Diaspora Cluster Generation System for Starblazers

I’ve been fiddling with the Diaspora Cluster Generation system for use for Starblazers. The original system is brilliant for hard sci-fi. But only almost brilliant for a high-octane space opera. So here’s the modifications I made:

First, roll 2D6 to determine the number of clusters, write them in a column. These will be our clusters. Link them as per the Diaspora rules.

Example:

A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G

*The number should average around 7, but if it’s much higher, you may want to adjust the following rolls to 1D6.

Next roll 2D6 for each cluster (this will be the number of systems in the cluster) and write them in rows. Link them too.

A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H
|
B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I–J
|
C–D–E–F–G–H–I–J
|
D–E–F–G–H
|
E–F
|
F–G–H–I–J–K–L–M–N
|
G–H–I–J–K–L–M

Now you should have a cluster of clusters (which we’ll call Regions, for a lack of a better term.)

At this point (and I haven’t actually play tested this) I would pick a cluster with my players to develop. I’d also adjust the Technology table as follows:

Technology
+4: Fallen
+3 to +2: Advanced
+1 to -1: Spacefaring
-2 to -3: Primitive (pre-spacefaring to stone age)
-4: Pre-civilization

I might consider simplifying the Resources and Environment tables too. But as written, I’d imagine they’d work.

I’d use the following guide to help determine travel time:

Days: Linked system to system.
Weeks: Linked cluster to cluster, unlinked system to system.
Months: Linked region to region, unlinked cluster to cluster.

And so forth.

This system should create around 50 systems, which should be enough. If it’s necessary, you can repeat the process for Regions. Or, to simplify the process, take Planet A of Cluster A and roll 4Df. On a positive result, the Region is linked to three others. On a zero, two others. On a negative, one other.

You could do this as many times as necessary, keeping in mind the travel time would increase by one step for each level of scale, as follows:

Days, Weeks, Months, Years, Decades, Centuries, Millenia.

At some point, travel would become unfeasible due to travel time, thus essentially ending the cycle.