Re: [FT] Tech Level? Is there such a thing?

The idea of modeling tech levels is fun, but one I find dangerous.

The main problem I have with the discussion tends toward the slippery
quality of 'tech level'.

I will bore you for a moment with an analogy. The distance between the
USA's Brewster Buffalo and the Hellcat was pretty big in combat, but
they
were both basic rotary engine powered. There's another leap to the P-51,
admittedly an in-line, but still a piston-driven craft, which didn't
have a
chance against a ME-262, unless cleverly catching one taking off or
landing. The 262 would be laughed at by F-86, which, in turn, would
cause
fits of laughter to an F-16 pilot.

Where does one level end, and the next begin? They are ALL
air-breathing,
internal combustion, single-engined craft.

However, my image of a tech level advance would work more like an alien
ship, say the Krivak or Savasku back when either was on steroids, with
properties that are beyond the structure of current tech. Also, 'genre'
weapons, such as Wave/Nova, in the old system, are not just different,
but
scary.

I'd started trying to combine FTII systems with SFB's Campaign Designer
book for a system with smaller steps, but I doubt that it would be of
much
assistance to you.

Since comments dropped like that tend to elicit questions, I'll just say
that various systems required 'tech research blocks', with beams on the
first level being restricted to class 1's, without PDS, but costing and
massing like 4's. The next level, the 1's dropped to cost and mass of
3's,
and 2's could be added to new construction at 4's cost, etc...

With blocks and precursors for size of hull, and the other systems, this
had some possibilities, but got complicated faster than my enthusiasm
could
cover.

The_Beast

-Douglas J. Evans, curmudgeon

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