Illustrated Guide to the Marches
- Thread starter Andrew Boulton
- Start date
Two, then three.
It's my guess that Scouts was written by game designers, not mad planetary scientists, which is probably why it works for running games, despite being scientifically inaccurate. (Let's face it, if it were too badly broken as a game mechanic, people wouldn't be using it twenty years later to build star systems for their games, right?)
I think the designers gave a tremendous effort, but missed a few of the little details like measuring radii from the center of the planet.
I can't get too upset about a twenty-plus year old book, though.
Enjoy,
Flynn
It's my guess that Scouts was written by game designers, not mad planetary scientists, which is probably why it works for running games, despite being scientifically inaccurate. (Let's face it, if it were too badly broken as a game mechanic, people wouldn't be using it twenty years later to build star systems for their games, right?)
I think the designers gave a tremendous effort, but missed a few of the little details like measuring radii from the center of the planet.
I can't get too upset about a twenty-plus year old book, though.
Enjoy,
Flynn
jonathonbarton
SOC-12
Y'know what? I found my error...
Radius in KM = Radius(miles)/2*1.6...NOT Radius(Miles)/2*0.6214...
I was doing the radius math backwards, making the planets too small, and thence the distance...
Guess I know what I'm doing today...
Dreamweaver's "Find and Replace in all files in this directory" is going to be oh, so handy!
Radius in KM = Radius(miles)/2*1.6...NOT Radius(Miles)/2*0.6214...
I was doing the radius math backwards, making the planets too small, and thence the distance...
Guess I know what I'm doing today...
Dreamweaver's "Find and Replace in all files in this directory" is going to be oh, so handy!
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I'll take your word for it, Mal, on the orbit thing. It just seems wierd to set up a system where you always have to start counting at 2, rather than 1. I'm kind of inflexible that way. 
It's easy enough to understand why scientists use the center of the planet instead of the surface, though, considering that some planetary bodies (gas giants, if I recall correctly) do not necessarily have a discernible surface from which to begin measurements.
We still give them diameters so its obvious that one can make an arbitrary designation for that, however.
-Flynn
We still give them diameters so its obvious that one can make an arbitrary designation for that, however.
-Flynn
jonathonbarton
SOC-12
You should take up programming for a while...where you start counting at 0. *barf*Originally posted by Fritz88:
I'll take your word for it, Mal, on the orbit thing. It just seems wierd to set up a system where you always have to start counting at 2, rather than 1. I'm kind of inflexible that way.
array[one two three]
getarray(1) = "two"
*shudder*
Anyway...is there any particular resource that you all generally use (besides the stuff at foreven.com) if you're looking for detailed pre-generated data on systems, or are you more likely to roll your own as you need it?
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I can see that point, Flynn. But, would an orbit inside the atmosphere of a GG work any better than the moon rolling around the equator?
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Actually, I've done programming. For some reason that doesn't bother me as much.... BTW, doesn't that put a programmer at a disadvantage throwing grenades? 0, 1, 2, boom!?
It is only in the last few years that other versions of star system generation have become available for Traveller. While I am far from having First In memorized, it may dress these concerns. Mal would know, and he's got access to his books right now.
Mal, does First In address this?
Thanks,
Flynn
Mal, does First In address this?
Thanks,
Flynn
M
Malenfant
Guest
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupringfact.html
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/satringfact.html
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/uranringfact.html
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/nepringfact.html
Those are the NASA factsheets for the rings in our own solar system - you'll note that the first entry in the 'radius' column there is 'equator' which starts at 1.0
And yes, FI explicitly states that the equator is defined to be at 1 radius, and that most ring systems would be around 2 radii.
And Gas giant radii are usually defined either by 'top of visible cloudtops' or 'radius from centre where atmospheric pressure is 1 atm'.
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/satringfact.html
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/uranringfact.html
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/nepringfact.html
Those are the NASA factsheets for the rings in our own solar system - you'll note that the first entry in the 'radius' column there is 'equator' which starts at 1.0
And yes, FI explicitly states that the equator is defined to be at 1 radius, and that most ring systems would be around 2 radii.
And Gas giant radii are usually defined either by 'top of visible cloudtops' or 'radius from centre where atmospheric pressure is 1 atm'.
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Updated versions of the pics are now online.
M
Malenfant
Guest
http://www.cix.co.uk/~fubar/Traveller/igsm.htm
The codes for the last three planets are still overlapping the worlds though...
The codes for the last three planets are still overlapping the worlds though...
jonathonbarton
SOC-12
Not in my experience.Originally posted by Fritz88:
Actually, I've done programming. For some reason that doesn't bother me as much.... BTW, doesn't that put a programmer at a disadvantage throwing grenades? 0, 1, 2, boom!?
I think what puts a programmer/grenadier at a disadvantage is that most of the ones I've known are also Monty Python freaks...
"1, 2, 5!"
"THREE, SIR!"
"THRE*BOOM*!!!!"
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
"The codes for the last three planets are still overlapping the worlds though..."
It's the fault of Catuz! That extra trade code pushes them over a bit. I may redo them again later with a smaller font size, but I wanted to get this out of the way so I can concentrate on a little job from Marc...
It's the fault of Catuz! That extra trade code pushes them over a bit. I may redo them again later with a smaller font size, but I wanted to get this out of the way so I can concentrate on a little job from Marc...
M
Malenfant
Guest
Well, you could always just shunt the last three codes over a bit 
.
Why does the picture of the size 4 world have a yellow border, btw?
. Why does the picture of the size 4 world have a yellow border, btw?
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
The colour is actually amber...
jonathonbarton
SOC-12
Y'know? I'm willing to accept a little handwaving in my Sci-Fi RPGs, when it means that certain systems have moments like this:
From Lanth...
From Lanth's second moon...
Full size pics...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/jonathonbarton/TravellerStuff/LanthTripleSunrise01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/jonathonbarton/TravellerStuff/LanthTripleSunrise02.jpg
From Lanth...
From Lanth's second moon...
Full size pics...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/jonathonbarton/TravellerStuff/LanthTripleSunrise01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/jonathonbarton/TravellerStuff/LanthTripleSunrise02.jpg
M
Malenfant
Guest
Oh, now that makes sense
jonathonbarton
SOC-12
Indeed... I found those just the other day... LOVE them.
They'll be duly incorporated into my Celestia/Traveller Spinward Marches...
For those that are interested, I managed to code myself a quick form for entering hex coordinates, name, subsector name, and Stellar Type... I've got 1/2 the Spinward Marches done, and will finish the remainder tomorrow, then I'll start detailing the systems...
Any favorites I should start with?
They'll be duly incorporated into my Celestia/Traveller Spinward Marches...
For those that are interested, I managed to code myself a quick form for entering hex coordinates, name, subsector name, and Stellar Type... I've got 1/2 the Spinward Marches done, and will finish the remainder tomorrow, then I'll start detailing the systems...
Any favorites I should start with?
