Tech level

Tech-Base refers to the status of a nation's technology at a base level (called its tech level). For instance, to have a modern naval vessel, one would have to have a minimum tech-base in steam power.

The fairly ambiguous daily issues that define NS nations often suggest, but do not necessitate, modern-technology nations of much the same social, economic and technological structure as the real-life Western nations. Many people consider this to be a restrictive format that spoils the fun of roleplay and nation-building, and as a result many variations have developed.

However, the vast difference between nations can pose difficulties in international roleplay, notably war and trade. Because of this, it is useful to agree on how to deal with issues relating to the tech Level beforehand when there is a risk that this may cause trouble during the RP. It is the decision of each player how to play his or her nation, but those who roleplay their technology irresponsibly will frequently be accused of godmodding.

Technology at a variety of different Tech levels may be purchased at storefronts. However it should be noted that this is in no way an excuse for a nation to posess technology far beyond what it would have if it developed such technologies naturally. For example, while it is theoretically possible for a Modern Tech nation to buy an interstellar armada from a Future Tech nation for a lot of imaginary money it is still considered Godmoding if said modern tech nation uses them against other modern tech nations because such technology is not supposed to exist in their timeline.

Past Tech

So-called 'Past tech' is often used in Historic Roleplay and it is the use of technology inferior to modern RL technology within any given timeframe. Often these levels are adapted from some earlier age of human history. They can be used to re-enact such ages (with players filling in for different RL nations) or they can be used in entirely fictional histories. The use of Past Tech in NS generally ranges from the Peloponnesian Wars to World War II though later and earlier tech levels can also be used.

Modern Tech

Modern Tech uses the conventions of present day availability. You may generally assume that technology available to real world nations is also available to your nation. It is generally assumed to be the default position.

Modern +1 Tech uses modern technology, plus allows for things currently being researched. This is still much more restrictive than Postmodern Tech, and usually keeps technology within ten years of the present.

Postmodern Tech

Postmodern Tech is a halfway point between Future Tech and Modern Tech. In Postmodern Tech, societies and technologies are much like their real world equivalents, but there can be some bending of the rules. It is not related to postmodernism.

This nametag is contestable, allowing roughly up until the invention of FTL travel, Teleportation, or other "rule-breaking" technology. This makes it a fickle category, but one that is popular on the forums as it allows creativity while still reining in the temptation to construct Star Armadas. Many technologies which are fairly common in NS tend to be postmodern in nature, such as the use of holographic communication between national leaders (instead of the use telephones) as a plot device and entirely digital currencies.

Weapons used in space combat roleplayed in these eras tend to include such categories as early particle beam weapons, kinetic weapons (especially mass drivers and reaction-driven missiles), electromagnetic weapons (lasers). The concept of defensive energy "shielding" also tends to take a back-row seat compared to Future Tech capabilities.

Future Tech

Future Tech uses a variety of different future technologies not yet currently availiable or under serious development. Usually this tech level is used for roleplay in space. A lot of roleplay takes place in a context where travel to other systems is possible (with some effort - and a lot of nations still cannot do it) but most space roleplay takes place within the Sol system. (Especially on Earth and on Mars but also on other celestial bodies.)

"Near-Future" generally has its roots in reality and in promising technologies currently under development. "Far-Future" technology is more typically inexplicable in modern engineering or scientific terms and may require the discovery of new laws of physics. "Future Tech" is an ambiguous term however, and can be used to refer to the use of any number of theoretical technolgies with a wide range of sophistication, from basic faster-than-light travel ability attached to otherwise post-modern technology to the ability to destroy planets and stars and even modify time itself.

Tech levels may be based on Star Wars, Star Trek, or any other futurist / science fiction variant the player may choose. However many players have taken to develop technologies unique to their own nations, especially with the aid of DOGA to make visuals of their unique ships.

Fantasy Tech

"Fantasy Tech" is not a tech level per se but rather the use of certain elements which are usually common to fantasy in nations. Fantasy tech is based on whatever conventions the players choose, and usually fantasy elements are embedded in another tech level.

Many older roleplaying nations have incorporated fantasy elements in their nation, and it has become a part of a very diverse NationStates roleplaying culture that mixes modern storywriting, historic events fantasy and science fiction in a big 'multicultural' melting pot of nations. Usually this translates into populations including non-humans such as Elves or vampires.

Some players choose to dismiss any fantasy elements and may ignore nations on (for example) the mere presence of a 1% dwarven minority. Such players may be accused of Realism-wank. Other fantasy nations, on the other hand, may use fantasy elements to gain an unfair advantage (which may be Magicwank in war or claiming a paradigm economy because your people are immortal and omniscient.) Especially when engaging in competitive roleplay such as war the tech conventions should be somewhat defined and understood.

Flying Hippo Tech

Flying Hippo Tech is a name given to somewhat silly technical level RPs. As opposed to being serious fantasy Tech, it is meant to be simply amusing. The most famous example of this is likely the Siroc & Newsted saga, in which, among other things involves Sirocco's use of "Flightless Hippos (They really can fly)" as a section of his army.

Why Flying Hippo Tech RPs are often looked down on by serious RPs as wastes of space with no rules, Flying Hippo Tech RPs have quite a lot of rules, revealed as the RP progresses, much like Calvinball.

Alternate Tech

Alternate Tech is a combination of technological levels. Alternate Tech is set in an alternate spacetimeline, where the technological history, and possibly even physical rules are different. unlike Fantasy Tech though, Alternate Tech does not deal so much with Fantasy as with reality. Alternate Tech is, somewhere between Fantasy and MultiTech.

It is, in effect, to MultiTech what Postmodern is to Future; a way to bend the rules to conform to what is necesary, without actually breaking and rearranging them. For example, a nation might have dragons, but rather than using them as a fighting force, or enemy, has them as a national animal, while maintaining space colonies, but still making the transition to alternative energy, operating an army equipped with swords and flamethrowers, and using airships instead of airplanes.

MultiTech

MultiTech is an interesting tech level used by many nations, especially the older ones. It incorporates elements from all techs, thus allowing for nations that have modern tech armies with future tech space fleets and colonies and fantasy elements.

The roleplayers of MultiTech usually pick several levels and do not use "all" techs. For instance, a nation might use post-modern, future, and fatasy - not every single variety of different techs. This allows nations to be included in most roleplays in the roleplaying spectrum.

Most MultiTech nations have their nation on earth with some modern tech variation and then have several fleets and possibly a space colony or two using either post-modern or a future tech variation, and perhaps have a touch of fantasy. MultiTech roleplays tend to be more freeform with less limitations, especially in technology. When joining roleplays, MultiTech nations often do only technological aspect of their nation.

MultiTech nations have two ways of doing things. They can roleplay several different timelines of their nation (like modern tech and future tech) with different leaders and national makeup, roleplay all in the same timeline at multiple tech levels at once, or a combination of both. An extreme of MultiTech is all tech.

All Tech

All tech is taking alternate tech and MultiTech to a new level. Both alternate tech and MultiTech had limits to the techlevels, however all tech is MultiTech to an extreme. Just like the name suggests, nations with "all tech" roleplay at all technology levels. This is slightly harder than MultiTech as it often requires multiple timelines roleplayed simultaniously. Other than that, all tech is basically MultiTech with every single tech.