Intergalactic Cartographers Unite

[EternusIV]

Sargon-

 

I thought about replying through PM. Your thoughts are great and have me rethinking things.

 

Star systems could be generated and placed on a Cartesian or radial coordinate system, starting at the center and spiraling outward. The oldest stars would be concentrated in the middle, but there would be a little overlap as the system spirals outward.

 

I think this is a great theory and makes tremendous sense. This is my favorite part of your theory - the Spiral from the center theory. Love it.

 

I think the warp points are linked up in a somewhat random fashion, but heavily weighted to link up with other warp points close in age and/or close on the coordinate system

 

I agree. I was placing older empires near the center of my spherical map.

 

Notice that there is a somewhat, sort-of, similarity in system names for an empire. Both my empires have sort-of Slavic sounding names. Other players on this board have mentioned somewhat Native American sounding names. I believe the similarity denotes physical proximity.

 

I've seen the same thing...a bunch.

 

I think the software doesn’t link up all of the warp points for a system at a time. Instead, it links up 1 point for a system, then moves on to another system and links up 1 warp point, then moves on to another system… But it comes back to the first system before too long, and jumps around that way. As the software randomly chooses the next system, it would have to be weighted to selecting among the oldest systems still available. Again, we don’t want new start-up empires getting mixed up with older well-established empires.

 

Hmmm. This is a fascinating way to see how a random map might be created. The parameters you set out are intriguing.

 

So according to this theory, the looped systems would be close in proximity. The warp links extending out of the loops would have a greater chance of reaching farther distances. Possibly into another turn of the spiral, but they can’t be allowed to go too far.

 

I've seen this SEVERAL SEVERAL times.

 

One-way links are another matter. I’ve only found 1 so far, and don’t know yet if it leads to another 1-way link in a continuous chain, or if it was laid “on top” of an existing 2-way link. (I’m hoping the 1-way link traverses a very great distance on the Cartesian coordinates.)

 

Yes they do so far......great as in at least 5-8 systems away from the other way to get to the same system using a separate link.

 

 

Your theories on warp difficulty based in part upon the contents of the systems behind them is interesting. I rearranged my systems so that all the systems with planets were 'centralized' and the warp nexuses seem to dance around these systems in a peculiar pattern.

 

The only solid relationship I've seen so far is when you compare the total warp difficulty to these juicy systems from the perspective of two neighboring empires.....immediate neighbors have a nearly equal chance at the prize system....and to each other's respective throats.

 

In light of your analysis - I think that the map is predetermined from the get go using parameters similar to the ones you suggest. Empire placement is at least not random (how could that be fair if it was?) The software plops in new empires a certain distance from each other and then connects the neighboring empires 4-5 systems aways using a pair of 1-way links. Newer empires are placed further out on the spiral (slowwwwly....empires with less than a few months start time seem to neighbor each other, so I've heard)

 

Here is where one-way's had me thinking about MUCH bigger picket fleets (I've confirmed something similar to this twice...anybody else?):

 

@------> One way WP

<--------> Two way WP

 

Football team named systems next to baseball team systems.

 

Bronco is HW (naturally)

BlueJay is separate HW (again, naturally )

 

Map From Football Empire Perspective

========================

Bronco<------>Raider<----->Charger@------>Yankee (a 'dead end' according to Baseball)<---->BlueJay

 

Map From Baseball Empire Perspective

=========================

BlueJay<----->RedSox<---->DevilRay@----->Chief(a 'dead end' according to Football)<------>Bronco

 

** Each empire (in this limited example) is five systems apart but takes a different path to get there through different 1-way systems.

 

**The 'warp difficulty' along each path is almost identical

 

**The shortest two-way-path between a homeworld I've confirmed is 8 systems (anybody seen shorter? TWO-way, that is)

 

With all this - who cares what the map actually looks like? (well - ok - other than to predict the actual shape and find those empire-empire paths much more quickly )

 

Awesome post Sargon. Post more. Don't be afraid to write long posts -- I've got you beat in that category probably 1000 times over :lol:

[Galvorn]

Yikes. This seems to fit my data perfectly. Must change my defense force dispositions based on this! (as well as my explorers)

[PhaseDragon]

I have 5 warps out of my home system....three are dead ends. I guess I can expect that there are one-ways into them from someone else's empire according to the theory.

[WKE235]

I've encountered 6 one ways with the Concordium. As a matter of fact, I have one star that has two WP's which go to the exact same exit point at another star.

 

A1 -----> B1 (Class F)

A2 <---> B1 (Also Class F)

 

How does this fit into all the mapping?

[EternusIV]

Getting into these one-ways that put you close to neighbors are usually kind of tough according to my data.

 

Make sense to everyone else?

 

WKE- Does B1 exit out into alien territory by chance?

 

I'd put good fertilizer on the fact that it might

[WKE235]

Well, since B1 is currently controlled by the xenophobic, the horrific, the malevolent, the purest of evil forces in the known universe (the forces of the NSI), I'd have to say yes it's in enemy territory. I can't say alien as that's too polite of a term for what I face.

 

But I fear not what I face. I know in my heart of hearts that the purity and greatness of the Concordium will bring light into the every lasting blackness which is the NSI. A force so devoid of the bright shining light of life that their mere presence casts a pall of dread over all around them. Yea, the forces of good shall be led into victorius battle oer the forces of night....

 

(At this point, several men manage to place the speaker into a strait jacket and he is carted away to a waiting ambulance, still yelling of light and darkness as he fades off into the distance. Our apologies for the interuption of this topic).