countries, and many of which will simply be put aside when they break down because they can't be repaired either. Think of native Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries, trading for guns ...
I see no problem with the idea that a community might be able to carry out routine, or even advanced, maintenance on technology that it cannot itself manufacture or repair (many people can service a car's engine ... few people can design and build one).
The world's tech level is the highest that is achievable on that world (so Earth is currently Tech 7 or 8, depending upon what view you take of our space prowess ... but I tend to stick with 7). However, there are MANY places on Earth where you cannot actually have something made or repaired to a level much beyond Tech 3, even though items at Tech 6 and 7 are in daily use.
