MT Only: MT Referee's Manual Basic MW Generation World Size 0

[snrdg082102]

Morning all,

A delayed thought about MT Referee's Manual (MT: RM) Basic Main World Generation (BMWG) Step 4 World Size and Step 16 Planetoid Belts prompted the question, which has probably been answered already and is hiding from my attempts to bring it to light:

If Step 4 generates a main world of Size 0, described as an asteroid/planetoid belt, is the number of planetoid belts generated in Step 16 affected?

I've dug through my products for CT, other MT material, TNE, and T4 to see if the answer was in one of them. So far my only success is discovering that they all seem to have the same lack of information on the effect of an asteroid belt has on planetoid belts. Okay, I was also successful in finding a bunch of other interesting and non-related materials that almost sent me on a tangent.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[McPerth]

I'd say an asteroid belt as main planet is not counted against the number of planetoid belts given by the tables, as if it was counted you'd have a problem if you roll 0 planetoid belts on a 0 size main planet UWP, as UWP is rolled before extended system.

As an aside, if you're also using WBH for the extended system rolling, see that the tables for planetoid belt composition give you percentages well above 100 in several cases (I already pointed that in the errata thread some time ago).

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning PDT McPerth,

The web gremlins decided to allow the quote button work when replying to your response today, unlike when I tried, yesterday 6/1/14, using the feature responding to your help on the base question.

I'd say an asteroid belt as main planet is not counted against the number of planetoid belts given by the tables, as if it was counted you'd have a problem if you roll 0 planetoid belts on a 0 size main planet UWP, as UWP is rolled before extended system.

I'll go with your hunch that an asteroid belt has no bearing on rolling for planetoid belts. Of course I have no idea of what triggered the question after all this time of using mainly the main world generator and the number of times I've tried the extended system generator checklists.

As an aside, if you're also using WBH for the extended system rolling, see that the tables for planetoid belt composition give you percentages well above 100 in several cases (I already pointed that in the errata thread some time ago).

One of the items I don't have in my MT collection is the WBH. I do have the TNE World Tamer's Handbook (WTH).

I an wondering how close MT WBH and TNE WTH are since, at least to me, the main world and extended system generators in both rule sets appear to be almost identical.

Thanks for the reply and the support you've given me.

 

[aramis]

Morning all,

A delayed thought about MT Referee's Manual (MT: RM) Basic Main World Generation (BMWG) Step 4 World Size and Step 16 Planetoid Belts prompted the question, which has probably been answered already and is hiding from my attempts to bring it to light:

If Step 4 generates a main world of Size 0, described as an asteroid/planetoid belt, is the number of planetoid belts generated in Step 16 affected?

I've dug through my products for CT, other MT material, TNE, and T4 to see if the answer was in one of them. So far my only success is discovering that they all seem to have the same lack of information on the effect of an asteroid belt has on planetoid belts. Okay, I was also successful in finding a bunch of other interesting and non-related materials that almost sent me on a tangent.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

IIRC, The main world is in addition to any planetoids generated. It's a holdover from Bk 6, and was just an oversight.

 

[rancke]

IIRC, The main world is in addition to any planetoids generated. It's a holdover from Bk 6, and was just an oversight.

That's what I recall as well. I don't have the patience to dig out the reference, but I'm quite sure that any belts in the PBG (PGB? I can never remember) data cluster are over and above a mainworld belt.


Hans

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning PDT aramis and rancke,

Thanks for the feedback and supporting McPerth's comment championing the concept of the main world as an asteroid belt has no effect on generating planetoid belts.

I've checked Book 6 and there is a high probability that I missed the reference, I'll take another look.

 

[Vargas]

Book 6, page 34 states:

"In the Basic Traveller world generation system, a world size 0 is used to designate an asteroid belt. For the purposes of distinction, an asteroid belt is used to describe a planetoid belt which is the main world in a system; a planetoid belt is any other group of planetoids in a system which otherwise has a main world".

 

[snrdg082102]

Hello Vargas,

Thank you for providing the Book 6 page number and quote of the text.

Book 6, page 34 states:

"In the Basic Traveller world generation system, a world size 0 is used to designate an asteroid belt. For the purposes of distinction, an asteroid belt is used to describe a planetoid belt which is the main world in a system; a planetoid belt is any other group of planetoids in a system which otherwise has a main world".

The above clearly defines the difference between when the belt is identified as either asteroid or planetoid. The text at the top of page 35 clearly states that gas giants are a negative DM applied to the roll determines whether a belt exists and gas giants also restricts the number of belts that can be created.

However, the rules, at least in my fuzzy old mind, does not clearly state if the main world being an asteroid belt alters the number of planetoid belts.

Of course I'm also confusing which is which since I was given to understand the largest asteroids are usually called planetoids. In my imagination I see the largest asteroids or planetoids is the major population center and per the rules is probably the main world.

thanks again for the help.

 

[Vargas]

However, the rules, at least in my fuzzy old mind, does not clearly state if the main world being an asteroid belt alters the number of planetoid belts.

My read is that an asteroid belt has no mechanical effect on the number of planetoid belts present. An asteroid belt holds the same status as any other "main world", therefore it is equivalent to any other non-asteroid belt planet that has been designated as the main world in the system as far as planetoid belt creation is concerned. It's a purely semantic point sure but it works in my mind.

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning (0702 PDT) Vargas,

My read is that an asteroid belt has no mechanical effect on the number of planetoid belts present. An asteroid belt holds the same status as any other "main world", therefore it is equivalent to any other non-asteroid belt planet that has been designated as the main world in the system as far as planetoid belt creation is concerned. It's a purely semantic point sure but it works in my mind.

I'll admit that my only attempt at working up a complete system (star and everything else) was for the background on a company I created in the Delphi Sector with the hopes of submitting to one of the online magazines. I began using Book 3 and Book 6 system generators, switched to Heaven and Earth (I think that is the title), and finally Traveller Universe. Unfortunately, my old XP machine began to fail resulted in a new computer with Windows 7 which does not want to run Traveller Universe.

As things stand the story line is still a work in progress which is not caused by not being able to get Traveller Universe software to run on my computer. My major issue started prior to my old computer dying and is that I see a topic in a forum which distracts me. ;-)

Now I have to find where I put the Traveller Universe media and re-install on my computer to see if I can try to figure out how get it to work. They same the third times a charm.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[robject]

However, the rules, at least in my fuzzy old mind, does not clearly state if the main world being an asteroid belt alters the number of planetoid belts.

It's not clear; however, it means that particular planetoid belt is in addition to any which are otherwise accounted for.

In other words, a system which has a "B" in the "PBG" of ZERO, and yet has a Size Zero mainworld, does in fact have one planetoid belt.

Put another way, if a system has a Size Zero mainworld, then the total number of planetoid belts is B+1.

 

[snrdg082102]

Hello robject,

It's not clear; however, it means that particular planetoid belt is in addition to any which are otherwise accounted for.

In other words, a system which has a "B" in the "PBG" of ZERO, and yet has a Size Zero mainworld, does in fact have one planetoid belt.

Put another way, if a system has a Size Zero mainworld, then the total number of planetoid belts is B+1.

To make this clear in my fuzzy old mind:

A main world that is an asteroid belt does not alter the generation of planetoid belts. The main world asteroid belt and any planetoid belts generated would be recorded in the UPP (CT Bk3/Bk6) or UWP (MT/TNE/T4) format as the sum of Asteroid Belts + the Main World Asteroid belt.

A system with a main world asteroid belt and two planetoid belts would be noted in the UPP/UWP as 3.

Am I on the right track.

 

[rancke]

In other words, a system which has a "B" in the "PBG" of ZERO, and yet has a Size Zero mainworld, does in fact have one planetoid belt.

Put another way, if a system has a Size Zero mainworld, then the total number of planetoid belts is B+1.

It is easier to think of it as having one asteroid belt and B planetoid belts.


Hans