Planet UPPs

[BytePro]

Except that they don't, actually, follow the TBR... really close, but not quite. I discovered this when I plugged in the starting assumptions.
It goes wonky a fair bit out.

At least in my 1973 and CT Reprint editions they are an exact match (for AUs at least) to the simple 0.4 +0.3 x 2 ^ n formula, where n is orbit number minus 2 for all orbits 2 to 15.

(Orbit 0 at .2 AU is just made up as half orbit 1, IMO, and n for orbit 1 would have to be -∞.)

 

[aramis]

At least in my 1973 and CT Reprint editions they are an exact match (for AUs at least) to the simple 0.4 +0.3 x 2 ^ n formula, where n is orbit number minus 2 for all orbits 2 to 15.

(Orbit 0 at .2 AU is just made up as half orbit 1, IMO, and n for orbit 1 would have to be -∞.)

Orbits 13, 14 and 15 don't in my copies of Bk6 on p. 28. Which doesn't match page 46... but page 46 does match the TBR. Arrgghh....
Calculated out what it should be.
__ -3 ______ 0.11875
__ -2 ______ 0.1375
__ -1 ______ 0.175
___ 0 ______ 0.25
___ 1 ______ 0.4
___ 2 ______ 0.7
___ 3 ______ 1
___ 4 _____ 1.6
___ 5 _____ 2.8
___ 6 _____ 5.2
___ 7 _____ 10
___ 8 ____ 19.6
___ 9 ____ 38.8
__ 10 ____ 77.2
__ 11 ___ 154
__ 12 ___ 307.6
__ 13 ___ 614.8
__ 14 __ 1229.2
__ 15 __ 2458
__ 16 __ 4915.6
__ 17 __ 9830.8
__ 18 _ 19661.2
__ 19 _ 39322
__ 20 _ 78643.6

 

[Hemdian]

Sorry if I missed it somewhere but the main world of a system is usually called a 'mainworld'. 'Primary' usually refers to the main star.

 

[BytePro]

Yeah, traditionally the brightest star in a multi-star system would be the Primary and I believe CT sticks to this (DMs make companions less bright).

I often call the mainworld 'Prime' - i.e. Sol Prime would be an alternate name for Earth, but not sure if Traveller used that convention.

Orbits 13, 14 and 15 don't in my copies of Bk6 on p. 28. Which doesn't match page 46... but page 46 does match the TBR. Arrgghh....
Calculated out what it should be.
__ -3 ______ 0.11875
__ -2 ______ 0.1375
__ -1 ______ 0.175
___ 0 ______ 0.25
...

Mine match for all AUs, but they are later editions (1983).

Looked in some old code - used 0.4+sign(orbnum-2)*0.3*2^(orbnum-2) to handle the progression with negative orbit numbers.

 

[ravells]

Thanks Hemdian! I will correct!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

__ -3 ______ 0.11875
__ -2 ______ 0.1375
__ -1 ______ 0.175
___ 0 ______ 0.25

Ummmm, Aramis? Where do you get negative orbit numbers? Would those be inside the star? I don't find any orbits below 0 on pages 29-30 in LBB6. I don't find them anywhere in the book.

 

[aramis]

Ummmm, Aramis? Where do you get negative orbit numbers? Would those be inside the star? I don't find any orbits below 0 on pages 29-30 in LBB6. I don't find them anywhere in the book.

By inverting the formula the same way as was needed to determine Orbit 0. Orbit -1 would be outside most stars still... Heck, orbit -∞ would still be 0.1AU. Outside most stars.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

By inverting the formula the same way as was needed to determine Orbit 0. Orbit -1 would be outside most stars still... Heck, orbit -∞ would still be 0.1AU. Outside most stars.

Ah. I thought I had missed something. Was going to spend time pondering the existential effects of negative orbits....... o:

(Though Gor could be said in one sense to exist in the -2 orbit........)

 

[Greylond]

Although I kinda like the idea of the UWP and IMTU I make the data available to the characters for a price, one of the things that I've been considering doing is expanding the UWP for more detail. Sure the UWP is there for reference but for some of the code I think IMTU I am going to consider it a very generalized average. What got me thinking about it is how in MgT there are expanded tables for Goverment, Law Level, Tech Level and such. I know that MgT didn't intend for it to be used as such but take for example the Law Level. In MgT there are tables showing how that Law Level applies to different aspects, i.e. Weapons, Drugs, Information, Tech, Travellers, and Psionics. So, what I'm considering doing is that the listed Law Level in a UWP is an average. So for example, if a World has a Law Level of 8, then it might actually look like;

Example World: Law Level 8
Weapons: 8
Drugs: 7
Information: 8
Tech: 7
Travellers: 7
Psionics: B

I think you could do the same with Tech and a couple of the other stats of the UWP.

As for the information being available to PCs, what I do is charge 100 credits for a Database Program that can be run on any computer and is presented as a map. Since I typically have a computer connected to the Internet at the table when I run, I just tell the players to use http://www.travellermap.com as if they are looking at it on their character's or the ship's computer. Of course, who's to say that all of that information is current or was even correct when it was entered to begin with...

 

[aramis]

Greylond, you're basically reinventing the DGP Grand_Survey/Grand_Census/World_Builder's_Handbook extended UWPs.

Tech Level Extension
In the format XX-XXXXX-XXXX-XX-X each cluster is...
High Common, Low Common
Energy, Robotics, Commo, Medical, Environment
Land Trans, Water Trans, Air Trans, Space Trans
Personal Military, Heavy Military
Novelty

Upper bound for most of these is high common (the UWP)

Law likewise gets an expanded profile: X-XXXXX
Overall
Weapons, Trade, Criminal, Civil, Personal Freedom

 

[Greylond]

Heh, I knew I'd seen something like that before. Until a couple of years ago when I played a couple of MgT one shots, I haven't played any Traveller since the very early '90s.

One of the guys that used to live here started running MGT Living Traveller, then he moved and another friend started with the MI doing demos. Now he's moved onto another system and as usual it falls to me to start GMing something that I want to see played. So, I know I'm remembering/mis-remembering things since the old days as I get ready to start GMing. I'll probably do this again, re-invent something from days gone-by...

 

[aramis]

Nothing wrong with reinventing the wheel, provided you can do better than the last guy...

Me, I like the Universal Religion Profile...