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Homebrewing

R

RobertFisher

SOC-12
OK, next thread: Ways to build a homebrew Traveler universe. In particular, how much building you do before the first session.

Do you create a single world that the PCs start on & generate additional worlds only as needed?

Do you determine which hexes in a whole subsector contain worlds, but only generate UPPs as needed?

Do you create a whole subsector or more of UPPs before starting the campaign?

What mix of random v. fiat UPP creation do you use?

Do you map out which subsectors the interstellar state & neighboring states cover?

Do you map out rifts & such?

How else do you proceed?
 
OK, next thread: Ways to build a homebrew Traveler universe. In particular, how much building you do before the first session.

Do you create a single world that the PCs start on & generate additional worlds only as needed?

Do you determine which hexes in a whole subsector contain worlds, but only generate UPPs as needed?

Do you create a whole subsector or more of UPPs before starting the campaign?

What mix of random v. fiat UPP creation do you use?

Do you map out which subsectors the interstellar state & neighboring states cover?

Do you map out rifts & such?

How else do you proceed?
 
It really depends on the depth that you want to develop your background. I personally would generate at least a subsector, if not a quadrant, and start roughly in the middle of it. (I have a sector generator I've written using a blend of T20, JimV's Alternate method, Malenfant's stellar generation, and my own twists to make it like what I want, so I'd probably go with a full sector build, at least at first.)

Once I had a set of UWPs as a basis, I'd go through and make sure the TLs, populations, etc. match my own personal thoughts. I'd also look for adventure opportunities and travel considerations, like isolated clusters, etc.

I'd then modify UWPs (such as lowering some of the high TLs so that I can develop a logical expansion pattern for my interstellar states), or use what's available. (My app checks for basic reality-shift stuff, such as minimum TLs by atmosphere and starport class, so that's not as much of a worry to me.)

If you need a particular world for some adventure ideas you already know you want to run, drop the world directly into the area you'll be gaming in, filing off serial numbers as you need to.

I'd definitely define in large terms anyway the extent of the various local interstellar polities, and identify the homeworlds of Minor and Major races in the area (my app generates that, as well, so it's easier to see. I can move them around or modify them, of course, as needed.)

While the random UWPs serve as a place to start, I don't feel married to them at all, and am willing to change them as needed to fit my ideals.

Once I have some basic starmaps done, I plot out some basic background identifying the roles of the various classes within interstellar society, so that the characters have a context in which they fit within the milieu.

I make a few notes on adventure opportunities, and insure that I've got easily three different scenarios that are possible to explore within the first few sessions. That way, the game doesn't stall after the first session.

Then I introduce the setting to the players, and find out what kind of characters they want to play. Along the way, you'll end up creating more material, so keep track of that.

Modify the adventures based on the character classes, and make notes on other ideas that present themselves in the process. In time, this may become the basis for a long-running campaign.

Hopefully, this gives you some basic ideas on how to organicly grow a new campaign setting. Yeah, it's detail light at first, but the detail grows as you play, and you aren't locked down too tight, so you've got the room to grow.


Hope this helps,
Flynn
 
It really depends on the depth that you want to develop your background. I personally would generate at least a subsector, if not a quadrant, and start roughly in the middle of it. (I have a sector generator I've written using a blend of T20, JimV's Alternate method, Malenfant's stellar generation, and my own twists to make it like what I want, so I'd probably go with a full sector build, at least at first.)

Once I had a set of UWPs as a basis, I'd go through and make sure the TLs, populations, etc. match my own personal thoughts. I'd also look for adventure opportunities and travel considerations, like isolated clusters, etc.

I'd then modify UWPs (such as lowering some of the high TLs so that I can develop a logical expansion pattern for my interstellar states), or use what's available. (My app checks for basic reality-shift stuff, such as minimum TLs by atmosphere and starport class, so that's not as much of a worry to me.)

If you need a particular world for some adventure ideas you already know you want to run, drop the world directly into the area you'll be gaming in, filing off serial numbers as you need to.

I'd definitely define in large terms anyway the extent of the various local interstellar polities, and identify the homeworlds of Minor and Major races in the area (my app generates that, as well, so it's easier to see. I can move them around or modify them, of course, as needed.)

While the random UWPs serve as a place to start, I don't feel married to them at all, and am willing to change them as needed to fit my ideals.

Once I have some basic starmaps done, I plot out some basic background identifying the roles of the various classes within interstellar society, so that the characters have a context in which they fit within the milieu.

I make a few notes on adventure opportunities, and insure that I've got easily three different scenarios that are possible to explore within the first few sessions. That way, the game doesn't stall after the first session.

Then I introduce the setting to the players, and find out what kind of characters they want to play. Along the way, you'll end up creating more material, so keep track of that.

Modify the adventures based on the character classes, and make notes on other ideas that present themselves in the process. In time, this may become the basis for a long-running campaign.

Hopefully, this gives you some basic ideas on how to organicly grow a new campaign setting. Yeah, it's detail light at first, but the detail grows as you play, and you aren't locked down too tight, so you've got the room to grow.


Hope this helps,
Flynn
 
Depends what you mean by "homebrew Traveller universe". If you mean just a slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU, then Flynn's method would work fine.

If you mean "a whole new scifi setting using Traveller rules" then I think a better approach would be to start from the top down. Figure out what the "theme" and "feel" of the setting will be, decide what technology is being used (FF&S is amazing for this), make a history for the setting, explain the major races and governments. Once you've done all the other stuff, then you design the worlds and subsectors in detail (and you should do this starting with a small area and working up, like you would do in a normal Traveller game)

That's the approach that's worked for me, anyway.
 
Depends what you mean by "homebrew Traveller universe". If you mean just a slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU, then Flynn's method would work fine.

If you mean "a whole new scifi setting using Traveller rules" then I think a better approach would be to start from the top down. Figure out what the "theme" and "feel" of the setting will be, decide what technology is being used (FF&S is amazing for this), make a history for the setting, explain the major races and governments. Once you've done all the other stuff, then you design the worlds and subsectors in detail (and you should do this starting with a small area and working up, like you would do in a normal Traveller game)

That's the approach that's worked for me, anyway.
 
By slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU, I'm assuming that Malenfant means that it would stick to the Jump drive technology and other technological/mechanical backbones of the OTU, but the setting can be different. His approach is the next step if you are looking at departing from Traveller norms into some of the alternate tech, like stargates, stutterwarp drives, etc.

Personally, I'm for as little work as you need to do in order to be comfortable running the game. Otherwise, you are spending more time and effort on materials that may not ever be used. For some, that creates stress. For others, that creates personal satisfaction. Follow the path that makes you happy.


Enjoy,
Flynn
 
By slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU, I'm assuming that Malenfant means that it would stick to the Jump drive technology and other technological/mechanical backbones of the OTU, but the setting can be different. His approach is the next step if you are looking at departing from Traveller norms into some of the alternate tech, like stargates, stutterwarp drives, etc.

Personally, I'm for as little work as you need to do in order to be comfortable running the game. Otherwise, you are spending more time and effort on materials that may not ever be used. For some, that creates stress. For others, that creates personal satisfaction. Follow the path that makes you happy.


Enjoy,
Flynn
 
Originally posted by Flynn:
By slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU, I'm assuming that Malenfant means that it would stick to the Jump drive technology and other technological/mechanical backbones of the OTU, but the setting can be different. His approach is the next step if you are looking at departing from Traveller norms into some of the alternate tech, like stargates, stutterwarp drives, etc.
Click to expand...
Well, by "slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU" I meant more "it's basically the OTU, but with my own sector and changing a bit of the history". That's the lowest level of change, and probably what most people do then they play Traveller anyway.

Next up I think is what you said - keeping some of the technology and some other aspects of the OTU (like the alien races) the same, but changing the history completely. That's the middle ground, and probably what most people do who say that they run an alternate TU.

Then you get to what I was talking about (which is what I actually did), which is to throw absolutely everything out, completely rewrite the technology, create all new alien races, and just use some of the design sequences in Traveller to make a completely original scifi setting that bears no resemblance at all to the OTU. That's the most extreme change, and it seems that not a lot of people go that far.
 
Originally posted by Flynn:
By slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU, I'm assuming that Malenfant means that it would stick to the Jump drive technology and other technological/mechanical backbones of the OTU, but the setting can be different. His approach is the next step if you are looking at departing from Traveller norms into some of the alternate tech, like stargates, stutterwarp drives, etc.
Click to expand...
Well, by "slightly different version of the Charted Space OTU" I meant more "it's basically the OTU, but with my own sector and changing a bit of the history". That's the lowest level of change, and probably what most people do then they play Traveller anyway.

Next up I think is what you said - keeping some of the technology and some other aspects of the OTU (like the alien races) the same, but changing the history completely. That's the middle ground, and probably what most people do who say that they run an alternate TU.

Then you get to what I was talking about (which is what I actually did), which is to throw absolutely everything out, completely rewrite the technology, create all new alien races, and just use some of the design sequences in Traveller to make a completely original scifi setting that bears no resemblance at all to the OTU. That's the most extreme change, and it seems that not a lot of people go that far.
 
This should give Mr Fisher a wide range of choices, then. I look forward to watching this develop.

More later,
Flynn
 
This should give Mr Fisher a wide range of choices, then. I look forward to watching this develop.

More later,
Flynn
 
I've always found random generators to be very frustrating because the sectors never met with my expectations or needs of my campaigns.

I would recommend building your sector the way it best fits your vision of your setting; just be fair in the distribution of stellar objects and massage the star systems so they meet your requirements. If your campaign screams for a frontier region, then build yourself one.

Start small with one subsector then expand outward as you need to.

Build your shipping lanes based on supply and demand and ease of travel routes.

Put populations where you'd expect them to be; terra-norm planets, refueling points, crossroads of shipping routes, valuable resources.

Place your Navy bases where threats exist or there are large populations/resources to defend.

Place your Scout bases near where jump routes need to be monitored and there are systems yet to be explored.

Put political borders where you want them to be, if your sector is balkanized. If not, don't.

Put alien populations where they fit your story arc. If they dominate the sector, then they must be wide spread; if not, then limit them to one or two planets/systems.

And if something doesn't seem to work, add or erase as necessary and know that you don't have to start again from the beginning or waste time trying to manipulate a generator to get what you want!

Good luck and have fun with your universe!
 
I've always found random generators to be very frustrating because the sectors never met with my expectations or needs of my campaigns.

I would recommend building your sector the way it best fits your vision of your setting; just be fair in the distribution of stellar objects and massage the star systems so they meet your requirements. If your campaign screams for a frontier region, then build yourself one.

Start small with one subsector then expand outward as you need to.

Build your shipping lanes based on supply and demand and ease of travel routes.

Put populations where you'd expect them to be; terra-norm planets, refueling points, crossroads of shipping routes, valuable resources.

Place your Navy bases where threats exist or there are large populations/resources to defend.

Place your Scout bases near where jump routes need to be monitored and there are systems yet to be explored.

Put political borders where you want them to be, if your sector is balkanized. If not, don't.

Put alien populations where they fit your story arc. If they dominate the sector, then they must be wide spread; if not, then limit them to one or two planets/systems.

And if something doesn't seem to work, add or erase as necessary and know that you don't have to start again from the beginning or waste time trying to manipulate a generator to get what you want!

Good luck and have fun with your universe!
 
Ran, that's why I program my own generators, and then go over the results afterwards. ;)

Mr. Fisher, Mr Targas has some excellent suggestions and very logical steps for building your maps in a way that makes more sense.

As I continue to tinker with my own sector generator, I will probably use a number of ideas in the evaluation logic to address a few of these points above.

Still trying to figure out good evaluation criteria for creating trade routes, etc. I'm not entirely happy with GT:FT's approach, but there's some merit in the concepts behind it.

Either way, whether you start with a hand-rolled subsector or a computer-generated one, I definitely agree with the above comment that you should liberally add or erase as you need to, and you shouldn't feel that you have to start completely over unless you really feel like you have to. That's a waste entirely of your previous efforts, and you have to repeat the same steps again with the new material.

Good luck,
Flynn
 
Ran, that's why I program my own generators, and then go over the results afterwards. ;)

Mr. Fisher, Mr Targas has some excellent suggestions and very logical steps for building your maps in a way that makes more sense.

As I continue to tinker with my own sector generator, I will probably use a number of ideas in the evaluation logic to address a few of these points above.

Still trying to figure out good evaluation criteria for creating trade routes, etc. I'm not entirely happy with GT:FT's approach, but there's some merit in the concepts behind it.

Either way, whether you start with a hand-rolled subsector or a computer-generated one, I definitely agree with the above comment that you should liberally add or erase as you need to, and you shouldn't feel that you have to start completely over unless you really feel like you have to. That's a waste entirely of your previous efforts, and you have to repeat the same steps again with the new material.

Good luck,
Flynn
 
This is a complicated subject, and lets just say i am not a wealth of expirience. But, I recently built a campaign based around the main chacters getting stuck in a black hole for 400 years to find that while technology was relatively intact, (Tech 12 was still pretty standard, but 13 was golly gee wiz), the universe was absolute chaos. The iperium had fallen, and worlds were playing a dangerous chess game to keep in power. I like to not be bound by random rolling. I think up the basics, then move on from their
Economic Mainstay: what is there main business? are they pirates? a warrior race? scholars? blah balh blah...
Tech level: straightforward
Population: where are they in the universe and what possible ways to a population get there
Water and stuff haven't really come into play, but just imagine a wide variety of worlds based on mission needs, and not vice versa.
 
This is a complicated subject, and lets just say i am not a wealth of expirience. But, I recently built a campaign based around the main chacters getting stuck in a black hole for 400 years to find that while technology was relatively intact, (Tech 12 was still pretty standard, but 13 was golly gee wiz), the universe was absolute chaos. The iperium had fallen, and worlds were playing a dangerous chess game to keep in power. I like to not be bound by random rolling. I think up the basics, then move on from their
Economic Mainstay: what is there main business? are they pirates? a warrior race? scholars? blah balh blah...
Tech level: straightforward
Population: where are they in the universe and what possible ways to a population get there
Water and stuff haven't really come into play, but just imagine a wide variety of worlds based on mission needs, and not vice versa.
 
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