Decide the Technology Ceiling for My World

You keep waffling on how advanced your world is, and it's stalling the writing. Give it your genre and what the story actually needs, fast communication, brutal personal warfare, scarce information, and decide the tech ceiling, then lock in what it means for everything downstream. Good for worldbuilders who need to settle this before drafting another chapter.

I need to make a definitive decision about the technology level of my fictional world and lock in its implications before I write any more. Help me decide.

Genre and rough setting: {GENRE_AND_SETTING}
The story I want to tell requires these narrative capabilities: {NARRATIVE_NEEDS} (e.g., 'characters must be able to communicate across continents quickly', 'warfare should be brutal and personal', 'information should be hard to verify').
My current instinct for tech level is: {TECH_INSTINCT}

For my stated narrative needs, evaluate three possible technology ceilings:
- One level below my instinct
- My instinct
- One level above my instinct

For each, list what it enables narratively and what it forecloses. Then make a recommendation with a clear rationale. Also flag one technology I am probably taking for granted (e.g., reliable lighting, disease treatment, food preservation) that I should consciously decide about.