Tech Level

Tech level denotes the technological advancement of equipment, vehicles, industries, and spacecraft in Hazeron.

Tech level ranges from 1 to 32. The nomenclature for tech level is TL#. For instance, tech level 5 would be written TL5. Tech level 7 or higher would be written TL7+. Tech level 12 or lower would be written TL12-.

The effectiveness of an object is increased as the tech level increases. Tech level affects each thing in a different way. Generally, each tech level increment increases an object's features by 5%. For example a TL11 spacecraft is 50% faster than the same spacecraft at TL1; its weapons and shields are 50% more effective; its sensors have 50% more range.
Developing Technology
Almost all industries can develop technological advancements, including industries that don't otherwise manufacture anything, such as retail stores, fire stations, etc.

The Manufacturing tab of the Labor (F10) window features a process labeled 'Research XXX Technology'. Each worker process can be set to develop technology that is appropriate to that industry. For instance, the Logging Camp has a process to 'Research Logging Camp Technology'.

Each run of a research process costs 1000c per TL and takes 1000 seconds per TL. The current tech level of the building is used. The money is taken from the city's coffers, not from the empire's treasury. Computers in the city's inventory will cut the time by slightly more than half.

When the research process is complete, a Technology object is created at the current tech level of the building. Tech level 1 technology objects aren't really useful so they are discarded rather than adding them to the city's inventory. There is a 1% chance that the technology object will be one tech level higher than the building that creates it, up to tech level 32. When a building develops a technological advancement, it consumes it immediately to raise its own tech level. Then it continues researching at the next higher technology level.

Schools play a special role here. Schools can research all technologies, not just school technology. When a school researches a technology of some other industry, the cost is the same but the time is about 25% longer than that of researching the technology at the relevant industry. The tech level of the research is limited to the tech level of the school and it is further limited to the highest tech level of the relevant industry in the city, as if the research were being performed at that industry. If there are no buildings of the relevant industry in town, the research is conducted at TL1.
Raising the Tech Level of Buildings
A building starts at tech level 1 when it is constructed. Its tech level can be increased up to tech level 32. The tech level of a building affects all of its manufacturing and research processes.

When the city status report is generated, roughly four times per hour, every building in the city attempts to raise its tech level by consuming a tech level object that is at least one level higher than its current tech level.

When a building takes its turn at raising its level, it rises to the highest level possible. The building selects the highest tech level object in the city's inventory that is appropriate to its industry. If the tech level object is higher than its current tech level, the building consumes the object and raises its own tech level to that of the object. For example, if the city's inventory contains items of Mining Technology TL5, a mine at TL1 will raise itself to TL5 by consuming 1 of the TL5 items. The remaining TL5 objects can be used by other mines that are lower than TL5 to raise their level to TL5. The TL5 mines can then produce TL5 materials and technology objects.
Tech Level in Manufacturing
Each manufacturing and research process produces objects that have a Tech Level. Objects are assigned the lowest of the Tech Level of the materials consumed by the process and the Tech Level of the building or school that runs the process. Materials that are not directly consumed do not affect the Tech Level of the result, such as tools and computers.

Environmental factors are always fetched at the Tech Level of the building, such as water from the environment and Magmex.

Electricity and Money are always Tech Level 32.

Production example: A TL3 mine produces TL3 ore. A TL3+ smelter will produce TL3 metal from that ore and a TL2 Smelter can only produce TL2 metal from TL3+ ore.

Some manufacturing processes require a minimum tech level industry to execute them. For example Metal Power Armor requires an armorer of TL4+ to manufacture it; Vulcanite requires a mine of TL19+ and a Smelter of TL19+ is needed to convert the Vulcanite into Vulcium. Cryozine requires a TL4+ refinery on a frigid world. Cryozine is a vital component of Cryo Heat Sinks, which are needed to manufacture power armor and spacecraft weapon systems and shields.
Tech Level in Spacecraft Designs
Spacecraft designs are assigned a tech level based upon their size and complexity. Certain equipment added to the design also requires minimum tech levels for manufacture.
 Spacecraft designs must be manufactured at a Spacecraft Factory with the same or higher tech level as the design. The tech level of the design is the minimum tech level required to manufacture the design.

The tech level of a spacecraft can be higher than the tech level of the design. This happens when the factory and all the materials consumed by the process have a higher tech level than the design.

The tech level of the ship affects the performance of all of its systems. A spacecraft design of TL2 that is manufactured at TL10 will perform much better than the same design manufactured at its minimum TL2. At 5% per TL, eight tech levels higher than the original design would gain a 40% improvement in overall performance.