Heaven and Earth

[Sturn]

I'm attempting to use the Heaven and Earth mapping program: www.downport.com/wbd/HEAVEN_&_EARTH.htm

First off is this the best program out there for mapping details for a Traveller campaign? It seems to be the best one I could find.

Second, I'm having some technical difficulties with it but can't find much help online and the contact email is broker (when trying to generate an entire system I get a pathing error when saving).

Thanks for any info.

 

[tjoneslo]

H&E is generally considered the best available one. The problem is Stuart Ferris (the author) no longer supports version 1. He's working on version 2, but work has stopped for now. Ask again on the HEMailingList on Yahoo groups. There are other H&E faniatics there as well.

The most supported Traveller mapping program is Universe. You may consider getting a copy.

 

[jfetters]

I am trying to use H&E to quick-build worlds and am noticing something odd - every world that gets generated using this application has an axial tilt of 44 degrees.

Has anyone else come across this problem?

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

I have seen it pop up with some regularity, It is normally one of te bits of data that I change. Try changing "Is the Mainworld a Satellite" from "Maybe" to "No" ?

Sturn, yes, by all the gods, yes! H&E is fantastic for anything you need to do campaign wise as a Referee. I use it constantly, and enjoy the interface, even though some glitches do appear here and there.

The thing that I really like about it is that it handles the tedious detail of expanded star system generation, enabling it to be fast enough now to be able to give players a defined Homeworld. This alone adds a solid foundation for making the character seem like an actual person from an actual place.

I am having trouble saving files lately though. I used to be able to get an end result that was a folder with .gif maps and .txt world data, but now it only saves maps. Anyone know what I am doing wrong?

H&E is a great time saver and frees me personally as a referee to do concentrate more on story than dice rolls and paperwork. H&E offers an excellent balance between detail and playability.

I would give him money to do Version 2, if I can.

 

[Berg]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
I would give him money to do Version 2, if I can

Ditto!

He just need to finish it...

Stuart... are you there?

 

[TempMal]

My experiences with H&E haven't been great, I've found it quite buggy in places (e.g. it doesn't produce results that conform to the rules when it comes to placing bodies in orbits in multiple systems - seems like the hierarchy is all screwed up).

Maybe version 2 will be better, but isn't there another generation system out now in GT:IW?

 

[balzacq]

Originally posted by TempMal:
Maybe version 2 will be better, but isn't there another generation system out now in GT:IW?

Generation for mainworlds only. Full star and system generation will have to wait for GURPS Space, due out later this month.


-- Bryan

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Again, it aint perfect, but for example, my game needs Leodinae to exert outside forces on it. I have enough sector data to fill in any system as needed with H&E. It aint perfect, no, but it beats all the writers cramp! I have a lot of PCs to thwart, and thankfully they are not all going to go over my stellar mechanics with a fine tooth comb!

 

[jfetters]

True, but with all the cross-application work I have been doing, it becomes a pain.

For example, I had a problem with H&E not placing the allegiance code in the worlds automatically, which prevented me from importing into Universe. So, I created a simple little program that parses the export file and inserts "Na" (or whatever) into the proper column and allows import into Universe.

But if I export a H&E file from Universe (even the same sector), when I try to generate the system data, it always generates data for a Trinary system, regardless of the number of stars.

The Axial tilt thing really throws off the world gen, specifically the temperature calculations. THen I go and place the information into Fractal Terrains to get a nice map and the whole damn planet looks just like the last one, temp-wise. Very frustrating. I may have to make my own world gen program and place it at the top of my to-do list.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

You let me know if a PC says "excuse me, the axial tilt of this planet is off" and I will send you a free can of pepper spray to restore order! (hehe)

Do you mean you encounter allegience code issues when generating a whole subsector/sector?

 

[jfetters]

No, but when you generate a subsector's worth of planetary data, then go to input the information into Fractal Terrains (which allows input of temp ranges, albedo, axial tilt, etc.) and the third planet in a row has an axial tilt of 44 degrees, you know something is wrong.

And then you check five more, just to be sure, and they all have a 44 degree tilt, too.

Maybe it's the Ancients at work.

But regarding the Allegiance codes, yes. You can add them after the data is generated in H&E, but it doesn't make a default allegiance when the worlds are created. I was just looking to gen the information real quick, then port it over. Universe doesn't like a blank allegiance code, and I didn't feel like adding "Na" by hand for 100+ worlds.

 

[Hemdian]

Originally posted by Jim Fetters:
But regarding the Allegiance codes, yes. You can add them after the data is generated in H&E, but it doesn't make a default allegiance when the worlds are created. I was just looking to gen the information real quick, then port it over. Universe doesn't like a blank allegiance code, and I didn't feel like adding "Na" by hand for 100+ worlds.

I haven't got H&E installed at the moment so I haven't checked this but ... try adding the following line at the relevant point in the H&E IEL file:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Translation=allegiance,"","Na"</pre>[/QUOTE]Regards PLST

 

[jfetters]

Awesome! That did the trick, thanks!

I'm still keeping my program, though, as it flattens the population information so I can create barren sectors.

 

[Maladominus]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
You let me know if a PC says "excuse me, the axial tilt of this planet is off" and I will send you a free can of pepper spray to restore order! (hehe)

Very well said, Baron.

 

[Berg]

Don't you try it on us Mal!!

 

[Theophilus]

I agree will everything said about H&E, I've found bugs, it places systems in the wrong hex, won't let me reomove systems, etc. but I agree it's better than die rolling.

One annoying problem is that during system generation a companion star appears in the inner system and if I imput 3-4 gas giants the system may only have one. Or no planetoid belts etc.

Still, it's quicker than by hand, and I can print a map, sytem etc. without getting out the pencils, so I'll live with it.

 

[Maladominus]

H&E is free, and yet has tons of useful features.

It's best to cut it some slack.

 

[jfetters]

I would agree with cutting it some slack if the creator were reachable, but as the e-mail address listed in the program doesn't work, there isn't really anywhere to vent issues with the program.

Granted, yes, it is better than die rolling - sectors can be generated very quickly and efficiently, with maps and everything.

However, one of the main reasons I wanted to use this program was the generation of world details. The axial tilt problem affects all seasons and temperature information, which is a good chunk of data that needs to be regenerated, and kind of defeating the purpose of the program in the first place.

Will I still use it? Definitely. It is the best program to generate sectors of data in no time. But for world details? The bugs make it very aggrivating, to say the least, and the inability to contact the designer makes things that much worse.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

I'd like to know what I could do to assist in a helping a new version come out. Giving the author full scope to do it however he needs to get it done. I would like to see a "Skinnable" Browser for it. Program a more stylistic innterface for it.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

(cont) That sort of thing. I would like to do some test logo graphics if that is ok?

There is no other critique to it besides make it less texty and more picturey. Using Icons to be able to select output size and type for the maps.

How hard would it be to do a scalable 3d system map from the data as one of the output types? A thing you could look at in large large scale and view with a zoom control?

What about incorporating one of those graphics generation programs like Terragen to put out a picture with the maps of the planet types, like they do on the IAI?

A Jump 6 Map feature would be nice too.