The Stellar Cloud: 2-B or not 2-B – 3/20/2014

The original Takamo was three dimensional with a mapping system based on a modified XYZ coordinate system. The galaxy was divided into a series of cubes called “Sectors”. There were 17,576 Sectors in the galaxy. Each Sector was further divided into Subsectors, over 400,000 of them each holding as many as five star systems and each star system could hold up to 9 planets. This galaxy was huge but the online version will be even bigger. The architecture of the game provides for an expanding universe that generates itself as player empires move to the far reaches of space. The game will spread out across a virtually endless expanse of space.

One of the issues that we are wrestling with is how to create a three dimensional mapping system that will not leave a player disoriented looking at a star map that goes out in all directions. A two dimensional map of stars can be easily represented, but a 3D mapping system will need to keep the user oriented and track more objects than a 2D system. With our Development Team, there are as many approaches to this as there are people in the room and that is good because each issue addressed and resolved moves us closer to our goal.

Randy Ritnour, CEO