UFP: Universal Factory Profile

[robject]

Here's my alpha version of the UFP, the Universal Factory Profile. The concept is being tested for Book 2 drive types; if it looks good, it'll be expanded to cover stuff in general.

NAME (1st two chars is the company abbreviation)
REQUIRED STARPORT
REQUIRED WORLD SIZE (or 'X')
REQUIRED POPULATION DIGIT (or 'X')
REQUIRED TECH LEVEL
REQUIRED TRADE CODES
DEVICE CODE:NAME
DECODING FORMULA

Device codes are something like "H" for hulls, "J" for Jump Drives, "C" for combo drives, etc. Decoding formula is the change to apply to the model ID to derive a unit's performance.

For example, suppose GP builds starship hulls. A GP factory might be named "GP Instone", and this factory might require a class A starport, any world size, a world population in the millions, and a TL of C.

How about ID conventions? Well, let's make one up. The GPI Var/4600 is, stupidly enough, a 200 ton hull. So I might say "d10 s260".

So, putting it all together, maybe I'd have something like this:

GP Instone AX-6-C H:GPI Var/ d10 s260

This produces the line of hull products like so:

GPI Var/3600
GPI Var/4600
GPI Var/5600
GPI Var/14600

...and so on.

Glancing over a list of factories shows who owns each and what each builds.

Suggestions?

 

[robject]

Here's my alpha version of the UFP, the Universal Factory Profile. The concept is being tested for Book 2 drive types; if it looks good, it'll be expanded to cover stuff in general.

NAME (1st two chars is the company abbreviation)
REQUIRED STARPORT
REQUIRED WORLD SIZE (or 'X')
REQUIRED POPULATION DIGIT (or 'X')
REQUIRED TECH LEVEL
REQUIRED TRADE CODES
DEVICE CODE:NAME
DECODING FORMULA

Device codes are something like "H" for hulls, "J" for Jump Drives, "C" for combo drives, etc. Decoding formula is the change to apply to the model ID to derive a unit's performance.

For example, suppose GP builds starship hulls. A GP factory might be named "GP Instone", and this factory might require a class A starport, any world size, a world population in the millions, and a TL of C.

How about ID conventions? Well, let's make one up. The GPI Var/4600 is, stupidly enough, a 200 ton hull. So I might say "d10 s260".

So, putting it all together, maybe I'd have something like this:

GP Instone AX-6-C H:GPI Var/ d10 s260

This produces the line of hull products like so:

GPI Var/3600
GPI Var/4600
GPI Var/5600
GPI Var/14600

...and so on.

Glancing over a list of factories shows who owns each and what each builds.

Suggestions?

 

[Fritz_Brown]

I think I understand everything except the Device Code and Decoding Formula.... (BTW, where's the Required Trade Code in your example?)

 

[Fritz_Brown]

I think I understand everything except the Device Code and Decoding Formula.... (BTW, where's the Required Trade Code in your example?)

 

[robject]

Mmmm. Well, OK, I'll say this factory produces "luxury" hulls, and therefore its hosting world must be "rich".

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">GP Instone AX-6-C Ri H:GPI Var/ *10+260
factory | | | | |
world codes | | | |
trade codes | | |
device code | |
device name |
encoding function
</pre>[/QUOTE]The device "Code" indicates what kind of thing is produced at that factory. 'H' for hulls. 'J' for jump drives. 'M' for M-Drives. Something along those lines. Two-letter codes could be added for further expansion: HP for HEPlaR engines.

As for the de/encoding formulae:

The sort of thing I'm thinking is this: each device has a two part identifier, a 'name' and a number. The number is actually related to a size or an index mapping the device to "Traveller terms" -- it's simply disguised to look somewhat arbitrary. Encoding rules are added to show referees how to derive the product label ID from the actual size or potential of the device. I may not have thought this out all the way, but that was my original intention.

So what I want is a way to say to players:

"Congratulations! You've just purchased a YTV9000 Drop Tank assembly from General Products! Ah, you have computer skill, you can tell from the invoice that it originates from their Drexilblarg factory on Efate."

Hmm, I should probably make Encoders instead of Decoders, 'cause I want to go from the thing itself to the product label, and not the other way around.

 

[robject]

Mmmm. Well, OK, I'll say this factory produces "luxury" hulls, and therefore its hosting world must be "rich".

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">GP Instone AX-6-C Ri H:GPI Var/ *10+260
factory | | | | |
world codes | | | |
trade codes | | |
device code | |
device name |
encoding function
</pre>[/QUOTE]The device "Code" indicates what kind of thing is produced at that factory. 'H' for hulls. 'J' for jump drives. 'M' for M-Drives. Something along those lines. Two-letter codes could be added for further expansion: HP for HEPlaR engines.

As for the de/encoding formulae:

The sort of thing I'm thinking is this: each device has a two part identifier, a 'name' and a number. The number is actually related to a size or an index mapping the device to "Traveller terms" -- it's simply disguised to look somewhat arbitrary. Encoding rules are added to show referees how to derive the product label ID from the actual size or potential of the device. I may not have thought this out all the way, but that was my original intention.

So what I want is a way to say to players:

"Congratulations! You've just purchased a YTV9000 Drop Tank assembly from General Products! Ah, you have computer skill, you can tell from the invoice that it originates from their Drexilblarg factory on Efate."

Hmm, I should probably make Encoders instead of Decoders, 'cause I want to go from the thing itself to the product label, and not the other way around.