Universal Socio-Industrial Level Rating
Sarna News
The Universal Socio-Industrial Index Rating is a five-letter code used to provide general statistics regarding a settled world, and is also known by the abbreviation USIIR and shortened name Socio-Industrial Level.[1][2]
Code Explained
The system is rated with the five letter codes A - F (minus E), with A as the highest achievable. The displayed codes, in order, describe the condition of the world in five specific categories: Technological Sophistication, Industrial Development, Raw Material Dependence, Industrial Output and Agricultural Dependence, all relative to the population currently present at the time of the rating's application.[1]
The ratings can be summed up in the following chart:[3]
| Rating | Technological Sophistication | Industrial Development | Raw Material Dependence | Industrial Output | Agricultural Dependence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | High-tech world | Heavily industrialized | Fully self-sufficient | High Output | Breadbasket |
| B | Advanced world | Moderately industrialized | Mostly self-sufficient | Good output | Abundant world |
| C | Moderately advanced world | Basic heavy industry | Self-sustaining | Limited output | Modest agriculture |
| D | Lower-tech world | Low industrialization | Dependent | Negligible output | Poor agriculture |
| F | Primitive world | No industrialization | Heavily dependent | No output | "Barren" world |
Comparison
While there may be some similarities between the Technological Sophistication and Industrial Development categories and the Industrial Development and Industrial Output categories, they each detail very different information. For the former, Technological Sophistication informs upon the general level of common technology present amongst the population of the settled world, without applying that directly to the industrial complexes present (if any), which is handled by the Industrial Development category. Likewise, in the latter comparison, while Industrial Development explains the level of development of the average industrial complex, it is Industrial Output that provides a general quantity figure, describing the number of factories actually present upon the world, without commenting on the level of sophistication.[3]
Notes
It is unknown if the USIIR is simply a game-only code or is actually used in-universe. This article is written from a neutral perspective, until indicated otherwise. Detailed explanations of the codes can be found in the handbooks.
References