Traveller News Service Generator
- Thread starter Slink182
- Start date
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Let me be among the first to say "Holy Crap, This is Awesome!!!" Outstanding Stuff, what? How does it work? Does it have a reservoir of permutations of facts and dates to draw from? I think we have a strong contender for this year's "Man with Three Brains Award"
Well Done!
Well Done!
It generates and writes out a simple TNS seed based on an available list of entries. In general, it follows the method originally laid out by Michael Hughes (Mike, if you're here, take a bow). There are a few extra entries, and some permutations, but not much. It doesn't take into account dates - the TNS Generator is a "seeder" for ideas, so when the stories take place, and where, is really the domain of the referee.
It does "plant" the story to a specific world population since higher population worlds are more likely to generate noteworthy stories.
At some point in the future, I'll likely expand the generation list and add a few subroutines to it to truly make it more random in scope (ver.1.5, likely).
It does "plant" the story to a specific world population since higher population worlds are more likely to generate noteworthy stories.
At some point in the future, I'll likely expand the generation list and add a few subroutines to it to truly make it more random in scope (ver.1.5, likely).
Granpafishy
SOC-12
I look forward to that day 
Very nice. Slink, I'd love it if a future release could look at a *.SEC file I provide for world data, as well as lists of NPCs, Corporations, etc, that I can modify to reflect the background of my campaign.
Of course, that is a little harder to create.
Thanks for all the hard work, and I'm looking forward to that T20 Starship Encounters generator.
With Regards,
Flynn
Of course, that is a little harder to create.
Thanks for all the hard work, and I'm looking forward to that T20 Starship Encounters generator.
With Regards,
Flynn
Ya beat me to it Slink. I just hadn't got around to it (real life has been high-focus lately). Good job, though I still plan to code one up in PHP to let people pull down TNS entries online. Additionally, I did have the idea of letting people put in seeding information like dates and maybe even some locations or (fantasy version) sector files as inputs.
OK, I'm curious... what do these sector/.sec files look like? I wouldn't mind taking a look at a detailed on to see what I can pull out of it.
I have been thinking about TNS 1.5 and what to add. I think a more randomized approach would be nice - would follow something like "generate major headline, subgen headline event".
Also thought about using an external file that the user can add to that the program could open and mine for events. This file would use keywords and could either contain a specific news item waiting to be called up (an event) or something that would relate directly to a specific NPC/corporation/government/etc in the campaign universe, maybe something like:
"event,startrigger rumored on planet X"
("event" is the keyword, what follows would be the news item)
"NPC,John Smallberries,con"
("NPC" is the keyword, name is the NPC's name, "con" calls a subroutine that would determine the NPC's current con/activity)
The external file would, of course, be used in conjunction with the regular TNS stories.
Well, that's the dream, anyway. Somewhere down the road...
I have been thinking about TNS 1.5 and what to add. I think a more randomized approach would be nice - would follow something like "generate major headline, subgen headline event".
Also thought about using an external file that the user can add to that the program could open and mine for events. This file would use keywords and could either contain a specific news item waiting to be called up (an event) or something that would relate directly to a specific NPC/corporation/government/etc in the campaign universe, maybe something like:
"event,startrigger rumored on planet X"
("event" is the keyword, what follows would be the news item)
"NPC,John Smallberries,con"
("NPC" is the keyword, name is the NPC's name, "con" calls a subroutine that would determine the NPC's current con/activity)
The external file would, of course, be used in conjunction with the regular TNS stories.
Well, that's the dream, anyway. Somewhere down the road...
You can find classic examples of *.SEC files for the central sectors of Charted Space here:
http://traveller.mu.org/archive/General/sectors/
Your plan for using an external file sounds exactly like what I was suggesting.
Best of luck,
Flynn
http://traveller.mu.org/archive/General/sectors/
Your plan for using an external file sounds exactly like what I was suggesting.
Best of luck,
Flynn
