A topic of some discussion elsewhere; thought I would throw it out
here and see what kind of reaction I would get.
The Dark Nebula maps cause some confusion for those wanting to use the
game as a back drop for Traveller. Two issues come to mind, one is that,
in the game, the players are allowed to change the alighnment of the
maps from game to game. The second issue is the DGP map of the Dark
Nebula sector.
As for the first issue, I'd dispense with the random alighnment of the
maps. Each map has coordinates on it, starting from Vecinos map(0101)
and ending with the Rift Routes map(3220). If you place these
coordinates in their proper order, you should have your maps set up as
follows:
Vecinos Dark Nebula Moralon Aslan Heirate
Solomani Quadrant The Fastnesses Bright Star Rift Routes
While this gives you a map, it does cause other problems. First,
assuming that the galactic directions are being used correctly, that is to
say the top of the map being coreward, the bottom rimward, the left side
spinward and the right side trailing, then the Rift Routes, Aslan Heirate,
and Solomani Quadrant maps all seem to be in the wrong
place. One could rectify by handwaving: boundry lines of the Aslan
Hierate and Solomani Confederation are listed somewhere[IIRC, in
Supplement 8, Library Data A-M] as being indeterminate. One could
concievably assume the Solomani being behind "spinward" of the core
subsector of the Hierate. Dgp's Rats and Cats have the Zodiac colonies
beyond the Hierate Core, why not have other Solomani Quadrant out there
as well? As for the Rift Routes map, the hand wave is easy enough; these
are routes across a rift, but not THE Great Rift. In affect, this would
be Dark Nebula's Lanth subsector.
Since we mentioned Dgp's Rats and Cats, we should mention that that book
had a full sector map with worlds and everything. However, most of the
systems in the Dgp map have absolutely no coordination with systems in
Dark Nebula. Nothing matches; IIRC only Kuzu and Osa are on the Dgp map,
and Osa is in the wrong position relative to Kuzu. My own inclination is
to favor the Dark Nebula game [DNG] maps over the Dgp map, since the DNG
map IS a part of Canon, while the Dgp material is, I guess, in some kind
of limbo like state.
Andy Slack has done a bit using the DNG maps:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andyslack/html/dn.htm
I'm looking at his map, which seems to be inverted 180% from the hand
wave Dark Nebula map. GT campaign, hmmm. I see he has each world
starport level based on the number of jump routes leading to it. I dunno
about that, I'll have to cogitate on it a little while. Otherwise looks
interesting.
here and see what kind of reaction I would get.
The Dark Nebula maps cause some confusion for those wanting to use the
game as a back drop for Traveller. Two issues come to mind, one is that,
in the game, the players are allowed to change the alighnment of the
maps from game to game. The second issue is the DGP map of the Dark
Nebula sector.
As for the first issue, I'd dispense with the random alighnment of the
maps. Each map has coordinates on it, starting from Vecinos map(0101)
and ending with the Rift Routes map(3220). If you place these
coordinates in their proper order, you should have your maps set up as
follows:
Vecinos Dark Nebula Moralon Aslan Heirate
Solomani Quadrant The Fastnesses Bright Star Rift Routes
While this gives you a map, it does cause other problems. First,
assuming that the galactic directions are being used correctly, that is to
say the top of the map being coreward, the bottom rimward, the left side
spinward and the right side trailing, then the Rift Routes, Aslan Heirate,
and Solomani Quadrant maps all seem to be in the wrong
place. One could rectify by handwaving: boundry lines of the Aslan
Hierate and Solomani Confederation are listed somewhere[IIRC, in
Supplement 8, Library Data A-M] as being indeterminate. One could
concievably assume the Solomani being behind "spinward" of the core
subsector of the Hierate. Dgp's Rats and Cats have the Zodiac colonies
beyond the Hierate Core, why not have other Solomani Quadrant out there
as well? As for the Rift Routes map, the hand wave is easy enough; these
are routes across a rift, but not THE Great Rift. In affect, this would
be Dark Nebula's Lanth subsector.
Since we mentioned Dgp's Rats and Cats, we should mention that that book
had a full sector map with worlds and everything. However, most of the
systems in the Dgp map have absolutely no coordination with systems in
Dark Nebula. Nothing matches; IIRC only Kuzu and Osa are on the Dgp map,
and Osa is in the wrong position relative to Kuzu. My own inclination is
to favor the Dark Nebula game [DNG] maps over the Dgp map, since the DNG
map IS a part of Canon, while the Dgp material is, I guess, in some kind
of limbo like state.
Andy Slack has done a bit using the DNG maps:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andyslack/html/dn.htm
I'm looking at his map, which seems to be inverted 180% from the hand
wave Dark Nebula map. GT campaign, hmmm. I see he has each world
starport level based on the number of jump routes leading to it. I dunno
about that, I'll have to cogitate on it a little while. Otherwise looks
interesting.
(Short version: Kuzu is in a different subsector than the one shown in Aslan and far too close to the Hierate border to fit the canon history).
