Planet UPPs

[ravells]

Cheers. Here you go.

Funny, I found with the 3 letter codes I didn't have to refer to the legend once I'd done so a couple of times. Then again, typing in the information would have helped me remember it better. I think the problem about giving the Government code 1 letter IDs is that a few begin with the same letter. If they were identified with numbers there would be no clue at all between the symbol and its meaning. The more letters from the label that one can supply, the more likely the user will know what you are saying without having to refer to the legend.

Ah, gads the sticks on balls - they do look like planets, don't they? I might change them to little triangles (even though they are scout bases).

I might pop the hazard symbol under the planet.

I really don't like the description I've given it: Dangerous Biosphere, it needs to be a wider word than biosphere since it includes pressure, gravity, as well as what is in the air..or does biosphere include those too?

 

[McPerth]

I understand that may work for a single planet or two, but if you try to represent a subsector (not to say a full sector) you'll need quite a though book to represent what traveller represents in a single page or two.

Your graphs could work in a world page, when shown with its planetary map and full extended system description, as seen in some suplements (e.g. MT:Knightfall, IIRC, I cannot find mine), but not (IMHO) as general description the UWP is made to represent.

 

[ravells]

Absolutely - unless some cool programmer type could stream the UPP info directly into the graphic and use the UPP info (and perhaps some randomness) to generate the rest of the information.

 

[McPerth]

Ever checked Heaven and Earth?

http://www.downport.com/wbd/HEAVEN_&_EARTH.htm

 

[ravells]

No - it's fantastic! Thanks for pointing me to it! It will work well with what I have in mind!

 

[Whipsnade]

I came to the same conclusion about too much information on one graphic, Whip, hence the new graphic.

Looks like our posts crossed each other. While I was writing mine, you were posting your second graphic. It and the subsector graphic are wonderful.

But then, thinking about it a little more, this does not mean that there can't be a Michelin guide to the stars...

There are guides like Michelin. And like Fodors and Lonely Planet. At least IMTU.

There are also "guides" like real world aviation and maritime charts. There are "guides" like the US Department of Commerce's annual "country commercial" reports too.

Some are disseminated by governments, some by public associations, some by private companies.

Using a UPP might be a great shorthand adopted in such a guide.

Sure, but there'd be accompanying text. I think about the shortest entry you'd see outside of the grammar school textbook "Our Interstellar Neighbors" is something akin to the one page summaries found in GT's various "Planetary Survey" booklets.

Of course the information might be hopelessly out of date (again an near inevitability) but that just adds to the fun!

Naturally!

 

[McPerth]

No - it's fantastic! Thanks for pointing me to it! It will work well with what I have in mind!

You're wellcome. Glad to help.

 

[Hyphen]

Dear Folks -

Player-characters should have no conception of the UPP and the IISS most certainly doesn't publish lists of UPPs.

I might have to gently disagree with you, Bill - I think they DO.

I'll temper that by saying although I think that's part of their public face, I don't think that's all they publish (and further by saying I don't really believe them anyway), but since TAS news reports quote UPPs I think they can be considered a common shorthand even among the general travellin' populace.

As for what else they publish, I think that at a minimum the Scouts publish the equivalent of the CIA World Factbook, with at least one entry per world and probably multiple entries for balkanised ones.

But why don't I believe them? Well, even JTAS has older articles pointing out that no planet is as homogenous (sp?) as the UPP claims it is, and that you can classify a gorernment is a number of creative ways (is Australia a representative democracy? a monarchy? How about the UK - a charismatic dictatorship? OK, that's really stretching things, but you get the idea).

And even then not all the entries are true. Look at our write-up for Tavonni, for example. Reading between the lines (hell, it's even more obvious than that!) you can see that the player in charge of Leto "gamed" the UPP to make it a Rich world.

"What are you talking about? Just ignore the fact that nearly half the population is either part of our military forces or works for the Count, ignore that we give them leave to attend elections (seven day passes for the troops!), ignore the how-to-vote cards that get handed out along with the leave passes - plus we'll install the best damn Scout base we can on the surface - and the IISS boys and girls will tell everyone it's practically a democracy!"

And that's how it's recorded, right there in the Regency Sourcebook.

;-)

 

[rancke]

I'll temper that by saying although I think that's part of their public face, I don't think that's all they publish (and further by saying I don't really believe them anyway), but since TAS news reports quote UPPs I think they can be considered a common shorthand even among the general travellin' populace.

I was going to make the same point, but then I reflected that "in reality" those UWPs in the newsbriefs were quite possibly links to the worlds' entries in the database.


Hans

 

[samuelvss]

I think UWP's are a very useful way of compressing data in a way that can still be somewhat useful without translation. Even the neophite can see where the barren worlds are, the A and B starports, the high-tech worlds.

I canot keep it all in my head, so I have a UWP cheat sheet I use, and I also try to rely on an online translator, like the the Interactive Altas of the Imperium: http://www.utzig.com/cgi-bin/iai/system_info.pl?Sectors=Spinward_Marches&Hex=1520

I use UWP's in-game, and agree they are, in official form, freely available, along with some backup data, to private citizens in the Imperium, through the IISS and the TAS.

IMTU, the TAS also sells world guides for most world in the Imperium, and chips for mapboxes for many wolrds in the subsector at A and B class starports; in some cases, this may provide little more than the UPP, or about as much as a Landgrab write-up.

 

[Timerover51]

I think UWP's are a very useful way of compressing data in a way that can still be somewhat useful without translation. Even the neophite can see where the barren worlds are, the A and B starports, the high-tech worlds.

I canot keep it all in my head, so I have a UWP cheat sheet I use, and I also try to rely on an online translator, like the the Interactive Altas of the Imperium: http://www.utzig.com/cgi-bin/iai/system_info.pl?Sectors=Spinward_Marches&Hex=1520

I use UWP's in-game, and agree they are, in official form, freely available, along with some backup data, to private citizens in the Imperium, through the IISS and the TAS.

IMTU, the TAS also sells world guides for most world in the Imperium, and chips for mapboxes for many wolrds in the subsector at A and B class starports; in some cases, this may provide little more than the UPP, or about as much as a Landgrab write-up.

I that the bit about the TAS. Mind if I make use of it as well?

 

[rancke]

IMTU, the TAS also sells world guides for most world in the Imperium, and chips for mapboxes for many wolrds in the subsector at A and B class starports; in some cases, this may provide little more than the UPP, or about as much as a Landgrab write-up.

I think a world guide would be something like the Encyclopedia Britannica in size, if not more. Except, perhaps, for low-population backwater worlds.


Hans

 

[HG_B]

I think a world guide would be something like the Encyclopedia Britannica in size, if not more. Except, perhaps, for low-population backwater worlds.


Hans

Which, post TL7, would take basically no storage space for even a hand held comp system. Would probably be available for just about free from the IISS.

 

[Timerover51]

Which, post TL7, would take basically no storage space for even a hand held comp system. Would probably be available for just about free from the IISS.

Basically, something similar to the Real World CIA World Factbook, or the country studies that the Department of Army and the State Department used to put out, just for a world. What you get is a compact summary of the planet, its history, geography, and population. For a more detailed study, then you are looking at a longer volume.

 

[McPerth]

I was going to make the same point, but then I reflected that "in reality" those UWPs in the newsbriefs were quite possibly links to the worlds' entries in the database.

I like this approach of the UWP shown in JTAS News as a link to the planetary information database.

Would probably be available for just about free from the IISS.

Or from local equivalent of Wikipedia (if we have it now, imagine what can be at TL15). And I guess TAS will also have those databases in ther hostels, at least for the subsector or for any worlds 1-2 jumps away. Also most commercial ships will have it in the database on their computers available for the passengers.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

I think a world guide would be something like the Encyclopedia Britannica in size, if not more. Except, perhaps, for low-population backwater worlds.


Hans

Well, there would be that version - sort of a The Story of Civilization for whichever world (or system). But, there would also be the Lonely Planet versions (with all the "hippest" places to go and things to see) and the Michelin guides (all the best restaurants) and the Fodor's (with the tourist spots). Also, an IISS quickie guide, and an Imperial study guide for officers being assigned there. And, maybe even a Drake's Guide for your discriminating mercenary.

 

[rancke]

Well, there would be that version - sort of a The Story of Civilization for whichever world (or system). But, there would also be the Lonely Planet versions (with all the "hippest" places to go and things to see) and the Michelin guides (all the best restaurants) and the Fodor's (with the tourist spots). Also, an IISS quickie guide, and an Imperial study guide for officers being assigned there. And, maybe even a Drake's Guide for your discriminating mercenary.

Indeed there would, and they would all be part of the same package. Well, perhaps not the specialist guides.


Hans

 

[inexorabletash]

ravells - keep up the great work!

These visualizations are beautiful and if some would quibble about the practicality they evoke the clean look of the Traveller materials that have been published over the last several decades, as well as notable SF elements like Mike Okuda's unmistakable visual style from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Looking at the published sector/subsector maps it's amazing just how well thought out they were, presenting just the right density of information for that level of play - stellar navigation. Who controls it? (borders) Is it safe to visit? (zone) Can you refuel easily (gas giant/water)? What facilities are available? (starport) What trouble am I likely run into in my starship? (bases). Will they know what I did last summer? (routes). Other information is relevant only if you venture outside the starport, and one could argue that belongs in the hands of the referee (depending on the game). It's difficult to know what to add without it being overwhelming.

Anyway, keep up the brainstorming and iterating!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Yes, keep it up. It's a bit inspiring.
(Which I need in order to finish my subsector so I can begin a PbP game.)

 

[ravells]

Cheers guys!.

So the idea is that the information is a 'dashboard' of system and UPP data. If one wants to make it part of the ships' instrument panel then that's good, if it's just a player aid, then that's cool too - it's just a game after all and people should play it how they want.

The design brief (in no particular order of importance) I've set myself is:

1. It has to look cool.
2. It has to be legible and clear
3. It has to answer typical questions that players will ask / provide the sort of information they are mainly interested in.
4. It has to be reasonably easy for me to edit when changing the information. Ideally all the information which varies will be on a single layer and I'll lock the other layers.
5. The panel will print on 1 side of letter / A4 (or smaller) with the print still legible.
6. Greyscale.
7. Works with the information produced by Heaven and Earth

Well I decided to do one instrument panel at a time and when they are all done, fit them all together in pleasing way. You've seen the draft Starport, Atmo and Size panels, I'll come back to those later. I've backed up and done the first panel which is system information. There is little or no system information in the UWP, but it's makes sense to have it, I think.

So to explain the draft panel below, these are the questions it answers:

Stars

What kind of star(s) does the system have and how many? Look at the two panels on the far left (One is dimmed because it is not a binary system). There is room to put another below for a trinary - I'm not sure if that is overkill).

The lights tell you if it is a yellow, blue or red star and it's classification (supergiant down to dwarf). I don't know enough astronomy to really speak intelligently about the subject but from an RPG point of view it tells you how big the star is and what colour is, and what else is there that is worth knowing? <g>

The presence of planets are indicated by the numbered boxes running along the top (9 are supported). The boxes below those, lettered A-H are the moons of each planet (9 are supported). The tiny boxes to the right of the planets and moons indicate orbital installations. If a box is lit it tells us that there is some human presence, or if you want to be more scientific about it, wave emissions which indicate intelligent life forms. Primitive life might not show up on the scanner at all (but that is a Ref decision). Put another way, lit boxes are the ones which are going to be interesting to the players.

The primary planet / moon / installation from which the UWP is derived is labelled PRIMARY.

Below, the table shows distance between the planets together with an indication of their size relative to earth. Gas Giants are large and light and non gas giants are Black.

So the sample chart (call the system 'Rando') shows:

Rando has a single class II (super-giant) yellow star (do such things exist?)? It has 4 planets with 3,2,3 and 8 moons respectively. There is an asteroid belt between Rando III and IV. The primary planet Rando (which the remaining UPP data will detail further) is Rando III which has two orbital facilities, 3 moons (Rando III A has something uninhabited in orbit around it - a still smaller moon? A deserted research station?).

Rando I is uninhabited but has two inhabited moons. Rando I A has an orbital facility of some kind.

Rando IV is interesting - it's a Gas Giant, it is uninhabited (of course) as are its moons but Rando IV E has a orbital facility. Maybe a prison? Secret Research Station? Scout Base?

I have no idea how M Drive travel works - but I have used a scale of time to travel between planets. I division is 1 hour at 1 G - my maths is too poor to work out whether this is feasible, I might go back to distances. Does Heaven and Earth give distances planets are from the Sun? I can't find it. Could someone point me to where it is please?

Bearing in mind that there are panels to come which explain individual UPP information in more detail is there any more information about a system which you think players would typically ask which should be included in this display?

Thanks!

Ravs