Milky Way Galaxy, Revisited

[bartmoss]

This is a continuation of the old thread: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...lky-Way-Galaxy

The galaxy itself is based on: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/image...-the-Milky-Way (NASA image)

WIP:

galaxy-01-b.png

[Diamond]

I really loved the style of the previous version(s), but I'm digging this one too.

[bartmoss]

Thanks. It's not that I hated the old versions, but, mh, I guess I am never quite satisfied with this stuff.

Minor update:
galaxy-01-c.png

[Hungry Donner]

It's very nice.

Do you have a version zoomed in the Empire territory proper? (The circle that extends out to include the Hive, New Frontier, and Empty Quarter.) I'm having trouble reading the marked colonies.

[bartmoss]

Sure. Just remember, it's very unfinished.

The systems are from the previous version, the arrangement is different though. I'll probably spread more or less the same system names over a much larger territory.

The basic idea is that the Empire does claim the entire galax, even if it, at this stage, could never enforce it. All the (mostly) blue stuff is how the Empire splits up the Milky Way galaxy. There are a few human nations, which are to the Empire as Taiwan is to the PRC, these aren't in the map yet.

Consider this RAH quote:

"But does Man have any "right" to spread through the universe? Man is what he is, a wild animal with the will to survive, and (so far) the ability, against all competition. Unless one accepts that, anything one says about morals, war, politics, you name it, is nonsense. Correct morals arise from knowing what man is, not what do-gooders and well-meaning old Aunt Nellies would like him to be. The Universe will let us know - later - whether or not Man has any "right" to expand through it."

The Empire's policy is one of Manifest Destiny.

galaxy-01-d-cropped.png

Edit:

Current WIP:

galaxy-01-e.png

[bartmoss]

Updated WIP:
galaxy-01-h.jpg

Zoom of Imperial region:
galaxy-01-h-empire.png

Anybody got any cool suggestions on what to do with all the whitespace on the borders of the map? I am thinking perhaps an evolution of the Imperial territory over time, or something similar, but what else could I do?

[rdanhenry]

Spaceships.

[mearrin69]

This looks very cool! I notice two "New California" systems on there. Was that intentional? I can certainly see how it might happen during an expansion push. Edit: if not intentional and you want them to be different you could make one "Nuevo California" and call it a day.

BTW, thanks for the link to the original map. I grabbed the images for my future projects folder.
M

[bartmoss]

rdanhenry, I am afraid my graphics skills are not sufficient to draw nice spaceships.

Mearrin, good catch - that duplicate New California was not intentional although I am sure in a Galactic Empire such duplicates will occur. I have a list of, hm, about 350 colony names so I'll just pick something else, or maybe I'll name it "New Francisco" or something

[wormspeaker]

Anybody got any cool suggestions on what to do with all the whitespace on the borders of the map? I am thinking perhaps an evolution of the Imperial territory over time, or something similar, but what else could I do?

Celtic Knots made of computer circuitry.