Technology level

The classification system consisted of six distinct technology levels:

• Stone — These societies were characterized by small social structures, rudimentary agricultural practices, and the employment of basic tools. Trade was minimal in stone-age cultures, as individuals could typically craft their own tools. Sustenance was obtained by gathering wild plants (for herbivores), hunting and fishing (for carnivores), or through nascent agricultural endeavors. Transportation was primarily on foot, lacking structured road systems. Communication relied on visual representations and oral traditions. [2] (For example, Endor, the native world of the Ewoks and the Yuzzum) [3]

• Feudal — Civilizations at the feudal level exhibited substantial regional social interaction and basic manufactured goods. Specialized factories or artisans produced the most sophisticated tools. Agriculture, involving animal husbandry or crop cultivation, formed the core of the community's activities. Transportation utilized animal, water, or wind power, with the presence of road networks. Communication incorporated a writing system. [2] (e.g., Gamorr, the Gamorrean homeworld) [3]

• Industrial —Industrial-level societies displayed a population divided between manufacturing and agricultural pursuits, with societal interactions occurring on a continental scale. Mass production techniques were employed to create the most advanced tools. Electricity generation involved the combustion of fuels. Both cultivation and transportation were motorized, and communication involved the widespread production of written materials and basic electrical communication. [2] (e.g., Ryloth, the primary world of the Twi'lek) [3]

• Atomic — Atomic-level civilizations had efficient mass production and manufactured goods readily accessible across most societal strata. Advanced plastics and metallic alloys were developed. The advent of space travel was underway, accompanied by advancements in transportation, medicine, communication, and commerce. [2]

• Information — Civilizations in the information age were defined by sophisticated communication and data processing technologies. These cultures featured a global community, characterized by the rapid dissemination of information throughout all inhabited regions of the planet. Early iterations of droids and energy weapons were common, and the development of repulsorlift technology was nearing completion. While lacking knowledge of hyperspace travel, information-age worlds frequently engaged in in- system space travel. [2] (e.g., Kubindi, the native planet of the Kubaz) [3]

• Space — These civilizations were distinguished by hyperspace travel capabilities, colonization beyond their own star systems, the presence of droids, personal energy weapons such as blasters, and highly efficient industrial sectors. [2] The space age was generally regarded as the ultimate stage in a civilization's progression. (e.g., Dac, the home planet of the Mon Calamari and Quarren) [3]

The designation "primitive" was sometimes applied to societies perceived as lacking in technological, economic, or cultural advancement, such as the Ewoks. However, this term often carried connotations of speciesism and discrimination, rendering it potentially offensive. Prior to the significant events of the year 32 BBY, the Human inhabitants of Naboo considered the Gungans, a sentient amphibian species sharing their world, to be uncivilized. The Naboo Senatorial Delegation deliberately minimized the Gungans' role in the galactic community, describing these non-Humans as "simple-minded barbarians who have barely mastered the basic hallmarks of civilization."

In the 2001 LucasArts video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, four "tech levels" are present. Players can gather resources to improve their tech level, and each increase unlocks a broader selection of buildings, units, and research options.