Editing Lostech
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Line 2: ==Overview== ==Overview== − {{Quote|''Life in the [[Successor States]] isn’t so bad. If you can cope with having to plow a rocky field because your [[Small Agricultural Robot|agrobot]] lacks a cable six centimeters long, then you’re perfectly suited to life in them there hills. If you enjoy the irony of zooming across the universe in a [[JumpShip]], only to be forced to ride a jackass six klicks through a downpour, then man, you’ve got it made in these Successor States.''|From the comedy holoseries [[M.P.'s Jump Circus]], [[Donegal Broadcasting Company|Donegal Broadcasting Co.]], 3023<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 130</ref>}} + {{Quote|''Life in the [[Successor States]] isn’t so bad. If you can cope with having to plow a rocky field because your [[Small Agricultural Robot|agrobot]] lacks a cable six centimeters long, then you’re perfectly suited to life in them there hills. If you enjoy the irony of zooming across the universe in a [[JumpShip]], only to be forced to ride a jackass six klicks through a downpour, then man, you’ve got it made in these Successor States.''|From the comedy holoseries M.P.’s Jump Circus, Donegal Broadcasting Co., 3023<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 130</ref>}} A portmanteau word of '''los'''t (or '''los'''s of) '''tech'''nology, the term '''Lostech''' in the [[BattleTech]] universe generally refers to applied technological advances and knowledge that existed during the [[Star League]] era, but which were lost in the fighting of the [[BattleTech eras|Succession Wars]] which followed. It is typically used as an adjective, but can also be used as a noun (often spelled '''LosTech'''). As a noun, it can either denote an item that is associated with ''lostech'', or refer to ''LosTech'' as a concept or historical event or situation—the technological decline of humanity as it occurred throughout the Succession Wars. A portmanteau word of '''los'''t (or '''los'''s of) '''tech'''nology, the term '''Lostech''' in the [[BattleTech]] universe generally refers to applied technological advances and knowledge that existed during the [[Star League]] era, but which were lost in the fighting of the [[BattleTech eras|Succession Wars]] which followed. It is typically used as an adjective, but can also be used as a noun (often spelled '''LosTech'''). As a noun, it can either denote an item that is associated with ''lostech'', or refer to ''LosTech'' as a concept or historical event or situation—the technological decline of humanity as it occurred throughout the Succession Wars. − As a defining aspect, LosTech cannot be produced anymore under current technology levels, except occasionally by automated facilities which are invariably LosTech themselves. Often, the working principles of lostech items are not even understood anymore and the secret of their production is lost. This became a growing problem when more and more vital industries, including automated factories, collapsed from maintenance shortfalls, either because nobody knew how to properly maintain the mysterious machinery or simply for a lack of spare parts. In the dark days of LosTech, only scavenging and improvisation kept any advanced technology working at all. + As a defining aspect, LosTech cannot be produced anymore under current technology levels, except occasionally by automated facilities which are invariably LosTech themselves. Often, the working principles of lostech items are not even understood anymore and the secret of their production is lost. This became a growing problem when more and more vital industry, including automated factories, collapsed from maintenance shortfalls, either because nobody knew how to properly maintain the mysterious machinery or simply for a lack of spare parts. In the dark days of LosTech, only scavenging and improvisation kept any advanced technology working at all. Many lostech items function without requiring the user to actually understand how or why they function. This has given rise to the religious attitude some display towards advanced technology, seeing it as a sort of magic, and to the evolution of [[ComStar]] from a telecommunications provider to a religious order, including the establishment of the [[Word of Blake (book)|"Word of Blake"]] as an accepted religion. Many ComStar adepts actually believe that their prayers are just as important for the proper operation of machinery as operations procedures from the manual. The concept of "repair prayer" has become a running joke that some still take very seriously. Many lostech items function without requiring the user to actually understand how or why they function. This has given rise to the religious attitude some display towards advanced technology, seeing it as a sort of magic, and to the evolution of [[ComStar]] from a telecommunications provider to a religious order, including the establishment of the [[Word of Blake (book)|"Word of Blake"]] as an accepted religion. Many ComStar adepts actually believe that their prayers are just as important for the proper operation of machinery as operations procedures from the manual. The concept of "repair prayer" has become a running joke that some still take very seriously. Line 13:
Line 13: ===Bombing back into the Stone Age=== ===Bombing back into the Stone Age=== − In the early Succession Wars, all parties deliberately sought to destroy the enemy infrastructure. Amidst the overall ruthless mayhem that obliterated entire worlds, factories, shipyards and starships were prime targets. Humanity as a whole bombed itself back into a proverbial "Stone Age," and the Successor Lords realized too late that the damage was beyond repair. On many worlds, the developmental level had fallen back to the level of twentieth- and twenty-first-century science and technology, or even to primitive tribal communities without spaceflight, subsisting on farming and manual labor with medieval technology levels. + In the early Succession Wars, all parties deliberately sought to destroy the enemy infrastructure. Amidst the overall ruthless mayhem that obliterated entire worlds, factories, shipyards and starships were prime targets. Humanity as a whole bombed itself back into a proverbial "Stone Age," and the Successor Lords realized too late that the damage was beyond repair. On many worlds, the developmental level had fallen back to the level of 20th-21st century science and technology, or even to primitive tribal communities without spaceflight, subsisting on farming and manual labor with medieval technology levels. ===Preserving Lostech=== ===Preserving Lostech=== When it became apparent that the ability to build and maintain essential technologies was fading away quickly, irreplaceable civilian assets became regarded as noncombatants through an informal agreement. ComStar was accepted as a neutral caretaker of the interstellar communication network, and then gradually of advanced technology in general. As lostech items, even those of strategic value, were generally kept out of the fighting, combat became more and more ritualized in the fashion of medieval battles or even duels over the course of the Succession Wars. In order to prevent further damage to urban or industrial areas, battles were arranged in outlying regions. Defeated opponents were allowed to withdraw, and captured [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]s were ransomed. This development went hand in hand with the establishment of neo-feudal societies, also reminiscent of the Middle Ages. When it became apparent that the ability to build and maintain essential technologies was fading away quickly, irreplaceable civilian assets became regarded as noncombatants through an informal agreement. ComStar was accepted as a neutral caretaker of the interstellar communication network, and then gradually of advanced technology in general. As lostech items, even those of strategic value, were generally kept out of the fighting, combat became more and more ritualized in the fashion of medieval battles or even duels over the course of the Succession Wars. In order to prevent further damage to urban or industrial areas, battles were arranged in outlying regions. Defeated opponents were allowed to withdraw, and captured [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]s were ransomed. This development went hand in hand with the establishment of neo-feudal societies, also reminiscent of the Middle Ages. − Still, the wars raged on. Although infrastructure was not a designated target anymore, collateral damage still occurred and by the early thirty-first century, many vital technologies were LosTech. Complex systems such as [[BattleMech]]s, [[JumpShip]]s or [[hyperpulse generator]]s became lostech as a whole as most of their individual components such as [[fusion engine]]s or [[Kearny-Fuchida Drive]]s became increasingly unavailable, difficult to maintain and near impossible to produce. Many colonies were doomed because declining shipping deprived them of their food and supplies imports, others because vital life support technology such as water and air purification systems failed or were destroyed, rendering whole worlds uninhabitable. + Still, the wars raged on. Although infrastructure was not a designated target anymore, collateral damage still occurred and by the early 31st century, many vital technologies were LosTech. Complex systems such as [[BattleMech]]s, [[JumpShip]]s or [[hyperpulse generator]]s became lostech as a whole as most of their individual components such as [[fusion engine]]s or [[Kearny-Fuchida Drive]]s became increasingly unavailable, difficult to maintain and near impossible to produce. Many colonies were doomed because declining shipping deprived them of their food and supplies imports, others because vital life support technology such as water and air purification systems failed or were destroyed, rendering whole worlds uninhabitable. ====Holy Shroud==== ====Holy Shroud==== Line 42:
Line 42: The pendulum swung backwards again in [[3067]], when the ultra-reactionary ComStar splinter faction, [[Word of Blake]], launched their [[Jihad]] across known space. With the deliberate objective to quell the technological advance, and to pit as many factions against each other as possible, they used sabotage, orbital bombardments and weapons of mass destruction on a grand scale to undo the hopeful developments of the previous decades. The pendulum swung backwards again in [[3067]], when the ultra-reactionary ComStar splinter faction, [[Word of Blake]], launched their [[Jihad]] across known space. With the deliberate objective to quell the technological advance, and to pit as many factions against each other as possible, they used sabotage, orbital bombardments and weapons of mass destruction on a grand scale to undo the hopeful developments of the previous decades. − When the dust settled after the Jihad, many industries across the Inner Sphere had been devastated by the intense fighting. The [[Shipyards]] were especially devastated, with all production of [[WarShip]]s put to a halt. + When the dust settled after the Jihad, many industries across the Inner Sphere had been devastated by the intense fighting. With the subsequent formation of the [[Republic of the Sphere]] and [[Devlin Stone]]'s demilitarization of the new nation, many arms producers in the Republic made "sword-to-plowshare" conversions. [[IndustrialMech]]s experienced a rise in mainstream applications during this period of relative peace. − With the subsequent formation of the [[Republic of the Sphere]] and [[Devlin Stone]]'s demilitarization of the new nation, many arms producers in the Republic made "sword-to-plowshare" conversions. [[IndustrialMech]]s experienced a rise in mainstream applications during this period of relative peace. ===Dark Age=== ===Dark Age===
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
| − | {{Quote|''Life in the [[Successor States]] isn’t so bad. If you can cope with having to plow a rocky field because your [[Small Agricultural Robot|agrobot]] lacks a cable six centimeters long, then you’re perfectly suited to life in them there hills. If you enjoy the irony of zooming across the universe in a [[JumpShip]], only to be forced to ride a jackass six klicks through a downpour, then man, you’ve got it made in these Successor States.''|From the comedy holoseries | + | {{Quote|''Life in the [[Successor States]] isn’t so bad. If you can cope with having to plow a rocky field because your [[Small Agricultural Robot|agrobot]] lacks a cable six centimeters long, then you’re perfectly suited to life in them there hills. If you enjoy the irony of zooming across the universe in a [[JumpShip]], only to be forced to ride a jackass six klicks through a downpour, then man, you’ve got it made in these Successor States.''|From the comedy holoseries M.P.’s Jump Circus, Donegal Broadcasting Co., 3023<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 130</ref>}} |
A portmanteau word of '''los'''t (or '''los'''s of) '''tech'''nology, the term '''Lostech''' in the [[BattleTech]] universe generally refers to applied technological advances and knowledge that existed during the [[Star League]] era, but which were lost in the fighting of the [[BattleTech eras|Succession Wars]] which followed. It is typically used as an adjective, but can also be used as a noun (often spelled '''LosTech'''). As a noun, it can either denote an item that is associated with ''lostech'', or refer to ''LosTech'' as a concept or historical event or situation—the technological decline of humanity as it occurred throughout the Succession Wars. | A portmanteau word of '''los'''t (or '''los'''s of) '''tech'''nology, the term '''Lostech''' in the [[BattleTech]] universe generally refers to applied technological advances and knowledge that existed during the [[Star League]] era, but which were lost in the fighting of the [[BattleTech eras|Succession Wars]] which followed. It is typically used as an adjective, but can also be used as a noun (often spelled '''LosTech'''). As a noun, it can either denote an item that is associated with ''lostech'', or refer to ''LosTech'' as a concept or historical event or situation—the technological decline of humanity as it occurred throughout the Succession Wars. | ||
| − | As a defining aspect, LosTech cannot be produced anymore under current technology levels, except occasionally by automated facilities which are invariably LosTech themselves. Often, the working principles of lostech items are not even understood anymore and the secret of their production is lost. This became a growing problem when more and more vital | + | As a defining aspect, LosTech cannot be produced anymore under current technology levels, except occasionally by automated facilities which are invariably LosTech themselves. Often, the working principles of lostech items are not even understood anymore and the secret of their production is lost. This became a growing problem when more and more vital industry, including automated factories, collapsed from maintenance shortfalls, either because nobody knew how to properly maintain the mysterious machinery or simply for a lack of spare parts. In the dark days of LosTech, only scavenging and improvisation kept any advanced technology working at all. |
Many lostech items function without requiring the user to actually understand how or why they function. This has given rise to the religious attitude some display towards advanced technology, seeing it as a sort of magic, and to the evolution of [[ComStar]] from a telecommunications provider to a religious order, including the establishment of the [[Word of Blake (book)|"Word of Blake"]] as an accepted religion. Many ComStar adepts actually believe that their prayers are just as important for the proper operation of machinery as operations procedures from the manual. The concept of "repair prayer" has become a running joke that some still take very seriously. | Many lostech items function without requiring the user to actually understand how or why they function. This has given rise to the religious attitude some display towards advanced technology, seeing it as a sort of magic, and to the evolution of [[ComStar]] from a telecommunications provider to a religious order, including the establishment of the [[Word of Blake (book)|"Word of Blake"]] as an accepted religion. Many ComStar adepts actually believe that their prayers are just as important for the proper operation of machinery as operations procedures from the manual. The concept of "repair prayer" has become a running joke that some still take very seriously. | ||
| Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
===Bombing back into the Stone Age=== | ===Bombing back into the Stone Age=== | ||
| − | In the early Succession Wars, all parties deliberately sought to destroy the enemy infrastructure. Amidst the overall ruthless mayhem that obliterated entire worlds, factories, shipyards and starships were prime targets. Humanity as a whole bombed itself back into a proverbial "Stone Age," and the Successor Lords realized too late that the damage was beyond repair. On many worlds, the developmental level had fallen back to the level of | + | In the early Succession Wars, all parties deliberately sought to destroy the enemy infrastructure. Amidst the overall ruthless mayhem that obliterated entire worlds, factories, shipyards and starships were prime targets. Humanity as a whole bombed itself back into a proverbial "Stone Age," and the Successor Lords realized too late that the damage was beyond repair. On many worlds, the developmental level had fallen back to the level of 20th-21st century science and technology, or even to primitive tribal communities without spaceflight, subsisting on farming and manual labor with medieval technology levels. |
===Preserving Lostech=== | ===Preserving Lostech=== | ||
When it became apparent that the ability to build and maintain essential technologies was fading away quickly, irreplaceable civilian assets became regarded as noncombatants through an informal agreement. ComStar was accepted as a neutral caretaker of the interstellar communication network, and then gradually of advanced technology in general. As lostech items, even those of strategic value, were generally kept out of the fighting, combat became more and more ritualized in the fashion of medieval battles or even duels over the course of the Succession Wars. In order to prevent further damage to urban or industrial areas, battles were arranged in outlying regions. Defeated opponents were allowed to withdraw, and captured [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]s were ransomed. This development went hand in hand with the establishment of neo-feudal societies, also reminiscent of the Middle Ages. | When it became apparent that the ability to build and maintain essential technologies was fading away quickly, irreplaceable civilian assets became regarded as noncombatants through an informal agreement. ComStar was accepted as a neutral caretaker of the interstellar communication network, and then gradually of advanced technology in general. As lostech items, even those of strategic value, were generally kept out of the fighting, combat became more and more ritualized in the fashion of medieval battles or even duels over the course of the Succession Wars. In order to prevent further damage to urban or industrial areas, battles were arranged in outlying regions. Defeated opponents were allowed to withdraw, and captured [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]s were ransomed. This development went hand in hand with the establishment of neo-feudal societies, also reminiscent of the Middle Ages. | ||
| − | Still, the wars raged on. Although infrastructure was not a designated target anymore, collateral damage still occurred and by the early | + | Still, the wars raged on. Although infrastructure was not a designated target anymore, collateral damage still occurred and by the early 31st century, many vital technologies were LosTech. Complex systems such as [[BattleMech]]s, [[JumpShip]]s or [[hyperpulse generator]]s became lostech as a whole as most of their individual components such as [[fusion engine]]s or [[Kearny-Fuchida Drive]]s became increasingly unavailable, difficult to maintain and near impossible to produce. Many colonies were doomed because declining shipping deprived them of their food and supplies imports, others because vital life support technology such as water and air purification systems failed or were destroyed, rendering whole worlds uninhabitable. |
====Holy Shroud==== | ====Holy Shroud==== | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
The pendulum swung backwards again in [[3067]], when the ultra-reactionary ComStar splinter faction, [[Word of Blake]], launched their [[Jihad]] across known space. With the deliberate objective to quell the technological advance, and to pit as many factions against each other as possible, they used sabotage, orbital bombardments and weapons of mass destruction on a grand scale to undo the hopeful developments of the previous decades. | The pendulum swung backwards again in [[3067]], when the ultra-reactionary ComStar splinter faction, [[Word of Blake]], launched their [[Jihad]] across known space. With the deliberate objective to quell the technological advance, and to pit as many factions against each other as possible, they used sabotage, orbital bombardments and weapons of mass destruction on a grand scale to undo the hopeful developments of the previous decades. | ||
| − | When the dust settled after the Jihad, many industries across the Inner Sphere had been devastated by the intense fighting. | + | When the dust settled after the Jihad, many industries across the Inner Sphere had been devastated by the intense fighting. With the subsequent formation of the [[Republic of the Sphere]] and [[Devlin Stone]]'s demilitarization of the new nation, many arms producers in the Republic made "sword-to-plowshare" conversions. [[IndustrialMech]]s experienced a rise in mainstream applications during this period of relative peace. |
| − | With the subsequent formation of the [[Republic of the Sphere]] and [[Devlin Stone]]'s demilitarization of the new nation, many arms producers in the Republic made "sword-to-plowshare" conversions. [[IndustrialMech]]s experienced a rise in mainstream applications during this period of relative peace. | ||
===Dark Age=== | ===Dark Age=== | ||