• Registered: 2009-07-16
  • Posts: 11

Topic: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

I've started making my own universe for my Starmada/FutureWars games.
Here is 2 scales of Galaxy map (work in progress).

<IMG src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/5989/pre1m.jpg">http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/5989/pre1m.jpg</IMG>
Galaxy

<IMG src="http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2519/pre2d.jpg">http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2519/pre2d.jpg</IMG>
Ecumene (work in progress smile)
Legend:
Purple star - capital
Blue star - imperial world
Green star - kingdom
White star - death world of Terra
Yellow star - uninhabited world
White line - trade route between capitals

This is not our Galaxy. Actualy its very wierd parallel universe. Just look at the empires names:
Egyptians
Hittites
Assyrians
Sumerians
Akkadians
Babylonians
Imperiuals (with capital on Byzantium)
Persians
Skandinavians
Moskovians
Novgorodians

Also there is many small kingdoms and Vikings (Iron Star ships) with main base on Vinland.

There was 5 major wars in history of Ecumene. Two Great Wars, Mechanoid  Invasion, Bug Invasion, Third Great War

Egyptians have leaded the humanity in the war against Mechanoids, and now they are the only nation, which uses battlemechs. Onfortunately Terra was completely destroyed during the Mechanoid War.

Persians and Imperium have leaded manking against Bugs Hive (Cimexian) from Core Worlds.

The end of  Third Great War was the begining of 160 years of peace. But who knows, maybe its just a prelude to new major conflict.

PS. Sorry for my English smile

  • Registered: 2005-04-13
  • Posts: 45

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

Very nice!  I look forward to seeing the ships of each faction.

  • Registered: 2006-07-24
  • Posts: 158

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

Now that is an interesting idea; you can have battles over territory, have conquest, etc. I like this.

  • Registered: 2009-07-16
  • Posts: 11

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

I need to add Assyrians worlds and Nubian empire.

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,286

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

Gotta love a nice lookin starmap.

  • Registered: 2005-12-28
  • Posts: 195

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

PSYCO829 wrote:

Now that is an interesting idea; you can have battles over territory, have conquest, etc. I like this.

I've worked on maps and rules for something like this for decades.  The rules usually get overly complicated trying to cover a lot of things, for example: logistics, ground forces, technology, peace time, exploration, colonization.  Finally I went with a simplistic approach borrowing from an old multi-player computer game.  Game was won and reset when one race took every one of the 25 planets. What added to the fun and player/race loyalty was that each race had a win count so there were bragging rights if your race had the most wins.

Adjusting for face-to-face multi-playing, I figure if ONE race/government (no allied wins) controls over half the planets (13) for one full turn then declare him the winner, reset and start over.  As to... naw, I won't bore you with more details.

As yet I haven't had a chance to try it out.  Every strategic level part of a tactical game around here for the last several years never gets off the ground.

  • Registered: 2005-12-28
  • Posts: 195

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

go0gleplex wrote:

Gotta love a nice lookin starmap.

Yes, I do.  I found many searching for "milky way galaxy map" when I was looking for near-to-Earth star clusters to set up a science fiction RPG (Traveller) campaign location.

About this particular map, there are a LOT of stars within the areas of those empires.

  • Registered: 2009-07-16
  • Posts: 11

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

About this particular map, there are a LOT of stars within the areas of those empires.

Actualy there is only main "place of interest" stars on thos map. Its like cities on planet Earth map. There are always a millions of villages in country but usualy there is no villages on country map. So I havent placed small colonies on the starmap. Also in this galasy only a few of stars have planets which are suitable for humans.
I like an idea of Warhammer map. HUGE galaxy with million of human worlds, but there are only a few worlds on the map. This will allow players to invent their own small worlds for their local battles

  • Registered: 2008-12-22
  • Posts: 193

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

I prefer the idea that althought there are millions of planets, only some of it are colonozable. If millions were human usable why bother to attack or invade others?

  • Registered: 2009-07-16
  • Posts: 11

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

I agree with you!

  • Registered: 2008-12-22
  • Posts: 193

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

It's the old dichotomy: Need vs. Evilness.

Do you prefer the evil empire or the famine threat?
The Famine Threat approach is more realistic, giving birth to moral dilemma, hard choices, and sometimes fighting for the lesser evil. In the need for new space/ foof/ energy/ ect. kind of universe there must be a lack of something. That will prompt colony wars, technology wars, etc. The least number of planets the best.

The Evil Empire approach is more space opera, the heroes vs. the villains. This is what makes D&D easy. Goblins are bad, so you can wipe out a goblin camp, full of goblin women and children, without thinking much of it. Or use the GW solution: Orcs and Goblins are really spore born, a sort of turned bad mushrooms, so no women and children to worry about. So in the Evil Empire you can have million of planets. Bad guys attack because... they are bad guys. It's their duty.

In between this dichotomy you can have the slave race syndrom, the "so-alien-I-can't-understand-you" problem, The "you are so inferior that I don't recognize you as intelligent race" approach, etc.

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,424

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

Many war, because they seek dominion over others.

Old as time itself, actually...

  • Registered: 2009-07-16
  • Posts: 11

Re: Ecumene - my universe (Map inside!)

Well my idea about wars was like these: Empires with mentality of antient and medieval countries. War system a little bit like in Battletech univerce: no atomic warfare, wars not very devastating for civilians, so many small wars for every reason (linke in early 18 century).