Good Morning, All,
I've been thinking of an article for a future issue of Stellar Reaches that basically describes the process one could use for creating their own Alternate Traveller Universe. Although I have some experience in doing this, I know that many of you also have similar experiences, and would probably have some great advice to add here. Given that, I thought I'd post something here and seek your input, basically as research for the fanzine article.
Below is a basic overview of the process I use. If your approach differs, please feel free to share your insights. Proper credit will be given in the article to those that contribute to this discussion.
How I Build An ATU
1. Start with an idea of the kind of setting you want to run. That sets the tone for the game, and impacts the design process, insuring that you are more likely to get a final product that inspires you to adventure.
2. Create your region of space that will serve as your background. Most campaigns will work within a quadrant sized area, though subsectors and sectors are pretty prevalent, too. Most computer applications generate sectors, so you might want to use one of these to help you out. By all means, make any changes you feel appropriate to any computer-generated UWPs. It's your milieu after all.
I impose TL limits based on concepts, and run a modified variant of the T20 world generation method for my personal work. I impose a number of limitations on my milieu's UWPs, such as minimal TL by Atmosphere and Starport, minimal Population by Starport, and other significant UWP clean-up. Leaves me with less "weird stuff" that I have to re-interpret or outright change later on.
Some people probably go further, and check the region for mercantile possibilities, designing trade routes and changing UWPs to generate mains, etc. I tend to go with the map I've built and wing it, but that's because I haven't used the trade systems enough to get a good feel for modelling that and how it affects UWPs.
3. Populate your region of space. This includes drawing borders and setting allegiances when possible. This is also the stage where I identify the homeworlds in the region and place the alien races that will be encountered in the campaign.
4. Create background material based on the work done in the previous steps. One of the easiest places to start is to define the place of each of the prior careers within the polities of the milieu, so that characters have a background integrated into the campaign setting. Don't forget a few notes on history, both long-term and recent history, to give the setting context. Generating at least a name list of important people and organizations is a good idea, too.
This step is the longest, and probably never really stops, even as the campaign proceeds.
5. Create adventures (or place them, if using prepublished stuff) for the upcoming campaign. Plant plenty of adventure hooks.
6. Get some players, build some characters, and run a game.
What can you guys add to this?
With Regards,
Flynn
I've been thinking of an article for a future issue of Stellar Reaches that basically describes the process one could use for creating their own Alternate Traveller Universe. Although I have some experience in doing this, I know that many of you also have similar experiences, and would probably have some great advice to add here. Given that, I thought I'd post something here and seek your input, basically as research for the fanzine article.
Below is a basic overview of the process I use. If your approach differs, please feel free to share your insights. Proper credit will be given in the article to those that contribute to this discussion.
How I Build An ATU
1. Start with an idea of the kind of setting you want to run. That sets the tone for the game, and impacts the design process, insuring that you are more likely to get a final product that inspires you to adventure.
2. Create your region of space that will serve as your background. Most campaigns will work within a quadrant sized area, though subsectors and sectors are pretty prevalent, too. Most computer applications generate sectors, so you might want to use one of these to help you out. By all means, make any changes you feel appropriate to any computer-generated UWPs. It's your milieu after all.
I impose TL limits based on concepts, and run a modified variant of the T20 world generation method for my personal work. I impose a number of limitations on my milieu's UWPs, such as minimal TL by Atmosphere and Starport, minimal Population by Starport, and other significant UWP clean-up. Leaves me with less "weird stuff" that I have to re-interpret or outright change later on.
Some people probably go further, and check the region for mercantile possibilities, designing trade routes and changing UWPs to generate mains, etc. I tend to go with the map I've built and wing it, but that's because I haven't used the trade systems enough to get a good feel for modelling that and how it affects UWPs.
3. Populate your region of space. This includes drawing borders and setting allegiances when possible. This is also the stage where I identify the homeworlds in the region and place the alien races that will be encountered in the campaign.
4. Create background material based on the work done in the previous steps. One of the easiest places to start is to define the place of each of the prior careers within the polities of the milieu, so that characters have a background integrated into the campaign setting. Don't forget a few notes on history, both long-term and recent history, to give the setting context. Generating at least a name list of important people and organizations is a good idea, too.
This step is the longest, and probably never really stops, even as the campaign proceeds.
5. Create adventures (or place them, if using prepublished stuff) for the upcoming campaign. Plant plenty of adventure hooks.
6. Get some players, build some characters, and run a game.
What can you guys add to this?
With Regards,
Flynn
