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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to EpsilonLogan [2018-09-12 04:10:25 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! You may be interested in the revised version of that map that I just released a week or two ago:

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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to Killgareth [2018-01-15 21:51:33 +0000 UTC]

Heh. Yeah, this is a pretty huge file.

Honestly, a map about this big (out to ten parsecs or so) is probably the best we can do if you're looking at all stars, because we don't have a complete inventory of red dwarfs and brown dwarfs out even this far. If you want to make a map of likely-habitable systems, that's a bit easier since you're considering mostly early-K stars and up. The HIPPARCOS data is probably about the best you can get, and that's available as a database online.

Of course, the big challenge is deciding how to design the planetary systems and where to put those habitable worlds. I've spent years, on and off, working on a system to do that, but every time I think I'm getting somewhere the science advances some more . . .

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Killgareth In reply to Sharrukin-of-Akkad [2018-01-16 11:58:29 +0000 UTC]

well, yes, that's pretty hard. However, for the second i designed my own system and generally do not deviate from it, for consistency sake at least. it three simple:

-habitable planets are only around star over 3 billion years old (everything below has primitive life and toxic environments). in addition, no stars that have short lifespans- medium sized F type are the upper limit.
-no flare stars. its practically a given, really.
-higher metallicity stars- this is important, i think, because low metallicity stars, while they do have planets, are usually gas giants. in addition, terrestrial planets are probably low mass, and this would mean they will lose their internal heat quickly and become Mars analogues.

while probably not the most scientifically accurate system, it helps with keeping an internal consistency, which is a bit more important for a work of fiction, and it also helps bring the workload down. designing the actual environment of habitable planets, now that's where things get rough...

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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to MichaelSD [2016-11-22 02:12:27 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. I think I may be working up a revised version one of these days soon - once I refine the new world-design sequence a bit further, and integrate some new ideas about the Human Destiny setting. Not to mention a map of the Khedai Hegemony on a larger scale.

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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to Jakeukalane [2015-02-22 02:16:00 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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Jakeukalane In reply to Sharrukin-of-Akkad [2015-02-22 02:29:05 +0000 UTC]

welcome! Amazing piece!

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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to Sings-With-Spirits [2015-01-24 04:48:17 +0000 UTC]

Aha, good point. The way I use the map is just to see relationships between stars, and I get the coordinates out of a spreadsheet where I have all the planetary data as well. Anyone else who tries to use it is going to need to be able to measure straight-line distances, though.

I've got another version release planned before long, I'll make sure I add a scale along with everything else.

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Sings-With-Spirits In reply to Sharrukin-of-Akkad [2015-01-24 13:18:36 +0000 UTC]

I tried making a similar map (for RPG gaming) ages ago, using hex-graph paper at 1 LY per hex... I have utter respect for your work... and patience. 

If I could be so bold as to make a couple of suggestions:

The scale indicator could be calibrated not only for parsecs, but for light years, making it easier to calculate distances using a dividing compass.

A legend should be added indicating the meaning of the different colors, along with the significance of the various types of stellar indicator symbols.

Can't wait to see the new version!

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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to Sings-With-Spirits [2015-01-25 19:58:29 +0000 UTC]

Yes, those all sound like good things to add, and easy enough. I'll make a note.

Biggest thing right now is that I'm having a hard time deciding what kind of SF universe to build on this map. For a while I've been toying with the notion of "Earth as a remote colony of an enormous alien interstellar empire," but in that case human characters won't have much choice as to where to travel and the map isn't of much use. On the other hand, I have a difficult time believing in us developing viable interstellar travel on our own, or in finding alien interstellar-capable civilizations this close to home. Sooner or later I'll find a model that's interesting and will generate good stories.

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Sings-With-Spirits In reply to Sharrukin-of-Akkad [2015-01-26 01:49:27 +0000 UTC]

For that, there are a few basic questions that you need to ask:

    1)      What are the basic mechanics for interstellar travel? Does even FTL exist? A “slow boat” system could be used, with automated ships and the crew in stasis, like the one in Avatar, with voyages taking several years per light year travelled. If this case, space travel may be “a really big deal” and effectively a one-way deal for individual travelers; in this case, a detailed map is not really needed.  Conversely,  a series of portals (land based, like Stargate) or space-based (like Babylon 5) might be the only existing FTL technology, in which case the maps might be vastly different, of portal networks, rather than stellar distances. Do ships have “artificial gravity” at all, or do they accelerate to generate it? Or do they use  grav plates and acceleration compensators to move through space with decks perpendicular to the thrust vector? I’ve always been a big fan of the Renegade Legion model (renegade-legion.wikia.com/wiki… ) for FTL travel, though it is better for larger scale settings. For smaller-scale settings, something similar to the mechanics of Star Frontiers ( starfrontiers.wikia.com/wiki/I… ) might be better suited. Of course, there is always the Star Trek inspired “warp scale” or variant thereof. I’m also partial to “jump technology” settings, where stellar positions are important. Then, you must decide if travel is along charted routes or wide open… so many choices… so little time…

    2)      Is there a technology for interstellar communications that functions faster than FTL ship travel? Big deal, this; especially in slower FTL methods; this shapes how space is colonized and governed, also diversifying cultures differently than if Radio Cosmos broadcasts Ruby Rhodd live every Thursday between five and seven…

    3)      Are there non-human races out there? Science fiction settings, contrary to popular belief, don’t actually need to have non-human aliens in order to be interesting, exiting and dynamic. The Battletech setting is an excellent example of such a universe, as is the “Aliens” universe (before they mucked it up with the Predators…). Alternately, all “aliens” could actually be humans genetically engineered to function in extraterrestrial environments. 

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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to Sings-With-Spirits [2015-01-29 02:08:30 +0000 UTC]

(Chuckle.) As it happens, I've done a fair amount of writing for the tabletop game industry myself - I was a co-author for the most recent edition of GURPS Space, for example. The mechanics of world-building are easy enough.

At the moment I'm thinking in terms of a practical Alcubierre drive - essentially a slow "warp drive" that makes interstellar travel feasible, while keeping it rare and very expensive. Which implies a fair amount of control over gravity and space-time curvature, but no actual FTL communications. I want non-human aliens, because I'm after a galaxy in which humanity is very much a newcomer and has a lot to learn just to survive. Exactly how interstellar cultures work is the main thing I'm still trying to model.

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Sings-With-Spirits In reply to Sharrukin-of-Akkad [2015-01-29 16:10:43 +0000 UTC]

What would be the gradation scale of the drive? Might be interesting to have a drive that, while not exceeding the speed of light allows ships to travel at .9999c without experiencing relativistic effects and not stretching credulity.

If using an Alcubierre drive, there would be no acceleration g-forces, and assuming no grav plate technology, constant freefall, meaning that artificial gravity would have to be generated by centrifugal force, which might be problematic for longer voyages, meaning that a network of established routes might be required.

When modeling alien cultures (been GM'ing and writing since '78), I've often found that the best way is to establish main relationships at the macro scale and work down from there. I personally hate monolithic species, where they have exactly the same culture and customs across hundreds or thousands of worlds... and have had the exact same culture for centuries or millennia. 

If there is no FTL communication, then maintaining cohesiveness across large regions of space becomes practically impossible. Colonization methods, population growth rates and cultural origins, combined with the numbers of viable worlds and/or "terra"forming techniques and capabilities, will all dictate how cultures function in an interstellar stage, within the culture itself and with other cultures.

Keys to making a believable alien race: 
1) how many cultures in their homeworld? On Earth, we have several broad cultures likely to make it into space; North America/Europe/Russia, China, India, Japan. It would be unreasonable to model "Earth Culture" on only one of those groups.

2) how isolated are the colonies? Without FTL communications, a world with a Chinese colony and a French colony will develop very differently from a colony only two light years away with Japanese and Indian colonies (yes; planets are big; a single planet can have more than one colony).

3) how long have there been colonies? Just looking at the US; 300 years ago, they were culturally very different than they are today; Medieval Franks are not like modern French, and Today's Japan is vastly different from the one that existed 150 years ago. Just imagine how these cultures will evolve in 500, 1,000 or 5,000 years.

4) what factors of the colony world could drive the culture in a particular direction? Scarce water? tainted air? 10-year old kids running around capturing alien beasts to duel each other with capturing balls?

5) why is a particular culture in space? pure scientific exploration? trade? (keeping in mind that unless ships are cheap and plentiful, and interstellar mechanics allow for fast, efficient travel, anything but bulk transport of locally rare refined materials will be non-existent.)

6) why would cultures conflict? overpopulation stress? cultural differences? one finds the other delicious?

7) why would they band together? trade? eradication of the people-eaters? joint colonization? kumbaya?

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Sharrukin-of-Akkad In reply to eadorimthryth [2015-01-23 04:26:50 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! This version of the map didn't take all that long, but originally placing all those stars . . . yikes.

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