[TML] A basic quadrant for review

[Knapp]

>>> Speaking as a trained cartographer have you considered sizing on a
>>> logarithmic scale? It would serve to make your smaller star symbols a
>>> little larger and larger ones more manageable.
>>
>> I thought about that sort of idea (I was just thinking of clipping the
>> top and bottoms sizes to a max and min) but log is great. The problem
>> is that the stars almost not showing up is really what it is like for
>> them. Also the HUGE blue ones are in stark contrast to the small dots
>> and give a feel that I might loose with the log idea.
>
> Well, most main sequence stars are going to be between .1 and 2 times Sol's
> radius.  At the very extreme, you're looking at about .05 to 3500 (the
> biggest are actually red supergiants, not blue).  A log10 scale makes that
> -1.3 to +3.5.  You could shift that up to 1.1 thru 5.9 (Sol ~2.4), which
> still gives a pretty good difference between big and small.

I am not so sure you are correct about the bottom end. I think, we
think that because the ones smaller than .1 are so hard to find as you
move out from sol. It seems that they might be VERY common.

It gives a good difference but it does still indicate that the sizes
are more similar that what is real. There are a lot of great articles
on the web about how books for students show data in ways that mislead
the students.

>> Did you see that I changed the color of the hex numbers to yellow from
>> white, if there was a star there? Is that to obscure?
>
> Not obscure at all.  I just wonder if it's needed, since you already have
> stuff *in* the hex anyway, at least a star symbol.  I think I've seen a map
> where they left out the number altogether in unoccupied hexes.  (Well, if I
> didn't see it, it's my idea, but you're welcome to it anyway. :) )

Nice idea, thanks.

> I notice you also cut the stars down to 1 listed per hex.  Or did you not
> worry about binaries and larger yet?  That could easily double the listing
> size.  :)

In this subsector there are 12 out of 50 that have more than one star.
By chance they are not in this quadrant. I guess in real life I should
have more stars that are double or better but they tend to not make
habitable planet systems so I avoided them in my star maker.

>> I think I could fill a little black book
>> with just one quadrant (or maybe 49 stars of the subsector)of 13
>> stars, If I include all the details of weather, life forms, orbits etc
>> and that is without human info like governments or adventures. With
>> this large size I can but a lot of icons in one hex.
>
> I like the idea of more detail for a smaller area.  Of course, I also like
> the idea of a smaller "Imperium"...
>
> Also, if you make some stars fill their hex, you'll have trouble putting
> other symbols in there too.

Yes, that is a problem. One possible answer is to just use the big
star as the background and but the icons on top of it. My look to
sloppy though. I have to test that out.

Thanks for your input!


-- 
Douglas E Knapp

http://sf-journey-creations.wikispot.org/Front_Page