Re: Tech levels

I think I fall in the school that most technology should be available
for less or more advanced groups, but its mass would be more for
low-tech groups and less for high-tech.

Take Basic example of a class 2 beam:

"Standard" Tech : Mass 2 (3 arcs) + 1/3arcs
"Low" Tech: 2 x Mass
"High" Tech: 1/2 x Mass (round up)

(Gradations between or beyond these are also possible depending how
simple you want it)

All systems (including hull and armor) are subject to tech level
multipliers, and depending on your desired complexity, you could allow
progression in different areas at different rates (as in Brendan's
Construction/Energy/Kinetic/Power divisions)

Point costs would have to be adjusted somewhat, since, for example, a
High tech  ship of a given size loaded with more  weapons is not
linearly scaled in combat effectiveness with a Standard tech ship with
the same weapons load.

The increased mass of systems for low tech groups would make things like
class 3 beams and Screen-2 prohibitively expensive for low tech groups,
so they would not have to be forbidden outright. Technological progress
would be marked in levels of construction efficiency. Progressing from
say 2xMass to 1xMass to 0.5xMass with research and funding.

Noam R. Izenberg		noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu