Lit The Essential Atlas and Galactic Cartography: Official Discussion

Part 2

• Coreward Worlds
  • First Sector - TOP
    • Republic Planet - Ord Mantell
  • Second Sector - to the Left of 1st Sector
    • Sith Space Mission - Taspan Ambush
  • Third Sector - To the Left of 2nd Sector, No points of interest
  • Fourth Sector - Below of 1st-3rd, No points of interest
  • Fifth Sector - Below 4th, Left
    • (top left) - Republic Fleet
    • (top right) - Republic Planet - Coruscant
    • (Middle) - Republic Planet - Tython
    • (Lower Right) - Sith Space Mission - Sarapin Assault
  • Sixth Sector - Below 4th, Right
    • Republic Space Mission - Javaal Fleet Action
    • BOTH - Planet - Alderaan
  • Seventh Sector - Below 5th Sector
    • BOTH - Planet - Corellia
  • Eight Sector - Below 7th
    • Sith Space Mission - Balosar Outpost
  • Ninth Sector - Bottom & most Westward
    • (Top most) BOTH - Planet - Balmorra
    • (South blob) Republic - Fondor Escort
    • (South Blob) Sith - Polith Minefield
  • Outside the Region - Westward
    • BOTH Planet: Manaan
• Hutt Space
  • First Sector - Top Left
    • (Top) Republic Space - Thanium Disruption
      • ((Also on some dev versions of the map, Including the link I showed below this is where Ossus is placed, as far as I can tell in the real game Ossus doesn't appear on the map, only in a late-addition side mission))
    • (Bottom) Republic Space - Archenar Interception
  • Second Sector - Top, 2nd Left
    • Both - Planet: Voss
  • Third Sector - Top 3rd Left, No Points of interest
  • Fourth Sector, Top Right
    • (Top) Republic Space Mission - Pakuuni Defense
    • (Little Lower) Sith Space Mission - Jabiim Escort
    • (Middle) Sith Space Mission - Saleucami Fleet Action
    • (Lower, Right) BOTH Planet - Darvannis
  • Fifth Sector, Below 1st & 4th
    • BOTH, Planet - Quesh
  • Sixth Sector, Off 5th to the Left, No Points of Interest
  • Seventh Sector - Little Round
    • BOTH, Planet - Nar Shadda
    • Sith Planet (Technically a Moon) - Hutta
  • Eight Sector - South Left most
    • (Near the 7th) Sith Space Mission - Cartel Listening Station
    • (Left) BOTH Planet - Makab
    • (Rightmost) Sith Space Mission - Cha Raaba Assault
  • Ninth Sector - Lower Right (Below 8th, Above 10th)
    • Republic Space Mission - Syvris Evacuation
  • Tenth Sector - Lower Right most, No Points of Interest
• Distant Outer Rim
  • First Sector - Leftmost
    • Republic Space Mission - Kovor Ice fields
    • BOTH - Planet: Hoth
    • (Middle, Top) Sith Space Mission -Lorta Escort
    • (Middle, Bottom) Sith Space Mission - Mugaar ice fields
    • (Rightmost) Planet - Belavis
  • Second Sector, small Top - No points of interest
  • Third Sector
    • Sith Space Mission - Sullust interception
    • Sith Space Mission - Kabal Station Defence
    • Republic - Drexel Sweep
  • Fourth Sector - Top
    • Republic Space Mission - New Cov Asteroid
    • Sith Space Mission - Ezran outpost
    • BOTH Planet: Rishi
  • Fiith Sector - Top right, none
  • Sixth Sector - Middle, "landlocked"
    • Republic Space Mission - Llanic station Strike
  • Seventh Sector - bottom left none
  • Eight Sector - Bottom Right
    • BOTH Planet :Tatooine
    • Republic Space Mission - Hyperi Escort
  
  
• Wildspace region
  • Planet: Iokath
  • Planet: Zakuul
  • Planet: Odessen

There, done.

... And after all that work, I find a full map online -

 

I have a vague memory of cartographer's PTSD from that map. IIRC it only wound up contributing a few places to the Atlas appendix.

Rob, gotta jump on a podcast but will try to look at your behind-the-scenes questions later today.

 

And here's what it looks like after I add it to my database using known control points. The lack of control pints on the western side it making it tough to use, but I can at least get Odessen in vaguely the right place.

 

Hi Jason
Really appreciate your work on this latest map.
It's a shame Lucasfilm doesnt just let you work with the story group and produce a complete map with all canon planets on it.
You know what would also be fantastic a map that includes named hyperspace lanes, with approx transit times.
From TROS we can infer that roughly there were 16 hours from the the played message about attacks on all free worlds to the attack on Kijimi assuming the attack was on the deadline given. During that time., Rey goes a fair bit a way round the galaxy, from Ajan K to Passana (say 2hrs travel +1 hour on planet) then to Kjimi (3hrs travel +1hour on planet), onto Kef Bir (5hrs travel +2hrs on planet), Ahch-To (2hrs+1hr on planet).
If that's the case there must be some pretty fast hyperspace routes in use.
I would rather the galaxy took longer to traverse but there you go.
Of course it gets even more condensed when you realise how little time Lando had to get to the Core and rally support and then get to Exegol.
So to recap it would be nice to see some official explanation of how everyone is able to get around the galaxy so quick.
I'm sure there is no chance but there are a lot of fans who crave these details!

 

Finally catching up a little.

One thing I wanted to do with the map in the Travelers' Guide was clean up some variant placements/gray areas. An immediate challenge is that generally speaking, book designers don't like reusing previous art/designs, and prefer to put their own stamp on things. Which is great -- it's what keeps books fresh -- but can be challenging with maps. Sometime after the Atlas we started getting a number of maps with three-quarters views, which distort regions far from the "camera" like pulled taffy. Translating those back to a traditional top-down map can be a pain, and translating back and forth can make those distortions grow larger, game of telephone style.

And of course people make little mistakes along the way, myself most definitely included. Those mistakes get copied, sometimes put through taffy pulls of their own, and ... yeah.

Anyway, long story short: With this map I tried to not only tackle a bunch of long-awaited new-canon placements, but also to nail down some star systems that had wandered around a bit between various maps and fix a few stubborn errors.

The ones I recall as particular pains, not all of which are on this map: Takodana, the Ring of Kafrene, Jedha, Ahch-To, Wobani. Hopefully those star systems will now stop with their Zonama Sekot tricks.

 

Oh, I do a lot of this exact work with Story Group, and they're always super helpful, even when I've just sent them an eighth email obsessing about Takodana's location. The challenge is translating that to a public project, whether it's a big new map or updating the Atlas appendix. That takes editorial and technological resources, Lucasfilm is part of a big company, and all those folks are incredibly busy with a ton of other projects that need their attention. I have faith that we'll get to some long-awaited updates/milestones, but I also remind myself I have to be patient.

Re TROS, frankly, the chronology is challenging even before you start considering the Falcon jetting around the Core and safely leading a civilian fleet into the depths of the Unknown Regions. I'd say "speed of plot" and let it go.

 

Thanks Jason
Top man as always!

 

Xibariz is apparently from the cancelled 'Project Ragtag' game if MSW is to be believed. The article is from 2017, so if it isn't true it's a very big coincidence that a fake rumour has the name of a planet revealed 2.5 years later.

 

@jasonfry So this should be considered the correct placement for all these? I've noticed Jedha shifting around a bit and it's a ways off from where I have it on my map, but I always figured that was because the Visual Dictionary maps aren't the most precise.

How are you storing all your location data?

 

Yes, go with these locations, with the exception of Cantonica.

The drift on Jedha was hard to track down; it seems to have begun with a German map from Fantasy Flight, which is a shame because other than that it's the best official post-Atlas map out there. It's beautiful!

Not sure what you mean re location data. I plotted all these on a modified Atlas map, which is generally what gets sent around internally for approvals, and I keep track of star systems in an Excel doc, which is what was used to create the original Atlas appendix and its online updates. That doc lists sector (where determinable), region and Atlas grid coordinates.

If that doesn't answer your question holler.

 

German map? I remember the map but why german? Didn't english FFG have the same first? Comparing german and english and even spanish map they all are the same.

 

This may not be known, but did the TROS production crew put much thought into inserting a 16 hour window within the movie? It is very specific, yet feels random. Would other groups at LucasFilm (Story Group, etc.) have had input into it?

 

That's the FFG map, yes. Didn't realize/remember it wasn't just in German. Whatever the case, distinctive for the way it's tipped so "galactic east" is up. And for being gorgeous, IMHO.

Sorry, but I have no insights into TROS's production. Wasn't involved in any projects related to it, so it was my first "see new SW movie in a theater" new-canon experience.

 

The last English version of the map that I'm aware of - the one that appeared in the Force and Destiny main rulebook - did not include the new planets. It must've been something added in a foreign language edition.

 

That is a great map! It's really cool how the regions aren't differently colored so you get a sense for what the galaxy actually looks like. I also love the translations.

 

How big is that Atlas map?! I'm assuming it's an illustrator file or similar, that's just so many planets to have on a single image.

I have my map set up in a spatial database so the points on the map are linked directly to the attributes where I'm storing region, sector, grid, precise X&Y, alternate names, and some other things that let me filter and symbolize the map automatically. The biggest issue I've been trying to tackle lately is how to deal with systems with multiple planets. I've started adding systems as another attribute I'm tracking, but I'm still only including the primary location as the point in the database.

 

@stellar_cartographer
A downloadeable version of your map that can be zoomed as on your mainpage would be nice. Is that possible? I wouldn't mind a superlarge file of the most detailed layer if possible too. I want to create kind of a large wall sized map where I can pin new locations old school style in one room.

 

Maybe down the road. There are some issues I'd need to work out first. Updating the cartography for super high resolution will take some time I don't have right now. Also it might set my computer on fire.

 

I do know the main Atlas Map has 529 planets on it. About 12% of the 4387 planets in the Appendix at publication.

 

FYI, my current tally of New Republic members and controlled systems in new canon:


@jasonfry

Any hints on placements of the ones still listed as "Unknown"...

--Adm. Nick

 

I proposed placements for most of them from the Rise to Power game, but don't know if they were approved and so can't share. Maybe you could ask Matt Martin if I can do that?

I do have Frong as established in the Outer Rim, for what it's worth.

 

Will do, thanks Jason!

I have theories on Mirrin Prime, but I'm curious as to your thinking. Lonera seems to be a prominent member in Bloodline. For some reason it feels Mid Rim to me, but I have nothing to base that off, hahaha!

--Adm. Nick

 

Indeed! I wish it was formally placed on the map, cause I'd love to add that "dot" to my NR member map, lol.

--Adm. Nick

 

Why do authors always love the Rims, be it inner, mid or outer... but Colonies or Expansion Region are neglected?