The Spinward Main

Universe

Universe is a mapping and game tool that can be used by both Referee and Player. It is a complex relational database with which to organize and store your Traveller data, a graphical query and display tool with which to drill-down into and maintain your data, a bridge for sharing data with other Traveller utilities and programs, etc. Players and referees can store notes in Universe, with referee notes kept hidden from players. Created by the BITS company, more info can be found at BITS UK LIMITED.

Universe Sector FIles

The Universe sector files are not the most accurate in the world. BITS make this point very clear in the documentation. They are currently in the process of “cleaning up” the data but is a very slow process. In the mean time, since many of us play Traveller in the Classic setting (1105) or the Mega Traveller setting (1112) and more specifically in the Spinward Marches Sector, I with the help of a few other contributors have put together what I think is the best Sector data set for the Spinward Marches Sector.

Heaven & Earth

Heaven & Earth is another useful mapping and game tool. It is no longer being supported however it is still one of the best tools a referee can have in his arsenal of utilities. Not only does it map the Traveller Universe by reading basic Sector Files, it also process the Universal World Profiles in the Sector File into complete world information write-ups that can be saved and printed off. If you have ever seen the “Rice Papers” project, then you will understand how valuable this utility is. It publishes Rice Paper data sheets that contain all the physical and social aspects of each world plus it calculates what the world will have for trade, possible passengers, and other information a Trader Captain would need to know going into a world. It also creates encounter tables for each world based on the UWP.

These features are to be added to the upcoming release of Universe 2, but until that time the only way to get this much detail for a world is either via Heaven & Earth or to do it by hand.

Heaven & Earth Sector Files

Like Universe, the sector files for H&E are a mess. Even worse some may say. The H&E sector files are based in the old Genie Sector files that can still be found at the old Missouri Archive and on the HIWG CD. This data was taken from the Mega Traveller books (as I understand it) but they were transcribed without much or any error checking. They are completely undependable. Again, like Universe, I have taken what I and others consider the best of the best available Spinward Marches sector data and have put it into the H&E format.

(more links to come)