Subtle narrative cues for TL

[dayriff]

When describing a world to your players, what are the descriptive keywords you typically use to get across a sense of the world's technology level? To be clear, I'm talking specifically about atmospheric description as they walk through a city.

I'm more interested in ideas for the higher technology levels. It's pretty easy for me to drop in something about a steam locomotive or power lines or the cooling towers of a fission planet. But what are the "key indicators" that make a TL-9 society feel different from a TL-10 from a TL-11 from a TL-12? At what level should WALL-E style robots be described as cleaning up a mess on the street? When does a floating advertisement for a hair replacement clinic show up hawking neon-green follicles for CHEAP?

 

[GypsyComet]

The 10-13 range will vary far more based on its connection to the larger Imperium (or other big homogenizing polity), that by local TL. To really see the differences in that range "the streets" are not your first choice if the world is well connected, because many worlds will look alike in the brands and variety available. The only differences are whether these things are made locally or shipped in.

If the world is a full independent, then you may see obvious differences. The local brands of transportation will show the effects of powerplant tech, and the gradual take-over by gravitics. A world that is doing its own bootstrap will take a while getting rid of older infrastructure, so surface roads will gradually be replaced by roof-top parking and bus *landing* stops instead of streets full of groundcars. Streets get converted to walking zones and eventually might disappear completely except in distinct shopping areas. Off-world brands will be vanishingly rare, but the flip side is that anything bought here can be fixed here.

 

[kristof65]

Don't forget age.

Apparent tech might not be so obvious if a particular planet/city/etc has been settled longer than another one of similar tech level.

Take London and New York City as a quick and dirty example. Both have a high density of survellience cameras, which indicates a certain tech level. However, London is far older than New York, and in many regions, that factor will be more noticable than the tech will.

In some cases, high tech could actually reduce the apparent tech of a location. Wireless communications and reliable portable power sources reduce the need for wires, thus allowing "historical" neighborhoods to appear as "pure" as the day they were built.

And then don't forget that just because a world is low tech, it doesn't mean that the occasional piece of high tech won't show up there. A world may only consist of TL5 Groat Ranches spread across a million acres each, but that doesn't mean that some of those ranches won't be importing TL10 Fusion reactors in for their power needs. A rich noble may well show off his/her status by importing an Air/Raft to park among his automobiles.

With all that in mind, I feel that transportation and communications along with their infrastructures and prices are probably the best "quick" indicator of TL. Just as automobiles replace steam engines, grav vehicles will replace airplanes. If vehicles run primarily on fossil fuels, fueling stations selling those will be in evidence; while on worlds where things run primarily on hydrogen, fueling stations will be much different. Similar things will be noticable for communications - lots of satellites vs radio towers, pay phones vs personal communicators.

 

[dayriff]

The 10-13 range will vary far more based on its connection to the larger Imperium (or other big homogenizing polity), that by local TL. To really see the differences in that range "the streets" are not your first choice if the world is well connected, because many worlds will look alike in the brands and variety available. The only differences are whether these things are made locally or shipped in.

Huh, that's not really my take on what TL means. Just because a world has the TL-13 keyword doesn't mean that it's capable of building its own TL-13 devices (at least not on a large scale). In fact, "non-industrial" worlds are specifically called out as not being able to support their own technology base.

I see TL as meaning the technology level of devices in common use by your average citizen and that (on average) the world is capable of performing basic maintenance on. So you might have a farm world that's TL-11 and they might import pretty much all their technology from the industrial world next door. And the industrial world is only TL-10, because that's what most of its citizens make do with for one reason or another. (They could make AI street sweeping robots, but they don't.)

 

[dayriff]

And then don't forget that just because a world is low tech, it doesn't mean that the occasional piece of high tech won't show up there. A world may only consist of TL5 Groat Ranches spread across a million acres each, but that doesn't mean that some of those ranches won't be importing TL10 Fusion reactors in for their power needs. A rich noble may well show off his/her status by importing an Air/Raft to park among his automobiles.

Sure. Of course, if groat ranching is making them so much money that they could afford to import TL-10 technology for everything, they'd be TL-10. It's a fine line.

With all that in mind, I feel that transportation and communications along with their infrastructures and prices are probably the best "quick" indicator of TL. Just as automobiles replace steam engines, grav vehicles will replace airplanes. If vehicles run primarily on fossil fuels, fueling stations selling those will be in evidence; while on worlds where things run primarily on hydrogen, fueling stations will be much different. Similar things will be noticable for communications - lots of satellites vs radio towers, pay phones vs personal communicators.

Yes, exactly. I'm just trying to figure out how TL-12 transportation should seem different from TL-13 transportation (as an example). Maybe it doesn't Maybe it plateaus out. But I'd like to come up with some guidelines for making differences in technology levels seem like they matter.

If nobody pipes up in this thread, I'll do some hard thinking and come up with my own list to post here, in the hope that someone may find it of use.

 

[kristof65]

And then don't forget that just because a world is low tech, it doesn't mean that the occasional piece of high tech won't show up there. A world may only consist of TL5 Groat Ranches spread across a million acres each, but that doesn't mean that some of those ranches won't be importing TL10 Fusion reactors in for their power needs. A rich noble may well show off his/her status by importing an Air/Raft to park among his automobiles.

Sure. Of course, if groat ranching is making them so much money that they could afford to import TL-10 technology for everything, they'd be TL-10. It's a fine line.

Notice I said "some". I think those are the kind of anomolies that PC types will notice, which is why I mentioned them. Wether or not they are important is up to you.

Yes, exactly. I'm just trying to figure out how TL-12 transportation should seem different from TL-13 transportation (as an example). Maybe it doesn't Maybe it plateaus out. But I'd like to come up with some guidelines for making differences in technology levels seem like they matter.

I think in many ways that's going to be dependant upon YTU. In mine, it's all going to be very subtle clues that are well overshadowed by other factors, a big one being culture.

Take automobiles. To a casual observer from the outside, there is nothing obvious to distinguish the tech level of a fully restored 1950 Chevy versus a 2008 Chevy. You and I know they are worlds apart because we're familiar with the culture that shaped them, and things like shape give us clues. Looking at the passenger compartments, you will see more indicators, like analog dials, differences in radios, materials used, etc, but it really isn't until you can pop the hood that you start to see all the differences.

Tech will be influenced the same way. One planet may have a distinct like of touchscreens, and you'll find them on everything from public pay "phones" to elevator controls. Another planet could have a preference for voice activated controls, with stylistic art-deco "manual" backup controls. Based on those clues, who can really say which one is higher tech?


Overall, I think the bulk of your clues at higher tech levels as to a planet's overall tech level are going to be most apparent to an arriving starship crew - number and type of satellites in orbit, visible signs of infrastructure - stuff like that.

 

[Golan2072]

My two cents on this:

TL8: most of the "staples" of Imperial tech - especially info-tech - are new and considered "high tech gadgets". Laser carbines - and even primitive gravitics - would exist if you're using CT (but not MGT). Fusion is very new and tends to be bulky (and look a bit similar to older nuke plants) not necessarily due to technological limitations but also due to old habits and outdated safety regulations.

TL9: Gravitics are top-end and most people don't "get" them (unless, of course, in the pre-TL9 the world had plenty of off-world activity and/or imports). Gravitics usually replace helicopters, but not necessarily aircraft and rarely cars. Robots are considered "high tech" but are bulky, expensive and utterly dumb. If the world has Starport-A it could produce ships - if the world has only recently advanced to this TL, there might be a major fanfare around its new navy. Laser weapons are the only energy weapon around and are typically used as sniper/sharpshooter guns due to their expense and weight.

TL10: Vehicles are a mixture of gravitic and non-gravitic ones as gravitics have gained wide acceptance but is still too primitive (and expensive) to supplant every vehicle. ACRs are the new fad in military gear.

TL11: Robots are finally approaching "modern" (in Imperial terms, that is) levels, but still look a bit primitive to Imperial visitors. Aircraft completely disappear in favor of gravitics, but poorer people still drive cars... Or ride robotic buses!

TL12: A mainstream (though a little bit backwater) Imperial world, especially if the starport is good. Robots are everywhere (or at least in the rich neighborhoods), augments are common, and gravitics replace most vehicles - even cars. Traffic starts to flow in 3D but there are still streets due to old habits and old city regulations. SWAT teams wear Combat Armour and carry gauss rifles; ordinary cops still get the good old Cloth vests and autopistols (or ACR-tech variants of autopistols).

TL13-14: Imperial mainstream. Traffic is 3D - buildings have entrances and parking garages on all levels. Cities are built in 3D, too, with walkways and multiple levels (especially on a high-pop world). Robots could be smart to near-AI levels and are probably everywhere (including autodocs). Cops carry gauss pistols; soldiers are armed with gauss rifles; heavy troops carry plasma or fusion weapons and wear battledresses. Holograms replace flat-screen media.

TL15: Imperial high-tech. Floating cities, common grav-belts... It'll look high-tech and top-end even to the typical Imperial traveller: a good place to shop for gadgets. Even the cops (or, at least, SWAT) might be wearing battledresses!

TL16: Ultratech and cutting-edge. If the world is Imperial it'll probably have a large number of research institutes. If it isn't Imperial it'll probably look somewhat outlandish and alien even if the inhabitants are humans.

 

[GypsyComet]

Huh, that's not really my take on what TL means. Just because a world has the TL-13 keyword doesn't mean that it's capable of building its own TL-13 devices (at least not on a large scale). In fact, "non-industrial" worlds are specifically called out as not being able to support their own technology base.

The "true" meaning of TL is a topic of much discussion, but generally falls into "infrastructure vs what's in the stores". As is often the case, the reality is probably not summable in a single number.

 

[qstor]

Parking garages on each level? Would the society of the future give us mass transit to our destination of choice?

For a huge city of billions I guess there would be hundreds of grav taxis like
Coruscant maybe or there would be trams going across the city.

I was kinda kidding with this post. But I think it would be hard to distinguish a slight variation in TL unless the PCs had familiarity with cutting edge technology. While others would be apparent like the differences between TL 8 and TL 13. But TL 13 and 14 would be hard to see.

Mike

 

[kristof65]

But TL 13 and 14 would be hard to see.

That's why I think it would be masked by culture in a lot of ways.

FREX, once gravitics comes into play, architects can start designing/building structures that use those to make "impossible" structures - like mile long bridges with no other supports. But a planet could also have a cultural or historical reason not to use that tech. Say a planet had a bridge like that at TL12 that collapsed and killed hundreds. Laws and safety regulations could now be in place that prevent those type of structures from being built, even though the planet is now at TL15, and they're oodles safer than they were when they were in vogue.

Certain things would be an indicator of a higher tech level - like lots of robots, but the lack of those things wouldn't necessarily be an indicator of a lower one.


Unless the PCs are way out of their home region, most of them should be relatively familiar with the relative tech levels of their home (sub)sectors. If I were to hand you a list of countries in the world, and ask you* to group them into their relative tech levels compared to your home town, it's likely that while you would make mistakes, overall you would be more correct than not. I see no reasons most PCs wouldn't have the same feel for the planets in their regions of space.



*you in this context is generic for anyone reading the post.

 

[dayriff]

Unless the PCs are way out of their home region, most of them should be relatively familiar with the relative tech levels of their home (sub)sectors. If I were to hand you a list of countries in the world, and ask you* to group them into their relative tech levels compared to your home town, it's likely that while you would make mistakes, overall you would be more correct than not. I see no reasons most PCs wouldn't have the same feel for the planets in their regions of space.

*you in this context is generic for anyone reading the post.

This is much more about the players than the PCs. Sure I can tell a player, "this is a TL-13 world", but unless I can get it across in the little details it won't mean anything to them. The worst thing that could happen is each new world feeling like just another faceless starport.

 

[kristof65]

The worst thing that could happen is each new world feeling like just another faceless starport.

I agree. But I think that's where culture and other factors come in.

Take a moment and compare trying to describe tech level to trying to describe a government type. How do you describe a democracy vs a constitutional monarchy without flat out telling the players what the government type is? There are little clues you can give, but giving that little piece of meta-game data can really help bring all those details to life.

Unless it's all you're telling them, telling the players the exact tech level of the world they're visiting isn't a bad thing. It's setting their expectations for a lot of things, so that the details you do provide stand out and make each world unique.

Saying "Grav taxis fill the air, and numerous robots are travelling down the sidewalks amongs people on floating hover chairs" paints a pretty good picture for the players.

But so does "Despite the fact you know this planet is classed as a TL13 average, you're struck by the distinct lack of robots, and the quaint medieval architecture of the surrounding city."

And "There has been a distinct effort to make this TL9 city look higher tech than it is - primitive holograms are all over the place as signage, touchscreens adorn just about every control surface" does to.

In my last two examples, mentioning the TL sets the expectations, while the description makes the setting.