In RUSS, Eras are more than just settings. They define the level of technology, the types of enemies you encounter, and how your characters are expected to interact in the world around them.

Imagine handing a Model T driver the keys to a modern sports car. Or trying to explain a smartphone to someone who just discovered the rotary dial. The tools may be similar in purpose, but how they’re used, understood, and relied on changes everything.

Eras provide that context. They shape the assumptions behind each mission and help players stay grounded in what their characters would realistically know or expect. A mission set in a cyberpunk skyline plays differently than one set in a crumbling medieval ruin, even if the core mechanics stay consistent.

While not a separate game mode, Eras give you the freedom to explore different timelines, cultures, or speculative futures. They also help keep the narrative clean when jumping between story arcs or running long-term campaigns. If your team ends up somewhere strange, the Era tag lets everyone know they shouldn’t expect business as usual.

The core idea of Eras borrows from GURPS and the different Technology Levels. Eras will let characters in RUSS interact with equipment and weapons from different points along the timeline and not automatically "know" how something works. Think of going back to the time of the Model-T and how different it would be to try and start, much less drive, compared to the fully automatic, remote-start cars of today. This adds much more RPG emphasis on play, so while it's not the nifty new combat rule that makes a game great, it is one of those ideas that's been around for more decades than I want to admit.