• Welcome to the new COTI server. We've moved the Citizens to a new server. Please let us know in the COTI Website issue forum if you find any problems.

Automated star system generation with the Mongoose 2e World Builders Guide

S

sulu244

SOC-5
Hey folks, I've been working on this "little" project for a few days and sharing it on various discords, but thought I would keep a proper log of the progress here. The eventual plan is to hook it into a webservice and create a website with a nice front-end for it. When/If that happens I'll update this original post. In the meantime, here's some fun screenshots of the kind of stuff it's already generating!
Primary.pngSystem.png
 
As with most things on this project I'm sure this could be more elegant, but here's the logic for determining the system baseline orbit number.
1689687933279.png
I've temporarily disabled multi-star systems, as I still need to implement orbit assignment for multiple stars, and it's a fairly complex set of rules that hurt my head.
 
This is a cool little side track. I took the planet naming generator from the original Elite found here in python:
https://github.com/jabbalaci/Elite and incorporated it into my java program. So now the stars come with names! In the eventual front end you'll be able to overwrite the name of course, or just have it re-generate the name, but it's very cool.

1689696930690.png
 
I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but as I understand it Mongoose doesn't allow folks to write software for Traveller. I mean, they certainly can't stop you, but they won't "let" you distribute it.
 
whartung said:
I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but as I understand it Mongoose doesn't allow folks to write software for Traveller. I mean, they certainly can't stop you, but they won't "let" you distribute it.
Click to expand...
I mean, there are plenty of other sites out there that use Mongoose rules. If they ask me to take it down once it's up I will absolutely do so, and just use it personally, but until then I'll keep at it. It's not ever going to be payed or anything, so that might help. 🤷‍♂️
 
whartung said:
I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but as I understand it Mongoose doesn't allow folks to write software for Traveller. I mean, they certainly can't stop you, but they won't "let" you distribute it.
Click to expand...
kinda why my stuff uses just classic. but I like you're using C#. I've done a lot over the years (though rarely completed!) with that for Traveller. my repo is open - see the "another world explainer" thread in this software section if you want to look at that code. latest version actually works on Android as well as Windows (I tend to prefer console applications). I have emailed Marc Miller about distributing it but it probably got stuck in his spam folder
 
coliver988 said:
kinda why my stuff uses just classic. but I like you're using C#. I've done a lot over the years (though rarely completed!) with that for Traveller. my repo is open - see the "another world explainer" thread in this software section if you want to look at that code. latest version actually works on Android as well as Windows (I tend to prefer console applications). I have emailed Marc Miller about distributing it but it probably got stuck in his spam folder
Click to expand...
I'm actually using Java. I wish it was C#, but Java is what I use for work so it's in my head better.
 
they are really close (Java & C#). well, carry on! I like where it is going (though, yes, I do see some things I'd do differently., but they may be a C# thing vs Java. working with 2 languages at work, neither C#, and I keep wanting to do the stuff I can do in other frameworks! sadly, the reverse is also true - there are some cool features in the work language I keep trying to do in my personal C# projects!)
 
coliver988 said:
they are really close (Java & C#). well, carry on! I like where it is going (though, yes, I do see some things I'd do differently., but they may be a C# thing vs Java. working with 2 languages at work, neither C#, and I keep wanting to do the stuff I can do in other frameworks! sadly, the reverse is also true - there are some cool features in the work language I keep trying to do in my personal C# projects!)
Click to expand...
That sounds about right lol. As this is a personal project I'm not really concerned with doing everything the best or most efficient way. I could be using much more streaming of lists and other modern java features. I'm just doing it the simplest way I can think of in my off time lol. I do actually know C# (it is very similar yes, given it's just Microsoft's Java clone) because I used to do a lot of stuff in Unity, but I want to try hooking this into a spring-boot webservice which is java.
 
sulu244 said:
I mean, there are plenty of other sites out there that use Mongoose rules. If they ask me to take it down once it's up I will absolutely do so, and just use it personally, but until then I'll keep at it. It's not ever going to be payed or anything, so that might help. 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
Mongoose probably doesn't want any free apps eating into their RPGSuite income. Most apps are doing something else, though.
 
ShawnDriscoll said:
Mongoose probably doesn't want any free apps eating into their RPGSuite income. Most apps are doing something else, though.
Click to expand...

I wish publishers generally would put their more complex systems into spreadsheets, websites or apps to begin with. How many Traveller GMs have recreated the same spreadsheets in the same systems over the years? I'd happily pay a little more for the book, or pay a little for an app, to have it ready to go out of the gate.
 
Daidoji Dave said:
I wish publishers generally would put their more complex systems into spreadsheets, websites or apps to begin with. How many Traveller GMs have recreated the same spreadsheets in the same systems over the years? I'd happily pay a little more for the book, or pay a little for an app, to have it ready to go out of the gate.
Click to expand...
"There's an app for that" wasn't even a THING until this just past decade. :unsure:
We all take it for granted (now) that there should be apps for all kinds of things we find tedious.
 
Because game publishers are smart enough to stay out of the software business.

A book is forever and can just sit on a shelf. Software, not so much.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top