It seems a lot statements on this thread are based on assumptions that are difficult to make.
CT doesn’t have much to say in terms of what the imperial army is equipped with.
See LBB:4, it has quite a comprehensive breakdown, repeated in MegaTraveller, and I have summarised it in previous posts. It is well detailed. There is also Striker.
Traveller adventure makes a statement about standard TL15 materials, but that it is vague . Is the TL15 standard to all army units or do they use the standard TL15 equipment, rather than theand standard TL14, TL13, TL12 options available?
They use TL15.
Having rifles that struggle to penetrate combat armor is silly but very effective AP rounds are available. But why skimp out on 500Cr per soldier when the armor cost 100000Cr per soldier?
Because the authors don't understand the rules they are supposed to be writing for.
Saying that the imperium is civilian TL15 is difficult to validate too. Certainly lots of people live at TL15 (about 3.5 trillion (19%)). But much more live 12-14 (8 trillion (44%)).
It is what can has said many times over, this whole majority nonsense is a modern take.
All those people on the TL12 to 14 worlds can buy TL15 goods and have access to TL14 scientific, engineering, and technological education.
Plus I would say that traveller is not a controlled economy, so who is to say what the TL15 worlds produce. Maybe the market for Alt reality entertainment means that TL15 economies are heavily invested in providing devices for this market?
The TL15 worlds, the megacorporations, and the nobility control the economy, otherwise subsector dukes would be raising as many worlds to TL 15 as they could.
What is the imperial taxation system? How much is spent on the military? What are the main driving factors in the imperial economy? Can internal sectors in the sylean and Ilelish domains be convinced to commit to large military production? There is not enough information to answer these questions?
There is enough to get a meaningful estimate.
FFW certainly seems to commit to suggesting a TL15 level but I do not think that FFW can be considered canon, for many reasons I can list if needed but will not here.
The game that details the war and contains setting material and a section on integration with the role playing game is not canon... I fail to see how
The TL shift in combat is a game mechanic not necessarily the actual reality of 57th century combat. This is why I sort to remove TL in my version of FFW and give units a firepower value and damage amount value.
So you disagree with canon and houserule, fair enough.
The authors of the original game were wargame designers by trade, it was their bread and butter. The game is how they chose to model interstellar warfare in the 57th century within the confines of Third Imperium future history. I give them credit for knowing what they were doing.
And what did I assume gives the majority of combat effectiveness in an imperial division and hence their edge? Meson guns. Something only the imperium has in any meaningful amount.
And electronics, smaller fusion power plants, better computers...
So imperial combat forces probably wouldn’t be Tl12 (rear echelon vehicles might be). I would say lots is TL13 (to allow battlefield fabrication). TL15 comms devices (these alone would be add a significant increase to combat effectiveness). TL14 and 15 for anything that would be impractical to manufacture in fabrication chambers ie too big or super dense materials or needs to actually be really good. So this would be Armour, battledress, speeders etc.
The Mongoosification of the setting is complete.
I think the most logical conclusion from the limitations the authors have placed upon the imperium is that the Zhodani would struggle to maintain such a high percentage of TL14 forces. Although as a more controlled economy (perhaps???? Is this actually supported anywhere?) maybe they can force greater high end production away from the civilian market.
Let me guess, suddenly the Zhodani are equipped to TL10 standards...
I think the most pertinent problem identified is what is a 57th century battlefield like? Do meson guns fire once every 6 seconds or do they play by high guard rules and fire once every 6 minutes?
Dogfighting scale...
or you could refer to a previous Traveller incarnation and look at Striker which gives the rate of fire, pretty sure it is in LBB:4 as well.
How does a FGMP-14 fusion plant provide enough energy to fire a shot every 6 seconds despite a fusion still not being able to charge a laser carbine pack in less than 8 hours?
Because the authors have never thought of using FGMP power packs for laser weapons...
GT ground forces had its faults (they basically copied the US army’s brigade combat team model for Imperial army organization) but it had these details.
It is one of the worse GT books, the distinction of worst goes to...
Also I back the idea that you can’t have everyone in battledress all the time. There has to be some serious limitations for whatever reason they might be. Otherwise what is there to stop travellers getting battledress and spending all day in them? Makes the game to easy.
If you are in the battlezone on a TL15 battlefield (technically TL11 since gunships can mount 50t meson bays thanks to the HG author) then you better be in battledress or you have no chance of survival at all.
Please feel free to shout at me. But ultimately most of this boils down to opinion, IMO.
It's good fun to discuss it, thank you for adding to this in a civilised way, I need to check the silly snark in my relies now
kidding I'll post it warts and all then change it later when I feel guilty.
