View source for "So, You want to build a HUGE Universe?" by Donjon - 10 Apr 2008

According to the documentation, stars! allows universe sizes of:

0: Tiny width 400 ly

1: Small width 800 ly

2: Medium width 1200 ly

3: Large width 1600 ly

4: Huge width 2000 ly


However, with little dos utility [[file:stretch.zip|stretch]] one can extend this size to:

5: Huge(5) width 2400ly

6: Huge(6) width 2800ly

7: Huge(7) width 3200ly


Now, beyond this realm of sizes two things appear to happen...

# There is a strip at the top of the map in the viewer which is devoid of any stars.
# The top border of the universe gets a crowded line of stars.


The documentation in stretch is NOT correct though... the universe for size 8, and 9 and ... are usable... they just don't look good  {{:)}}


However, with a little forethought, the universe can look good and be usable.


These are some of the universe sizes one can get by stretching beyond the limits of the documentation:

8: Huge[8] depth 3200 ly width 3600 ly

9: Huge(9) depth 3200 ly width 4000 ly

10: Huge(10) depth 3200 ly width 4400 ly

11: Huge(11) depth 3200 ly width 4800 ly

12: Huge(12) depth 3200 ly width 5200 ly

13: Huge(13) depth 3200 ly width 5600 ly

14: Huge(14) depth 3200 ly width 6000 ly (and so on!!!)


I am certain this list could be extended, for how long I am not certain.


The blank band at the top of the universe viewscreen is due to the fact that stars! wishes to have a square universe but since the engine doesn't allow a depth exceeding 3200 ly it will instead place space at the top. So in a Huge[8] universe the height is 400ly for the blank space, and in a Huge(14) universe 

the height is 2800ly.


Now we come to fixup... [[file:uc1_3.zip|Universe Creator]] is another cute little tool which can be used for massaging star positions, however it does have some limitations... It cannot handle blanket remapping of any but the standard universe sizes (tiny, small, medium, large and huge,) although is can handle placement of individual stars in any size of universe {{:)}}


If we generate a set of game files with a huge definition we can remap the universe for stretching to a Huge[8] universe by using a 400*400 bitmap picture of the universe with 400/3600 (which is 1/9,) the top 45 rows of the bitmap black and the bottom white... then run the stretch utility, stretching it out to Huge[8]...


Similarily, we can create a Huge(14) universe by remapping the generated universe with a 400*400 bitmap with 2800/6000 (7/15,) the top 187 rows black, then the rest white.


Have fun {{:)}}


* [http://starsautohost.org/sahforum/index.php?t=msg&th=3774&start=0&rid=78&S=4d1012f1a046a8f145f61c7c91297147 Source at HWF]
[[Category:Game setup]]
[[Category:Articles]]
{{SWC}}
[[Category: Articles by Donjon]]