Galaxy map generation and graph cycles?

[Stormtrooper (OP)]

How does galaxy generation work? I use real stars which means all the other settings don't affect me and I'm worried that so far my galaxy is a tree with sol on top of it, without cycles in the graph which makes things kinda boring.

[prunkstation]

For example's sake.

My map from a game where I run a deliberate, planned and very slow exploration policy. No cycles.


Someone else's map with a more expansive reach. 4 cycles.

[Stormtrooper (OP)]

Ouch... This looks... Bad. Even on the second image, only 4 cycles for such large number of stars... And on top of that cycles that barely matter, creating some local triangles while in practice galaxy as a whole remains essentialy a tree still.

[Kylemmie]

The last game I had was cool. It had two large loops of 5+ systems. Like prunkstation, I play slow and careful tho, so they take awhile to find. Too many times I've gotten ahead of myself and the shell of defense I had lasted about 5 seconds before an NPR glassed Earth.

[Polestar]

Question: If the graphs are re-plotted centered on a star other than Sol, does Sol still appear unusual? This will need to be done for a star at least 3 jumps away from the edge of known space.

I've looked at the graphs above, and I'm not sure that they will actually be shaped much differently (except for the focal point being closer to one edge of known space than to others).

[Froggiest1982]

Check my map out at the end of this post:

http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=11937.msg147058#msg147058

3 Macro loops and 2 small ones. Real Stars 71 systems discovered. Sometimes loops appear later via dormant jump points. So it is highly possible that in the beginning you have only few even if the systems are fully surveyed.

[Droll]

Ouch... This looks... Bad. Even on the second image, only 4 cycles for such large number of stars... And on top of that cycles that barely matter, creating some local triangles while in practice galaxy as a whole remains essentialy a tree still.

To give perspective, that second map is actually my current game. That's what 75 systems on random stars with 1250 total stars, 70% local chance and 20 generation spread looks like. So those 4 loops you see are on above average settings in an attempt to make more loops.

[Black]

This is my 1.12 game I am currently playing, relatively slow exploration. Real stars and there are some loops.



Edit: JPs from Vega to Epsilon Eridani, Sirius, 40 Eridani and LHS 288 were dormant. Same with Sigma Draconis - Kapteyns Star and Stein 2051 - LHS 288 connections.

[Droll]

This is my 1.12 game I am currently playing, relatively slow exploration. Real stars and there are some loops.



Edit: JPs from Vega to Epsilon Eridani, Sirius, 40 Eridani and LHS 288 were dormant. Same with Sigma Draconis - Kapteyns Star and Stein 2051 - LHS 288 connections.

Wtf is happening at Vega lol, but by the sounds of this it seems like dormant JPs are the main culprit for loops, you map doesn't look half bad and there are a lot of loops in your game.

[Black]

Wtf is happening at Vega lol, but by the sounds of this it seems like dormant JPs are the main culprit for loops, you map doesn't look half bad and there are a lot of loops in your game.

Yeah my head hurts when I think about Vega, there are 11 jump points. Fortunately only 5 lead outside of my territory and 1 leads to dead-end system. There is decent planet and Jovian with good Sorium deposits for fuel harvesters, but it is still pain, because of the size of the system. Even with several LPs I stabilized travel through Vega is slow. One of the JPs in Vega leads to Gliese 250 and there are 6 unexplored JP so lot of systems to survey through Vega.

I was afraid for a bit because it seemed that it will be my only exploration vector left. Fortunately one of the JPs in Vyssotsky McCormick 541 opened new exploration vector for me as well. But two of the new systems in this chain were infested with Precursors, so full exploration just started.

[db48x]

Question: If the graphs are re-plotted centered on a star other than Sol, does Sol still appear unusual? This will need to be done for a star at least 3 jumps away from the edge of known space.

I've looked at the graphs above, and I'm not sure that they will actually be shaped much differently (except for the focal point being closer to one edge of known space than to others).

In the beginning of the game it will invariably look like your starting system is the center of the universe. If you have some NPRs enabled from the start, then they will be exploring as well. Their maps would also look like their home systems are the center of the universe, if you could view them.

[Stormtrooper (OP)]

Holy s hit I'm so jealous of your save. One of many auror quirks I hate it's galaxy generation, I don't like the idea of s tree. But your save... Your save is beautiful, I want this, this looks like a decent graph from any other space strategy game. Is there even a way, like some dB edits whatsoever I could use to influence the settings for real stars? I love real stars game, just wish I could affect chances of loops appearing so I'd get a decent galaxy.

[Stormtrooper (OP)]

Question: If the graphs are re-plotted centered on a star other than Sol, does Sol still appear unusual? This will need to be done for a star at least 3 jumps away from the edge of known space.

I've looked at the graphs above, and I'm not sure that they will actually be shaped much differently (except for the focal point being closer to one edge of known space than to others).

In the beginning of the game it will invariably look like your starting system is the center of the universe. If you have some NPRs enabled from the start, then they will be exploring as well. Their maps would also look like their home systems are the center of the universe, if you could view them.

Shame... I had starting nprs, but deleted them later to stop aurora from becoming loading screen simulator, but as I peeked at their maps, they gave indeed the same impression.

[Droll]

Question: If the graphs are re-plotted centered on a star other than Sol, does Sol still appear unusual? This will need to be done for a star at least 3 jumps away from the edge of known space.

I've looked at the graphs above, and I'm not sure that they will actually be shaped much differently (except for the focal point being closer to one edge of known space than to others).

In the beginning of the game it will invariably look like your starting system is the center of the universe. If you have some NPRs enabled from the start, then they will be exploring as well. Their maps would also look like their home systems are the center of the universe, if you could view them.

Shame... I had starting nprs, but deleted them later to stop aurora from becoming loading screen simulator, but as I peeked at their maps, they gave indeed the same impression.

I think the chance of loops is based on the total number of systems in the game, default 1000 is quite high. Think of the largest galaxy you ever played to and then make the galaxy size slightly larger than that (so if the largest you had is 100, set it to 125/150). Perhaps then you will get more loops - I think the star count setting affects real stars games as well so that would be your best bet.

[Black]

I think the chance of loops is based on the total number of systems in the game, default 1000 is quite high. Think of the largest galaxy you ever played to and then make the galaxy size slightly larger than that (so if the largest you had is 100, set it to 125/150). Perhaps then you will get more loops - I think the star count setting affects real stars games as well so that would be your best bet.

Number of systems have no effect on real stars. Basically we can only hope that Steve will return the option to create links between two JPs as was possible in VB6 version.