Today, we're diving deep into a unique, technical aspect of my writing process: using science fiction game rule sets like Traveller to construct sprawling, data-rich universes. This method enables me to create a cosmos filled with thousands of worlds, each with its own unique history, culture, and narrative potential—even if many of these details never find their way directly onto the page.
The Power of a Rule Set: Creating a Foundation
When it comes to crafting realistic and layered sci-fi worlds, the Traveller rule set has become one of my most valuable tools, for the past 47 years. If you’re unfamiliar, Traveller is a classic tabletop role-playing game with robust systems for generating details about everything from the mainworld of a star system, and sketch details of the placce, to planetary quirks. This framework allows me to inject logic and consistency into my universe.
The process begins with random generation, where each roll of the dice dictates aspects like size, atmosphere, hydrographics, Population, government type, Law enforcement, and technology levels, as well as factors driving trade routes with other worlds. These structured layers provide data that helps me picture thousands of unique star systems, usually taken in bites of 40 worlds on average per subsector, with around 640 worlds to a sector. My own setting has around 50,000+ systems. (I have not counted them all yet, but I have a jokingly serious plan to do that, later this week.) With Traveller's iconic hexagonal maps, I can position worlds precisely and understand their interrelationships at a glance—something like a topographical atlas for space. With this visual framework, I can easily identify the key worlds, the remote backwaters of space, frontiers that are unexplored, massive isolated rifts of no stars, chains of stars that trade with each other, and those valuable but isolated Industrial worlds, and trade hubs.
Transforming Data into Dynamic Settings
Of course, raw data can feel sterile on its own: numbers, codes, and hex locations. But that’s where imagination transforms these details into something magical. As I generate details for each world, a rich layer of “what if” questions emerges. A planet with a low population but abundant resources, for instance, opens up tantalizing possibilities: Is it a dangerous mining outpost under corporate rule? A forgotten exoplanet being redeveloped for its mineral wealth? A refuge for outlawed scientists on the frontier of known space?
This structured randomness breathes life into my universe by allowing unexpected stories to arise organically. A hostile desert planet with a high-tech society might give birth to a culture of resilience and innovation, while a waterlogged world with a dense, impoverished population becomes a breeding ground for diseases, intrigue and revolution. Each data point—whether a population count or a resource type—becomes a springboard for new ideas, providing a solid foundation that sparks creative exploration.
Organizing a Universe’s Worth of Data
The sheer scope of generated content can be overwhelming, especially with thousands of worlds in play. Over the years, I've created a robust system to manage all this information, distributing it across multiple hard drives. Each drive contains planetary maps, detailed charts of system worlds and features, and notes on the cultural or political role each world might play in my Merchant of Vision universe.
With a systematic organization, I can quickly access and cross-reference any planet, or star system, when a particular setting or background detail is needed. Even if a specific world or system doesn’t feature in the current manuscript, it’s always ready to be drawn into future stories or spin-offs, giving a continuity and depth to the universe that readers may not see but can feel.
Building Realism Through Logistics and Economics
Using Traveller’s trade and travel rules brings a level of pseudo-realism to the universe that’s often overlooked in speculative fiction. By simulating trade routes and economic abundance or lack of resources, I can create interstellar economies that feel grounded and complex. For example, a mineral-rich planet with a fuel source, surrounded by a vast number of uninhabited frontier systems within a few jumps might develop into a bustling trade hub, the worlds on the perimeter contested by multiple factions with interests ranging from mining corporations to interstellar smugglers. This economic backbone helps dictate everything from political alliances to the daily lives of characters, subtly influencing the way I craft dialogue, plot points, and world events.
By embedding each world within a web of trade, transportation, and communication, the galaxy starts to feel not only immense but interconnected. Each system affects its neighbors, each trade route hints at history, and each isolated star speaks to the perils of exploring an untamed frontier.
Balancing Technical and Creative Elements
The intricate balance between raw data and creative storytelling is at the heart of why this method works so well. The technical structure provides a scaffolding that anchors my imagination; it’s like a blueprint of a slice of a fictional galaxy that I then fill with people, stories, and mysteries. With each detail generated by the Traveller rules, I’m able to give my universe a feeling of order and logic. Yet it’s the creative flourishes—the narratives I build on top of this structure—that make it feel alive.
As I flesh out my worlds, they develop a lived-in texture, filled with distinct cultures, dialects, and social dynamics. Characters interact with worlds that seem real because, in a way, they are: each planet is a thoughtfully constructed ecosystem, with a fully imagined culture and history lying just below the surface of the story.
World-Building on an Epic Scale
The Merchant of Vision universe is massive, spanning thousands of worlds, each with its own role in a complex tapestry. While not every planet or faction appears in every story, they form an essential part of the setting’s depth and believability. Whether a scene takes place on a thriving metropolis planet or a desolate outpost, the reader feels that these worlds are part of a cohesive whole, where every location has a purpose and every event impacts the broader galaxy.
And this process is never static. Each new story layer adds fresh complexity to the Merchant of Vision universe, weaving new connections and deepening established lore. As I explore further corners of this universe, both the narrative and the galaxy itself evolve in tandem.
Final Thoughts
Harnessing tools like the Traveller rules set has been instrumental in bringing the Merchant of Vision universe to life. It’s not just a method for generating random planets; it’s a collaborative process where structure and imagination meet, turning dice rolls and hex maps into an expansive, coherent universe filled with wonder. I feel as if I am a creator, gazing upon his creation. This unique blend of technical structure and creative depth has made the universe feel tangible and immersive, and I look forward to discovering where this journey through my setting of fictional space takes me next.
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