Star groupings

[FALCmods4all]

I’ve been referring to the settled systems as a star cluster, but it occurs to me that if dlc and mods add new groupings of stars we’ll want to have common terms to differentiate between the parts vs the whole.

Terms smallest < largest

systems < asterisms < constellations < sectors < < open clusters < regions < globular clusters < quadrants < galaxies < dimensions/universes < multiverse

What is tricky is that sectors seem to lack official definition outside of media like star trek (about 50 systems avg in 20ly blocks). Also cluster vary between open 10s to 1000s of stars and globular 10,000s to 1,000,000s+ of stars.

As sector has the most utility for political groupings rather than scientific groupings, it probably makes more sense to refer to new chunks of stars as new sectors and to refer to all stars in jumpable range as our local cluster with stars that are somehow in new star maps as other clusters (say in a new section of the galaxy reached by wormhole rather than grav drive).

Furthermore, sectors could be used to create more legible star maps as system factions mods play a stronger role over time in system travel etc: The UC sector, the Freestar sector, the Crimson Fleet sector, the some new mod sector, etc.

In turn, the vanilla settled systems may constitute a cluster, distinct from say a dlc cluster or an ambitious mod adding multiple sectors.

Region and larger may not be needed, but region should refer to groupings of clusters around features, say nebulae or spurs of the milky way or the galactic core, and of course quadrants are just quarters of the galaxy.

Not sure there’d be debate about terms like sector vs cluster, but I figure better to be sure everyone gets on the same page early to avoid confusion or clashing around naming conventions down the line. I know I was unfamiliar with asterism, a shape of stars more simple than a constellation, so perhaps that at least will be of use to people. A mod adding a polygon of systems would be adding the blank asterism. If people are working on similar mods (say dealing with spacer dominated space) they may wish to place adjacent asterisms to form a constellation that is part of the existing spacer, or whichever faction, sector. 

Edited June 15 by FALCmods4all

[aurreth]

Huh?

The star map isn't that big.  It's basically a sphere with a radius of roughly 10 parsecs (a little over 30 light years) centered on Sol.  You can't place systems outside of that range, they'll just vanish from the map and be inaccessible.

Starfield, on a galactic scale, is incredibly small.  The game isn't set up to support anything larger.

[FALCmods4all]

11 hours ago, aurreth said:

Huh?

The star map isn't that big.  It's basically a sphere with a radius of roughly 10 parsecs (a little over 30 light years) centered on Sol.  You can't place systems outside of that range, they'll just vanish from the map and be inaccessible.

Starfield, on a galactic scale, is incredibly small.  The game isn't set up to support anything larger.

I know. Optimistic I guess.