On 8/25/2020 8:03 AM, Alex Goodwin wrote:

>> The UWPs cover a *lot* of ground (literally) in just a few
>> letters/numbers and I think they do a great job of this.  I'm not sure
>> I'd want a High Guard style string of dozens of digits that's only
>> readable with a decode sheet.  (Though I'm aware that newbies can't
>> usually look at a UPP or a UWP and 'see' the person/planet behind.
>> But six digits + prefix/suffix of starport and tech level seems like a
>> good trade off.)
> Can you think of another format that combines that level of information
> density and ease-of-use and is a big enough improvement over the UWP to
> be worth hassle of switching?

I've been thinking for a while now that the UWP (like the UPP, etc) is
very much a product of its age, and the technical limitations of same,
in both generation and presentation.  Back in 1980, something was needed
that could be:

* Quickly produced by a few 2D rolls, with no more than one or two DMs
per roll (simple enough for humans to keep track of and write rules for);
* Encoded as a short string of hexidecimal characters; and
* Presented - along with world name and any codes for trade
classifications, facilities present, TAS warnings, and other brief notes
- in a few columns on a digest-size sheet of paper.

Today, forty years later, improvements in technology allow us to:

* Generate entire star systems in /considerably/ more detail at the
click of a single button, either completely at random or within certain
pre-set parameters, and to modify that data as desired or needed;
* Store /all/ of that data, trivially and at very little cost; and
* Just as easily access/view that data, to whatever level of detail is
desired, in plain text requiring no interpretation (only understanding
of what is being described) and potentially other formats, including
still or animated images.

tl;dr: we are no longer bound by paper and dice.

--
---------------
Kelly St. Clair
xxxxxx@efn.org