X-Boat Routes

In TML Archive Message 258, Fred Schiff ([email removed]) asks:

>This is a two part question:
>a) is there any semi-automatic way for generating xboat and other
>   routes from the information on a sector map?
This has always been an Eye-ball method for me.  There are a lot of criteria
that can go into calculating the most strategic location.  Given the following
sub-sector:


       A                     B                 A
       O                     O                 O
    System A             System C          System E
       A                     B
       O                     O
    System B             System D

System A   A___8__-D Scout and Navy Bases and Gas Giant
System B   A___9__-E Navy Base and Gas Giant
System C   B___5__-A
System D   B__09__-B
System E   _________ First Hub for the X-Boat Route

If you say link all A & B within Jump-3 or Jump-4, Then there will be two
X-Boat routes from system E to System C and D.  This is impractical.  Further,
using the same criteria, there would be six X-Boat routes between A, B, C, and
D.  (A to B, A to D, A to C, B to C, B to D, C to D).  You have to include
other factors.  For instance, System D would probably not be on an X-Boat route
be because there is no natural fuel in the system, even though it is a higher
tech level and higher population world than System C.  They would use couriers
to relay information to system D.  System's A and B are about equal in bidding
for the X-Boat Route.  The main consideration here would be what was beyond the
two.  Is the next concetration of worlds coreward or rimward? Etc.  If they are
the last two systems to get an X-Boat Route, then System A would get the nod
because of the Scout and Navy base.

Things to consider:
1) Star Port (More ships visit to dissminate mail)
2) Population (More people receiving messages)
3) Tech Level (Better message processing facilities)
4) Scout Base (Repair facilities etc., lots of Scout/Couriers)
5) Navy Base (Heavy X-Boat Mail user)
6) Natural Fuel (Gas Giant, Water) (Helps curb fuel costs)
7) Where am I going to next?

>b) given a text file with the sector or subsector information, what is
>   a good format to store the xboat route information? (I am thinking
>   of a text database format to be compatible with that used for sectors)
Well, what you could do is use a format like

0101 System Name   A123456-7 BTrade Codes    A701ImStar1 Star2 Star3 0202
                                                                     ^
                                                  XBoat Companion ---+

>Also what about the other routes?  The xboat routes are the Jump-4 routes
>which the communications take.  What about the trade routes? It is conceivable
>that the Megacorp. and Sector/Subsector wide routes of the various companies,
>although slower are as important in diseminating information, especially in
>outlying star systems. There are no rules as to where these should go (follow
>the xboats, but also go to other places)

There are six basic routes left to set up:
a) Scout/Courier Mail Routes
b) MegaCorp Trade Routes
c) Sector Trade Routes
d) Sub-Sector Trade Routes
e) Fledgling Trade Routes
f) Free Trader Routes

Scout Mail routes will STAR out from Xboat routes, preferably at Jump-2
intervals.  Mail can be carried from those worlds by fitted traders on jump-1
ships.

MegaCorp routes are going to jump to worlds that are going to make the most
money.  Sector routes are going to work the same.  Subsector trading companies
will visit some of the less profitable worlds where as fledgling and free
traders will visit them more.  The competiton at high tech, high pop rich
worlds will be too high for the smaller lines to even have a chance.  I don't
think that GDW set these up for two reasons, first it would clutter the maps
and second there are too many variables.

- --
Rob Miracle              | Bitnet   : [email removed]    CIS: [email removed]
Programmer/Analyst-II    | INTERNET : [email removed]
University of Louisville | UUCP     : ...[email removed]