Imperial Technology

The Imperium base TL is 12.  The Imperium is just moving into TL 12, so the TL is fairly uneven.  The Stellar Guard units and equipment are TL 12 (they were the first to get the new toys), including contra-grav propulsion for ground units and some spacecraft.  Terra and sector capitals are TL 12, with core planets at TL 11 and frontier planets closer to TL 10. To got to a particular technology field, select from the following list

Astrogation

Communications tech

Computer tech

Medical tech

Spacecraft tech

Transportation tech

Weapons and Armor tech

 

Computers are very common; almost every household has one.  Most are Complexity 6, with large users having up to Complexity 9 mega-computers. Computers have replaced the television as a source of entertainment, with dreamgames being very common.  Using computers, many people actually work from home, but some still maintain offices just to "get out of the house."

Medical technology is mostly at TL-level, with a few exceptions.  Cloning and braintapes are tightly controlled by the Imperium in the interest of "population control."  Only the very wealthy or powerful is allowed to have a clone or braintape, and multiple copies are strictly forbidden.  Thus, most PCs won't have access to braintapes or clones.  Regeneration technology is available on TL 12 planets and military installations, including starships, as well as sensa-skin and the usual array of medical technologies.  Bodysculpting is fairly common, but very alien types are only common on core worlds. 

Transportation has not adopted contra-grav technology yet (it's still restricted).  Slidewalks (moving sidewalks) are the most common urban transportation system, with maglevs and high-speed orbitals for longer trips.  Space travel is still very expensive for most people, although the very rich often have space-faring yachts.  For others, space cruises are common between planets in a sector, although cross-sector cruises are rare. 

Weapons and armor are at TL 12, but are heavily restricted.  Any lethal weapons over TL 9 (including high TL versions of early weapons) are LC 0, and the Imperium is very unpleasant with weapons violators.  Non-lethal weapons are fairly common and only lightly regulated.  TL 10+ armor is also LC0, especially Thermal Superconductive Armor.  Since Guard units use primarily X-lasers and fusion guns, superconductive armor could give rebels an edge.  The basic rule is this; if the Imperium uses it, no one else can.

Spacecraft vary widely in capability, but most are TL 10+.  Ships use hyperdrives for FTL transit with an average speed of 10 parsecs/day.  Ships are powered by anti-matter reactors, with most craft only carrying enough anti-matter for 50 parsecs at a time, although warships often carry enough fuel for 150 parsecs.  However, ships cannot communicate while in hyper-light; therefore, military units commonly use shorter jumps so as to stay in communication.  Survey ships are either fitted with extra-large anti-matter tanks or dock with a tender frequently. 

Interplanetary communication is accomplished via hyper-light transceivers.  These transmission travel at about 25 parsecs/day, but their range is limited by the exponential increase in power required for transmission.  While communication within a sector or across a nearby sector border is fairly routine, very long-distance transmission are commonly made only by the military or governmental bodies.  Thus, most commercial interests do not interact across sector boundaries.

Astrogation requires complex, three-dimensional calculations with a large number of factors taken into account.  The Imperium maintains astrogation algorithms for all planets, but each sector only has the algorithms for their sector and nearby border worlds (with the heaviest customs inspections).  Even the military can have trouble getting clearance to jump into the middle of another sector, with or without range considerations. 

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