Playtest Feedback: Creating a Star System

[LucasC]

As I prep for gameplay, and because I know absolutely nothing about star systems, I gave the random generator a try (pages 165-169).

I will start by saying I am grateful that this section is included and think it is a great tool. Further, I realize that most of what I note below under 'bad' can easily be corrected by applying some non-random logic to the results. That is what I will do as I create the setting we play in but provide this feedback so you can tweak tables and such if the results are not what you want.

The Good

• Quick: It took me about 30 minutes to generate my star system, and as I do it more often this will be reduced significantly
• Diverse: I ended w/a diverse set of planets - much more varied than I would have likely created
• Imagination: The unusual results often sparked my imagination (see aliens below)

The Not-So-Good

• Confusing Table Layout: Many of the table are confusing. I figured them all out in time, but the roll once, read vertical, roll again, read horizontal, sometimes roll again, add from previous, etc. all got to be confusing. This should be helped in the final document I suspect by better labeling and maybe some help text.
• Unintended Results: There were a few things that came out differently than I think would be intended. Including:
  • Planet 1 is closest to the sun and is an ice giant
  • 3 of my 4 terrestrial 'planets' got demoted to moons when I rolled on the tables for creating terrestrial planets (this then had the added effect of leaving me with 3 undefined planets)
  • 2 of my 4 terrestrial planets end up classified as 'Industrial' planets but they are of a tech level too low to support space travel - while I recognize that a society can go backwards technologically, the results when rolled randomly will produce this somewhat frequently

And a Few Final Things

• On page 168, the sentence directly beneath the table that begins, “Moons: roll…” trails off without actually ending.
• Sticking with the 'moons' line under that table on 168, should planets have a 0 option for moons or is the intent that they have at least 1?

Things I'd Like Added
A set of tables for generating traditionally habitable planets (such as class “M”). This would allow me to ensure I have one or two human-friendly planets. Keeping them separate from the core tables allows some cool results like the above.

The Aliens
As I looked at my star system I realized my only homeworld was unable to support 'traditional' human life. At first I was disappointed by this, then it occurred to me that I was simply limiting my imagination too much and so was born a new alien race to populate my inhospitable planet. As such, I consider this a strength as it forced me to think outside my normal comfortable boundaries.

What's Next
Now that I have a new race to create that gives me a good excuse to try out those rules. I'll report back here after that is done.

My players and I are all excited about this. We will be making characters next week and hopefully run the first game the following.

--

Screenshot of actual results of my rolling below.

 

[GMMichael]

Random star system generation: awesome.
Inconsistencies in the results: possibly awesome, because it pushes the GM to do some creating.
The thought of having to design more than one game world: requires aspirin.

By the way, any plans to use "dark matter" in a much more sinister way than real scientists expect to?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You might want to look at the star-system generation mechanics of tabletop RPGs like Traveler or SPI's Universe to help refine your tables.

 

[Morrus]

You might want to look at the star-system generation mechanics of tabletop RPGs like Traveler or SPI's Universe to help refine your tables.

My tables, not his tables.

 

[Morrus]

As I prep for gameplay, and because I know absolutely nothing about star systems, I gave the random generator a try (pages 165-169).

I will start by saying I am grateful that this section is included and think it is a great tool. Further, I realize that most of what I note below under 'bad' can easily be corrected by applying some non-random logic to the results. That is what I will do as I create the setting we play in but provide this feedback so you can tweak tables and such if the results are not what you want.

So, first: I am utterly ecstatic that you're playing with that chapter. Thank you so much for the feedback! I didn't think people would be playing with that bit yet! That's a chapter that will get a LOT of expansion. It's where my "educational" bent will really hit the astronomy aspect. I actually hope that by the time that chapter is perfected, it'll be a basic astronomy textbook - but in entertaining game format.

The layout and verbiage - as I think I've mentioned before - isn't really part of the playtest. Editors and layout artists will be handling that stuff. It's not really my remit. I'm glad you were able to figure it out from the playtest document, and I'll try to remember that it has to be used by playtesters long before it reaches editors or layout folks. As long as you understand it, I'm fine with it for now. I'm sure the final version in a year or so will be gorgeous!

There won't be a big update on this section in the next playtest document - that's got chapters on starship combat and starship construction in it - but it'll be revisited in detail soon! In the meantime, I've whipped up this generator:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/dnd_view_block.php?id=1403

2 of my 4 terrestrial planets end up classified as 'Industrial' planets but they are of a tech level too low to support space travel - while I recognize that a society can go backwards technologically, the results when rolled randomly will produce this somewhat frequently

The fluff text in the final version will help with this. Industrial doesn't require a tech level - the Industrial Revolution had no space flight, but it was sure as heck "industrial". The idea is you equate the various factors, including tech level to make your civilization. It needs tweaking, though, so feedback helps.

Things I'd Like Added

A set of tables for generating traditionally habitable planets (such as class “M”). This would allow me to ensure I have one or two human-friendly planets. Keeping them separate from the core tables allows some cool results like the above.

"Terrestrial" is my own verbiage for Star Trek's "class M". Where you see "Terrestrial" that pretty much means Class M, a planet where life can exist. It's a little broader than Star Trek's class M - it includes arctic planets and the like, a little further from their star than Earth, but not as far as Canada.

@Dannyalcatraz It's funny just how frequently folks recommend I do it like other games (in my first private playtest, one of the players had played a FATE variation recently, and kept suggesting the game be exactly like FATE, despite it being a clearly crunchy rules-heavy game!). I'm writing a new game, not an old one.

That said, the Traveller influence in N.E.W is maybe a little too prevalent. I've very familair with the games you cited for decades, and will be outdoing them by an order of magnitude.

By the way, any plans to use "dark matter" in a much more sinister way than real scientists expect to?

Hoo boy, oh yes! So much so! Well, kinda. I want to ensure that science doesn't overtake me before I die, in the way that Star Trek did (No! There's no barrier round the edge of the galaxy!)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

@Dannyalcatraz It's funny just how frequently folks recommend I do it like other games (in my first private playtest, one of the players had played a FATE variation recently, and kept suggesting the game be exactly like FATE, despite it being a clearly crunchy rules-heavy game!). I'm writing a new game, not an old one.

That said, the Traveller influence in N.E.W is maybe a little too prevalent. I've very familair with the games you cited for decades, and will be outdoing them by an order of magnitude.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to copy anyone!

I'm just saying that, if the results you're getting aren't...satisfying...then check out how others have done it. Especially when others have lauded those systems for how they handled it.

Tweaks, not xeroxing!

 

[Morrus]

I'm not trying to convince anyone to copy anyone!

I'm just saying that, if the results you're getting aren't...satisfying...then check out how others have done it. Especially when others have lauded those systems for how they handled it.

Sure. I know I can do better, though. I've found those - and many other - examples wholly unsatisfying. I intend to use my own system based on astronomical stuff I know. It's rough right now, but it'll beat those examples when it's done. It'll be awesome! And educational! And inspiring!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Sure. I know I can do better, though. I've found those - and many other - examples wholly unsatisfying. I intend to use my own system based on astronomical stuff I know. It's rough right now, but it'll beat those examples when it's done. It'll be awesome! And educational! And inspiring!

Which, FYI, island of what inspired the guys behind Universe to design it he way they did- they were disappointed with the time it took to make systems in Traveller when the PCs did a jump.

Maybe history will repeat, and your eventual results will be...stellar!

 

[Morrus]

Which, FYI, island of what inspired the guys behind Universe to design it he way they did- they were disappointed with the time it took to make systems in Traveller when the PCs did a jump.

Maybe history will repeat, and your eventual results will be...stellar!

I have an advantage. It takes me a few minutes to create a generator using OGRE. And in this age, tools like that which generate a planet in under a second can me (almost) core. Time taken ceases to be an issue, and complexity can become a feature again.

I mean, I did this in between typing "advantage" and "it":

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"Island"? Autocorrect is weird.

Anyway, yeah, I know OGRE speeds things up- that's the point of it, after all, right?

I haven't run either Trav or Uni in soooo long, but my recollection was that the results I got from Uni's system were not just faster, but better. THAT's my hope for your system.

I mean, I hope you want a system that makes supermassive ice giants unlikely to appear in tight orbit around a blue-white star.