Greg Hines sez:
>Of course I could just be incredibly paranoid since in an Old CT campaign
>we spent alot of time fighting the big C and his minions that would not die
>(well, the little ones die when you hit them with enough FGMP-15s:)
Gee, I thought I was the only one to do things that weird! (...and I
have been entertaining thoughts of "Gothic Punk Space Opera"...)
Yes, I noticed those interesting tidbits from Survival Margin. Made me
wonder if GDW was going to do Digest Group's "Baddies from the Core"
campaign after all...
Pete Brenton:
>I am, of course, oversimplifying. But I'd like to hear about the effects
>on Imperial politics (or anyone elses politics for that matter) and history
>before adopting a three-dimensional universe (besides, what do I do with
>all these blank subsector maps?).
It would completely change the entire history of the Imperium, starting
from the Vilani expansion in -gawdawful B.C. I agree with Jo about the
annoying artificiality of the standard 2D maps, BUT... because of the
effect on history, I am resigned to using them for a "standard" Imperial
campaign. If I ever run a home-brew universe, I will use the GURPS Space
3D Maps. Lots of great material to swipe for Traveller worlds in the
GURPS Space Atlas series, if you've never seen them.
>> From: Jo Jaquinta [email removed]
>> Subject: Three Dimensional Traveller
>> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 93 8:46:48 BST
>>
>> ...
>> _Space is big_ Really big. A small 10x10x10 parsec cube, what I had
>> envisaged as a sub-sector, is really only comprable with a sector. Simple
>> maths shows there are 1280 hexes in your standard 2D 32x40 sector and
>>1000 in a 10x10x10 cube. In all that gaming they have never left that
>>area.
>> ...
From: [email removed] (Edward Swatschek)
> When I did a 3d universe, I used subsectors 10x10x10 parsecs, sectors
>2x2x2 subsectors, and domains of 2x2x2 sectors (64 000 cubic parsecs). I
>found a realistic number of worlds per subsector would be 40-120 (about 500
>..... The separation of systems required
>most ships to have at least 3 parsecs range to get around. It made for
>some convoluted trade routes if you are limited to jump 2-3.
I had a similar experience with my short-lived "Traveller:2600" home-brew
campaign. I ran it for a few months when I was in the Navy, and I used
a 3D 8x10x10 subsector. Didn't need any larger administrative units such
as the sector, as all the major powers were a couple of subsectors large
at most. As it was, the players never got out of Sol subsector. I found
that trade routes tended to manifest as "arms" out from Terra, just like
in 2300. I assumed this would be true for any alien homeworld as well,
and interesting things would happen where those "arms" came in contact.
Pete Benton again:
>OK, thats what I've got for now. I'm looking for other engineering
>considerations, concepts for starport access (must have one per habitat?),
>ideas to add color, flavor, and a sense of Scope to this idea. How is the
>environment maintained or recharged? Ice from the asteroid belt? Remember
>this is a seedy place; lots of crime, terrorism, elitism/class
>distinctions. A city this large should be as mixed and varied as the
>largest city on Earth (esp. since it has a pop bigger than ALL of Earth).
>Other questions; How old is the habitat? what is the history of
>construction (I though each ring of habitats would have been built outside
>the previous ones). What abnormalities of everyday life do the people
>living there face? Could this have given rise to some odd customs or
>habits?
Recommended reading:
- "Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke
If you haven't read it, the story deals with a human expedition
exploring a huge alien habitat that has entered the Solar System.
- "Starhammer" by Christopher ??I can't remember the last name??
Part of the action takes place aboard a huge, ancient, decaying deep
space habitat inhabited by a stratified society like you envision for the
big Glisten habitat.
- Steve mentions "Titan" by John Varley.
A large, decaying, alien space habitat, I am told.
-- Cynthia