Tech Levels in Gaia Gamma

Tech levels measure civilization and knowledge potential. The starting tech level of a character depends on his background (on which I will elaborate in a later post). Tech levels are designed to mirror the whole range of civilized states humanity achieved.

Currently I plan to use the following tech levels in the game:

• Tech Level I: Stone Age.
• Tech Level II: Barbarism.
• Tech Level III: Medieval Society.
• Tech Level IV: Industrial Revolution.
• Tech Level V: Computer Age.
• Tech Level VI: Age of the Ancients.

Tech levels influence a variety of things:

• They define the subset of skills that a character can initially select.
• They modify the costs of acquiring or raising skills later on (if the skill is of a higher tech level).
• They limit the items a character can use without having to learn using them.
• They influence the starting goods a character can select.

Initially the tech level of a character is influenced by his upbringing and cultural background (something the player either can select or determine randomly).

Later on a character might be able to increase his tech level (or not). I currently favour an approach where it is possible for a character to rise his tech level. Requirements would be to spend a quite a bit of time in a society of a higher tech level than the character (probably something like a year per target tech level - like 3 years to raise from tech level 2 to 3). Additionally the character probably would have to spend experience points on raising his tech level. Spending additional experience could spend up the process... but so far I have not made up any numbers for this. We'll talk again about that when I get to the experience system of Gaia Gamma ;-)

Ok, enough for today. What do you think: Do we need more tech levels, should there be additional uses for them, etc?