A Proto-Traveller sized ATU

[Fritz_Brown]

Here we go with MTU-from-scratch. The universe is 4x4 sectors. I have not yet decided what to do with the B5 or D5 sectors - my original plan was to include Gateway and Old Expanses (respectively) as those have been recently detailed in good QLI adventures and Stellar Reaches. However, I'm not sure whether that's appropriate, so let me know what you think. The thumbnail below links to a "hi-res" starmap of the 16 sectors. Any group of stars with more than seven (7) stars linkable with J1 is colored in to show the original polities. The sectors are lettered from B to E (top to bottom) and 2 to 5 (left to right) (i.e., the top-left sector is B2).

This is a "young empire" scenario. The max TL is 12, with one isolated exception in the rift. There have been multiple interstellar dark ages and no real history goes back past the latest one, which is only 500 years or so in the past.

My first bit of help I need from you good folks is good sector and subsector names. I will give a "grid" of how they ought to divide up in the next post.


Lo-res
(Hires is 1MB, Lo-res is .4MB)
Edit: If you get that I've exceeded my bandwidth, try later with the "lo-res" one, please. end edit

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Edit Superseded by 4 later posts, starting here, through there. end edit

OK, here are the subsectors, with letters in them to help group them. The concept is that a major polity usually names its own region of space. If it is sufficiently important, it will retain that name (or names) after it is absorbed into a larger polity. So, the subsectors are grouped by letters to help you see where I thought the dividing lines would be. Some subsectors have two sets of IDs. These would be spots where both groups would have their own naming convention.

The single letters have no specific meaning, except to group the subsectors. The two-letter IDs mean the following:
Gk - Greek names (mostly done, and sector D4 is already named: Agrotikospiti)
Sb - Serbo-Croatian
Am - American (as in the New World, though mostly North American for subsector names) (Also, sector E4 is already named: Columbia)
As - Aslan (I can't leave out the Bushido kitties!)
Zo - Zhodani, though the polity will not be Zhodani as we know them - the names are good stuff, though
The empty spots are for minor races/cultures. (Though the two between the Am and Zo subsectors should be tough dudes.)
Edit: Changed K to "SAB", added SAB to list. end edit
SAB - Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian. (NO "Gozer".)
(The letter-number bit is the top-left corner of each sector.)

B2--+---+---+---B3--+---+---+---B4--+---+---+---B5--+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|SAB|SAB|SAB|SAB|SAB|SAB| W | W | W |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|SAB|SAB|SAB|SAB|SAB|SAB| W | W | W |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |SAB|   |   |   | W | W |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|SAB|SAB|SAB|   | P |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   | P |   |   |   |Sb |Sb |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| H | H | H | P | P | P |   |Sb |Sb |   | V |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
C2--+---+---+---C3--+---+---+---C4--+---+---+---C5--+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Q | Q | Q | P | P | P | P |Sb |Sb |Sb |Sb |Sb |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Q | Q | Q | P | P | P |   |Sb |Sb |Sb |Sb |Sb | F | F |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Sb |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Q | Q | Q |   | P |   |   |Sb |Sb |   |Sb |Sb | F | F | F | F |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Gk |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Sb |   |   |   |   |   |
| Q | Q | Q | Q |   |   |   |Gk |Gk |Gk |   |Gk | F | F | F | F |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Gk |   |   |   |   |   |
D2--+---+---+---D3--+---+---+---D4--+---+---+---D5--+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Q | Q | Q | Q |   |   |   |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk | F | F | F |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Q | Q | Q |   |   |   |   |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|As |As |As |As |   |   |   |Gk |Gk |Gk |Gk | Y | Y |   |Zo |Zo |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Gk |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|As |As |As | R | S |   |   |   |Am |Am |Am | X | X |Zo |Zo |Zo |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Am |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
E2--+---+---+---E3--+---+---+---E4--+---+---+---E5--+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | X |   |   |   |   |
|As |As |As |As | S | T | Z |Am |Am |Am |Am |   | X |Zo |Zo |Zo |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |Am |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|As |As |As | S | S | T |Am |Am |Am |Am |Am |Am |   |Zo |Zo |Zo |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|As |As |As |As |   |   |Am |Am |Am |Am |Am |Am |   |Zo |Zo |Zo |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|As |As |As |As |   |   |Am |Am |Am |Am |Am |Am |Zo |Zo |Zo |Zo |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

So, if you can, start coming up with names for the sectors/subsectors. Post them with the corresponding letter and sector ID, and any good info you like.

BTW, the Greek names I have already will not neccesarily be recognizable. I tweaked them a little after finding the words, as would naturally happen after a few thousand years. I will post the names for those subsectors later.

 

[Golan2072]

By American/Greek/Serbo-Croatian names, do you mean names borrowed from Terran geography of these regions (e.g. for the American area, Georgia, Minnesota, Virginia, Oregon and so on with subsectors being Chicago, New York, Los Angeles etc) or from the history/culture/vucabulary of these regions (e.g. for the American area, Washington, Sheridan, Lincoln, Lee, Mayflower, Alamo and so on)?

 

[Plankowner]

It's Fritz's MTU, but I would think you would want a mix of names that are recognizable as being from the culture mentioned.

Missippi, New Oregon and Custer would all be names from the "American" lexicon.

 

[Jame]

For Americans:

Mississippi, New Oregon and Custer from Plankowner; Lincoln, Washington, Columbia, Nova York, Concord.

 

[Golan2072]

A few South American names if you want:
Montesuma, Bolivar, Quatzelquatel (sp?), Tlaloc, Maya, Aztlan.

 

[Jame]

Switch the first e and the first a, but yes.

Other Sou-Ams: Nacaulpan, Lima, Atzcapotzalco, Texcoco, Chalco.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Geographic names are great. So are words (how some of the places in the New World got their names, besides all the News/Nuevos). I chose Columbia partly because it is supposed to be the personification of liberty (or the USA). One item, though - places like New Oregon might be better suited as system names (to be begged for later ). I could see Aztlan for a larger bit. Is Atzcapotzalco a local place-name, Jame? Or, does it have some larger meaning, as well?

Can you guys tag which subsector would get which appelation? Just use the standard A-P designations for the subsectors, along with the sector designation.

Thanks for the good stuff, so far!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Just for reference, the names I have for the "Greek" bits so far are:

D4: Agrotikospiti
D4-A: Pa'o
D4-B: Kradtos
D4-C: Doromay
D4-D: Diaugazo
D4-E: Corridor
D4-F: Purenas
D4-G: Prezbutros
D4-H: Dunaamis
D4-I: Okneiros
D4-J: Paruseia
D4-K: Sug'kak

 

[robject]

B3-L bašta (garden)
B3-P njiva (field)
B4-I graditelj (builder)
B4-M bežati (escape)
C3-D ženturača (shrewish woman)
C4-A žalost (regret)
C4-B kiseo (sour)
C4-C granica (border)
C4-D panj (tree stump)

Are these too mundane?

 

[robject]

C3-L ćošak (corner)

C4-E tradicija (tradition)
C4-F nabujati (to sprout up)
C4-G đerdan (necklace)
C4-H ćebe (blanket)
C4-I donji (lower)
C4-J junak (hero)
C4-K obećanje (promise)
C4-L lovac (hunter)
C4-O šuma (forest)

 

[Jame]

(Fritz88: Is Atzcapotzalco a local place-name, Jame?) Yes, it is. An Aztec city, in Mexico.


Another regional name: Snowdonia, which is the region in Wales that Edward Longshanks built a lot of forts in.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Figure robject to come up with a great list of Serbo-Croatian words.

Edit: Oh, robject, are those placed according to the star chart? IOW, did you pick those words based on density/location/shapes? end edit

Thanks, Jame. Hmmm, should a small bit be Arthurian/Celtic style names? Maybe the X's in the corner of D4/D5/E4/E5? Maybe the Arthurian names in the X's and some Celtic names in the Y's just coreward? May be a cliche, but that's not always a bad thing.

 

[Plankowner]

Originally posted by Jame:
For Americans:

Mississippi, New Oregon and Custer from Plankowner; Lincoln, Washington, Columbia, Nova York, Concord.

NOT Mississippi, but MISSIPPI (I mis-spelled it deliberately).

 

[Jame]

Weeeellllll, you should have SAID that!

How's Fremantle, or Fremickeymantle?

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Plank, that's perfect. Why don't we make that a system (maybe a capital) somewhere.

Jame, I would have to know the story on that one - 'cause you know someone would ask.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

One more refinement: How about one bit (I'm thinking the "K"s in B2/B3) is Sumerian/Babylonian/Assyrian? Any archeaologists out there?

And, let's not use "Gozer"....

Edit: Added the Sumerians/Assyrians/Babylonians to the grid in the coreward/spinward corner. end edit

 

[Jame]

Originally posted by Fritz88:
Jame, I would have to know the story on that one - 'cause you know someone would ask.

You mean about Fremickeymantle? No story. I bought a book with a girl named Freemark, thought up Fremantle, changed to Fremickeymantle and thought it was funny.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

OK, because someone will ask why Mickey Mantle needs to be freed. OK, only old folks will ask that, but I'm old. I will find a place to use that name - probably a system name, one where they play this bizarre game involving sticks and balls....

 

[Piper]

Originally posted by Fritz88:
One more refinement: How about one bit (I'm thinking the "K"s in B2/B3) is Sumerian/Babylonian/Assyrian? Any archeaologists out there?

How about "Kinunir"?

Many of the Imperial world and outpost names from the "Imperium" game are from Sumerian sources.