When dealing with settings, we inevitably run into questions of technology. In a pseudo-medieval fantasy setting, we can assume a medieval level of technology unless otherwise indicated — but do all readers know what that means? If the tech level is greater or lesser than the time period (or equivalent), how much more or less advanced is it? How can you express those concepts simply, without bogging down into very specific details?
Some roleplaying games have “tech levels”, indicating either by a number rating or some developmental benchmark where a setting lies. This setting has gunpowder, this setting has fusion reactors, and so on. That implies a lot, primarily that other technologies like social sciences, medical technology, space travel, information technology, and so on, develop at like rates. Should categories of tech be fleshed out, so you know that this place doesn’t have space travel, and they still use gunpowder weapons, but they have handheld computers and automated healing beds?
Or should there be a few benchmarks for tech level, like Bronze Age, Medieval, Present Day, Space Opera, and so on, with plus-or-minus tech called out? The Bronze Age, but some steel weapons are turning up. Present Day, except we’ve developed teleportation. Space Opera, but with incredibly advanced sociology that allows people to predict future trends. How would you present that?
I want a simple, clean, and fast way to present tech in Official Series Bible settings, for the times it’s necessary. It should be an elevator speech or less. I’m open to ideas and feedback.
If you want to allow for skewed tech leveks, then perhaps you could divide technology into 5-6 categories, say, weaponry, communication, transportation, architecture, medicine, etc. then when you describe a settings tech you could list the levels for each tech area.
That’s kind of where I’m headed — weapons, transportation, information, and medicine are the four key categories that seem RPG-relevant
“Or should there be a few benchmarks for tech level, like Bronze Age, Medieval, Present Day, Space Opera, and so on, with plus-or-minus tech called out? The Bronze Age, but some steel weapons are turning up. Present Day, except we’ve developed teleportation. Space Opera, but with incredibly advanced sociology that allows people to predict future trends. How would you present that?”
I think you’ve nailed it here, but breaking it down by category when it might be necessary is good. A lot of post-apocalyptic settings would require case by case break downs.
This reminds me of the book “Timetables of History” by Bernard Grun, which could be used as reference for tech levels. It comprises a table with years as rows and various subjects as columns; the columns of interest for tech levels would be “Science, Technology, Growth” and “Daily Life”.