Species Development Scale

The Species Development Scale refers to a classification spectrum which is used (predominantly by the Planetary Union, and it’s unknown whether other powers use it) to determine which level of technological and cultural advancement a species is at. The lowest on this spectrum is Level DDD and the highest is Level X.

   *The Species Development Scale pyramid, with Level X being the most heavily emphasised in this pyramid and Level BB onwards being in bold lettering to highlight the development levels that involve technology.*

**Levels in increasing order:**

**DDD** - Nonexistence; the lowest level: at Level DDD there are no intelligent native species known to exist on their homeworld at all.

**C** - Stone Age: the native intelligent race(s) uses primitive tools for hunting and basic construction and this is their earliest stage of development after initial non-existence at Level DDD.

**CC** - Bronze Age: the species can now produce bronze, and their way of life is still primitive but there’s an increase in economic productivity and their tools and weapons are more sturdy.

**CCC** - Iron Age: this level includes Earth’s Roman era, and at this one the species has learned to produce other metals, the most prominent of which being iron and steel, which are much stronger than bronze.

**B** - Medieval Age: there’s a small grasp on the sciences, although the species mainly believes in the supernatural. However, this is also where some advancements in the arts take place.

**BB** - Steam Age: this is the first development level involving technology. There are now more people working in factories and other types of urban infrastructure instead of just doing rural jobs, and there’s an industrialisation increase.

**BBB** - Space Age: the native species have achieved basic space travel, although they haven’t created the warp engine yet or actual starships. Their level of space travel is small spacecraft which so far only have access to nearby places in their own system, and the Earth equivalent is from the year 1957 to 2064.

**A** - Galaxy Age: Level A is the one which a large majority of the races in The Valkyrie are at during the series, including humanity. The Galaxy Age is from the year 2065 and onwards into the series, in Earth’s case; at this level the species has achieved the invention of the warp engine and has access to other star systems outside of their own due to now having advanced starship technology. A species needs to be at Level A or higher in order to become a member of the Planetary Union or - ideally - to even be made aware of the Union’s existence, as they need to have created the warp engine or other methods of faster-than-light space travel to be considered as being at a similar level of technological development.

**AA** - Astral Age: races at Level AA have mostly similar technology to those at Level A, but those at AA are more advanced - they have larger and more powerful starship weapons, and they have either some form of planet-wide shield and/or cloak or they’re capable of creating at least moon-size ships.

**AAA** - Dimensional Age: species at Level AAA are so advanced that they can access other dimensions and galaxies altogether. Another aspect of AAA species is that they also have the technology or the power to create and/or destroy other races at will.

**X** - Omnipotence; the highest level: X is predominantly inaccessible by a large majority of species - the characteristics of Level X are omnipotence and omniscience, meaning the abilities to be all-powerful and all-knowing. Level X races exist above the normal rules of space, time and dimensions, and this level is what the deities of several cultures and also God himself are thought to belong to.

## Examples

### A

* Andorians
* Androids
* Arkadans
* Bajorans
* Caphramoids
* Denobulans
* Humans
* Orions
* Ragnans
* Risians
* Romulans
* Voldorians
* Visterians
* Windermereans
* Xelayans
* Yixli
* Zolans

### AA

* “Narulians”
* Kzarmiloids