Jump point leading from multiple systems?

[LizardSF (OP)]

I've tried to find a more descriptive subject header, but I'm at a loss.. basically, is Aurora-space a "tree" or a "web"?

I've finally got a game which has lasted over a decade without either mineral or economic collapse (knock wood), and so I've got about 20-odd wormholes charted, and I've noticed, so far, that once you're along a route, it never connects to stars on other routes. What I mean is..

Say your home system has two warp points, A and B.

A leads to A1, A2, and A3
       A1 leads to C1 and C2
B leaves to B1, B2, B3, and B4.
       B1 leads to D1, D2... D5.

I have never seen a gate that leads from C1 to D2, or from B4 to A3, or from B to D5.

This has some interesting effects. If there are aliens sitting on the other side of a home system warp point, there's no way to "sneak up" on them, no matter how much of the galaxy you explore... all of the worlds beyond that gate are blocked off until you kill them.

Unless I've just been unlucky and there are such "cross-branch" links.

[Goron]

It can be a web. I have had two branches connect. It is not common in my experience but it has happened. I've also read about it in several AARs.

[blue emu]

It's not common, but it certainly can happen:



One six-star ring and a three-star ring, both adjacent to Sol.

[HaliRyan]

If I understand the system right (and I may not), the first time a jump point is entered it randomly determines its exit point. Each system is numbered, and if you look at your game info screen it'll show you the chance of a jump point linking to nearby system, and the spread that determines what's actually considered nearby.

[Erik L]

The local cluster chance and the system spread determine this.

If your cluster chance is high, and you have a small system spread you will most likely get loops.

Of course, the loops can occur from an NPR entering the system also though the system has been fully "surveyed".

[Goron]

Of course, the loops can occur from an NPR entering the system also though the system has been fully "surveyed".

Which sucks... A lot...
Because then you have to spend hours re-arranging your galactic map    oh, and because you might have enemies coming in a back door, too, I suppose

[Beersatron]

There are far less loops in Real Stars, iirc Steve said that the cluster/spread factors on game creation do not factor in a Real Stars game - he basis connections on real world distances.

[Girlinhat]

Check the "screenshots" forum.  There's some starmaps there that'll give you a good idea of what a big galaxy looks like.

[LizardSF (OP)]

Thanks for the replies, all!

The other game of this type I've played most extensively has been SEIV, so there's certain prejudices/intellectual baggage that comes with it.

[sloanjh]

The other game of this type I've played most extensively has been SEIV, so there's certain prejudices/intellectual baggage that comes with it.

LOL.  As near as I can tell, SE was STRONGLY motivated by StarFire.  The Aurora code started out as "StarFire Assistant" - the warp point generation routines are essentially the same (albeit the local clustering stuff is an enhancement put in by Steve, IIRC).

John

[jseah]

I played SEV.  The game would have been way too easy with a tree structure for warp chains.  At least if you're soloing vs AI.