Steel in TL 2

[DanHoward]

A good quality TL4 homogenous steel sword is not any better than a TL2 folded steel sword. It is just easier to make. This can be reflected in the difference in cost of items from different tech levels. A good quality TL2 sword should cost a lot more than a good quality TL4 sword.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

A good quality TL4 homogenous steel sword is not any better than a TL2 folded steel sword. It is just easier to make. This can be reflected in the difference in cost of items from different tech levels. A good quality TL2 sword should cost a lot more than a good quality TL4 sword.

Gurps handles this by making the TL4 guy richer. $2000 v $750. You could reprice all items at ever TL but changing Starting Wealth does the same thing in general with fewer number changes.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

A good quality TL4 homogenous steel sword is not any better than a TL2 folded steel sword. It is just easier to make. This can be reflected in the difference in cost of items from different tech levels. A good quality TL2 sword should cost a lot more than a good quality TL4 sword.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Gurps handles this by making the TL4 guy richer. $2000 v $750. You could reprice all items at ever TL but changing Starting Wealth does the same thing in general with fewer number changes.

In Vehicles for Third Edition, for materials, you had an interesting and deliberate choice that a typical construction material (and constructing weapons and armor were both quite possible) at (say) TL4 that would be rated as an Expensive TL3 material or an Advanced TL2 one.

If one made a step and called that Fine and Very Fine, than if a TL2 sword cost $500, a Fine blade would be $2,000 and a Very Fine one would be $10,000 (from memory). At TL4, you could likely get the same $10,000 sword for $500, as that's a bog-standard "good" sword at TL4. For the same $10K, you could get a sword that is functionally equivalent to a "good" TL6 one.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Gurps handles this by making the TL4 guy richer. $2000 v $750. You could reprice all items at ever TL but changing Starting Wealth does the same thing in general with fewer number changes.

Problem is relative costs (not all prices scale the same way with TL), but that's tough to handle regardless.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

In Vehicles for Third Edition, for materials, you had an interesting and deliberate choice that a typical construction material (and constructing weapons and armor were both quite possible) at (say) TL4 that would be rated as an Expensive TL3 material or an Advanced TL2 one.

If one made a step and called that Fine and Very Fine, than if a TL2 sword cost $500, a Fine blade would be $2,000 and a Very Fine one would be $10,000 (from memory). At TL4, you could likely get the same $10,000 sword for $500, as that's a bog-standard "good" sword at TL4. For the same $10K, you could get a sword that is functionally equivalent to a "good" TL6 one.

I liked that idea. But of course it only works for things that have steady stair step TL based improvements. Too many times things stay mostly equivalent, then a completely new technology blows all past versions out of the water.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Problem is relative costs (not all prices scale the same way with TL), but that's tough to handle regardless.

People make careers out of guessing prices for single items just days into the future for individual nations. No game is going to get very close for everything over more than a thousand years for the entire planet.

Gameabilty, and truthiness are more important than accuracy... to risk using some odd slang.