Do you have a favorite TL?

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by weby

Yes, that is the reason I tend to like TL10 for Scifi. But TL 9 actually works pretty nicely for some other scifi type things for the same reason as a lot of TL 8 technology is still used so there is that familiar background and there you can use TL 10 things as prototypes.

I like TL 9 for cyberpunk and early space-faring stuff, or for spy-thrillers or supers (where TL 9 isn't common, but it's essentially freely available to the totally cool heroes who belong to the totally cool secret agency). As you say, it's grounded and familiar, so you can see how and why, for example, the storm carbine is an upgrade from the M-16. It's visceral. The later tech-levels, especially the super-science tech, is pretty divorced from reality, which has its own advantages.

I could, of course, wax poetic about all four ultra-tech-levels, as each has something going for it, but I had to pick one, so I picked TL 10.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Anders

I definitely think that D&D is Tech Level 4.

Most stories it is ultimately derived from were written in the Renaissance, or later, without a lot of concern for historical detail. So TL4 or even early TL5 stuff is often right there in the source material. Nobody blinks if the villain's private libraries of paper books has glazed windows big enough for the hero to open and climb through.

[Varyon]

My preferences are probably something like TL 3+1^ for Fantasy, TL 9+1^ for Space Opera-ish science fiction. The Fantasy one is basically that there's TL 4 (and occasionally a bit of TL 5) knowledge but manufacturing is mostly restricted to TL 3 without a little magical assistance. For example, an armorer without any access to magic could create bronze plate with sliding rivets or steel brigandine (brigandine requires TL 4 knowledge, but should be doable with TL 3 manufacturing), but iron/steel plate or hardened steel would require a bit of magical assistance. The Space Opera one is probably best described as "mostly safetech TL 9, with some limited TL 10, 11, and ^ when the setting really needs it."

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by nick012000

Pretty sure you're not going to be running around with rapiers if people are running around in plate armor. Rapiers are a civilian weapon, intended for use against other unarmored opponents; contemporary soldiers used guns, pikes, or halberds.

The rapier was introduced during the penacle of plate armor: the early 16th century. You'd be unlikely to see them together, for the same reason you aren't likely to see an Abrams and a Ferrari in the same parking lot.

[A Ladder]

Originally Posted by nick012000

Pretty sure you're not going to be running around with rapiers if people are running around in plate armor. Rapiers are a civilian weapon, intended for use against other unarmored opponents; contemporary soldiers used guns, pikes, or halberds.

Also, sort of difficult to do an Age of Sail game with no gunpowder; how are you going to get those sorts of iconic naval battles without cannons?

Well, you haven't played in my games so you wouldn't know. But our swashbuckler definetly did some eye poking to guys in plate. ;)

Also, most iconic naval battle without cannon: Magical flying wings + bruiser who could throw elemental punches of explosive death = Bombardment flyby.
All the while the other PCs lobbed burning pitch from catapults and prepared a boarding party. It was pretty sweet.

Other naval battles included capturing a frost wyrm and making it part of the figurehead of the ship and using its frost breath to blast other ships, fighting seaserpents with sword, pike, and fist, and getting a slorn to blaze the topsails of raiding vessels.

[weby]

Originally Posted by RyanW

The rapier was introduced during the penacle of plate armor: the early 16th century. You'd be unlikely to see them together, for the same reason you aren't likely to see an Abrams and a Ferrari in the same parking lot.

Yes, there seems to be the occasional problem with sports cars and tanks near each other:
http://rennlist.com/forums/attachmen...8-1024x640.jpg