Type 11 Societies

A Type-11 society is one in which member worlds are functionally self-reliant --they no longer need the Homeworld propping them up, and have banded together voluntarily. This civilization is (generally) no longer worried about mere survival, but has the luxury of seeking improvement (either through intellectual advancement, territorial expansion, economic dominion, or merely social stasis).

In the wake of the Romulan War, Earth, Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, and the independent Alpha Centauri colonies banded together to create the United Federation of Planets; a Type-11 civilization. (Enterprise, 2001)

This does not mean that this society is invulnerable, however; the challenges faced by this society will be mainly political. A Type-11 society will likely be large and powerful enough to represent a threat to any neighbouring stellar nations, who may either attack it directly, or seek to undermine it through espionage. A healthy Type-11 society could tolerate the loss of the Throneworld, but the breakup of the political body holding the nation together would be a disaster.

In case of societal regression, automated manufacturing could lead to certain devices becoming "black box" technologies: the factories keep producing goods, but the knowledge to maintain the factories or modify the end product is lost. 

Any egalitarian alliance of multiple self-governing (or at least legally-protected) species will be at least Type-11.

The Breen Confederacy is made up of at least four allied species --all rendered into anonymity by their containment suits, thus ensuring their vision of a perfectly egalitarian society. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 1993)

Footprint: Multiple solar systems (multiple sectors).

Sustainable Population: Ten trillions, including multiple species.

Government: Representative democracy, incorporating a council of multiple planetary representatives. Synapic hive-mind. No single "homeworld" will be recognized, but there may be a central "throneworld" serving as the seat of government.

Bureaucracy: Labyrinthine, but mostly unified. Some agencies might enjoy effective internal autonomy, but will remain answerable to the head of state.

Language: Multiple distinct languages, with one adaptive common tongue (probably supported by technological translation). Alien languages will be recognizable, if not immediately understood.

Literacy: Universal.

Network: Universal. Real-time interstellar communication using ansible technology is common, though signal may require relays and boosters.

Religion: Various, political authority could be limited (due to lack of unity) or extreme (used as social engineering). In the latter case, there will be only one state-sponsored religion; no heretical movements will be tolerated (indeed, heresy is tantamount to political rebellion).

The Prophets use their Forerunner-worshipping religion to ensure their own undisputed power over the multispecies Covenant. (Halo, 2001)

Science: Advancing rapidly; large-scale exploration of space is underway, as is study of interdimensional space and wormholes. Time-travel is a theoretical possibility. The existence of fully-sapient AI is well-known, if not common (or legally/culturally recognized). Energy manipulation tech (weapons, shields, and tools) is now widespread (energy weapons have likely replaced solid ammunition), and are becoming more portable. Physical teleportation may be possible under controlled conditions. Photo-realistic holograms are common, and "touchable" solid-state holograms are being developed (using forcefields and tractor beams). Mecha may be heavily bio-reactive, verging on symbiotic links with their pilots (responding as much to emotional states as to deliberate commands).

Medicine: Therapy can repair genetic damage (from radiation or transporter damage) even in adults. Synthetic organs/limbs are readily available, as are bio-engineered tissues. Nanotechnology is common, and neuromedicine relies on mind-machine interfaces.

Education: Universal and standardized. Basic "astronaut" training, xenosociology, and FTL physics will be standard in any modern curriculum. Education will rely heavily on neuro-training techniques; using mnemonics and conditioning to improve recall.

Energy: Most infrastructure will rely on high-yield reactors and portable power cells (generators may be too large or delicate for smaller facilities). Wireless energy transmission may be available in certain facilities.

Industry: Fabricators can now function at the molecular level, allowing large-scale mass-production of nanomaterials. Most industry is based on intellectual property (one thing that can't be replicated is innovation), with the actual manufacturing being heavily automated. With a variety of different sources, equipment no longer needs to be standardized.

Military: Unified and technologically dependent. Drawn from multiple sources (due to volume of manpower needed) --if a distinct species, soldiers will be drawn from multiple home or breeding worlds. Solid-projectile weapons are not normally issued; variable-output energy-weapons are now standard. Disruptors (capable of disrupting molecular bonds and disintegrating targets) will be invented, and high-yield warheads will replace nuclear weapons for ship-to-ship combat.

Variable-yield weapons like photon torpedoes can deliver a blast as powerful as a nuke, without the radiation. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, 1991)

Economy: A post-scarcity economy may be forming (driven by the prevalence of personal-scale replicators). Raw materials are valuable, not finished goods (except as non-replicable luxury items). Shopping centres will shrink, gradually replaced by replicator arcades, where products can be ordered, downloaded, and constructed on the spot. Internal trade may be based on energy/resource/data credits, possibly represented by physical chits, or tied to a citizen's biometrics. As this society forges an interconnected economy, economic specialization will return, with some worlds building large production complexes and shipyards.

Food: Starships rely on stores of processed or synthesized nutrients. "Real" food is available on most planets, though all crops are heavily genetically modified for nutrition and yield --some staple crops may be entirely new species, never found in nature. Truly natural (non-altered) food is a delicacy only; it no longer provides adequate nutrition.

Travel: Interstellar travel (requiring medium-sized vessels) is available to private citizens (with minimal training), and in-system travel is casual. Global travel is trivial, and may include platform-to-platform teleportation. This society's interstellar economy will necessitate interstellar travel, both for business and vacation. Well-equipped space pirates and raiders will be present (FTL ships are now sufficiently plentiful for pirate captains to acquire and crew), especially around the fringes of civilized space --handling them may be the military's main job.

Spaceflight: FTL travel is possible via passenger transports, with personal FTL ships likely restricted to the wealthy or well-connected. Small shuttles will usually have a mothership nearby, and all small ships will be capable of surface-to-space flight. Local space will be crawling with automated drones and relays supporting interstellar navigation and communication. Orbital traffic control may be largely automated, especially around less-trafficked colonies. Private ships will likely stick to well-guarded spacelanes, though "free" flight is technologically viable (allowing pirates and military vessels to go wherever they wish) --space is too wide to patrol, so there will be plenty of space to "hide" between trade routes.

The White Star, with its blend of Minbari and Vorlon technology, is emblematic of the Interstellar Alliance. (Babylon 5, 1993)

Alien contact: Open. This society will likely be made up of multiple different species, and First Contact protocols will be well-established among official (government/military) crews. Even private citizens will likely have a basic understanding of diplomacy and will at least be able to refer unrecognized species to the proper diplomatic authorities. Initial contact will likely be diplomatic --this society will be stable enough to not require conquest, and experienced enough to avoid attacking without solid intelligence. Homeworlds will likely be largely homogenous, though the Throneworld will have large alien enclaves.

Examples (reality):
Examples (fiction): United Federation of Planets (Kirk's time), the Second Spanish Empire, Rebel Alliance, Interstellar Alliance, the Sentinels, Romulan Empire, Klingon Empire, Typhon Pact, Breen Confederacy, Dominion, Hutt space, the ancient Gree Empire, Kwa Holdings, Killik Colony, the Covenant.