[Tyneras]

TL 0-4 tend to be very "clumpy" because the limiting factors on a lot of those techs is ideas and experience, which can be leapfrogged relatively easily, rather than intermediate tools or materials, who's absence can stop development of a technology dead in it's tracks.

So I would consider TL0-4 a single tech level/category as far as that disadvantage.

At TL 5+ it starts becoming functionally impossible to skip intermediate steps. Still, I'd consider Low TL a leveled quirk unless the game focused heavily on engineering aspects. A caveman will figure out how to use that space pistol just fine with a few days of instruction, may never understand why it works but modern technology is functionally magic for a lot of modern people anyway so its no real change.