Convert our solar system to a Traveller map

[jaz0nj4ckal]

Folks:
I am trying to determine how to map our solar system to a Traveller map. Do I place planets in their own hex? I am having difficulty since 1-hex is 1-parsec, so that would make the planets to far apart.

Has anyone convert our solar system to a Traveller map? How do I handle something like this?

Thank you,
JJ

 

[Orr]

I don't know if I understand your question but I'll try anyways.

Entire stellar systems fit inside Traveller map hexes because those hexes are one parsec in size. Some systems even have more than one star and planets around it. Traveller maps so entire systems and not all the parts of that system.

As for mapping out stellar systems, no one maps stellar systems on hex maps because planets move. Instead they list the orbits out from the star and the planets which are in them. Then, instead of counting hexes to see how far planets are apart, you figure the distance between orbits and use the acceleration equations to see how quickly ships can move between them.

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

@Orr
hi Orr, and thanks for the support and comments.

I do not understand and I do apologize. I am trying to map Earth, the Moon, Mars and Io; however, I am not sure how to show that on my Traveller map grid. Yet, if I understand you correctly – the large map (stellar) only shows the solar system; however, I just detail the distances in my adventure write up.

Part of the problem, I purchased some badly damaged books at a yard sale a while back from a Grandmother that was selling her kid's stuff; however, I do not have any adventures, so I am making my own material at this point.

Thank you,
JJ

 

[mike wightman]

Hi JJ.

Traveller doesn't map system details, the 8 by 10 hex grid is for mapping the stars in a sub sector, each hex is 1 parsec (3.25 light years) across.

If you want to detail all the planets in a system and map their locations you will probably have to come up with a way that suits you - I've used circles on a piece of paper to show orbits and distances.

 

[Hemdian]

Each hex is one parsec across. One parsec is roughly equal to 206,265 AUs (Astronomical Units). Here are some Solar System average radius in AUs from the Sun:

• Mercury = 0.4
• Venus = 0.7
• Earth = 1 (by definition)
• Mars = 1.5
• Asteroid Belt = band from 2.3 to 3.3 but many asteroids not in band
• Jupiter = 5.2
• Saturn = 9.5
• Uranus = 19.6
• Neptune = 30
• Pluto = varies from 29.7 to 49.5
• Haumea = 43
• Makemake = 45.8
• Sedna = varies from 76 to 928
• Oort cloud thought to be 50,000 to 100,000

Also, the Moon orbits the Earth at about 0.00255 AUs from the Earth, and Io orbits Jupiter at about 0.003 AU from Jupiter.

In other words, on your average hex map the orbits of the worlds and moons mentioned would fit under a single dot.

Hope that clears things up.

 

[ShapeShifter]

Star systems are presented in linear fashion (with x number of millions of miles marked off with little lines to indicate distance from the star itself), not in a hex-grid. Judges Guild books display star systems this way, and I'd put up a little pic to show you, but I'm pretty sure the Mods here would bring on the smack-down for that, so as examples you'll have to look at...

JG0940 - Waspwinter (pp. 41-45)
JG0640 - Marooned on Ghostring (pp. 16-17)
JG880 - Corsairs of the Turku Waste (p. 24)

 

[Icosahedron]

Hi JJ,
Which books did you pick up?

Here's my 2Cr:
As others have said, the Traveller hex maps show the local stars - you'll have Sol in one Hex, Alpha Centauri in a neighbouring hex, Sirius a few hexes over, and so on.

Also as others have said, we don't usually map out a solar system in Traveller. Earth, Luna, Mars and Io are not going to remain in fixed locations on a hex map and the scale is too awkward anyhow.

What we do is use the travel formulae from the books to figure how long it will take to get from one planet to another, then we just map out the close environs of each planet if we want to carry out orbital combat. Effectively each planet is on its own combat map and you use the travel formulae to figure out the time between leaving one map and arriving on another. Eg, if there is a battle around Luna, you'll do the battle on a map showing the area around Luna, and then calculate how long it will take reinforcements to arrive from Earth.
This follows wargame procedure, where your tabletop battle will be of the local tactical area and you'll calculate at what time reinforcements can arrive on the table.
You can't hope to show interplanetary distances on a battle map.
Hope that helps.

 

[BytePro]

DGP (World Builder's Handbook and MT system source books) had a number of simplistic approaches to handling system mapping and travel...

Creating useful scales for solar systems will often involve two or more maps - to handle inner vs outer system measures. For example, 0.5 AU units would be required to ensure Mars and Earth are shown in different orbits - meaning 200 divisions to cover out to Pluto. More if one wants to depict moons and Mercury and Venus.

That presumes linear scales - logarithmic handle this pretty well for major planets, but then moons have to be on a different scale per planet.

Basically, multiple maps are probably in order if one wants to make useful play aids out of such. I've done such only once using pen and paper - everything since then has been done realtime on a computer. Even then, I have yet to create what I really want (intuitive and instant smooth zooms between various levels of detail). [In the late eighties I experimented with a 3D touch and hold auto focusing system, but never completed it before RL and tech moved things along - now the multi-touch hardware and OSes are really begging for a nice implementation! ]

[Since 1982 my Traveller experience has always been augmented by computer - my TUs have been 3D for decades... even the OTU doesn't look too bad in 3D!]

 

[Orr]

Power Projection Fleet has a mapping and movement system for in-system travel.

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

Everyone:
Thank you all for the help and suggestions. I understand what everyone is saying, I like the idea of just roughing out a quick map that shows location and use figures that tell how far everything is from each other.

Thank you again – I was making this harder than what it needs to be.

 

[BeRKA]

If you want some of the more important planets in a solar system in one hex, you can do something like this.

Another example here.

 

[PVernon]

My 2cr on this - I have used polar log paper to plot out solar systems.