Non OTU: LBB S3 Spinward Marches (re)mapping in 1105

[Kakistocrat]

I would posit that while it is indeed SVG, you may have issues editing it, depending on what your goals are, at least with a text editor.

It certainly wasn’t ideal that the entire SVG (excepting the XML declaration) was returned as a single line.

You might have better luck with an actual SVG editor like Inkscape.

I haven’t had much luck with Inkscape myself, but I’m far from proficient in it. In at least some circumstances, Inkscape adds its own elements to the SVG that it generates, but perhaps it can import SVG from other sources without problems?

 

[Kakistocrat]

Hmmm.
Sounds like pursuing the .svg fork may be more trouble than I'm willing to put up with.

The Traveller Map .svg requires some editing up front, but it’d be much easier to change the details of one class name in a .svg than having to make umpteen .png changes when you decide that a particular world name style should be changed.

 

[Spinward Flow]

The Traveller Map .svg requires some editing up front, but it’d be much easier to change the details of one class name in a .svg than having to make umpteen .png changes when you decide that a particular world name style should be changed.

The difference there is that I'm (relatively) skilled with using the Preview application to edit the .png images. It's tedious work, but it'd DOABLE.

Doing .svg editing is something that I have NO experience with and might not even have adequate editing tools to do the job "right" with.



Like the old saying goes:

A bird in the hand is safer than the one overhead.

 

[whartung]

It certainly wasn’t ideal that the entire SVG (excepting the XML declaration) was returned as a single line.

I was more pointing out how very low level the SVG is. The font size is ".14" or something, as a simple example. "Not meant for human consumption."

That said, on the Mac, there's a command line tool called `xmllint`, and it can be used like this:

$ xmllint --format map.svg > formatted_map.svg

And it will "pretty print" the XML.

Inkscape adds its own elements to the SVG that it generates, but perhaps it can import SVG from other sources without problems?

Yea, Inkscape should import the SVG just fine, it is Inkscapes native format, but the SVG you import, won't be the SVG you save. As you said it will add elements, and it may even completely rewrite the graph into its internal format.

But at least, you may be able to interact with the paths or the text elements directly.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Twenty-fourth step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Lanth subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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I thought that the Aramis subsector was a Non-industrial "backwater" ... and now Lanth comes along and says, "Hold my beer."

Lanth subsector has 27 worlds.

• 7 worlds are Population: 4-
• 15 worlds are Population: 5-6
• 5 worlds are Population: 7-8
• 0 worlds are Population: 9-A

What's actually worse about Lanth Subsector in this regard, relative to the distribution in Aramis subsector is that in Aramis the Population: 7-A worlds are relatively grouped near the Towers Cluster in the coreward/trailing portion of the subsector and reaching down into the center of subsector. By contrast, in the Lanth subsector, the Population: 7-8 worlds are as widely scattered as possible along the edges of the subsector to coreward and to rimward/trailing.

According to LBB S3, p14 the Vilis subsector has a total population of 2.324 billion.
According to LBB S3, p22 the Lanth subsector has a total population of 3.358 billion.
According to LBB S3, p28 the Aramis subsector has a total population of 111.1 billion.
This means that Lanth subsector has only 3% of the population of the Aramis subsector ... despite the fact that most of the worlds in the Lanth subsector lies along the Spinward Main and was historically the route taken from Mora to Regina. That's kind of extraordinary.

 

[kilemall]

Twenty-fourth step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Lanth subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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I thought that the Aramis subsector was a Non-industrial "backwater" ... and now Lanth comes along and says, "Hold my beer."

Lanth subsector has 27 worlds.

• 7 worlds are Population: 4-
• 15 worlds are Population: 5-6
• 5 worlds are Population: 7-8
• 0 worlds are Population: 9-A

What's actually worse about Lanth Subsector in this regard, relative to the distribution in Aramis subsector is that in Aramis the Population: 7-A worlds are relatively grouped near the Towers Cluster in the coreward/trailing portion of the subsector and reaching down into the center of subsector. By contrast, in the Lanth subsector, the Population: 7-8 worlds are as widely scattered as possible along the edges of the subsector to coreward and to rimward/trailing.

According to LBB S3, p14 the Vilis subsector has a total population of 2.324 billion.
According to LBB S3, p22 the Lanth subsector has a total population of 3.358 billion.
According to LBB S3, p28 the Aramis subsector has a total population of 111.1 billion.
This means that Lanth subsector has only 3% of the population of the Aramis subsector ... despite the fact that most of the worlds in the Lanth subsector lies along the Spinward Main and was historically the route taken from Mora to Regina. That's kind of extraordinary.

Kind of like Wyoming for all the people who rode UP trains to California. They didn’t stop there.

 

[Kakistocrat]

I was more pointing out how very low level the SVG is. The font size is “.14” or something, as a simple example. “Not meant for human consumption.”

The font-size of 0.21 seems to be a consequence of the numeric choices that were made for the width, height, and viewBox properties of the svg element. The text of the subsector .svg image as returned displays at a legible size in my browser window.

That said, on the Mac, there’s a command line tool called `xmllint`, and it can be used like this:

$ xmllint --format map.svg > formatted_map.svg

And it will “pretty print” the XML.

Using xmllint on the returned subsector image is an excellent idea; the megaline is broken up into reasonably sized pieces, and the formatted output makes it apparent that the world name text elements are the last component of each populated hex’s g (grouping) element.

But at least, you may be able to interact with the paths or the text elements directly.

Interacting with the text elements directly in a text editor is much easier with the xmllint-ed .svg file. (The path syntax is a bit cryptic [although it is documented in SVG specifications], but in these images they seem to be used mainly for drawing the hexagons, the borders, and the communication routes, which haven’t seemed to be the foci of Spinward Flow’s efforts.)

 

[Kakistocrat]

The difference there is that I’m (relatively) skilled with using the Preview application to edit the .png images. It’s tedious work, but it’s DOABLE.

Doing .svg editing is something that I have NO experience with and might not even have adequate editing tools to do the job “right” with.

An .svg image is entirely text; it’s text with a specific syntax, but it’s nothing but text. Since you have a Mac, following whartung’s suggestion to use the xmllint progam (in a Terminal window) to format the .svg before editing it would make it much easier to add a CSS section and edit the world name text elements to match your style preferences.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Twenty-fifth step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Rhylanor subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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Now that I've got the coreward half of the sector edited for italics and underlined italics by this point, the SUBTLE impact of this change is really starting to come through when looking at the "broader picture" of the map. It's hard to describe exactly HOW it's making a difference, other than to suggest that it gives the map more ... texture ... than it had before.

From a tramp free trader perspective, it really makes "the best trade routes" much clearer, because it stops being merely a question of "CAN I go there?" to a much more informed "Do I WANT to go there?" type of decision making, and the answers to those questions CHANGE depending on how populated destinations are (more population=bigger market).

So, overall ... I'm thinking that this experiment that makes the "population band" information more accessible by modifying the font presentation of the world names is wind up as more of a success than I'd been originally anticipating.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Twenty-sixth step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Darrian subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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Kind of anticipating seeing what's going to happen in the Sword Worlds subsector next ...

 

[Spinward Flow]

Twenty-seventh step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Sword Worlds subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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Interesting thing about the Sword Worlds subsector is how FEW Non-industrialized worlds there are, particularly among the Sword Worlds Confederation proper. Out of the 19 "main" Sword Worlds (connected on their own network), only 7 of those 12 worlds are Non-industrialized ... and of those 7, only 2 of those worlds (closest to Lanth/Lanth) are Population: 4- on a "spur" of the Sword Worlds Confederation that is easiest for J1 Free Traders to "skip" if they don't want to risk unused manifest capacity.

So the Sword Worlds have a surprisingly well balanced mix of trade codes that make the Sword Worlds themselves effectively "easy mode" for a J1 Free Trader who wants to "get rich quick" on Speculative Goods trading.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Twenty-eighth step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Lunion subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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Somewhat interesting results this time, because once again there aren't "too many Non-industrialized worlds" within the subsector like seems to be the case in the Aramis, Vilis and Lanth subsectors.

Really happy with how things are turning out seeing the modifications to the Express Network and use of the "new" marker for Non-industrialized worlds here making the Lunion subsector a much more interesting place to look at on the sector map.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Twenty-ninth step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Mora subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Thirtieth step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Five Sisters subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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This is such a fun FRONTIER subsector, and the proof of that is in the pudding. According to LBB S3, p10 the Five Sisters subsector has a total population of only 1.845 billion for all the worlds in the subsector ... the lowest population of any subsector in the Spinward Marches sector. This means that there's going to be a lot of Non-industrializaed worlds, but there also just so happens to be a pretty fair chunk of Population: 7-8 worlds to be found here.

• 9 worlds are Population: 4-
• 9 worlds are Population: 5-6
• 9 worlds are Population: 7-8
• 0 worlds are Population: 9-A

So there's a relatively "even mix" distribution of the population centers ... and the truly low Population: 4- worlds tend to cluster along the periphery of the subsector along the rimward edge. The main effect of this cluster of Population: 4- worlds is to create a relatively "steep trade barrier" between Wonstar and Raweh that most (profit minded) merchants would prefer to avoid due to lack of demand for passenger and cargo services en route to Raweh.

Even the distribution of Population: 7-8 worlds in the subsector is interesting because it functionally yields a kind of "spine" from Iderati through Karin on through Mirriam of of 5 worlds ... with Wonstar through Mewey providing another "arch" of 3 worlds ... that can kind of "anchor" the growth of trade and opportunities to be found along this "farthest frontier" of the Third Imperium. If Mirriam ever reached Population: 9 it would become an Industrialized trade code world.

Even the Tech Level isn't overpowering when you stay local (due to the distance out to Lunion or Glisten. The average Tech Level is ~7.7 and the highest is Tech Level 12 (@ Karin and Iderati). Point being that if you've ever wanted to set a campaign "off in the boonies" somewhere beyond The Other Side Of Black Stump (as the Australians would say), then the Five Sisters is the place you want to use as your setting. It's not quite a "tumbleweeds blowing along unpaved roads" kind of location, but it's definitely far enough out from the built up centers of interstellar civilization that you will always need to know where your towel is during your travels.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Thirty-first step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the District 268 subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

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Really interesting being able to see the "clustering" of the Population: 4- worlds and the Population: 5-6 worlds stretching along the Bowman Arm and Collace Arm of the Spinward Main through the District 268 subsector.

Seeing that there is something pretty close to a "wall" of Population: 4- worlds stretching across the coreward end of District 268 really puts a pretty hard upper limit on the expectations for a J1 tramp free trader to be able to make a transit from Caladbolg/Sword Worlds all the way over to Iderati/Five Sisters when only:

• 2 of those 12 worlds are Population: 7
• 3 of those 12 worlds are Population: 5-6
• 5 of those 12 worlds are Population: 1-4
• 2 of those 12 worlds are Population: 0

For any kind of "trade route" along such a run, you are going to need to be as LEAN of a private operator as you can possibly imagine if you want to be able to make a profit running this route:

1. Caladbolg/Sword Worlds
2. Gunn/Sword Worlds (Amber)
3. Caliburn/Sword Worlds
4. Datrillian/District 268
5. Nirton/District 268 (Red) (Population: 0)
6. Walston/District 268
7. Bowman/District 268
8. 567-908/District 268 (Population: 0)
9. Asteltine/District 268
10. Debarre/Darrian
11. Ralhe/Five Sisters
12. Iderati/Five Sisters

Even with a government subsidy and a mail contract, I sincerely doubt that a stock J1 Free Trader (ala LBB2) would be capable of running such a route profitably ... let alone unmolested by pirates and simultaneously never needing to worry about misjumps due to being forced into using unrefined fuel during 8 of the 11 jumps you need to make along the route! Odds of a subsidized stock J1 Free Trader successfully remaining in operation (profitably!) along such a route for 40 years without incident or mishap ... um ...

Change your ACS tramp merchant platform of choice from a J1 Free Trader or even a J2 Far Trader (both of which need relatively full manifests to sustain their overhead costs) into selection of an SIE Clipper instead and suddenly those low end Population: 4- markets aren't quite such a barrier to profits due to both the flexibility of navigation options along with having a starship designed for dramatically lower operational expenses per jump which can turn a profit on minimal passenger and cargo freight loads while carrying X-Mail to make up for any unused shipping manifest capacity.

And while I am tooting my own horn here on this specific point (again), in the context of District 268 (and the Five Sisters along with it) again ... the point that I want to make here is that when you have a REALLY GOOD SENSE of the "economic terrain" for a region of a subsector (or few) along the frontier(s) of civilization, it's possible to start coming up with some pretty novel solutions to the question of "if I had to operate OUT HERE ... what would I NEED in order to be successful in business?" and the ... shape ... and texture ... of that economic terrain would drive the decision making and design process that makes all of that possible (and preferably even likely to happen!).

Just because starships are CAPABLE of navigating somewhere doesn't mean that doing so is going to be particularly WISE for them to attempt to do so ... let alone financially VIABLE (never mind "optimal") in terms of profits and losses if they need to "pay their own way" along such a "volume of trade unfriendly" route. You can TRY the "rustbucket" approach ... but it'll be risky ...



So yeah, yet another argument in favor of being able to visually see all of these changes that I'm making to the sector map in a way that is both accessible and intuitively obvious when you look at the sector map. Really proud of how this experiment is turning out up to this point.

 

[bookwyrm]

567-908

Denuli Crystal - Traveller

wiki.travellerrpg.com

A non trade reason to pass this way. Sort of.

I like the work you're doing, the questions it raises, and some of the answers found.

 

[Spinward Flow]

567-908

Denuli Crystal - Traveller

wiki.travellerrpg.com

A non trade reason to pass this way. Sort of.

True. But ...

Pay close attention to the dates referenced in that wiki article.
1111
1112

The timepoint being used for both LBB S3 and my (re)mapping effort here is ... 1105.

... the "certain point of view" in this particular instance of 1105 is "not relevant" because that particular ... discovery ... hasn't been made yet. It isn't until later that the Shriekers are "discovered" in 1108.

Which means that during 1105 when the (re)mapping is set, there is still no mercantile reason to want to visit 567-908 other than for wilderness refueling. This is why I've even removed the minor race remark notation from the Sector data file that indicates the presence of Shriekers on planet (although this is not apparent just from looking at the sector map image).

I like the work you're doing, the questions it raises, and some of the answers found.

Me too!
Bare minimum, this project is demonstrating "where the wilderness lies" within the sector, ranging from backwater worlds to the high population/high influence "islands in the archipelago" that emerges from the arrangement and scattering of star systems and populations across the map. Even something as simple as modifying the font typeface for world names like I've been doing yields so much more of a RICHER experience when just looking at the sector map! That kind of "added texture" that prevents the entire map from seeming like everything is the same no matter where you look (so to speak) gives a subtle sense of ... vibrancy and resonance ... to the information that the map is providing, which then acts as a springboard for both traveling around the map as well as providing points of interest that can be used as plot hooks for adventures.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Thirty-second step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Glisten subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Thirty-third step revision: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

This increment includes editing of the Trin's Veil subsector to include use of italics as well as underlined italics for mainworld names as markers for Population: 5-6 as well as Population: 4- UWPs, respectively.

NO EDITS Travellermap source: Imgur Link (3602 × 5209 png image) (recommend opening in new tab)

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And this completes the Non-industrialized world name update process.

Next step is going to be deciding on a new format formulation for displaying More Colors in world icons.

 

[GLΩAMING]

Great stuff! Love this. Do you have plans to do other sectors, or are you going to stop this magnificent correction crusade in the SM?