Fixing the Star System Generator Sheet

 

1. Have to figure out a way to HIDE extra planets. 
2. Have to figure out a way to generate more Gas and Ice Worlds. 

got my medical certificate - weak from sickness

Got my medical certificate on Monday.

Still feel weak. Usually after work I catch some Mwo and then I'm ready to write or edit stuff for Mneme. Well I'm not yet able. When I calculated my 2 weeks I didn't think I had to rebuild my endurance.

Anyway I'm the bottle neck. I have to fix the spreadsheet so nicco can make the many due world's. Then after that I'll fix the blender files.

How am I going to recover? I guess rest and a bit of exercise. 

Some Updates - experimenting with Video unfortunately I'm rambly

• need to review the manual
• the files look good. 
• target October. 
• getting close to affording the tablet for Nicco (300usd for the XP pen 15 tablet). 

This is an experiment realizing that I can talk about technical and scientific matters after realizing some gamer YouTubers would rant about matters they don't know anything about and create huge followings out of it. I realized that having a place where people can un-constructively criticize people without nuance can create a large audience , I want to experiment if people who want to talk about science and technical challenges can be a better alternative. 

What value do I offer that would better be the Catharsis of dogpiling on someone who cannot defend their point? Can talking about science fiction Traveller geekery be better than that? Lets experiment of course I don't have the SOC or INT for that. but I can make rolls and get lucky. 

 

Ice world and Rocky world.

Probably finish by October as predicted (my covid countdown started Tuesday)

 Issues

1. Manual Ongoing 
2. some of the textures do not get Shadows 
3. Implement it in Asset Manager (so you can drag and drop the Planet Templates) 

2k at 2mbps 6 sec to render in RX550 Ryzen5 2600

4k open the image to view the file. 7mbs.  22 sec to render in RX550 Ryzen5 2600

The theory behind selling Blender products in our product is - if your into Traveller then you probably can figure out how to do this AND if not, your not too shy to ask. You want rendered scenes for your game. 

Got Covid - in Quarantine expected a 2 week delay

 We have covid in the family and I have a history of going down the worse when ever we get sick. So in the next 10-15 days I'll probably be unable to meet my targets. 

Targets will be shifted

1. New Blender Proceedural Planet Generator was supposed to be  before Sep 23. Expect it to be by October first week. Lets call it BPPGv3 for short
1. 
2. Spreadsheet Edits - targeting 6 additional Columns October 15
3. New Version of Mneme World Builder with the Edits and Art from the New BPPGv3 October 30. 
4. Copper Milestone November first week. 3 Procedurally Generated Systems using the Spreadsheet that is detailed - complete with Planets and Art from  BPPGv3 and icons for detailing your worlds. 
5. 2013 Scifi Notes updated this is an Open source Hard Scifi Setting that details the technological and Economic and Demographic Development of Sol from 2050-2500 (with a target of going up to 2700). What's special here is the detailed Tech Level notes and Doctrine (I'm particular about what are the best practices based on technology and how they change due to disruptive tech - Imagine how Drone warfare and better capacitors and batteries will change missile defense and the entire strategic landscape of warfare in 2022 onward, or Orbital Manufacturing etc... - inspired from my work in a developing world company in the Philippines).   
   
   

Wondering if I can have a public calendar on game in the brain. 

Doctrine.
If you had a headache because you couldn't predict the impact of some technology which your Players exploited - that should have been common practice - then you are interested in Doctrine. Doctrine is like Physics - why certain practices dominate. Eliyahu Goldratt, a physicist who developed the Theory of Constraints framework used in Lean Manufacturing talks about this a lot: he set up a framework how to understand the role of technology - which is used to figure out how to better use tech. His lecture about ERPs and TOC is a framework in approach how Tech assumptions and rule changes will impact practice. 

This also helps understand Changes in technological landscape. 

First Time to do Customer Support - Taught a buyer how to use Blender

 

So i dont mind helping people learn Blender or GIMP (or ERPNext, GCP, and various other things). If people know how to use open source tools they will use it, the learning part is the biggest accessibility challenge. My main problem is really the schedule - If I can schedule it on time. Sadly I won't be able to support many people because of time zones. If we grow big enough maybe 😅

So we recorded the sessions so no need to take notes. Although here is the manual and its also included in the book.

I realize we need to clarify the following:

1. How to make thicker and thinner clouds.
2. Bigger or Smaller Continents 
3. and with the new Tutorial how to make new Rings. 
4. performance expectations - how long it will take to render. Example at 2x1 k pixels it took 20 seconds on my RX550, doubling the dimensions increases the time by x4 to 80 seconds. 
1. He wanted to know how much time it will take to prepare for a game. Which is something we considered in the planning. 
2. If it was Just making it different from the last planet then it will be easy. But trying to follow Flavor text for how the planet should look is going to be hard. 
3. We will need to give tips how to use the files, like using GIMP or Slides (Nicco uses Slides because its so easy to just add icons and just download as JPG or PDF or PNG. 

Planet Generator Blender File UPGRADE - new more realistic landmass

Daniel Grove is where Nicco and I get a lot of Ideas for Traveller-Cepheus Engine, particularly using blender to create the material.  We are using his new tutorial to create a more detailed world. 

For comparison, this is how our original world generator generates procedural worlds. 

Nicco just gave me the new version for trouble shooting and I had to relearn to create UVMap baked textures. I forgot you have to make an Image texture node. Create a NEW image - name it. Go to Shading and set it up. and Configure Baking settings properly (Diffuse). We will go into more detail once the new version is done and we will create a new video.  

This is the file exported. as you can see it has too little contrast. not good for old eyes. 

GIMP > Colors > Levels to increase the contrast. 

It was too dark I had to go to GIMP and BRIGHTEN it up by going to levels. 

 

Exploiting Traps and Problems.

My favorite thing about Science and Biz is that the FORCES balance out. I'm listening to Space Oddesy 2001 and remember the line "Nature always balances the books" when explaining the Slingshot to Saturn. 

In a Conan Game, we learned there were other Treasure Hunters other than us, so we did what every 80-90s Cartoon Villain would do - let the Good guys do all the work and jump them when they find the treasure. It partially worked - we got the competition to set off all the Traps. We were so "Fresh" that we fought off the bonus encounter. "the Deceiver" guy was killed and we enjoyed the game. I for one loved seeing the context clearly and exploiting it. 

My regret with Mutant Chronicles was not EXPLOITING the 10-man gang. exploiting the Trap. I should have placed a letter telling them that the Bldg manager was going to exploit them for more cash and to meet him in the 4th Floor. That would have been SWEET. 

These opportunities are there and can be found in many adventures when you study them as written. Exploiting these problems is just understanding the Potential and Motivations - and HAVING THE INFORMATION to exploit these. 

Sorry, this is what I do at work, learn people's motives and make many EQ and Admin Rolls to let the Inertia of huge forces be redirected to create VIRTUOUS Cycles. I love practicing it in games, and working with more and more NUANCED situations. 

You don't get the next generation Geniuses from being BORN, you train a bunch of students to think - get them to have game-in-the-brain - they think like a gamer and SOLVE problems. You teach them to ENJOY and find the thrill of it. Teaching them sustainable means so they can keep rolling with no crit-fail. 

Nicco Improving the Blender proceedural World Generator

Prototype. This can be converted into a 2D Map for your Traveller Game

TARGET Goal

CURRENT OUTPUT

1. Hi everyone, Here are the Links 

2. Planet-Map-Template.pptx  https://tinyurl.com/bddr55s2 

3. Mneme World Generator  https://tinyurl.com/mtecbrwj 

4. Blender Proceedural World Generator https://tinyurl.com/2a9h4zfa 

If you like our work, consider supporting us and also get Mneme Variant Combat Rules https://tinyurl.com/3v3kcr76 

When work is too INSPIRING!

 You cannot believe how many people dont understand BREAK EVEN, fixed/variable costs, cost benefit analysis, BATNA, and other BASIC biz concepts. Mastering them in Low stakes traveller when so many don't know these concepts.

Wife was telling me how an executive just learned how Break Even works and started repeating it in every meeting. Heck Cashflow is something 90% of biz don't understand - but the 70% of biz that fail after 3 years have a large chunk of them in mismanaging this key concept.

Cashflow - ever fall short paying your Crew or Suppliers in Cash - that's some ROLE-PLAYING I want to see.  

I train Students (On the Job Trainees) I'd prefer running CE and putting their Challenges into "CASE STUDIES" in CE lolz. I'd like roleplaying Debtors, Creditors, Competitors, Unreasonable Clients, Corrupt Gov't agents, etc... 

I know I run games in a Niche Way, but its the BEST system for running this kind of game. Making the Stakes Interesting is where the fantastic elements come into play. 

I remember doing the Break Even Analysis - I gave the GM a hard time because I told the Crew "We have to take jobs that ATLEAST pay X or else we will go under." = You mean Players don't do Profitable Risky Jobs... just RISKY unprofitable Jobs? 

The GM can always Handwave - but at least the Handwave should be "Profitable or NOT". The GM can next time check the BEA and roll 2d6*10% or 20% for the risks and payout of the JOB. 

When ever I see stupid Biz Decisions - I am INSPIRED in using the same conditions in the GAME. Its mentally as demanding as a Mystery Game - IMO. One really feel smart seeing the Trap and Avoiding it. Especially when you exploit the trap. 

When work is too INSPIRING (with too many bad decisions) it makes me want to game even more. 

update : day job emergency over, starting up again.

Nicco has finished his day job duties and proceeding to update the Mneme world generator with the changes we implemented upon discovering some problems with the system (with spreadsheets we can test the system faster and make finer adjustments)

I on the other hand I'm juggling the structured cabling a home. While I'm done with my dept reports for my day job, I'm now coordinating the repairs of our Condominum unit - structured cabling to the auxiliary room.

So mentally I'm not all there 😅. 

I'm aware I have a strong urge to lose myself writing, designing and planning. 

I'm considering training a third member of our team so that we can delegate some day job duties to them. Training a new person is not as tedious as people Think, for me it's a review of what I know and what I forgot to do.

Of course that means I have to budget their cost in Google workspace (50usd per year) and of course look for a non existent budget for them.

I've advanced all the payments since the family biz was late to pay nicco (so he's getting paid by the family biz for his day job work) - so I've already paid for all the improvements for Mneme world generator to electrum milestone.

I don't know if people will like it. Well Iike it and I'll be offering to run it - cepheus delux + Mneme combat. The ships will be temoriarily Orbital 2100 (since nicco and i will make more detailed cepheus engine TL 6 to 9 ships which is Mneme TL 6 to 16 - inspired by children of a dead earth, nebulous fleet command, Delta-v, Andy Weir books, and the expanse). 

Anyway I'll be reverting the prices to their full price (10usd) and then create the discounts based on the monthly or quarterly promotions of Drivethru rpg (who give free marketing for those who align their discounts with their events).

Mneme will specialized in cepheus engine TL 6 to 9 and a future speculated by the demographics of HANS rossling's gap minder ( the open database of demographic data). so africa and south Asia will be the largest economies very far from America, China, Asia Pacific economies, South America and EU. 

Adventures set in 2100 to 2500 common era. Where around 2300 early extra sol adventures begin with risky and unreliable drives like amerigo and Magellan type risks. You can still have 200 years of extra sol adventures even if you have age of sail risks. 

Around 2500 you have drives comparable to the reliability of flights and shipping of the 21st century. Most traveller is in the end of the second millenium. 

Of course making the contents of the Near Sol procedural means we can make a spreadsheet that can create a detailed system on a click. 

If we get enough sales nicco and I can explore making a Godot or javascript app to procedurally generate all this. Ships and system to be heavily visualized so that the GM can easily set the mood and theme. 

From Detective Story to Combat Meat Grinder - Mutant Chronicles - SPOILERS

 https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/126929/Mutant-Chronicles-3rd-Edition-FREE-Quickstart 

The GM had to fudge the rules to prevent a TPK. I reviewed my notes and remember each of the scenes and the combat session was designed to force us to kill the Big Bad guy and Jumping out of the Building. 

OK. Umm... 

• Once you get to the 4th floor its a Locked Area and you have to fight the Big Bad guy to escape. 
• The NPCs had 1 combat monster, all the characters were STATed to be good technically and as detectives. We could all detect any clue, the problem is that None-of the clues CHANGED the lethality of the 4th floor encounter. 
• None of the clues were foreshadowing that it was a Brawling monster and that we would have to lose lights.
• The monster reduced our "sanity" or mental reserves so that we needed D2 to succeed and we were NON-Combat characters. Basically, it was a foregone TPK, the GM decided to make a Difficulty 1 scenario and had to fudge the stats.  Its not fun with 5 PCs rolling to hit a monster that had so much armor and we were NON-COMBAT characters. 
• Where is the MOTIVE? sorry its just that I would have developed one if I prepared written adventure. 
• There are no "DEFENSE" rolls like Conan. so you just took damage till your dead. Not many options to do. 

How I would have Changed It. 

1. If we want to be a Call of Cthulhu and combat was LETHAL then allow to ESCAPE. that's pretty much it. I was tempted to not go to the 4th floor and just already with the clues say "We saw nothing". But it would have wasted the GM's time and effort. 
1. I used the broken furniture to Create an Escape route - but the adventure called to remove it. Aw cmon that's TERRIBLE planning. Even I would plan escape routes (its a requirement for BUILDINGS in construction and of any OSHA-trained practitioner).
2. If you had Foreshadowing I feel dumb for missing it. But if there is NO FORESHADOWING or clue I get angry as it would be BAD WRITING. 
3. I expected the BIG BAD to be mind control - as that was the foreshadowing and clues. PCs rolling against mental reserve. 
4. MISSED opportunity to EXPLAIN how the abilities that gave CLUE finding (Vents and Vance) and the fighting were supposed to be used. 
2. IF you wanted a FIGHT, then 1st Follow GUMSHOE rules and just hand the clues - no more rolls. make the PCs more equipped to fight and with armor. AND FUCKING FORESHADOW being attacked by a clawed monster. This would be tedious to prepare and reconfigure the Pregens. 
   
   

Hopefully Seth will make a better job of this.