Subsector build specification

Operations manual

Subsectors are populated from a build specification using the rules from the World Builder's Handbook. Much of the build specification is optional. The generator will fill in the system as required.

The specification is a YAML document. The document uses two spaces when nesting data. And invalid YAML document, either due to an invalid specification or bad formatting, will not be saved.

The subsector specification determines which hexes in the subsector have a star system and includes the common build configuration for those star systems. Individual star systems can overwrite the default values.

Configuration structure

All top-level fields except type are optional.

type:
unusualChance:
defaultSI:
sophontCheck:
maxTechLevel:
nativeTechLevel:
allowCaptiveGovernment:
exclude:
required:
systems:
populated:

Top-level properties

type (required)

Star density profile. Controls the per-hex probability that a system is placed when not using systems. type can be one of the following values:

DENSE — 60%
STANDARD — 50%
MODERATE — 40%
LOW — 30%
SPARSE — 20%

MINIMAL — 10%
RIFT — 3%
RIFT_FADE — 2%
DEEP_RIFT — 1%
EMPTY — 0%

unusualChance

The chance to generate an unusual primary star. This is an integer from 0-100.

defaultSI

The default survey index to assign to the generated star systems. For exploration games, a survey index of 3 is recommended. For games where the systems are fully surveyed, as in a charted space game, a survey index of 12 is recommended.

sophontCheck

If false, then no native sophont check will be made.

maxTechLevel

Use this to limit the maximum tech level for any populated star system.

nativeTechLevel

If a native sophont is generated, this option will set the tech level for the main world.

allowCaptiveGovernment

If set to false, the main world will not have a captive government type.

exclude

A list of hex x,y coordinates that cannot have a system. exclude is ignored if systems is specified. See examples below.

required

A list of hex x,y coordinates that must have a star system. required is ignored if systems is specified. Each hex entry can include the star system specification. See examples below.

systems

An list of hex x,y coordinates that have star systems. If systems is specified, then only hexes in the list will have star systems. Each hex entry can include the star system specification. See examples below.

populated

If included, every system in the subsector will be populated. See populated definition below for the full specification.

If only certain systems should be populated, specify that in the individual entries in required or systems.

Populated definition

If populated is specified, then every star system will be populated. The generator can randomly assign systems to two different allegiances. If there are 3 or more polities in the subsector, you will need to define them in the systems entry.

populated:
  type:
  allegiance:
  minTechLevel:
  maxTechLevel:
  minPopulationCode:
  maxPopulationCode:
  populationDM:
  demarcation:
  before:
    allegiance:
    minTechLevel:
    maxTechLevel:
    minPopulationCode:
    maxPopulationCode:
    populationDM:
  after:
    allegiance:
    minTechLevel:
    maxTechLevel:
    minPopulationCode:
    maxPopulationCode:
    populationDM:

type (required): Layout preset for how population is distributed.

full — applies one set of constraints to the whole subsector

hard-horizontal, hard-vertical — divide into two regions; systems on the boundary fall entirely into the before region

split-horizontal, split-vertical — divide into two regions; boundary systems are split proportionally
allegiance: Allegiance code for the subsector. See allegiances.
minTechLevel: Minimum tech level for the subsector.
maxTechLevel: Maximum tech level for the subsector.
minPopulationCode: Minimum population for systems in the subsector.
maxPopulationCode: Maximum population for systems in the subsector.
populationDM: DM applied to all population checks in the subsector.
demarcation: Dividing line for split and hard types. Interpreted as a column (1–8) for vertical splits, or a row (1–10) for horizontal splits.
before: demarcation divides the subsector into two parts. before is used for population settings for systems to the left or the top of the demarcation line.
after: demarcation divides the subsector into two parts. after is used for population settings for systems to the right or the bottom of the demarcation line.

Sample specifications

Minimal

The simplest valid specification. Sets the star density profile to the Traveller standard (50%) and lets the generator populate the subsector.

type: STANDARD

Fixed Placement

This configuration generates a subsector with only 4 star systems: 0106, 0108, 0310, 0704. The system in 0310 will have a K4 star as the primary star in the system. See star system specification for the specification for star systems.

type: STANDARD
systems:
  - x: 1
    y: 6
  - x: 1
    y: 8
  - x: 3
    y: 10
    name: Waypoint Echo
    primary:
      type: K4
      class: V
  - x: 7
    y: 4

Early Stellar

This subsector will be sparsely populated. Systems will all be populated with an early stellar civilization.

type: SPARSE
allegiance: LtSa
minTechLevel: 2
maxTechLevel: 10

Always Empty

This subsector will be randomly generated, but hexes 0201, 0202, 0203, 0301, 0302, 0303 will never have a star system.

type: STANDARD
excluded:
  - x: 2
    y: 1
  - x: 2
    y: 2
  - x: 2
    y: 3
  - x: 3
    y: 1
  - x: 3
    y: 2
  - x: 3
    y: 3

Island in the Rift

A mostly empty subsector, except for one part of it.

type: RIFT
required:
  - x: 4
    y: 3
  - x: 4
    y: 4
  - x: 4
    y: 6
  - x: 5
    y: 4
  - x: 5
    y: 7
  - x: 6
    y: 5

Population split

Divide the subsector into two regions with different population constraints, split at row 3. All systems above row 3 will not be populated.

type: STANDARD
populated:
  type: split-horizontal
  demarcation: 3
  before:
    allegiance: null
  after:
    minTechLevel: 5
    maxTechLevel: 12
    allegiance: ImDr

Kicking off Deepnight

The starting subsector has 2 known systems: Demnan and Garva-411. See star system specification for the specification for star systems.

type: SPARSE
unusualChance: 1
defaultSI: 3
systems:
- x: 1
  y: 4
- x: 2
  y: 1
- x: 2
  y: 7
  surveyIndex: 5
- x: 2
  y: 10
- x: 3
  y: 3
- x: 3
  y: 9
- x: 4
  y: 3
  surveyIndex: 5
- x: 5
  y: 2
- x: 5
  y: 6
  known: true
  name: Garva-411
  primary:
    type: NS
    bodies:
    - uwp: empty
    - uwp: empty
    - uwp: empty
    - uwp: empty
    - uwp: empty
    - uwp: empty
    - uwp: empty
    - uwp: X000000-0
    - uwp: X310000-0
      mainWorld: true
    - uwp: small gas giant
    - uwp: terrestrial
- x: 7
  y: 2
  surveyIndex: 5
- x: 7
  y: 4
  known: true
  name: Demnan
  bases:
  - S
  - "N"
  surveyIndex: 10
  primary:
    type: F7
    class: V
    companion:
      type: K2
      class: V
    bodies:
    - uwp: terrestrial
    - uwp: large gas giant
    - uwp: X000000-0
    - uwp: E567000-0
      orbit: habitable
      mainWorld: true
    - uwp: X000000-0
    - uwp: large gas giant
    - uwp: terrestrial
    - uwp: small gas giant
    far:
      type: G2
      class: V

Reference 0421RD