Greetings all,
From what I have heard about TNE, traveller has been retconned to
reduce the level of technology to a level mostly understandable to us in the
20th century. I personally don't agree with this, as I would prefer a less
than glacial rate of technological advance in a SF setting which means that
there would have been many new developments by the 58th century. The idea that
we could understand the basic principles of 90% of 58th century technology
right now is to me unbelievable. Discovery of entirely new technologies will
make gadgets which seem magic to us (Clarke's Law). While I can understand the
reluctance in some people to have such devices, given the time span involved
there will have to be some, and their position is as "realistic" as any other.
From what I hear, the best personal weaponry in TNE is pretty much advanced
versions of what is in existence now-not much SF about that.
Of course, once a "magic" technology is introduced, its development
and synthesis with other technologies can have major ramifications. For
instance in MT I considered the advance in fusion power efficiencies
at high TL to be partly due to Black Globe technology being used for power
conversion purposes. If force-fields can be generated, they too could be used
in fusion plants (and rockets). And since the magic techologies are arbitrary,
such as the jump drive itself, people will not agree on them.
Incidentally a SF novel I once read had a conspiracy theory intended
to stultify scientific and technological progress, prevent colonisation and
promote financial and social stability. The reasoning was that the rich and
powerful benefit from the status quo and are naturally conservative. Any
technological advance or expansion of frontiers would be taken advantage of by
those who had more to gain than to lose ie the poor, and the net result would
be that the rich would proportionally decrease in power and influence. So has
anyone ever heard of a starfaring state with a rigid power structure, slow
technological advance and very limited expansion prospects?
If I run TNE most of the ships in MY universe won't have fusion
rockets, but that is my choice. Other people can do what they want to, and
good luck to them. After all, it is only a game : )
Tom O'Neill | [email removed] [email removed]
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Fact is stranger than fiction