Traveller Trader - Solar System Configuration Types

[robject]

So here I am writing code... and I want my trader to visit everything in the system hex. And first I have to build the solar system... place the things in their orbits.

But really I should do this ahead of time and store the configuration in a byte.

So then I think about how many true configurations there are. I mean, there are either a billion, or there are 255 or fewer. There's no in between.

 

[robject]

Ground Rules
The actual number of GGs isn't known; only presence.
The actual number of planetoid belts isn't known; only presence.
There's any number of rockball worlds.
HZ is important for habitable worlds.
Secondary stars are not necessarily important.

 

[robject]

I suspect, but am not sure, that the only thing I really need to do is locate a single GG and a single planetoid belt, and the rest is commentary.

If so, then randomly generating THAT is trivial...

 

[robject]

And yes, this means the results will not be "canonical" with the OTU. For example, I'm not interested in Regina being a satellite of Assiniboia.

 

[Enoki]

Secondary stars can be important. You can end up with dual systems for example, rather than one. They potentially change the habitable zone too. The real interesting parts in fleshing out systems are the satellites, particularly around gas giants where they can be numerous. These can almost be mini systems of their own. If you also work in some trade you can find that there are likely established routes between outlying settled worlds and the main world.

So if you follow the Scouts supplement or MT rules, systems can get very interesting when you fully flesh them out. I had one where there were two polities in the system and they were in the middle of an ongoing, low-intensity, civil war. You entered at your own risk. Or, others where secondary worlds were very important trade centers with lessor starports on them (not always per canon). So, there was say, an A and a B port in the system or two systems that are like that orbiting each other at something less than a LY.

If you really flesh them out like that, it makes it almost unnecessary for players to have to have a ship to go from one system to another to do a really big variety of things. They can stay in one system and do lots of different scenarios.

 

[Spinward Flow]

They can stay in one system and do lots of different scenarios.

In other words ... Firefly/Serenity ...

 

[Enoki]

In other words ... Firefly/Serenity ...

Well, that's one way to look at it. But it does make for good gaming. Start the players on different worlds in the system and make them work to form a party and do something. I will say that most players have difficulty with a game in which they are potentially adversaries though. Wargamers less so than the RPG only types.

 

[whartung]

8 orbits. 8 bits. 2 and 3 are "earth like". 1 is a rock. 4 is a belt. 5 6 GG, 7 8 ice planets.

255 different system types.

 

[robject]

8 orbits. 8 bits. 2 and 3 are "earth like". 1 is a rock. 4 is a belt. 5 6 GG, 7 8 ice planets.

255 different system types.

^ That is along the lines of what I was thinking.

My current iteration is a process:

Ceiling = 16 orbits.
Randomize.  Seed number depends on hex and mainworld UWP.
Mainworld = 2 + rand(3).
Belt = Mainworld orbit + 1 + rand(4).
GG = Belt orbit + 1 + rand(5).
Don't fill the Belt slot unless there's a Belt presence.
Don't fill the GG slot unless there's a GG presence.

Empty orbits have a 50/50 chance of having a rockball of some kind or another.

Next step is to shift those orbit numbers:
* inward for colder stars
* outward for hotter stars and giants
* randomized (thank you SF) for Hellworld mainworlds
* outward for cold mainworlds
* etc etc

 

[Spinward Flow]

* inward for Hellworld mainworlds

Hellworlds can be outer zone too, not just inner zone.
Hellworlds are just "remarkably hostile to survival" as opposed to being necessarily molten crust worlds.

Remember, one of the planes of Hell was freeze your limbs off cold ...