On 12Feb2018 1812, Phil Pugliese (via tml list) wrote:
> I've generally thought of TL differences as more of a cost/avail multiplier than anything else.

It also reflects the wealth of a world. Poor worlds are low-TL because
they can't support/pay for high TL stuff (including plant to make high
TL stuff), and at the same time being low TL makes you poor.

This makes supporting high TL military units doubly hard - not only do
you have to pay to important all their kit, their kit's spare parts,
their kit's maintenance people, and the troops' trainers, at more
expense than they'd cost if they were local, but you have to do so out
of a smaller budget.

This also explains why worlds might not import the outright 'best' gear
they can, such as a TL6 world importing TL15 gear. If there's a nearby
TL12 world and the TL15 gear would come from further away the
considerable extra expanse for the TL15 gear vs. the TL12 stuff might
make it simply not worth it.

--
Rupert Boleyn <xxxxxx@gmail.com>
Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief