Custom Tech Scale

[Darkhope]

Hey everyone, looking for some feedback. For my game this progression makes a lot of sense but still interested in hearing some feedback. I don't like the one in the book going only to 10. There isn't enough examples and not enough diversity. The book recommends a -3 to rolls for every tech level you are short. I use -2 because the list is much larger going to 20. I only use 3 examples of tech in each level range for simplicity. If my players ask about something not on the list, I just assign what tech level it would be around. Each example has a range. For example, particle beams at 11.1 - 12 is just the beginning, could easily have tech level 18 particle beams. Also, theoretical understanding of a topic begins 1-2 levels below where it lies on the list. Currently I'de put the tech of our Earth in the 4 - 6 range.  I can't think of one more example for the last tech level though, 19.1 - 20. My brain isn't working. Any insights or recommendations of super powerful tech would be wonderful from you guys. 

 

• 0             No technology
• 0.1 - 1     Animal Power, Fire, Stone tools
• 1.1 - 2     Wind Power, Clockwork Mechanics, Gunpowder
• 2.1 - 3     Steam Power, Railroads, Wired Communication
• 3.1 - 4     Electric Power, Internal Combustion, Aircraft
• 4.1 - 5     Atomic Power, Orbital Spacecraft, Aircraft
• 5.1 - 6     Laser Weapons, Genetic Manipulation, Quantum Computing
• 6.1 - 7     Fusion Power, Cloning, nanotechnology
• 7.1 - 8     Hyperdrive, Quantum Mechanics, Plasma Weapons
• 8.1 - 9     Artificial Intelligence, Force Field Physics, Cloaking Fields
• 9.1 - 10    Antimatter Power, Ion Cannons, Teleportation
• 10.1 - 11   Psionic Engineering, Climate Control, Negative Mass Generator
• 11.1 - 12   Particle Beams, Matter Replication, gravity Drive
• 12.1 - 13   Zero Point Energy, Terraforming, Solid State Shields
• 13.1 - 14   Bio-organic Engineering, Size & Density Physics, Temporal Mechanics
• 14.1 - 15   Singularity Reactor, Phase Shielding, Anti-Grav Technologies
• 15.1 - 16   Jump Drives, Pulse Cannons, Planetary Engineering
• 16.1 - 17   Time Travel, Ascension Programming, Phase Weapons
• 17.1 - 18    Dimensional Engineering, Dark Reactor, Genesis Physics
• 18.1 - 19   Star Drive, Dark Energy Weapons, Null Technology
• 19.1 - 20   Neutronium Harvesting, Photonic Engineering

 

Also, if anyone wants to use mine for their games feel free. And if you have any questions on where I'de put other tech I'd be happy to answer!

 

PS. Moved this from Star Hero thread to hopefully access a larger community response.

[unclevlad]

GURPS has tech levels as well.  Here's a detailed article about theirs:
https://gurps.fandom.com/wiki/Tech_Level

 

Your lower tech levels jump up really fast, from nothing to railroads in 2 levels?  And a lot of the higher-level stuff is well into the range of "any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic."  The buzzwords need assessment for what they, in fact, DO, in the 'real world.'  Why is a hyperdrve at 7-8, whereas a grav drive is 11-12, and anti-grav 14-15?  What's the difference between AI and ascension programming, between a jump drive and a star drive?

 

It's a fun subject, to be sure, and I'm not trying to be overly critical.  If anything, I'd say you're over-thinking the high end.

[Darkhope]

1. Each level is supposed to be a pretty big "jump." Players get a -2 to each skill roll per level. The book makes huge jumps as well and only goes to 10. Kinda bland imo.

2. Nothing to railroads is technically 3 levels.

3. Rubber science is the fun of star hero. So "any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic" works makes sense, to me at least.

4. The buzzwords for my players are pretty self-explanatory and if not, I can explain it. Thats the fun of it too.

5. Hyper drive doesn't break speed of light rules, gravity drive does. Gravity drive isn't anti grav, Gravity drive uses the gravity abundant in space to propel a ship at FTL speeds using a negative mass generator. Anti grav tech is really advanced. Canceling the effects of gravity. Flying a ship past a black hole unaffected, massive capitol ship entering atmosphere unaffected by gravity that would cause a normal ship of that size to break apart, etc.

6. AI is artificial Intelligence as we know it, Ascension programming is "the next level AI." 

7. Jump drive opens a gateway or portal and teleports through space at vast distances without the ship actually moving. Star Drive is a gravity drive on massive steroids. Able to travel at FTL speeds that can jump galactic rims and travel to other galaxies. 

8. Not over thinking, made my list pretty quickly and tried to follow "common sense" progression in the high-tech realm of magic lol. Just having trouble with creative juices for a third option on the last tech level. I haven't read or scene a lot of really high tech sci-fi. Highest tech I've seen in fiction is Vorlons and Shadows in B5. I put them in the 16-18.5 range roughly.

 

Thank you for your feedback. I enjoy explaining my list and hope you see it better now. Any more questions feel free!

 

[unclevlad]

Ok...see, with some of those, we can start slotting things in.

 

Hyperdrive is, at best, going to allow planetary colonization...altho it's HIGHLY debatable whether that would ever happen, IMO...and potentially stuff like asteroid belt mining.  FYI, I was assuming it was FTL...because you basically can't do stellar exploration without it.  I don't even buy colony ships before you've got FTL.  It's simply too slow. 

 

But realize:  if I don't understand them, I can't use them.  Anything normally in Star Hero?  OK, as long as you're using it as written, then you're covered.  Stuff you're inventing, or renaming, you need to be more explicit.  Also, the notation is a tad confusing.  2.1 - 3...what's where?  

 

An area you're lacking is the biotech.  This is a very important area, as it has strong influence on how society develops.  

 

There comes a point where even most sci fi writers hand-wave.  A society with full terraforming, with infinite energy from ZPMs, with FTL?  Why should it bear any resemblance whatsoever to anything we recognize?  THIS far ahead, even thinking of the secondary and tertiarly implications is extremely tough, so you're almost certain to bite yourself in the foot repeatedly.  They're out there?  Sure...but the writers largely stop there.  If cloning and nanotech lead to extended, if not indefinite, lifespans, this likely has a massive impact on wealth distribution/concentration...and thus, power.  ZPMs even start arguing against bothering being on a planet...that nasty gravity, you know.  The elites live on stations.

[Cloppy Clip]

I'm struggling to get a sense of what each tech level would mean for a game. With the GURPS tech scale, for example, there are only four levels past the modern day, so I can take my time and come up with some ideas about what stories would look like at each tech level. But you have fourteen levels above where we are, and I'm getting a bit lost trying to make sense of what sorts of stories each level would encourage. If it's no trouble, can you tell me a bit more about how societies would look at the different levels?

 

If you're still thinking about ideas for a third feature for 20, would probability manipulation do? I've seen some high-end science fiction make use of it, and being able to control things like the collapse of a wavefunction or make 1 in a million chances happen on command seems like a good capstone for technology.

[Jab Gideon]

Well, the penalty depends on the genre you are simulating, and the PC position in the universe.

 

That being said, I keep a mapping guide of how various RPGs map their tech scales.

 

 

RPG Tech Scale Comparisons.pdf

[Pattern Ghost]

Just a couple of random observations:

 

I'd bump AI down the chart, assuming you mean true general AI capable of independent action. If we're at 5 or 6 now, and these are significant jumps, I'd put it at 6 or 7 rather than 9.

 

Cloning at 7 might require some modifier, since we've had successful mammal cloning since Dolly the Sheep. I'd put the type of SF cloning where you can decant grown humans with functioning duplicated memories at 7 or 8. Cloning probably around 4.5 on the 4.1-5 band.