Star Charts

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

This map was designed without much knowledge of FASA's triangle. Comments welcome. I know it won't be of much use to you guys, but I am looking for comments on the mpa itself. Details to follow.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

I like it. I take it this is your version of the Triangle. Would you mind telling us a bit more about the bordering powers you've created, and what the politics of the sector are?

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

Well, I will try and explain it the best that I can.

My series has a heavy DS9 feel. Especially now that I have watched the first season of DS9 I know how a Station game is played out.

Deep Space 16
This is my players homebase. They come back for everything, from restocking to shore leave. It is not in orbit of a planet, near a wormhole, or anything of that nature.

I am seriously contemplating using a Nor class station. Although I would not have quite the same story as DS9.

The Delva Society is allied with the Federation and is considering membership to the Federation. This could be a possible plot arc that I can use at anytime during the series.

The Gammittian Imperium is a warring culture who is skirmishing with the Endaarans and does not agree that the Federation presence in the sector is comforting. They have had one skirmish so far with the crew.

The Endaaran empire is very religious and I am going to integrate the Qenfani in as the Endaarans. Right now the Qenfani are going to waste on my shelf somewhere. Make a few modifications and name change and voila.

Here are the different capital systems:

Endaaran Empire...........Endar
Gammittian Imperium.......Gamit
Delva Society.............T'ana

The Defensive outposts around Gamit, are very large and imposing starbases armed to the teeth.

[buck rogers]

I like the layout. Don't know who some of those guys are. Any hints for thoughs of us who might want to have our players encounter these races. Ya know details man!

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

I don't have everything made up yet! I am a fly by the seat of the pants Narrator for these races. Not sure why, have not found inspiration yet. So I was going to play them by ear and see where my mind takes me. In the pilot episode they encounter the Gammittians. As soon as they get back to the station they will encounter Delvans, since they run half the station. Endaarans will be a later arc of two-three episodes.

I will post plot summaries and other things. Give me time!

[Hadley]

Sweet, Lt. Cmdr ... really sweet.

What software package did you use to create the map with? I ask as I'm really keen to do something similar for my USS Dauntless campaign.

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

I actually used a combination of Paint Shop Pro 7 and Adobe Photoshop 7. I created the circles and triangles with PSP7 and the rest of it was done in Photoshop.

[qerlin]

Ah...someone else using the Delvians. I grabbed them, and a bunch of the minor races from Farscape for our campaign as well; ported over nicely from the Farscape RPG into CODA.

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

Originally posted by qerlin
Ah...someone else using the Delvians. I grabbed them, and a bunch of the minor races from Farscape for our campaign as well; ported over nicely from the Farscape RPG into CODA.

Um no....They are a homebrew race. I have never watched Farscape.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

I've never tried using photoshop for map-making myself, but I've found CorelDRAW pretty useful. I usually draw the map and the salient points in Corel, then export it to Paintshop to label the locations. It's worked well for me, but that may just be because I'm used to Corel. I have no idea how it compares to other similar software. That said, I much prefer Photoshop to Corel Photo Paint, so go figure.

Are you planning on adding more detail to this map Matt?

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

Dunno yet Captain. I think that the map will grow and change with each episode of my campaign....need a starbase here or there.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

I hear ya. I'll be adding new systems to my own Triangle map as I introduce them to my game.

What's the scale on your map?

[Ezri's Toy]

Originally posted by Capt Daniel Hunter
I've never tried using photoshop for map-making myself, but I've found CorelDRAW pretty useful. I usually draw the map and the salient points in Corel, then export it to Paintshop to label the locations. It's worked well for me, but that may just be because I'm used to Corel. I have no idea how it compares to other similar software. That said, I much prefer Photoshop to Corel Photo Paint, so go figure.

Yeah, well. . . in my graphic design classes, we avoid anything with the word COREL . The industry standard for vector drawing is either Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand. Freehand is quite easy to use and very cheap ($99 to $149) for a professional level graphics program.

In fact, I'm using it right now to design the deck plans of a freigher for one of my next STRPG adventures. . . plus I'm also designing a logo for the local gaming club.

As for Adobe Illustrator, I believe its about the same price as Freehand. Illustrator was the program used to generate the commercial Galaxy-class deck plans as well as a number of the graphics on STTNG and after. . . . I find Freehand easier to use and the number of file format outputs are about the same as Illustrator.

The advantage of vector-based drawing programs, of course, is that you can scale your work up or down with no loss of resolution. (So, if you need to blow up one of your map sections, you don't have to redraw anything you've already done just to avoid the "jaggies.")

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

Well I guess it depends what you're used to. I'm used to Corel, so I find it easier. That said, I wouldn't mind trying out illustrator.

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

I have no idea what the scale is yet. I am not sure that I really need to either. Eventually through enough travels from one system to the other, it would map itself out. :P I guess I will work on that when I do it in Freehand.