Technology Tier/Progress Levels
From Conworld
//Status: COMPLETE
Simply put, a progress level (PL) or Technology Tier is an indication of the state of technology that exists in a particular society of civilisation. This state of technological development pervades all aspects of culture, particularly at higher levels (PL 5 and above) when long-range communication is virtually instantaneous. Even at lower levels, it is unlikely - but not impossible - for a group of sentient beings to be at one PL in some respects and at another one be in other one in other respects
Pregress levels may vary wildly from place to place on the same world or even the same continent. Consider the early 20th Century explorers who finally penetrated the deepest reaches of the Congo or the Amazon jungle, encountering native tribes who still used stone age technology.
The descriptions and content of the Progress Levels and Technological Tiers are in accordance to the Human's own PLs. Sentient beings of Alien (to humans) origin have similar characteristics and therefore can also be classified into each Technological Tiers accordingly.
Contents |
Technology Tier 9
The Stone Age (PL 0)
The major achievements in the Stone Age society are:
- The use of fire
- The domestication of animals
- The invention of agriculture
An individual living in a Stone Age society is primitive, but not necessarily gullible, stupid or easily frightened by advanced technology.
Common Weapons in a PL 0 civilisation include:
- The club
- The dagger
- The spear
- The bow
Armour made from hide of leather is possible, as are wicker shields. Communication outside of the local tribe or settlement doesn't exist. Travel is accomplished by foot, or by simple craft or canoes. Simple pottery, Stone working, and woodworking are possible.
Technology Tier 8
The Bronze/Iron Age (PL 1)
Early human civilisations began to work metal toward the end of the Stone Age. The malleability of copper led to its becoming the first metal to be "tamed". Adding tin to copper created a much stronger allow: Bronze. This advance allowed for the crafting of tools of great durability. In turn, those improved tools made the working of iron possible, which soon replaced bronze as the metal of choice for tools and weapons.
In a Bronze/Iron Age society, advances in pottery, construction and agriculture allow for the concentration of populations into larger and larger groups, with a corresponding upswing of the accumulation and sharing of knowledge. The rize of nations, city-states and empires begins in the Bronze Age. Organized efforts to improve communications allow regional societies to exist. Galleys and small sailing vessels are capable of relatively long voyages, Improvements in agricultural efficiency permit the rise of artisans, craftsmen, professional soldiers, and other professions and occupations that are not directly concerned with gathering food.
The sword replaces the club and the dagger as the preferred weapon of infantry. Chariots briefly dominate warfare before cavalry (aided by the introduction of the stirrup renders chariots obsolete. The first true military forces of tactical systems appear. Armour can now be made from sewn plates or scales, metal links or even forged breastplates, and a variety of metal melee weapons dominate the battlefield.
Technology Tier 7
The Middle Ages (PL 2)
Maturing civilisations experience a period of turmoil and adjestment at this Progress Level. Developments continue in architecture, commerce, metallurgy and mathematics. Wider dissemination of information becomes possible thanks to more advanced printing techniques. Sea communications dominate the later part of this stage of development, and sturdy seafaring carracks and galleonsopen the door to the next Progress Level.
As populations increase and knowledge of agriculture evolves, an increasing percentage of the population relocates into growing cities and towns. Toward the end of this Progress Level, the feudal system, in which a small class of nobles ruled a large population of agricultural workers, begins to collapse. Specialized crafts develop, universities appear, and the middle class is born. The first corporations emerge in the form of trade guilds. The evolution of strong systems of trade and finance tends to distribute a society's wealth more evenly among its members, diluting the power of the nobility.
Tools of warfare undergo a significant revolution. Sophisticated chain and plate armours protect warriors from harm, and elaborate fortification become something of an art form. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, the introduction of simple gunpowder weapons signals the imminent end of knights, heavy armour, and organised armies of swordsmen.
Technology Tier 6
The Age of Reason (PL 3)
The Age of Reason is an era in human history when the development of ideas and systems of thought takes precedence over technological invention. The scientific method improves humankind's understanding of the world. Experimentation becomes the means by which the physical properties of nature are systematically examined. The study of the various disciplines of science- Chemistry, Electro-magnetics, medicine, biology and astronomy - flourishes. Instruments such as microscopes and telescopes enable scientists to greatly extend the range of their observations and discoveries.
The new reliance on science generates waves for all levels of society. Superstition falls away, and exploration of the world reaches its apex. Society begins to experiment with new forms of organization such as democracy. Corporations and economic alliances continue to evolve. Economically, this Progress Level is a transition from the cottage industries of the Middle Ages to industrialisation.
The cannon becomes the dominant factor in naval warfare, while massed musket fire and horse-pulled field pieces rule the battlefield. Even the reliable bow vanishes, replaced by the flintlock. Light melee weapons remain common.
Technology Tier 5
The Industrial Age (PL 4)
In the fourth Progress Level, the theoretical knowledge of the previous era matures into widespread practical application. The harnessing of hydraulic, steam, and electric power creates an explosion of commerce and industry. Developments such as the telegraph, the telephone, and the ratio make true global communication possible. Breakthroughs in manufacturing techniques allow the construction of heavy ironclad vessels, rail transportation, and the architecture of previously unimaginable size. Pioneers venture high into the atmosphere and descend into the sea's depths.
Urbanization is complete as individuals gather in smaller environments where they can more easily exchange goods and information. Corporations expand in power, many establishing themselves throughout the explored world. Governments are based on political and economic factors.
The means of war change swiftly through the period. Aircraft and submersibles join the list of military assets. Reliable and accurate rifles, pistols, and machine guns become common. Mechanized war machines herald the first great change in the art of battle since the end of the knight.
Technology Tier 4
The Information Age (PL 5)
The industrial age relied on chemical power, but in the information age, computer technology and electronics rule supreme. Satellite information systems and the Internet connect the globe digitally. This Progress level also sees the introduction of fission power and weapons reducing the importance of fossil fuels. The automobile replaces the locomotive as the common form of travel. The first steps toward space travel involve massive chemical rockets, unmanned probes and satellites, and short-term manned missions.
The technology of the era allows greater citizen participation in government. The emergence of international alliances begin to dissolve borders between nations. Corporations gather power and begin to threaten government authority. Technology has a greater effect on individual lifestyles than on society as a whole.
Most weapons at this time are refined versions of Industrial Age equipment. Rifles, machine guns, and heavy howitzers are still used by the world's soldiers. Computerized targeting system and guided weapons make warfare much more precise and efficient. Strategic weapons, tested but never used, exhibit the species power to exterminate itself in minutes.
Humanity experienced its Information Age as anxious years full of minor crises. The tension gradually alleviates through the age, and as the era ends, new superpowers form.
Technology Tier 3
The Fusion Age (PL 6)
The development of fusion power provides an efficient, non-expendable source of energy that almost obliterates the need for chemical fuel sources. Advanced space exploration and colonization become possible. Computers become even more accessible, reliable and powerful, leading to the development of virtual systems and widespread access to the global Internet.
Slowly, society experiences another revolution as individual nations are replaced by world powers. Mega corporations number among these new superpowers as the line between national citizen and corporate employee is rendered indistinct. Armed with the means eradicate the entire species, the world powers keep conflicts to a level of skirmishing and posturing, and integration of the Information Age's improvements proceed peacefully.
Scientific advanced in genetic engineering lead to artificial evolution and the first government-&-corporate-sanctioned attempts to genetically manipulate human beings. Early results are encouraging, with the manifestation of positive and negative mutations in the species toward the end of the age. Scientists also perfect cloning technology, and the first human clones are created.
In the later years of this age, the first crude applications of gravity induction technology appear, in the form of civilian and military vehicles that can move through the air without using physical propulsion or consumption of fuel.
Chemical-powdered explosives and firearms remain the weapons of choice; fusion technology can't be effectively miniaturized for personal combat. Nevertheless, advanced chemistry and super conducting technology change the materials and capabilities of many weapons. Ture spaceships become possible, propelled by powerful fusion drives, but still require a reaction mass to traverse space.
The age sees the tenuous settlement of other planets and asteroids within the same star system.
Technology Tier 2
The Gravity Age (PL 7)
As this Progress level opens, the invention of two key technologies herald humanity's climb to the stars
The gravity induction reactor systematically replaces fusion power as an even more efficient source of energy that can be miniaturized with ease. With the use of the mass reactor, world powers explore, divide and colonize the entirety of the local star system. For the most part, life on the homeplanet remains unchanged.
The second advancement of the era bring perhaps the greatest upheaval in the history of human civilisation. The introduction and integration of gravity induction technology leads to the creation of the induction engine, which allows starships to bridge the gap between the stars. Political and economical reorganisation occurs as the species spreads far from home.
Projectile firearms are in the last days, as crude energy weapons become available. Powered armour is available to warriors of this age. Personal (melee) weapons enjoy a resurgence, due in large part to the shift in military tactics - armed conflict between individuals seldom occur on an army scale, but more frequently involve engagements of small unite in conditions when ranged weapons are not necessarily effective.
Computer technology links every society, settlement, and outpost of a star system in a single information net, creating an unparalleled and expedient exchange of knowledge and data for business, entertainment and research.
Technology Tier 1
The Energy Age (PL 8)
The continuing miniaturization of induction engine technology allows power plants the size of marble to harness the basic forces of creation. Powerful personal force screens and energy weapons dominate the battlefield, as projectile weapons finally disappear after ruling the battlefield for a thousand years. Miniaturized sensors, shields, and engines allow mass production of small practical starfighter. At the other end of the spectrum, advanced construction techniques allow humans to build enormous, self-sustaining cities in space.
Technology Tier 0
The Post-Energy Age (PL 9)
Generally, these Progress Levels are beyond the reach of comprehension, although isolated world or undiscovered species may exist that have access to them. In many cases, the signature technologies of an earlier age are abandoned in favour ofelegant and more powerful technologies.
Practical control of matter at the subatomic level, the ability to travel through time, or the power to "fold space" to shorten the travel distances may be possible at the stage of technological development.
