As Above So Below - Yet another Traveller System Generator

[Bartleby]

v0.7.3 is out:

1. **Mongoose Socioeconomic:** Fixed bug that did not check if Ix, Cx, or Ex could be inherited
2. **Mongoose System Expand:** Fixed bug that did not make use of T5 Stellar information and PBG
3. **Import Sector .tsv:** Fixed bug that did not capture Worlds value
4. **Generate Xboat:** Added user options on range and jump distances
5. **Import Imperium:** Added the option to bulk import Imperial Sectors

 

[Bartleby]

v0.7.4 has been pushed into production.

You can now try to import the entire OTU (not for the feint of heart!)


Some quick notes on Importing the Universe:
1) I have a one second wait time for each sector - so it takes a bit to load everything
2) Make sure to Save the JSON once you load it, so you never have to import it again - just load from your hard drive
3) It will be its most sluggish when zoomed out, and most responsive when zoomed in.
4) It will not work well for older or slower systems. Hell it is too frustrating for me zoomed out and I have 32GB memory.
5) This was done as a request by a user with some good system specs
6) Having all of these sectors loaded at once was not the intention of this program. I do, however, appreciate a challenge. So if you think you would enjoy working like this and have the right system for it, be my guest.

Replacing Foreven:
Want to replace any of these sectors with your own file (like Foreven)?
1) Mouse over the sector you want to replace (zoom in for smoother and better response results)
2) Press Control + S to select the Sector (you should see it highlighted)
3) Right Click->Populate->Manual Reset Clear (Note the sector # in the Clear Hex; 36 for Foreven)
4) Click the settings gear in the top right and choose Import Sector .tsv
5) Select your file - choose the sector number you noted (#36 for Foreven)

Notes on Size Limits:
1) If you do not ever expand the system generation you can operate large amounts of systems as long as it is not too frustrating to scroll. Your system specs will dictate how many sectors you can use before it is too frustrating to use (zoomed in is always better than zoomed out)

2) If you do want to expand system and socioeconomic information for each system (like I do) you will probably get to a limit of around 8 or 10 sectors before it will crash when you try to save your JSON. I have a number of options I am reviewing to expand this limit, but for now that is where we are. So if you download the Imperium and try to expand every system in every sector you will likely end up frustrated. For now you should be able to work safely with 8 or 10 sectors fully generated without too much of a problem.

Use it here: https://bartlebythecoder.github.io/traveller_magnus/hex_map.html
Full code here: https://github.com/bartlebythecoder/traveller_magnus

 

[Bartleby]

A new update this morning (v0.8).

This new version:
1) Makes it easier for slower and older systems to manage a larger amount of systems
2) Allows for the automatic plotting of routes constrained by any filter rules the user wishes to use (e.g. don't use X starports)

In a point to point route the path only stops at filtered systems (in this example from Terra to capital only systems with Gas Giants and pop codes >6):



In the below homebrewed sector the green routes are xboat routes, the gold routes are automated trade routes connecting 10+ WTN worlds within a range of (I think) 6 hexes, using max Jump 2 routes to connect them. The blue route is an automated Jump 6 route going between two important worlds.



There is more I want to do with routes but this is a good start.

As always this is free and still in development so feel free to use but understand things will change and not everything may be perfect yet.

Use it here: https://bartlebythecoder.github.io/traveller_magnus/hex_map.html
Full code here: https://github.com/bartlebythecoder/traveller_magnus

 

[Spinward Flow]

In a point to point route the path only stops at filtered systems (in this example from Terra to capital only systems with Gas Giants and pop codes >6)

I'm kind of curious how many jumps would be involved in that route?
The reason why I'd like to know that bit of trivia is that is gives a sense of "how much time lag" there is between those two points on the map. If you assume 24 jumps per year (standard commercial op tempo) ... how many weeks/months/years would such a journey take?

This is where the "friction" of communication lag times starts becoming the most apparent, which then translates into a sort of inertia AND centrifugal forces breakup around the fringes of an overly large polity because distant places are "too far" from the center to command & control effectively. Authorities have to be delegated (feudal style), which then sows the seeds for potential civil war when ambitions outweigh loyalties (anyone got any matches?).



Nothing to do with mapping the stars (per se), but it is the kind of Big Picture™ insight that can be gained from having such an excellent mapping tool.

After all, one of the better ways to Collect Taxes (or conduct business, profitably ... ) is to start with Better Maps.
Funny how that works ...

 

[Bartleby]

I'm kind of curious how many jumps would be involved in that route?
The reason why I'd like to know that bit of trivia is that is gives a sense of "how much time lag" there is between those two points on the map. If you assume 24 jumps per year (standard commercial op tempo) ... how many weeks/months/years would such a journey take?

This particular route (J-4, pop 7 or higher and always a gas giant) is 45 Jumps.
Another route someone in the Mongoose forums asked about (J-6, total pop 500m+, and always a gas giant) is 33 Jumps.

 

[Spinward Flow]

This particular route (J-4, pop 7 or higher and always a gas giant) is 45 Jumps.
Another route someone in the Mongoose forums asked about (J-6, total pop 500m+, and always a gas giant) is 33 Jumps.

No matter how you slice it ... that's a LONG HAUL.
It basically means that any "round trip" communications (origin > destination > origin) are going to take over a year ... and probably 2 years (or even more!) ... and that's just the amount of time needed to make all the jumps. Any time at "the far end" of that round trip needed to make any ... decisions ... based on the contents of the communication will increase the time it takes to make a round trip (report > decide > action).

That kind of communications lag can be CRIPPLING to centralized command & control authorities, because the information you receive could be a year old at the center and can't be implemented for a year after a reply gets sent back. Meanwhile, real time on the fringes isn't stopping/waiting for the bucket brigade of message relaying via jump to resolve matters.

Seen in that light, it's surprising that the Third Imperium lasted as long as it did ... mainly via delegation of important decision making powers away from central authority.

 

[kilemall]

No matter how you slice it ... that's a LONG HAUL.
It basically means that any "round trip" communications (origin > destination > origin) are going to take over a year ... and probably 2 years (or even more!) ... and that's just the amount of time needed to make all the jumps. Any time at "the far end" of that round trip needed to make any ... decisions ... based on the contents of the communication will increase the time it takes to make a round trip (report > decide > action).

That kind of communications lag can be CRIPPLING to centralized command & control authorities, because the information you receive could be a year old at the center and can't be implemented for a year after a reply gets sent back. Meanwhile, real time on the fringes isn't stopping/waiting for the bucket brigade of message relaying via jump to resolve matters.

Seen in that light, it's surprising that the Third Imperium lasted as long as it did ... mainly via delegation of important decision making powers away from central authority.

That suggests the functional sector capitals are the naval depots.