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Old 09-02-2019, 06:55 PM   #16
maximara
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Default Re: GURPS Prime Directive

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jean_Sexton View Post
Hopefully they used the 4e TL scale and explained why they went with the TL they did choose. ;-) ...

From the book ...

This Tech Level Chart shows the progression of technological development in the Star Fleet Universe. It is exactly the same as the standard GURPS tech level chart for TL0 (Stone Age) through TL6 (the Mechanized Age). At TL7 and above it deviates from the “generic” GURPS tech levels to show the way technology developed in this particular universe. Items in Italics are SFU specific. For example, in this game’s universe, transporter technology is common at TL9, but the standard GURPS definition is TL15 (matter transmission). This is a major strength of the GURPS system; each universe can build its own history.
Face palms and then face faults

GURPS 4e does NOT define transporter technology as TL15. Matter transmission is TL10^ (GURPS Ultra-tech) and would therefore be TL9^ as far as Prime Directive is concerned. Heck, it could be TL7^ in the universe of The Fly (1958)

That is one of the great things about the superscience (^) designation - it can be associated with any TL.

Quote:
Originally Posted by isf View Post
I think that the book is an improvement on the prior edition but not using the 4th edition tech levels a base makes this less useful to me. I think that the 4e tech levels are a solid improvement over 3e.
I completely agree.

You can have Equivalent TL much higher then what the actual TL of the setting is.

For example, Etheria has manned spaceflight which is "normally" TL9 but in every other aspect it is TL(5+1) and so it is roughly TL(5+1)^ across the board rather then TL(5+1) (spaceflight (5+4)^) Similarly, the Britannica-5 setting has antimatter bombs which are normally TL10. But all the other technology is TL(5+1) and so it is more sensible to go with TL(5+1)^ rather then TL(5+1); (antimatter bombs TL(5+5)).

The 4e TL system is far more robust then the 3e one.
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Last edited by maximara; 09-02-2019 at 07:04 PM.
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