Organizing Traveller Data

[robject]

I have a perpetual organizational problem with all of my Traveller data, amassed over ten years.

I have world profiles, ship deckplans, adventure notes, character sheets, scripts, starcharts, spreadsheets, and more.

I'm constantly trying to find a good organizational scheme. A good directory structure.

What's your Traveller directory structure, and why?

It's topical, of course, if you have enough data to have this sort of problem.


Maybe you order it like the LBBs:

/characters
/combat rules
/starships
/worlds
/adventures

Or maybe you have broader categories:

/campaigns
/library data
/resources
/rules

Or maybe you order it by campaign:

/twilights peak
/pirates of the rift
/far out
/project blackheart


Well?

 

[far-trader]

Oar-gone-rise-nation? What magic is this? Grog's system works, not good but easy. Grog files by date created, oldest in bottom of pile. Then refiles to top when used. Sometimes pile is random if fall over. Sometimes files put in box to prevent random, then box gets lost.

 

[ditzie]

Organization is a problem for Compliance, not High Energy Research.

 

[Takei]

<glances at row of ring binders and folders>
I use the same organisation for printed and computer stuff, and seem to have settled for;
/edition/
/campaign
/rules
/starships & deckplans
/vehicles
/equipment

Any cross-edition stuff gets filed under CT.

I have a seperate folder for all my gaming related software.

I feel very geeky right now

 

[Hyphen]

Dear Folks -

Don't know if this helps, but... here's my older "Best of the TML" directory structure:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Amber Zones
Background
Bestiary
Casual Encounter
CharGen
Contact
Copyright
DISCUSSN
CT&MT
GENERAL
GURPTRAV
T4
T5
TNE
Equipment
CT&MT
GENERAL
GURPTRAV
T4
T5
GDW History
Humour
JTAS_NEW
Library Data
Interstellar Wars
MISC
OTHRSUBS
RACES
RC
REGENCY
SECTORS
T4
Otherworlds
PROGRAMS
Ref's Notes
Reference
ROBOTS
BK8
TNE
RULES
ACQ
CT&MT
DESIGN
General
Mikey Traveller
Rulebooks
T4
T20
TNE
Variant
Scans
SHIPS
BR
DECKPLAN
GT
HG
MT
QSDS
SSDS
TNE
STORIES
VEHICLES
CT&MT
T4
TNE
Word 6 Templates</pre>[/QUOTE]These contain 888 (mostly text) files and is 30 MB in size.

My new structure doesn't use folders, but simply tags each document with:
TYPE [(MILIEU)] - DOCUMENT_NAME

e.g. Amber Zone (TNE) - Olga and the Spambots!.doc
(long-time TMLers will remember being spammed by Olga!)

Here's the type list:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Amber Zone
Background
Casual Encounter
CharGen
Contact!
Copyright
Design Rules
Discussion
Equipment
Fiction
Filks
GDW History
Humour
Landgrabs
Library Data
Misc
Otherworlds
Programs
Reality Help
Reference
Ref's Notes
Reviews
RICE Paper
Rulebooks
Rules
Ship's Locker
Software
Starship Weapons
Starships
Story
The Bestiary
TNS Reports
Vale
Vehicles
Weapons</pre>[/QUOTE]There are 1330 of these files, totalling 25.4 GB of text...

Whew! (and that doesn't count the separate directories of GREAT stuff I've downloaded from people's websites, like Jesse's pics!!!)

Helpful? (Or just a tease for those who want more "Best of the TML"?)

 

[Merxiless]

I have over 30 crates of games. Traveller stuff takes up 4 crates.

Organized by game system
Classic
2300 AD
Mega
T4
Gurps
T20

Boxed sets go together in their own crate
Imperium (all 3 editions)
Mayday
Snapshot
Invasion Earth

Current campaign (mostly system and planetary forms, but some new creature and race designs or PC classes) in 2 binders on a shelf that serves as the gaming shrine.

On the hard drive, I do Traveller, and Traveller Software ( all those little programs that everyone uses) in two seperate folders branched off of C:\

Some of it is linked on my start bar, some to desktop.

Spares of stuff (like multiple copies of JTAS are in the back closet on a top shelf in a sealed platic bag with dessicant, so that the cat won't nibble on them, and they won't get moisture damage.

At hand, on top of the monitor: The Traveller Book, Scouts, Leroy Guatney's update for same, Grand Survey, Grand Census, Starship Operator's Manual, spare hex and graph and a TI-85, for the orbital calculations, or to run the albedo mini program I wrote for it.

To my right: Field guide to the stars, and various layman's level books on astronomy and astrophysics by Einstein, Hawking, Sagan, and Asimov, along with pictorial guide to the planets, and my National Geographic map of the Milky Way.

And that's just the Traveller stuff.

 

[Berg]

"These contain 888 (mostly text) files and is 30 MB in size"
"There are 1330 of these files, totalling 25.4 GB of text"
"Helpful? (Or just a tease for those who want more "Best of the TML"?}

"

I know it's not possible for various and obvious reasons, but... I'd like a copy

 

[Jame]

Organized? Well, the Traveller book stuff is here on the bookshelf in my room, and the stuff I wrote and got from the internet is on the computer...

Uh, what's campaign notes? You mean you actually plan where you want the campaign setting to go? Why? How?!?

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

I find that by placing my looseleaf pages on the floor and then running a laser pointer over them allows my three cats to not only get exercise, but to also organize my notes in a suitable fashion for me.

I got shiznit everywhere.

 

[robject]

Originally posted by Jame:
Organized? Well, the Traveller book stuff is here on the bookshelf in my room, and the stuff I wrote and got from the internet is on the computer...

Uh, what's campaign notes? You mean you actually plan where you want the campaign setting to go? Why? How?!?

Erk, well that is rather impossible... but I do have records, in the form of emails and summaries, and "library data", and things of that sort, as well as things that the players don't/didn't know at the time.

 

[Spud]

Unh, Spud like what Grog do!

Maybee try that.

 

[SanDragon]

Originally posted by Jeff M. Hopper:
I find that by placing my looseleaf pages on the floor and then running a laser pointer over them allows my three cats to not only get exercise, but to also organize my notes in a suitable fashion for me.

I got shiznit everywhere.

I have half my stuff here, in Arizona, and half at the parents' house in Indiana.

 

[kafka47]

Books are stored in an archive in the baby's room. Well above my reach and consequentally the babe's. They are arranged chronologically (fictional universe time)

Endless campaign notes are stored in one inch binders or two inch binders. I really want to upgrade to 5-6 inch binders (does anyone know where I could get them at a good price ~ prices that I am quoted is 20-25Cnd$). These are usually in flux depending upon the Campaign that I am running with appendixes in other volumes.

Electronic files are organized by game version then by catagory.

 

[Ptah]

merxiless:

At hand, on top of the monitor: The Traveller Book, Scouts, Leroy Guatney's update for same, Grand Survey, Grand Census, Starship Operator's Manual, spare hex and graph and a TI-85, for the orbital calculations, or to run the albedo mini program I wrote for it.

To my right: Field guide to the stars, and various layman's level books on astronomy and astrophysics by Einstein, Hawking, Sagan, and Asimov, along with pictorial guide to the planets, and my National Geographic map of the Milky Way.

Dare I ask what is to your left?

 

[fredofmars]

Originally posted by Jeff M. Hopper:
I find that by placing my looseleaf pages on the floor and then running a laser pointer over them allows my three cats to not only get exercise, but to also organize my notes in a suitable fashion for me.

I got shiznit everywhere.

Laser pointers do seem to get cats (and dogs) well exercised! My cats will run up a (carpeted) wall following a laser pointer dot.

I may consider your organization method for future attempts.

 

[Merxiless]

To my left:

CD Racks full of new age / celtic / techno music, and astronomy / Science CDs like Red Shift Suite, along with Asimov's Library of the Universe series.

Additionally, a crate full of CDs that have titles like Starship Designer, and Academy, and Chekov's Lost Missions, another bookshelf with complete collections of FASA, LUG, and Decipher Trek (Except for the newest of the new online files for the latter, which I plan to order for the holidays.) Past that, a complete collection of 1st ed AD&D Birthright.

These days, besides CT/T4, I am a LUG ST:RPG Referee.