Earth-Standard Worlds Only

[Longboat]

I've often wondered what an alternative Traveller universe would be like if the capability of J-Drives remained the same but only Terra-Standard and Near Terra-Standard worlds were colonized.

Ships would be a lot different because they'd carry more fuel.

There would be "freeways" instead of standard Jump Routes where fuel was made available. There'd be a lot more wilderness refueling on undeveloped or underdeveloped strange worlds and at GG's. The map would be a lot smaller in terms of number of settled worlds. Wide gulfs of space everywhere. Maybe low berth tech would be improved.

 

[MasterGwydion]

I've often wondered what an alternative Traveller universe would be like if the capability of J-Drives remained the same but only Terra-Standard and Near Terra-Standard worlds were colonized.

Ships would be a lot different because they'd carry more fuel.

There would be "freeways" instead of standard Jump Routes where fuel was made available. There'd be a lot more wilderness refueling on undeveloped or underdeveloped strange worlds and at GG's. The map would be a lot smaller in terms of number of settled worlds. Wide gulfs of space everywhere. Maybe low berth tech would be improved.

Change the terraforming tech levels TL-16+ All of your "gas stations" would be orbiting gas giants. Station scoops and purifies the fuel. No muss, no fuss. One change I thought would make Traveller amazing? Keep increasing the size of the J-Drive with each jump increase, but do not increase the fuel requirement. Simply require a higher grade of fuel.

Jump-1 can use unprocessed fuel 100Cr/ton
Jump-2 can use fuel that has only been processed once 500Cr/ton
Jump-3 must use fuel that has been processed at least 2 times 900Cr/ton
Jump-4 must use fuel that has been processed at least 3 times 1,300Cr/ton
Jump-5 must use fuel that has been processed at least 4 times 1,700Cr/ton
Jump-6 must use fuel that has been processed at least 5 times 2,100Cr/ton

Each Starport will have limited supplies of each type of fuel by their classification, size, and astrographic realities.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Isn't that almost what we have now?

A few hi-pop hi-tech worlds with a lot of small "outposts" as refuelling stations.

Most systems in Traveller is backwater fly-over country, where adventure happens...

 

[FreeTrav]

I think that if you limit colonization to "garden worlds", there will be two knock-on effects: ships will have to be bigger to support the higher-distance jump drives that will likely be viewed as more efficient (time is money, after all), and choke points with "rest stops" (fuel and basic services) will become more common and possibly more important. You're likely to see development and trade patterns that look more like the US and southernmost Canada once you get a bit away from the dense coastal development

 

[Arkathan]

Lots of pirates lurking in the spaces in-between the places you want to be.

 

[Condottiere]

Detours take time.

Time is money.

 

[Longboat]

Isn't that almost what we have now?

Not at all. Take a look at the popular Aramis subsector. Lots of worlds that are not Terra-Standard, including the capital of the subsector.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Not at all. Take a look at the popular Aramis subsector. Lots of worlds that are not Terra-Standard, including the capital of the subsector.

Not a lot of Size 8 worlds out there. Not a single one in Vincennes subsector, not that is also Earth-Standard Atmosphere.

 

[Condottiere]

If it inconveniences you, you'd have to have a reason to avoid these planets.

It can't really be environmental, since you could just sit in orbit, on a space station with Terra like environment.

 

[Arkathan]

Not a lot of Size 8 worlds out there. Not a single one in Vincennes subsector, not that is also Earth-Standard Atmosphere.

But those are Charted Space main worlds. You'd have to calculate each system in its entirety before you'd know whether there was a garden planet in the subsector. And no one official is going to do that, so it would be a YTU thing in nearly every case.

 

[Vormaerin]

If you use Charted Space, you'll need to explain a lot of things. Just taking the Islands subsectors, the two most earthlike and shirt sleeves worlds in those two subsectors are low population secondary colonies. All the major worlds have significant deviations from "Earth like".

There are lots of reasons that could be. It's part of the fun of designing systems. At least for me.

 

[MasterGwydion]

But those are Charted Space main worlds. You'd have to calculate each system in its entirety before you'd know whether there was a garden planet in the subsector. And no one official is going to do that, so it would be a YTU thing in nearly every case.

Mainworlds are usually in the Habitable Zone with a few exceptions, so the Travellermap system info is, more or less, the Habitable Zone worlds. So you wouldn't have to calculate anything.

 

[MasterGwydion]

If you use Charted Space, you'll need to explain a lot of things. Just taking the Islands subsectors, the two most earthlike and shirt sleeves worlds in those two subsectors are low population secondary colonies. All the major worlds have significant deviations from "Earth like".

There are lots of reasons that could be. It's part of the fun of designing systems. At least for me.

I would love to see a map of Vland Sector done like this. It would be amazing to see how different the original Vilani expansion would have been.

 

[Arkathan]

Mainworlds are usually in the Habitable Zone with a few exceptions, so the Travellermap system info is, more or less, the Habitable Zone worlds. So you wouldn't have to calculate anything.

Actually, they are just the most "important" world. There are a couple of examples of "potentially Garden" worlds in the jump shadow, and thus not explored. Now whether I got that from an adventure or from the Traveller Map data is anyone's guess due to CRS.

 

[AndrewW]

I think that if you limit colonization to "garden worlds", there will be two knock-on effects: ships will have to be bigger to support the higher-distance jump drives that will likely be viewed as more efficient (time is money, after all), and choke points with "rest stops" (fuel and basic services) will become more common and possibly more important. You're likely to see development and trade patterns that look more like the US and southernmost Canada once you get a bit away from the dense coastal development

Image credit goes to CyborgPrime.

 

[Longboat]

But those are Charted Space main worlds. You'd have to calculate each system in its entirety before you'd know whether there was a garden planet in the subsector. And no one official is going to do that, so it would be a YTU thing in nearly every case.

Main worlds default to the habitable zone of a star system, so the Traveller main worlds are a good representation of the Earth Normal worlds that are out there.

Of course, Size 8, Atmo 6 is the target, but you could probably get away with--

Size 7, 8, 9

Or maybe even Size 6-10.

Atmos 5, 6, and 8.

 

[Longboat]

Actually, they are just the most "important" world. There are a couple of examples of "potentially Garden" worlds in the jump shadow, and thus not explored. Now whether I got that from an adventure or from the Traveller Map data is anyone's guess due to CRS.

Most main worlds are jump masked.

 

[Arkathan]

Main worlds default to the habitable zone of a star system, so the Traveller main worlds are a good representation of the Earth Normal worlds that are out there.

Of course, Size 8, Atmo 6 is the target, but you could probably get away with--

Size 7, 8, 9

Or maybe even Size 6-10.

Atmos 5, 6, and 8.

Main worlds default to the most important planet in the system. Those are not always in the habitable zone.

 

[Vormaerin]

The official definition of a Garden World (as in the trade code) is Size 6-8, Atmo 5, 6, or 8, Hydro 5-7.

 

[Arkathan]

Most main worlds are jump masked.

Many habitable zone worlds are masked or partially masked.
That is not the same thing as main worlds.