Technology Level/meta
Notes (2019)[edit]
Tech level extrapolation of future ideas for the post-TL:13-15 OTU, come from a number of sources including:
- Many cite the original TL tables in Book 3 Worlds and Adventures and the The Traveller Book
- The next big source are the tach tables from MegaTraveller in the Referee's Companion
- And the latest source has been the T5 Core Rules
There are, of course, others. But, those three or so tend to be the most cited.
- - Maksim-Smelchak (talk) 11:12, 7 July 2019 (EDT)
Bruce's G's ideas:
Average Tech, Mastered Tech & Research Tech Levels[edit]
Average technologies in common use within the Third Imperium are very often considerably lower than the high end of TL–15.
- Each of the polities of the major races has a different average, sustainable technology level, but most systems and worlds average in the TL:10-12 range, with the most capable, higher tech worlds averaging in the TL:13-15 range.
Tech Levels 0 through 21[edit]
This TL table is a list of technological levels and short descriptions. The descriptions correlate TLs to periods in history or alternately, future technology.
- Note: GURPS: Traveller uses GURPS scales for tech levels. The table shows the mapping from GURPS TLs to Traveller TLs.
| Traveller TL | Historical Era | GURPS 3e TL | GURPS 4e TL |
| 0 | Stone Age (fire) | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Bronze Age (3500 BC) | 1 | 1 |
| 1.3 | Iron Age (1300 BC) | 2 | 2 |
| 1.6 | Medieval Age (600 AD) | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | Age of Sail (1500 AD) | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | Industrial Revolution (1730 AD) | 5 | 5 |
| 3.3 | Circa 1800 AD | 5 | 5 |
| 3.6 | Circa 1850 AD | 5 | 5-6 |
| 4 | Mechanized Age (1900 AD) | 5 | 6 |
| 5 | Broadcast Age (1930 AD) | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Nuclear Age (1940 AD) | 6 | 7 |
| 7 | Space Age (1970 AD) | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | Digital Age (1990 AD) | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | Early Stellar (2050 AD) / Fusion Age | 9 | 8^-9^ |
| 10 (A) | Early Stellar (2120 AD) / Gravitic Age | 9 | 9^-10^ |
| 11 (B) | Average Imperial (Year Zero) | 9 | 10^ |
| 12 (C) | Average Imperial (Year 1105) | 10 | 11^ |
| 13 (D) | Average Stellar / Geneering Age | 10 | 11^ |
| 14 (E) | High Stellar | 11 | 11^ |
| 15 (F) | Imperial Maximum (Year 1107) | 12 | 11^ |
| 16 (G) | Artificial Persons Age | 13 | 11^ |
| 17 (H) | Personality Transfer Age / Republic of Regina (Year 1902). | 13 | 11^ |
| 18 (J) | Exotics Age | 13 | 11^ |
| 19 (K) | Matter Transport/Antimatter Age | 13 | 11^ |
| 20 (L) | Skipdrive Age | 13 | 11^ |
| 21 (M) | Stasis Age | 13 | 11^ |
The table used this symbol "^" to indicate superscience according to the GURPS understanding, which differs from the Traveller understanding of the term.
In Standard GURPS 4e, each TL above your own is -5 Penalty to current TL skill with TL four levels beyond your own being "impossible" without actually learning the skill (G4 Basic Set pg 168). Since early 21st century Earth is at TL-8, TL-12 would be impossible to understand without a teacher and so the GURPS 4e TL scale caps out at 12. GURPS 4e also has its own superscience category for technology that that violates our current understanding of physical laws (relativity, conservation of energy, etc.).
References & Contributors / Sources[edit]
GURPS Traveller Notes: An array of notes regarding the similarities and differences between Traveller TL and GURPS TL can be found here: Tech Level Comparison Chart/meta
- External Link: GURPS 3rd Edition Lite
- External Link: GURPS 3rd Edition TL
- Author & Contributor: Bruce G.