TL

Teraed (TL of 12)

The Technology Level of the Planet/System in question.

Concept

The concept of technology level comes from Classic Elite. Classic Elite got it from role playing, where there were two sources.

Space Opera RPG (Role-playing game)

Click here: 1980 RPG "Space Opera" Rulebook Vol 2 p78 detail - link from Ian Bell's website

Traveller RPG

Using Traveller as a guide, TL0-3 is classed as the "Very Low Technology Epoch", using stone, wood, basic metals, dray beasts, sails, water wheels, and the first steam engines. TL4-6 is the "Low Technology Epoch", with early atomic science, the first factories, internal combustion engines, and increasingly destructive military technologies. TL7-9 is the "Middle Technology Epoch", possessing increasingly advanced technologies including space travel, advanced computers, and increasingly dense cities (I'd estimate that present-day Earth is maybe TL7).

(Disembodied)

From a discussion on the ability to show city lights on the night side of planets with Oolite v.1.90: note that Technology Level was inherited (unchanged) from Classic Elite, which was influenced by the Traveller RPG.

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Significance of TL

(1) TL, politics & economy

Generally speaking, in the Vanilla game, the highest TL systems tend to be highly industrialised corporate states. The lowest TL systems tend to be poor agricultural anarchies.

Politics

Of the 10 systems with TL13+ some 6 are corporate states (1 democracy, 2 confederacies, 1 communist). Of the 11 systems with TL2 or less, 6 are anarchies, 4 feudal & 1 multi-government. See Oolite planet list/Galaxy 1 for some helpful tables.

The extremes. The only system with a TL of 15, Ceesxe, a corporate rich industrial state inhabited by avians, is located towards the middle of the top edge of Galaxy 1. There are two anarchies with a TL of 1, both being poor agricultural economies. Maesin is almost directly opposite Ceesxe, on the bottom edge of the map (populated by rodents). Qudira is in the top right hand corner (populated by human colonials).

Economics

The very lowest TL systems are all poor agricultural. The lowest mixed economies (mainly agricultural/mainly agricultural) have TLs of 5. The lowest industrials have a TL of 6.

The very highest TL systems are all rich industrials. The highest TL purely agricultural systems only manage a 9!

OXPs

This can, of course, be upended by such OXPs as Famous Planets which relabels Sori as Ascension, a new TL16 anarchy in the bottom right-hand corner of Galaxy 1!

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(2) Impact on availability of Equipment

In-game, TL determines what you can purchase at your local Orbital Station shipyard on the F3 page (ship outfitting).

Equipment	Function	Tech Level	Price (₢)	In BBC Elite?
Fuel	Propulsive	1	varies	yes
Missile	Offensive	2	30	yes
Cargo Bay Expansion	Mercantile	2	400	yes
E.C.M. System	Defensive	3	600	yes
Pulse Laser	Offensive	4	400	yes
Beam Laser	Offensive	5	1,000	yes
External Heat Shielding	Astrogatory	5	1,500	no
Fuel Scoops	various	6	525	yes
Multi-Targeting System	Offensive	6	325	no
Passenger Berth	Mercantile	6	825	no
Advanced Navigational Array	Astrogatory	7	2,250	no
Advanced Space Compass	Astrogatory	8	650	no
Escape Pod	Defensive	7	1,000	yes
Maintenance Overhaul	Maintenance	7	varies	no
Quirium Cascade Mine	Offensive	7	2,500	no
Extra Energy Unit	Defensive	9	1,500	yes
Target System Memory Expansion	Offensive	9	1,250	no
Docking Computers	Astrogatory	10	1,500	yes
ECM Hardened Missile	Offensive	10	350	no
Wormhole Scanner	Astrogatory	10	2,395	no
Galactic Hyperdrive	Propulsive	11	5,000	yes
Military Laser	Offensive	11	6,000	yes
Mining Laser	Mercantile	11	800	yes
Shield Boosters	Defensive	11	14,750	no
Witchdrive Fuel Injectors	Propulsive	11	600	no
Scanner Targeting Enhancement	Offensive	12	450	no
Integrated Targeting System	Offensive	12	1,500	no
Military Shield Enhancement	Defensive	14	47,550	no
Naval Energy Unit	Defensive	??	??	no

So, for example, Military Shield Enhancement is purchasable only at one of the systems with TL 14 or 15 in Galaxy 1 (there are just 5 of them).

Note on Maintenance

While the cost of Maintenance is not affected by TL, the higher the TL of the system, the longer the maintenance lasts.

OXP additions

OXPs for equipment & weapons will add to this list, of course. As will a few others such as Vimana HUD & GalCop Missions ... Note that some OXPs shorten the list - most noticeably Weapon Laws which will remove weapons from the list depending on the political complexion of the system.

Note also that OXP shipyards can be a little different - especially those on visiting ships such as a naval Behemoth.

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(3) Impact on availability of Commodities

There is no change in the Vanilla game as to whether you can buy computers at a TL1 industrial system! Well... industrial TL1's don't exist as adumbrated above, but you get the idea!

SW Economy

But there is in SW Economy:
Agricultural Economies & TL - this includes the mainly agricultural (the higher TL systems tend to be such)

Low TL and small planet size means no food/textiles/wine/furs/oxygen/medicine for sale

Low TL alone means no oxygen/medicine

Moderate TL means no medicine

Industrial Economies & TL - this includes the mainly industrial

Low TL means no machinery/alloys/computers/luxuries for sale

Moderate TL means no computers/luxuries

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The Dark Side

Note that as regards programming (eg. Equipment.plists), you need to add "1" to the TL there as the programming TL starts at 0!

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Links

• Economics
• BB Discussion (2021)
• A discussion of GalCop technology. (2015)

• Musings on Galactic Technology (2008 - start with SimonB's thoughts and then skip down to ZygoUgo)

• Episodic minor variations in TL (2010)