Metafile

"Before addressing the general idea of robots, it is necessary to define exactly what we are talking about."
— Marc Miller & Loren Wiseman, "Ref's Notes: Robots," Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society #2

Home | News Service | Metafile | Contact

Astrography | Corpfolio | Diplomadossier | Knowledgesource | Personafile

Shipwright | Sophontopsis | Starfield | Strategisphere | Talespin | Worldscape

The "Metagame" Perspective

Inspired by the occasional "Ref's Notes" feature of the original Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society, Metafiles present "an informal discussion of some aspect of [the Earth Colonies campaign] from the referee's viewpoint, with the aim of helping beginners get started and helping the experienced ref add a little spice to his game."  Some Metafiles present rules variants and expansions used in the Earth Colonies campaign, such as guidelines for alternative world generation and military forces generation.

3D Space | Character Generation | Corporations | Dolphins | Free Trader Subvention | Freeform | Militaries | World Data Code

Three-dimensional (3D) Space

"He is intelligent, but not experienced.  His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
— Spock (Nicholas Meyer), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

The three-dimensional space of the Earth Colonies campaign was inspired by the "Stellar Display" game play area of the 1974 science-fiction wargame StarForce: Alpha Centauri designed by Redmond A. Simonsen:

Detail of the three-dimensional game space of StarForce: Alpha Centauri

". . . the large, strategic map of all the star systems within twenty [light-years] of Sol (approximately).  This local neighborhood of stars is fixed upon a plane extended out from the equator of the planet Earth.  Star systems are located 'horizontally' on this plane by being placed in the appropriate numbered hex.  Their 'vertical' distance from it is given in terms of their [Z-]coordinate, i.e. how many [light-years] above or below their plane position lies.  If the map were provided in actual three-dimensional susbstance, it would appear as a 'sphere' composed of 37,639 [hex-prisms].  Since such a map is impractical, the system of plus and minus numbers combined with position numbers on the hexagonal grid are used to produce this three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional map surface."

The "sphere" of three-dimensional hex-prisms centered on the Earth/Sol system depicted by the "Stellar Display" of StarForce: Alpha Centari is the conceptual model for the Earth Colonies Sphere.  (A list of the 74 star systems identified on the StarForce "Stellar Display" is shown in the table at the end of this entry along with their corresponding system data in the Earth Colonies Sphere.)

A second inspiration for the Earth Colonies Sphere was the variant, three-dimensional Traveller game space described by Bob McWilliams in "3-D Space," an article which appeared in White Dwarf #73 (1986):

"The system . . . keeps the one parsec wide hex.  3-D is achieved by 'stacking' a column of hexes on top of one another, the hex becomming one cubic parsec in volume compared to the standard 2-D hex of one square parsec in area. . . .  All that is needed to denote 'depth' is the addition of a decimal place and relevant number to the hex reference."

The sphere of three-dimensional hex-prisms centered on Earth/Sol from StarForce: Alpha Centauri combined with McWilliams's conception of parsec-scale hex-prisms identified by the Traveller hex location notation system modified to denote "vertical" distance or "depth" sets the framework for the Earth Colonies Sphere.  The three-dimensional space of the Earth Colonies Sphere was first described in Melbourne Times #1:

". . . the Earth Colonies campaign utilizes a three-dimensional campaign area — a more realistic situation that is better in line with a science-fiction role-playing game.  Utilizing information developed by [Game Designers' Workshop] for its 2300 AD® game, actual three-dimensional maps of Earth's interstellar neighborhood will be used for the campaign."

Specifically, the Earth Colonies Sphere — the interstellar region in which the Earth Colonies campaign is set — utilizes the star information provided in the Near Star List (and Map) originally included with Game Designers' Workshop's 1986 game Traveller: 2300 (subsequently reissued in 1988 as 2300 AD — in order to distinguish the new game from the original Traveller).  The Near Star List provided "basic information for stars within 50 light years of Sol."  (B.C. Holmes has a great version of the Near Star List created for Star Hero.)  It was based "on Gilese's Catalog of Nearby Stars, edition 1969 (with updates by Halliwel and others)," and presented as "the best compilation of accurate data currently available in one place."  As such, the Near Star List and, by extension, the astrography of the Earth Colonies Sphere, no longer accurately reflects contemporary understanding of the interstellar space around the Sol system.

On the other hand, the point of the three-dimensional Earth Colonies Sphere was not to be an exact simulation of actual interstellar space but rather simply to move beyond the highly-abstracted, two-dimensional interstellar game space of traditional Traveller campaigns to a game space which more accurately simulated a genuine, three-dimensional astrography.  The Earth Colonies Sphere does this in a manner which is adequate for Earth Colonies campaign game play.

The astrography of the Earth Colonies Sphere was also described in Melbourne Times #1:

"The Colonies Sphere is a region of charted space centered on the Sol system.  The Sphere measures more than 30 parsecs in diameter and consists of over 500 systems scattered among 64 districts.  Each district is eight parsecs wide (spin-trailward), ten parsecs long (core-rimward) and nine parsecs high (zenith-nadirward) and contains 720 cubic parsecs,  Three-dimensional district locations are similar to standard Traveller conventions with the addition to the standard four-digit hex notation of a two-digit decimal notation for the z-location.  Coordinates in the z-plane increase from zenithward to nadirward, just as standard x-coordinates increase from spinward to trailward and standard y-coordinates from coreward to rimward."

Sirius District map with z-plane notation for star systems

This convention permits three-dimensional districts of the Earth Colonies Sphere to be depicted using two-dimensional hex maps which are similar to those used in Traveller, with the simple addition of a z-plane location notation for each star system.  This notation consists of a two digit z-coordinate replacing the starport letter notation traditionally used on a district — subsector — map.

Perhaps the most important aspect introduced by three-dimensional space is the determination of the distance between star systems, especially when considering the jump distance for starships travelling between systems.  No longer can the jump distance be determined simply by counting the hexes between the origination and destination star systems on a 2D district map.

Jump distances are instead calculated from the Pythagorean theorem, using the graphic distance in the x-y (8 parsecs x 10 parsecs) plane as one leg and the "delta-z" in the vertical direction as the other leg.  All star systems are assumed to be in the center of their hex (as the data is presented in the Colonies Sphere system list) and all jump distances are rounded to whole numbers (no fractional jump distances).  "Jump Destination Tables" are included for each system as part of the system data that show jump distances to all neighboring systems within jump range — up to four parsecs at Tech Accomplishment B.  For example, the Jump Destinations Table for the Earth / Sirius (1720.19) system is as follows:

Jump Destinations for Earth / Sirius

StarForce: Alpha Centari Star Systems

Notes:
^α The "exact three dimensional position on the Stellar Display" of StarForce "rendered in terms of [its] four-digit hex number and [its] Zulu coordinate (i.e. how many [light-years] above or below the two dimensional plane that location is."  (A "LiteZulu" is a hex-prism measuring one cubic light-year in volume.)
^β Star system name from StarForce, which notes "that stars are named according to various human, present-day astronomical cataloging systems."  The star catalogue sources used to name these stars were not identified.  (In those "cases [where] the full catalog name [was] shortened to the 'declination' of the star" in StarForce, the omitted elements of the name have been added — in square brackets — when it can be determined.)  An "Ho" designation indicates those star systems — including Earth/Sol — identified in StarForce which contain the "homeworlds" of "native, sentient life forms" while an "Ha" designation indicates those systems "having colonizable planets" (all remaining StarForce systems are assumed to have "planets that require 'terraforming' before colonization").
^γ Earth Colonies Sphere cubic-parsec hex-prism location, based upon distance — in parsecs — from Earth/Sirius at hex-prism 1720.19, as determined from the X, Y and Z coordinates — in light-years — provided for the star in the Traveller: 2300 "Near Star List."
^δ Common name (or star catalogue designation) of the star(s) generally as listed in the "Near Star List."  In many cases the Durchmusterung (DM) designation shown in the "Near Star List" has been replaced with the corresponding Bonner Durchmusterung (BD) or Cordoba Durchmusterung (CD) designation.  In those instances where the star is identified by a Traveller: 2300 campaign-specific name, the star has instead been identified by the Gliese number designation also shown in the "Near Star List."
^ε Spectral type ("spectra") and luminosity class ("size") provided for the star in the "Near Star List."

Back to top

Corporations: Campaign Corporation Generation

(Adapted from ECDL Working Paper ECDL-007)

"Millions of organizations do business within and without the Imperium.  Most of these are limited to one or two worlds.  A few thousand trade over one or more subsectors, a few hundred cover one or more sectors.  Only a few firms are truly Imperial in scope; these are known as megacorporations."
— "MegaCorporations," Traveller Supplement 8: Library Data (A-M)

Corporations can operate at the scale of a single world, a single system, multiple systems, within a single district, across multiple districts, or even, in rare instances, throughout the Colonies Sphere  Corporations typically operate at the Technological Achievement (TA) level of the world on which they are based, though some larger scale corporations may be equiped at higher TAs (and some subsidiary units may be equipped at slightly lower TAs).  Corporations can have a varient of owners, from those completely held in private to entirely public entities, though most will be held by public shareholders.  Smaller corporations will have a single business line while the largest will have a widely-diversified range of businesses.

Corporations can be generated randomly using the following mechanisms but referees are encouraged to modify these randomly generated results to best fit the needs of the campaign milieu.

1. Determine corporation size (Throw 2D-2)

2. Determine corporation ownership (Throw 2D-2)

3. Determine corporation diversification (Throw 2D-7 + size)

4. Determine industry type (Throw 1D, for each industry)

(Note that duplicate results on the following sub-tables indicate additional business units in that sector.)

4a. Services industries (Throw 1D & 1D)

4b. Manufacuturing industries (Throw 1D & 1D)

4c. Production and processing industries (Throw 1D & 1D)

Back to top

Free Trader Subvention

"The government may subsidize . . . commercial vessels . . . primarily to assure consistent service to specific worlds."
— "Starship Economics," Book 2: Starships, GDW, 1977

The Commonwealth's "Free Trader Subvention" is a subsidy program intended to promote independent trade and commerce among the worlds of the Commonwealth.  The program, administered by trade commissioners stationed on most Commonwealth worlds, pays jump-1 merchant starships — despite the program name, any jump-1 merchant ship is eligible for the subsidy — an equivalent cargo shipping rate for the cargo space required to hold the additional fuel needed to make a deep space jump between two Commonwealth worlds which are two parsecs apart.  In addition, the subsidy will pay 80% of the cost of the additional fuel (at standard rates for unrefined fuel, though traders may purchase refined fuel by paying the additional cost).  The cargo subsidy pays for the cargo space being used for additional fuel on a per ton basis at 80% of the total actual shipping fees collected per ton of remaining cargo space — including any unused cargo space — for the voyage between the origin and destination worlds.

For example, assuming a standard free trader with 82 tons of cargo hold, 30 tons of which are required for the extra fuel to make the second, deep space jump to the destination world.  If 40 tons of cargo are shipped at the standard rate of Cr1000 per ton (with the remaining 12 tons of cargo space not being used to store extra fuel being "empty"), the subsidy will pay Cr18,462 for the 30 tons of cargo space used for additional fuel [([(40 tons x Cr1000 per ton) / 52 tons] x 80%) x 30 tons] plus Cr2400 for 30 tons of unrefined fuel (Cr100 per ton x 30 tons x 80%).  Because the shipping rate used to calculate the subsidy is based upon all available cargo space, speculative cargoes purchased by the ship owner should also pay standard shipping rates (to the ship) in order to maximize the subsidy.

The subsidy will also pay 80% of the standard rate for all high, middle and low passage fares collected for the voyage.

The 80% rate for the subsidy is intended to avoid undercutting jump-2 capable merchant ships entirely by ensuring a pricing advantage, in addition to the travel time advantage enjoyed by such ships, over jump-1 ships using the subsidy. Ships taking advantage of the subsidy receive a voucher for the subsidy payment on the origin world which can be redeemed with a trade commissioner on the destination world.  Only independently-owned ships registered on a Commonwealth world are eligible for the subsidy.

Similar subsidy programs exist, with variations in the details, in most of the major Colonial States.  In the Ouroran Community there is no Community-wide subsidy program but rather multiple arrangements administered by various commercial houses in partnership with trading entities on different worlds.  Of note is that these arrangements do not generally restrict the subsidy to merchant ships registered in the Ouroran Community.  On occasion, some traders have been known to make trading voyages in the Ouroran Community while collecting multiple subsidies for the same cargo.

Back to top

Free-form Role-playing

"This will be a 'free-form' (i.e. non-rules-based) role-playing game that emphasizes character (and plot) development over rules-crunching."
— "Space Viking's Daughter," 2004

The Earth Colonies campaign adopts an explicitly "free-form" approach to role-playing which was used previously in the "Space Viking's Daughter" game, an online role-playing campaign set in H. Beam Piper's Sword-Worlds.  As in Space Viking's Daughter, the emphasis of the Earth Colonies campaign is upon character, setting development and adventure plotting.  Here, for example, were the "character generation" instructions provided to players in the Space Viking's Daughter campaign:

". . . send [the referee] your character write-up (a prose description of appearance, history, experience, and personality, not a list of statistics from some RPG rules system). . . .  Your character should be the sort that one might encounter aboard a Space Viking ship (interpreted broadly — Space Vikings can have some interesting visitors at times) but should not be an actual character from Beam's novel.  (A not-too-close relative or acquaintance of a character from the novel will be acceptable but is not encouraged.)  [The referee] will review your character description (possibly suggesting some modifications) [and] we [will] begin play [once] we have agreed on your character description. . . ."

That was not the typical Traveller character generation process!  (Of course, a player could nevertheless have used the Traveller character generation rules — or a variant — to create their character for the campaign — subject to that final review with the referee.)  This approach which favors "narrative" over "rules-crunching" will be apparent throughout all aspects of the Earth Colonies campaign.  Descriptions of non-player characters won't includes statistics for characteristics nor lists of skill levels.  There will be no detailed statistics for starship capabilities, for firearms and equipment, for encountered animals.  There will be dramatic descriptions for starships, for firearms, for animals (which perhaps even point to Traveller sources for similar starships or firearms or animals which provide statistical details).

A significant exception to the general preference for narrative over statistics will be in world descriptions.  The basic and extended forms of the Traveller Universal World Profile (UWP) provide a great deal of complex information in a simplified manner which can be quite useful to game play.  That said, world descriptions will also include detailed narratives meant to "bring to life" the information summarized in the UWP.

Back to top

Sentient Dolphins

"Waldoes are artificial manipulative arms, which permit a dolphin to handle objects almost as well as humans.  Grav belts or other mechanical devices overcome the [land] mobility problem."
— Roger Moore, "Dolphins, Part I," Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society #6

Sentient dolphins have been an enduring trope in science-fiction.  Dolphins which became sentient via genetic-enhancement by Terran scientists were introduced into the Original Traveller Universe in a two-part "Bestiary" article by Roger Moore which appeared in the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society, Issue No. 6 (September 29, 1980) and Issue No. 7 (March 31, 1981).  The concept of genetically-enhanced — "uplifted" — dolphins had previously appeared in David Brin's novel Sundiver — first published in February 1980 — and was central to the premise of his subsequent "Uplift Universe" works.

Dolphin in environment suit with integral waldos and grav belt (illustration by Matt Matteo)

These genetically-enhanced dolphins are not the sentient dolphins of the Earth Colonies campaign.  Rather, in the Earth Colonies campaign it is assumed that dolphins reached sentience "naturally" — and before humans, in fact — but that dolphin sentience was not recognized by humans until the early 22nd Century.  (See the Dolphins "Sophontopsis" for details of dolphin — and human — history in the Earth Colonies campaign.)  Naturally sentient dolphins, and the difficulty humans have in recognizing that sentience, are meant to draw attention in the Earth Colonies campaign to the difficulties inherent in recognizing truly alien sentience (particularly when that sentience does not exist in the context of artifactual technology).

The Earth Colonies conception of naturally sentient dolphins was likely inspired by the sentient dolphins of Larry Niven's "Known Space" tales, which first appeared in Niven's 1966 novel World of Ptavvs.  A key difference is that the dolphins of "Known Space" may also have had telepathic abilities; that's not obviously the case for the dolphins of the Earth Colonies campaign.^*

(It is unknown whether Niven's conception of sentient dolphins was influenced by Arthur C. Clarke's 1963 novel Dolphin Island — first serialized as People of the Sea in Worlds of Tomorrow, April and June, 1963 — which suggested the possibility of naturally sentient dolphins.  The naturally sentient dolphins of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, introduced in a 1978 BBC radio production and first novelized in the United States in 1980, were not an influence on the dolphins of the Earth Colonies campaign.)

^* Still to be resolved is the question of psionics but it can be assumed that if psionic abilities do exist in the Earth Colonies campaign the psionic abilities of dolphins will be generally similar to those of humans.

Back to top

Militaries: Campaign Military Forces Determination

"Traveller assumes a remote centralized government . . . , possessed of great industrial and technological might, but unable, due to the sheer distances and travel times involved, to exert total control at all levels everywhere within its star-spanning realm."
— "Introduction," Traveller Book 4: Mercenary

Each world has military forces determined by its population and a "military factor" which indicates its efforts to raise military forces from its population.  These military forces are typically equipped at the Technological Achievement (TA) level of the world, though some elite forces may be equiped at slightly higher TAs while some "reserve" or "militia" forces may be equipped at slightly lower TAs.  On most worlds the bulk of these military forces will be planetary forces — equipped for fighting from the world's surface — but for those worlds with TAs which permit space travel some of these forces will be space forces, equipped to fight in space.  At the highest TAs (and world populations), some of these space and planetary forces will be equipped to fight at interstellar distances and will be available for expeditionary warfare.

Unit types for both planetary and space forces vary widely from world to world but will typically fall into several broad categories.  For planetary forces these unit types are anti-bombardment, bombardment, combat, patrol, seige and transport.  For space forces typical unit types are bombardment, combat, patrol, seige and transport.  Each world makes different choices about the proportions of each unit type with TA being an important influence on the distribution of these different unit types within a given military force.

Some proportion of planetary forces will be available for off-world operations, including transport to other interstellar destinations.  Some proportion of non-interstellar space forces will also be available for out-system operations, assuming transport is available to other interstellar destinations.

Military forces can be generated randomly for each world using the following mechanisms but referees are encouraged to modify these randomly generated results to best fit the needs of the campaign milieu.

1. Determine total military forces available on the world:

Total military forces, M = F_m x N x 10^P

Where:
    F_m = Military factor from Military Factor Table
    N = World population significand (mantissa) (if available, otherwise use 5)
    P = Population Magnitude (PM) value from world's World Data Code

Military Factor Table (Throw 2D)

2. Determine breakdown of military forces by level of Technological Accomplishment (TA):

^* If this modification results in TA above or below a campaign maximum (i.e max TA of B in the Earth Colonies) then add fractions for those levels that exceed (or fall below) the limit.  For example, a TA 9 world in the Earth Colonies would have 0.0834 [(TA+2 = 0.0556) + (TA+3 = 0.0278)] of forces equipped at TA B (11).

3. Determine percentage breakdown between planetary and space forces at each TA:

Note: bal = remaining balance of forces

4a. Determine percentage unit distribution of planetary forces at each TA:

Note: bal = remaining balance of forces

Planetary forces type descriptions:
• Anti-bomb(ardment) units consist of guns, missiles, screens or other forces intended to counter aerial or orbital bombardment.
• Bombard(ment) units consist of missiles, airborne bombers, ortillery or other forces that attack from a position removed from the battlefield.
• Combat units consist of forces intended to confront directly other forces on the battlefield.
• Patrol units consist of mobile armed or unarmed forces used for land, air or sea patrol or reconnaissance.
• Seige units consist of mobile forces used to introduce Combat units directly into the battlefield.
• Transport units consist of mobile forces used to transport other units between bases or battlefield rear areas.  (1K of transport can carry approximately 5K of other forces.)

4b. Determine percentage unit distribution of space forces at each TA:

Note: bal = remaining balance of forces

Space forces type descriptions:
• Bombard(ment) units consist of forces that attack planetary targets from orbit or other positions removed from the planet.
• Combat units consist of orbital or space forces intended primarily to confront directly other space forces at the battlefield.
• Patrol units consist of armed or unarmed forces used for orbital or space patrol or reconnaissance.
• Seige units consist of forces intended to introduce plantary forces into planetary battlefields directly from space.
• Transport units consist of forces used to transport other units between bases or battlefield rear areas.  (1K of transport can carry approximately 5K of other forces.)

5a. For each unit designation (TA 5+), percentage of planetary forces available for expeditionary (off-world) operations = 2D+3.

5b. For each unit designation (TA 4-8), percentage of space forces available for expeditionary (out-system) operations = 2D+3.

(This material is adapted from Earth Colonies Development League Working Paper ECDL-014a.)

Back to top

World Data Code (WDC)

(modified from Melbourne Times #5^α)

"The worlds contained in the star systems on the subsector map may be further classified in terms of their gross physical characteristics and their effects on persons living on them or travelling to them.  These characteristics . . . indicate specific facts about a world through the use of single digits (the numbers 0 though 9) and letters (A through Z, omitting O and I as they may be confused with numbers)."
— "World Creation," Traveller Book 3: Worlds and Adventures

The World Data Code (WDC) is a standard coding method developed by the Prometheus Foundation as a compact, generic means to describe the natural and societal characteristics of worlds.  It consists of a string of six alphanumeric characters.  The first three characters, known as the ecosphere string, describe the gravitational acceleration at the world's surface, the breathability of the world's atmosphere for Humans and Dolphins, and the level of indigenous biological development.  The second three characters are known as the societal string and give the sophont population magnitude, the nature and source of global social authority, and the degree of indigenous technological accomplishment.  (The tables below include conversions, where applicable, to corresponding Traveller Universal World Profile codes.)

WDC values can be determined randomly by throws of six-sided dice, with some WDC elements dependent upon others.  Gravitational Acceleration (GA) is determined by a single dice throw.  Atmosphere Breathability (AB) is determined by the Gravitational Acceleration WDC and a single dice throw.  Biological Development (BD) and Population Magnitude (PM) are determined by Atmosphere Breathability and a single dice throw.  Social Authority (SA) and Technological Achievement (TA) are determined by Population Magnitude and a single dice throw.

^α Much of this information also appeared in Earth Colonies Development League (ECDL) Working Paper No. 4 (ECDL-004) "World Generation."

Gravitational Acceleration | Atmosphere Breathability | Biological Development | Population Magnitude | Social Authority | Technological Achievement

Gravitational Acceleration (GA) is determined randomly by a throw of four six-sided dice minus four (4D6-4) and is given in terms of Earth's surface gravity (Earth = 1.0).

Gravitational Acceleration (GA) WDC Throw (4D6-4)

For worlds not in the habitable zone, subtract the orbit number of the habitable zone from the orbit number of the world and use that value as a DM to the throw.  Worlds which are a satellite of a small gas giant have an additional DM-6 and worlds which are a satellite of a large gas giant have an additional DM-4.

For worlds which are a satellite of a non-gas giant world the Gravitational Acceleration (GA) is the (GA) of the primary world minus a throw of 3D6.  (If the result is less than 0 then the satellite is a ring.)

^* Equivalent Traveller Universal World Profile (UWP) Size code.

Atmosphere Breathability (AB) is given for Humans and Dolphins and can be determined from the world's Gravitational Acceleration (GA) WDC using the table below and a throw of three six-sided dice (3D6).

Atmosphere Breathability WDC Throw (GA, 3D6)

Worlds not in the habitable zone have a DM-3 or DM+3, at the referee's discretion.

Worlds in the habitable zone which are not the main world have a DM-2 or DM+2, at the referee's discretion.

^* Equivalent Traveller UWP Atmosphere code.

Biological Development (BD) describes indigenous life and can be determined from the world's Atmosphere Breathability (AB) WDC using the table below and a throw of three six-sided dice (3D6).  Each BD level includes all previous BD levels (e.g. "Advanced flora," also includes "Primitive flora" and "Microorganic" life).  (Note that a "Sophonts" result, WDC 6, can only be determined by the referee.  Also, imported life-forms may be of greater Biological Development than indigenous life.)

Biological Development WDC Throw (AB, 3D6)

For worlds not in the habitable zone, subtract the orbit number of the habitable zone from the orbit number of the world and then subtract the absolute value from the original Biological Development result.

^* There is no Traveller UWP code equivalent to WDC BD.  Nevertheless, an equivalent Traveller UWP Hydrosphere (HP) code can be determined from the world's Biological Development (BD) WDC using the table below and a throw of two six-sided dice (2D6).

Equivalent HP Throw (BD, 2D6)

Hydrographics: While there is no Traveller UWP code equivalent to WDC BD, it is possible to use the Traveller UWP Hydrosphere (HP) code to determine a world's Biological Development (BD) WDC using the table below and a throw of two six-sided dice (2D6).  (Recall that a "Sophonts" result, WDC 6, can only be determined by the referee.)

Equivalent BD Throw (UWP HP, 2D6)

Population Magnitude (PM) is for all sophont inhabitants (not including visitors), whether natives or immigrants, and can be determined from the world's Atmosphere Breathability (AB) WDC using the table below and a throw of three six-sided dice (3D6).

Population Magnitude WDC Throw (AB, 3D6)

For worlds not in the habitable zone, subtract the orbit number of the habitable zone from the orbit number of the world and then subtract the absolute value from the original Population Magnitude result.

^* Equivalent Traveller UWP Population code.

Social Authority (SA) describes the nature of global societal governance (autarchy, oligarchy or demarchy) and the source of that governing authority's legitimacy (autocratic, democratic or consensual) and can be determined from the world's Population Magnitude (PM) WDC using the table below and a throw of two six-sided dice (2D6).

Social Authority WDC Throw (PM, 2D6)

^* Equivalent Traveller UWP Government code.

Technological Achievement (TA) of world society is described in terms of maximum local rate of travel and can be determined from the world's Population Magnitude (PM) WDC using the table below and a throw of two six-sided dice (2D6).  (Note that technology imported from off-world may exceed local Technological Achievement.)

Technological Achievement WDC Throw (PM, 2D6)

^* Equivalent Traveller UWP Technology Level.

Starport: The WDC does not have an equivalent code to the Traveller UWP Starport Class code.  Nevertheless, an equivalent Starport Class code can be determined from the world's Technological Achievement (TA) WDC using the table below and a throw of two six-sided dice (2D6).

Equivalent Starport Class Throw (TA, 2D6)

Nearby World (System) Jump Distance

Jump Distance: The jump distances from any given world (system) to nearby worlds (systems) can be determined using either of the following tables.  Both tables only consider jump distance up to four parsecs (jump-4), the technological jump limit for the Earth Colonies campaign.

Coordinates method: determine the absolute values of the differences in hex coordinates (i.e. |X1-X2|, |Y1-Y2|, and |Z1-Z2|) and arrange them in numerical order from lowest to highest (i.e. Δ1, Δ2 and Δ3), then consult the table below:

Map method: determine the distance on the X-Y plane of the map (i.e. ΔXY) and the absolute value of the differences in Z-coordinates (i.e. |Z1-Z2| or ΔZ) and consult the table below:

World (System) Commercial Operations

Out-system Commercial Operations are determined from WDC values as follows:

Ag (agricultural production): BD 3+, PM 4+
Ap (agricultural production and processing): BD 3+, PM 7+, TA 9+
Cs (communications services, e.g. publishing, printing, broadcasting, transmission, mail): PM 7+, TA 9+
Fs (financial services, e.g. insurance, banking, trading): PM 7+, TA 9+
Ma (manufacturing, including arms production and shipbuilding): PM 7+, TA 9+
Re (resources extraction): BD 2-, PM 4+
Rp (resources extraction and processing, including energy conversion): BD 2-, PM 7+, TA 9+
Tr (transportation services, e.g. shipping, mail, distribution): PM 7+, TA 9+

Equivalent Traveller Trade Classifications:

Ag (agricultural): AB 2-4, BD 3+, PM 4-6 (ATM 4-9, HYD 4-8, POP 5-7)
Na (non-agricultural): AB 0-1, 5-6, BD 0-2, PM 6+ (ATM 3-, HYD 3-, POP 6+)
In (industrial): AB 0-2,4-6, PM 7+ (ATM 0,1,2,4,7,9, POP 9+)
Ni (non-industrial): PM 5- (POP 6-)
Ri (rich): AB 3, PM 6-8, SA 7-8 (ATM 6,8, POP 6-8, GOV 4-9)
Po (poor): AB 1-2, 4-5, BD 0-1 (ATM 2-5, HYD 3-)

World (System) Base Presence

  Naval (N) base (TA 9+ only): throw 8+, if TA B+, the base is a depot (D).

  Scout (S) base: throw 7+, if TA A+, the base is a way station (W).

For bases on Independent worlds, determine base Allegiance below.  (No result indicates Allegiance of nearest major Colonial State capital world.)

World (System) Allegiance

World (System) Allegiance is determined as follows:

For major Colonial States, throw distance from capital world on 2D-2:
  Ab: Abrahamic Synod
  Ae: Aeroi Worlds
  Az: Empire of Aztlan
  Co: Commonwealth of Earth
  Me: Meren Worlds
  Ny: Federation of Nyanza
  Ou: Ouroran Community

For minor Colonial States, throw distance from capital world on 2D-4:
  He: Realm of Hejaz
  Ki: Republic of Kiangsi
  Qu: Quebecer Republic
  Ra: Rajasthani Confederacy
  Sh: Empire of Shinnihon
  Th: Theridian League

For other worlds with with TA=B, throw distance from world on 2D-6.
For other worlds with with TA=A, throw distance from world on 2D-8.
For other worlds with with TA=9, throw distance from world on 2D-10.

Unless otherwise indicated, Allegiance is assumed to be Independent (In).

World Quality Rating (WQR)

Gravitational Factors

+2 : standard (GA: 8-C)
+1 : reasonable (GA: 6-7, D-E)
-1 : poor (GA: 2-3, H-J)
-2 : extreme (GA: 1-, K+)

Atmosphere Factors

+2 : breatheable
+1 : breatheable with countermeasures
-1 : non-breatheable
-2 : vacuum/hostile

Population Factors

+2 : high (9+)
+1 : moderate (7,8)
-1 : low (3-)

Technology Factors

-2 : primitive (3-)
-1 : low (4,5)
+1 : good (9,A)
+2 : high (B+)

Add all applicable Factors to determine WQR.

Back to top

Home | News Service | Metafile | Sitemap

Astrography | Corpfolio | Diplomadossier | Knowledgesource | Personafile

Shipwright | Sophontopsis | Starfield | Strategisphere | Talespin | Worldscape

©1993 - 2023 by Melbourne Times.  The contents of this Web site are for personal, non-commercial use only.  Any use of copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks.  In addition, any material displayed on or served by this site cannot be republished or distributed without explicit consent from Melbourne Times.