How to Organize It All

[Spiff]

Finally, you may like having a map of worlds you've discovered. It isn't essential - you can get all the info from the kind of Exploration spreadsheet described in the first post - but it can be easier to read. And maps are cool.

Many SN players map with a couple programs. The first, SNFindPath (see the link in the first post), calculates the fuel needed for multi-step jumps across systems. It is NOT essential for play (especially early on), so don't feel obligated to use it. But if you do, you can use a second program, Graphviz, to generate a map, then viewing it with a third program (in this thread, Hobknob explains the steps and uses ZGRViewer to view it). There are alternative viewers, including a web-based one, Webgraphviz. I haven't used any of these.

The maps they make are simple, and as Hobknob explains, they don't include planets, and when you update it for a new turn, the positions of star systems may change. Here's a sample Graphviz map (not from SN):



An alternative is draw your own map. I started with Keynote (Mac's Powerpoint), with an overall map like this


and system maps like this



But as my empire grew, it became easier to keep one overall map, with simpler lines. I like Raven's example from OmniGraffle
(used with permission, also with fictional system info):




I used the free program Draw.io (which works great) to do a variation. Note that I don't include suns or ships in mine, at least not yet.


If you like mapping, you can have good fun with it in SuperNova. If not, you can try the SNFindPath/ Graphviz combination, or you could skip mapping and just refer to the information listed for the above Exploration sheet.