Star Trek Star Charts

I'm sure this is being discussed elsewhere, but I couldn't find it and this thread seems appropriate here.

I walked into my local Barnes & Noble on 5th Ave looking for a new novel to read (and to see if the Star Trek RPG was being sold there), and discovered this book sitting on the shelves. So, of course, I immediately picked it up.

I remember all the letters I used to get over the years demanding that LUG put this product out. Now that it's own, I'm strangely encouraged and disappointed.

First, the book is beautiful and has some interesting information. I can see how this would be useful in an RPG setting. There's a list of Federation members buried inside, and some nice detail maps of things like Cardassian space and Klingon space. But as I look at it, I find it lacking.

First, I really wish this had been a giant fold out map of the entire galaxy that I could easily remove from the book and hang on the wall, and not the four fold out maps of just Federation space. The latter were cut strangely, and it seems Pocket Books wants us to cut them out and line them up on our own.

Second, I just don't agree with where some things are placed. Putting Krios and Valt on the far side of the Klingon Empre and calling the area UFP Space just doesn't sit right. Placing the Son'a where they did means Captain Kirk whizzed by it on the way to space station K-7.

Those two aside, I find the book useful with regards to spectral class and planet classification. There's some nice touches with regard to the Galactic and Great Barriers (stuff that seems completely forgotten by Rick Berman Productions). And those maps at the back of the book would be very useful if I were running a Star Trek RPG. What are your opinions?

Nice to see you posting again, Ross. I hope you have the time to stay with us.

I have yet to see a copy of the book personally (and B&N is two bus lines away, and I busy at this point in the semester), but I've seen other remarks about the placement of some of the systems. It sounds like what the book might have done well with is some indicator of Z-axis distances: the Son'a and K-7 may well lie a great distance apart on that scale, and Mandel may have intended that it be so, but it doesn't show well on a 2-D map. Same for the UFP extension beyond Klingon space and so on. Granted that this doesn't make the 2-D maps look more "right," but it might salvage a lot of their gaming value for you.

I have the book and actually like it. I thought they made a good effort in placing in everything that has been referenced in the series and the movies.

When I first looked at the maps, I was also a bit surprised, but they do make reference in the book about systems being above or below Earth's level position. From there, it made sense to me. It would explain why worlds that were close to Earth wasn't found and explored until later or how the Federation can have claimed space on the other side of the Klingon Empire.

So far, I had only one problem with the book. It mentions the Barzan Wormhole, even showing the terminus in the Delta Quadrant, but I can't find the Barzan system!

Where is Magna Roma -- the Roman Earth from TOS -- there's a listing for it in the Beta quadrant section but I cannot find it on the map -- help! One of our group has a character from that world, and I'd love to show him the system on the maps, thanks!

The trouble I have with the "above or below" aspect of the map is that it's not really indicated. I agree that it makes sense to say some planets are above or below Earth's plane, but it's so easy to signify that on the map by using plus or minus symbols. Including a number in ly would have been really helpful.

I know, it's ironic that I'm complaining about the efficacy of Star Trek Star Charts. But it seems to me that if you're going to go through the effort of locating everyting ever mentioned in Star Trek (a Herculean effort) you may as well go the extra step and include "+ 5 ly" or "- 25 ly". I mean, it's not like Viacom has room to complain about too much specificity. =)

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Atlirith
Where is Magna Roma -- the Roman Earth from TOS -- there's a listing for it in the Beta quadrant section but I cannot find it on the map -- help! One of our group has a character from that world, and I'd love to show him the system on the maps, thanks!

---

It was never called Magna Roma in the episode (or any where else canon IIRC) but named such by the fans.

In the episode it is...

Planet 892 IV

My personal opinion is that the book is awesome - but not without it's quandries.

I disagree with the placement of Trill and some info regarding it. With the Trill species largely unknown to Dr. Crusher in the middle of the TNG run and with the close connections between Curzon/Jadzia and Klingon culture, I've always imagined it much closer to the core of Klingon Space. This would mean it wasn't until the UFP and the Klingons were on friendly terms that the Federation even had contact with the Trill homeworld.

AndorMan
Every which way but Andor

Well as one of the minor people on the team of the Star Charts project. I am doing a considerable write up on by website:

www.nnsw.quik.com.au/sirsig

Dedicated Trek MapMaking in general and the Star Charts in particular.

At the moment I am working on a Star index for all the worlds listed in the maps. Yet in time I will be able to add a map with z axis cordinates.

Well I have it and I like it. I could have used some Z-axis cordinates but I think they did a great job. The chart look great. Spectral and planetary classifications a neat to have, and the specifics of most of the known planets are good too.

But until we have cheap and compact holotechology, I suppose we all will find the 2-D layout a little confusing.

Sir Sig, what would we do without you?

I like the book a lot. I'll definitely use it in my future Trek series. I'm not bothered by some of the questionable planet placements--they probably won't play a major role in my game, and even if it did, they'd be in whatever place they needed to be to advance the plot.

For that 3D effect, how about a pop-up book?:rolleyes:

Or why didn't they have a CD-Rom come with it, like most text books do now.