Technology level 4

Technology level 4 is the fifth of the Technology level classifications. The defining characteristics of a society having reached TL–4 is advanced industrialization and widespread use of electricity as a power source. The social changes started with the previous technologies accelerates here, with further technological changes.

Median industrial culture. Standardization, mass production, heavy industry and other factors allow myriad competing equipment designs to flourish.

In terms of classification TL–4 is the Technological Period of Ur-Tech, the initial planetary bound cycle of development. It also occurs within the Technological Epoch know as the Division of Labor Epoch.

Theoretical Technologies

Physical Science

Existing know laws of physics are refined

Material Science / Manufacturing

Aluminum - a new material expanding the possibilities for structural materials

Interchangeable parts - Manufacturing tolerances fine enough for parts to be replaced on machines.

Armored vehicles

Biological Science

Known areas of biological science are further refined

Pasteurization, Sterilization, and canning - knowledge of how to preserve food for indefinite periods.

Cultural Science

The ability to manage massive social upheaval without tearing a society apart.

Quality of Life Technologies

Energy

Electricity - wide scale generation and long distance distribution of power

Information

Mechanical Calculators

Communications

Motion Pictures - combine photography with sound recording for information transmission

Telephone - The ability to connect a 1-1 communications over a network with thousands of connections.

Linotype Printing (mass printing, illustrated printing)

Medicine / Life sciences

Vaccination - First techniques to prevent diseases.

Antiseptics & Anesthetics - Makes Surgical techniques both safer and more available.

Environment

Skyscrapers - Build buildings 10s to a 100 stories tall.

Cities in Rugged/Desert Terrain

Crude Terraforming - Ability to transform small sections of worlds into arable land.

Transportation Technologies

Land transportation

Self-propelled vehicles - personal scale vehicles are widely available to travel over extensive road networks.

Water

Ironclads - steam powered armored warships.

Crude submersibles

World wide navigation

Air

Dirigibles - Hot air or other lifting gases with powered engines for directed transport

Early Gliders

Military Technologies

Warfare is conducted mostly in TL–3 terms, but with more efficient and accurate weapons. Most of the technological developments in firearms through TL–9 are conceived of and possibly experimented with during TL–4. Recoil and gas-operated repeating weapons, autofire, modern propellants, multiple barrel rapid-fire weapons, liquid cooling, mechanically fused payloads and mathematically calculated indirect fire are TL–4 developments. Other notable developments include self-powered naval torpedoes.

See Also

Technology levels

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

• Technological Systemics
  • Technology Level
  • Tech Level Comparison Chart
  • Technological Epoch
  • Technological Period
  • Universal Technological Profile
• Foundational Period
  • Tool Making Epoch
    • TL–0
    • TL–1
    • TL–2
    • TL–3
  • Division of Labor Epoch
    • TL–4
    • TL–5
    • TL–6
  • Processor Epoch
    • TL–7
    • TL–8
    • TL–9
• Interstellar Period
  • Gravitics Epoch
    • TL–10
    • TL–11
    • TL–12
  • Biologicals Epoch
    • TL–13
    • TL–14
    • TL–15
  • Artificials Epoch
    • TL–16
    • TL–17
    • TL–18
• Galactic Period / Accelerating Tech Level
  • Matter Transport Epoch
    • TL–19
    • TL–20
    • TL–21
  • Transformations Epoch
  • Psionics Epoch
  • Trans-galactic Epoch
  • Pocket Universe Epoch
  • Post-Technological Period

References & Contributors

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Worlds and Adventures (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 7-8, 14-15,17.
• Marc Miller. Scouts (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 26.
• Marc Miller. Merchant Prince (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), 34,37.
• Herb Petro. "Tech Level Expansion." Imperium Staple 07 (1986): 3.
• Loren Wiseman. "Twisting Tech Levels: A Traveller Variant." Challenge 31 (1987): 27.
• Marc Miller. Referee's Companion (Game Designers Workshop, 1988), 26-34.
• Geir Lanesskog. World Builder's Handbook (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), 58,83-86.Joe Fugate, J. Andrew Keith, Gary L. Thomas. World Builder's Handbook (Digest Group Publications, 1989), 58,83-86.
• Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Fire, Fusion, & Steel (Game Designers Workshop, 1994), 6-8,37.
• Greg Porter. Emperor's Arsenal (Imperium Games, 1997), .
• David Burden. Pocket Empires (Imperium Games, 1997), 51-52,108.
• Leighton Piper. "Low Tech." Signal-GK 13 (1997): 30-31.
• Jon F. Zeigler. First In (Steve Jackson Games, 1999), 94-95, 108-117.7
• K. David Ladage, "Alternate Technological Paths", JTAS Online (2001)
• K. David Ladage, "Alternate Technologies II: Relativity", JTAS Online (2001)
• Martin Dougherty, Hunter Gordon. The Traveller's Handbook (QuikLink Interactive, 2002), 378.
• Ken Pick, "An Analysis of Tech Levels", Freelance Traveller 012 (2010): 10-12
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 502-507.
• Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Starships (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 223-237.
• Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Worlds and Adventures (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 19.