Hanson's Roughriders
SOC-9
Starting on MTU and basically using the rules and my fluff. My issue is mapping, how do I use the sub sector maps etc if there is a border? (making a 2d universe) Is there any other suggestions ?
Mapping a new universe
- Thread starter Hanson's Roughriders
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Traveller subsectors have never implicitly mapped to political boundaries- they're just a cartographic grid. There's lots of examples in canon of subsectors that are split between two or more interstellar governments. If you like the format, just place your star systems and draw your borders wherever they may fall. If you don't like the 8x10 format, there are lots of alternatives you could use. 8x8, 10x10, hexagonal, etc.
I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that the original 8x10 subsector format was picked because it is a convenient number of hexes and fits neatly on one page of a digest-size booklet.
I drew a large map area containing many sectors. Then drew empire, etc. borders on that map.
on this page are both Galaxy Arms I am mapping.
http://travellergame.drivein-jim.net/articles/1/my-Traveller-universe
on this page are both Galaxy Arms I am mapping.
http://travellergame.drivein-jim.net/articles/1/my-Traveller-universe
For what it is worth, in YTU you are also free to mess with any of the nomenclature that you wish. I keep the "subsector" measurements, use "quadrants", but then have "sectors" as far more ill-defined "political measurements" rather then discrete measures of a space that generally correspond to the OTU measurements but not always or exactly.
All depends upon how messy you like it or want it - also depends upon what stellar transport system you are using. Jump gates might make the whole notion meaningless for example.
D.
All depends upon how messy you like it or want it - also depends upon what stellar transport system you are using. Jump gates might make the whole notion meaningless for example.
D.
Unless your map is not real-space astrographic, but is instead a jumpline map.
There is no way a 2D map (that is, a map with only 2 coordinates for a point) can be real-space astrographic because it's impossible to represent the relative positions of multiple points in a 3D space in a system with only 2 coordinates. Unless the Galaxy really is only 1 hex thick, or you only have 3 systems, in which case you're fine!
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Photocopy the hex map onto clear acetate and stack them. Use different size and colour circle to represent system location for each sheet so it's a bit easier to see where stuff is when you stack them.
Alternatively roll 2d6-2d6 for each system and note number, it represents distance above/below the plane.
Note if you want "realism" you will need to go 150 parsecs above and 150 parsecs below and you need to roll for every 1 "cubic" parsec for a system.
Alternatively roll 2d6-2d6 for each system and note number, it represents distance above/below the plane.
Note if you want "realism" you will need to go 150 parsecs above and 150 parsecs below and you need to roll for every 1 "cubic" parsec for a system.
"...within the confines of the Traveller 2D mapping convention."
Axe-grinding down the hall, please.
Just pointing out that it isn't mathematically possible, in case the OP got sent off on a wild goose chase trying to do it.
My axe is monomolecular-sharp already, thanks (...which also isn't possible! well, probably not anyway)
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
You would need a lot of sheet of transparent plastic sheets with a hex pattern on them. Designate one sheet as the base sheet for your starting point. Lay out your stars that come close to a 2D plane on that one. Then decide how far of a distance from that plane each of the additional sheet is, for example call it 1 parsec, so a Jump-1 ship can move from sheet to sheet. Lay out your stars on that sheet that are again in approximately a 2D plane. Repeat as needed. If you carefully punch hole in the edge of the sheets, you can have the entire set in a 3-ring binder.
While I have not used that system for Traveller, I have used something similar, using sheets of thin styrofoam for representing contour lines on a map, where I first draw each set of contour lines onto nearly transparent paper to transfer to the styrofoam.
One can modify the standard mapping to represent a 7-hex or 12-hex thick slice (at the cost of being able to label the worlds easily)...
You make use of the hexagons as clockfaces to indicate height.
You make use of the hexagons as clockfaces to indicate height.
Code:
______
/ +2 \
/+1 +3\
/ +0 \
\ /
\-3 -1/
\__[u]-2[/u]__/
________
/+2 +3 +4\
/ \
/+1 +5\
/ \
<-6 +0 +6>
\ /
\-5 -1/
\ /
\[u]-4 -3 -2[/u]/I'm trying something similar on a sector map on my site.
A sector map, with a different color for each star to show which star is on what layer. I'll be using a vertical 3D map template to locate the actual stars with names, starports, etc.
Here is the preliminary map:
http://travellergame.drivein-jim.net/articles/657/vespucian-arm-column-g-sector-6-map
Jim - I don't know why you chose your color sequence...
But I'd recommend rainbow order instead - simply for mnemonic value - Roy G Biv...
Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet
One can add brown before red and a couple gray shades as desired.
Also - black background eats toner/ink prodigiously.
But I'd recommend rainbow order instead - simply for mnemonic value - Roy G Biv...
Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet
One can add brown before red and a couple gray shades as desired.
Also - black background eats toner/ink prodigiously.
And what to do with those representation in 2d of a 3d unoiverse (eother by colours, by numbers or whatever it is) when 2 or more stars appear in the same hex (just at different "height"?
I'm afraid it can end being quite a messy map...
In this case, I gladly sacrifice realism for playability, but that's only my choice/opinion...
I'm afraid it can end being quite a messy map...
In this case, I gladly sacrifice realism for playability, but that's only my choice/opinion...
Large hex with smaller location specific dots allows it easily - but it's not pretty.
Yet the multiple systems in the same hex, with all the info for them (name, starport, bases, GG... will make it too messy for me (again personal opinión, I guess I'm getting old for this
)
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
Yet the multiple systems in the same hex, with all the info for them (name, starport, bases, GG... will make it too messy for me (again personal opinión, I guess I'm getting old for this
Which is why you need to use a different sheet for each layer. Then each hex only shows one system.
Yet the multiple systems in the same hex, with all the info for them (name, starport, bases, GG... will make it too messy for me (again personal opinión, I guess I'm getting old for this
One simple solution is a rule that says that two star systems can't occupy the same hex even if they are at different Z-levels (at least, not within the vertical slice of space that the map is showing: 8 or 10 or 12 parsecs deep, or whatever you choose).
Yes, it's arbitrary. But so is the implicit rule that two star systems can't occupy the same hex in a canonical 2D Traveller subsector.
Note that I specified "star systems", not stars. You can have more than one star in a hex if it's part of a multiple-star system. This goes as far back as LBB6, if I recall right. But the convention was that there would be one mainworld, and that's the data that you would list for that hex on the map.
The colors are for layers, not the star type. Otherwise a good suggestion.
In CC3 I can set the map to print the black as white. I'll have to see what effect that will have on the text.
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