Solo Traveller, sub sector maps, and Blindnes
- Thread starter BlindGuy
- Start date
Spoke with Mark Already, and…
He thought it would be impossible to get things into a format which I could deal with. It's a combination of the strange layouts he used and the fact most of it was done in InDesign, not Word or what have you.
The annoying thing is, most of the text is perfectly readable. It's when you get to tables of any sort things get strange. This being Traveller, tables abound. If anybody has notions to the contrary, I'd love to hear about them
I do have a fellow who's been willing to convert some RPG books in the past—he's doing GURPS for me at the moment, for instance. He took one look at T5 and threw up his hands.
That being said, Mongoose is always an option. I don't want to start any kind of edition wars here.
He thought it would be impossible to get things into a format which I could deal with. It's a combination of the strange layouts he used and the fact most of it was done in InDesign, not Word or what have you.
The annoying thing is, most of the text is perfectly readable. It's when you get to tables of any sort things get strange. This being Traveller, tables abound. If anybody has notions to the contrary, I'd love to hear about them
I do have a fellow who's been willing to convert some RPG books in the past—he's doing GURPS for me at the moment, for instance. He took one look at T5 and threw up his hands.
That being said, Mongoose is always an option. I don't want to start any kind of edition wars here.
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Spreadsheets
Excel or Numbers is basically how we do it. He'll take the table from the PDF, I gather, and input it into a spreadsheet. It's easier to navigate grids that way anyhow, and if they're set up properly I can track my position without any trouble.
Excel or Numbers is basically how we do it. He'll take the table from the PDF, I gather, and input it into a spreadsheet. It's easier to navigate grids that way anyhow, and if they're set up properly I can track my position without any trouble.
If there's anything else specific I can expand on, I'd be happy to.
Thanks for being willing to try and make these games more accessible!A suggestion: could some of us (with time on our hands) divvy up the T5 core book and put the tables in excel format, and then send them to Dom or Rob to give a quick once over?
It feels like something worth pursuing.
EDIT
I have looked at the first 26 pages (not doing any more tonight!!), and I have put the table of contents, History timeline, and the dice tables from pages 24, 25 and 26 into a spreadsheet so that if it is needed it saves time. If a worthwhile venture, I will carry on and get the first chunk (up to page 57ish with Character gen) done. Then, I will probably hate spreadsheets once more!!!
My gut tells me that this is worth doing, but Miller et al have enough to be getting on with. So, my gut tells me to do the heavy lifting and then pass it over as and when. My gut says many things, though I wish it was a little smaller. it apparently holds much. Not all of it wisdom!
It feels like something worth pursuing.
EDIT
I have looked at the first 26 pages (not doing any more tonight!!), and I have put the table of contents, History timeline, and the dice tables from pages 24, 25 and 26 into a spreadsheet so that if it is needed it saves time. If a worthwhile venture, I will carry on and get the first chunk (up to page 57ish with Character gen) done. Then, I will probably hate spreadsheets once more!!!
My gut tells me that this is worth doing, but Miller et al have enough to be getting on with. So, my gut tells me to do the heavy lifting and then pass it over as and when. My gut says many things, though I wish it was a little smaller. it apparently holds much. Not all of it wisdom!
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I have produced a game supplement called Star Trader, available on DriveThru RPG which is for playing solo games in Mongoose Traveller/or CT with no real change. The trade activities are an excuse for stumbling on adventures. It features tables and is in PDF format, but I'll happily send you a copy in Word for free if you want.
Post here, or PM me or email zozer at talktalk.net
Post here, or PM me or email zozer at talktalk.net
Grid lines…
I'm not sure where grid lines come into things. By "grid," I meant that the spreadsheet format was ideal for presenting tables which were larger or more complicated. I'm not sure the formatting matters much.
In any case, I'd love a copy of this supplement. PM incoming with my email address. Thanks!
Best,
Zack.
I'm not sure where grid lines come into things.
By "grid," I meant that the spreadsheet format was ideal for presenting tables which were larger or more complicated. I'm not sure the formatting matters much.In any case, I'd love a copy of this supplement. PM incoming with my email address. Thanks!
Best,
Zack.
FreeTrav
SOC-14 1K
Zack, I'd also appreciate feedback on the accessibility of http://www.freelancetraveller.com - while it's mostly text, I'm not sure that the organization of the page is optimal for use by someone with your constraints, and I'd like to know how to make it better.
On the Contrary
The site isn't bad at all as it stands. I'd suggest a header at the beginning of the content so as to allow me to skip past the persistent site title at the top, but otherwise it's pretty good. I appreciate the relative lack of clutter.
The site isn't bad at all as it stands.
I'd suggest a header at the beginning of the content so as to allow me to skip past the persistent site title at the top, but otherwise it's pretty good. I appreciate the relative lack of clutter. Not Quite…
There are a few ways to represent Braille. If we are going for something standard and literary, we'd use a symbol to mark the start of numbers. But computer Braille, as it's called, doesn't need that. Numbers are shifted down one dot, for the most part. I'd suggest that things like UWP codes in particular are easy to represent in computer Braille without too many problems. The one disadvantage it has is no contractions when representing literary fiction.
All the best,
Zack.
There are a few ways to represent Braille. If we are going for something standard and literary, we'd use a symbol to mark the start of numbers. But computer Braille, as it's called, doesn't need that. Numbers are shifted down one dot, for the most part. I'd suggest that things like UWP codes in particular are easy to represent in computer Braille without too many problems. The one disadvantage it has is no contractions when representing literary fiction.
All the best,
Zack.
There are a few ways to represent Braille. If we are going for something standard and literary, we'd use a symbol to mark the start of numbers. But computer Braille, as it's called, doesn't need that. Numbers are shifted down one dot, for the most part. I'd suggest that things like UWP codes in particular are easy to represent in computer Braille without too many problems. The one disadvantage it has is no contractions when representing literary fiction.
All the best,
Zack.
So, in computer braille, is it using an 8-dot output device, or a 6-dot?
Some More Info
Hi All,
I thought I would supply some more information on my Braille display, working on the assumption this will be a little easier to deal with than physical paper, certainly for prototyping, so to speak.
It's 40 cells wide, and so can hold enough for a full Braille line. It supports files via an SD card in most common formats, PDF excepted. It has a "page," function to move 25 lines at a time, the standard Braille page length.
For those interested, I have a Braille Edge 40, documented here.
All the best,
Zack.
Hi All,
I thought I would supply some more information on my Braille display, working on the assumption this will be a little easier to deal with than physical paper, certainly for prototyping, so to speak.
It's 40 cells wide, and so can hold enough for a full Braille line. It supports files via an SD card in most common formats, PDF excepted. It has a "page," function to move 25 lines at a time, the standard Braille page length.
For those interested, I have a Braille Edge 40, documented here.
All the best,
Zack.
I meant header in the sense of h1, h2, etc in the HTMl code. As it is now there is one at the top of every page, but it's right before the boilerplate info, "The Electronic Fan-Supported Traveller ® Resource." It's this sort of thing I'd like to not need to skip every time.
I don't know a lot about the standards for these things. A "Skip to Main Content," link would also do the same thing, and that would be as you mentioned, a jump. I have the ability to navigate by headers, form controls, links, etc.
Hope this clarifies a bit,
Zack.
I don't know a lot about the standards for these things. A "Skip to Main Content," link would also do the same thing, and that would be as you mentioned, a jump. I have the ability to navigate by headers, form controls, links, etc.
Hope this clarifies a bit,
Zack.
I wonder if it might not be better to treat the map in a jumpmap sort of manner: Instead of trying to display the entire subsector in a way that makes sense for a line reader, you'd display a single system's UWC, and then a list of all the systems within a certain range of it. You would then pick one of those, then see a new list generated from that:
Han c-401688-8 sp
J1 - Bogie c-632868-5 c
J1 - Reject c-64569b-c hc
J3 - Blancmange a-867b9b-b nshcr
J4 - Hunt 7 x-89a000-0
Since a free trader captain would probably be less concerned with where they were going over the long term, and more concerned with keeping the route profitable, it would be a good way to look at possibilities for the next jump.
It would be pretty easy to take this a step further and write something that plotted, say, a route from one system to another that took some criteria into account: jump drive factor, fuel requirements, etc.
Han c-401688-8 sp
J1 - Bogie c-632868-5 c
J1 - Reject c-64569b-c hc
J3 - Blancmange a-867b9b-b nshcr
J4 - Hunt 7 x-89a000-0
Since a free trader captain would probably be less concerned with where they were going over the long term, and more concerned with keeping the route profitable, it would be a good way to look at possibilities for the next jump.
It would be pretty easy to take this a step further and write something that plotted, say, a route from one system to another that took some criteria into account: jump drive factor, fuel requirements, etc.
