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Old 04-20-2017, 01:11 PM   #31
KarlKost
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Brazil
Default Re: [Game] Collaborative world building for DFRPG.

Yeah, it would probably be TL (3 + 1/2/3)^, but it can even have TL 2 elements. It is how dispersed those techs are throghout society however; there are no factories and no assembly lines for mass producing, so, even if the Inventors can build steam fueled motorcycles, they are VERY rare (and probably expensive) itens, because they are all made in the old medieval way, with one single person building them, instead of an assembly line of workers pushing bottoms.

We could say that, in theory, DF could become TL 5/6 with easy, considering what it has. And with all the Magic, it would be easy to reach something similar to our TL 8 world (TL 5/6 + 3 due to Magic). The reason why it would stay stagnant is more social than technological. DF society hasn't evolved politically, being aristocratic on most settings, and the system of guilds has a firm domain over production. The guilds maintain the aristocrats, and those keep the guilds. With the guilds, all the work must pass in their hands, so, no ideas about "assembly lines" ever take hold. And, althouth some steam machines exist, the guilds doesn't let them change things.

In our imaginary city, the Inventors guild could even go so far as banning "harmful tech", making illegal the commerce of technologies that could potentially "disrupt social order". The priesthood can also have a say on this matter. So, inventions that would make several workers out of job (like steam machines to produce clothes) would be vetoed by the Inventors, technologies that could turn people away from the Gods would be vetoed by the priests. So, that keeps the TL stable, without real changes
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