The Universal World Profile, or UWP, is the means by which the '''Anargo Sector Project''' consistently abstracts the complexities of physical reality into something that is relatively quick an easy to use. Originally developed for use in the
Traveller RPG it allows a more engaging and variable universe to be created without the common recourse to superscience technologies to produce systems with tens of habitable planetary bodies and satellites. Thus, while Terra-similar worlds are favoured, multiple such worlds are exceedingly rare.
What is the UWPThe UWP abstracts an entire system into a single statistic line so that a general sense of the important worlds and features of a system can be distilled quickly. Well, quickly if you know what you're looking at (see below). One such example UWP is given below:
Roup 4,5,7 - C77A9A9-6 S Hi In Wa A323 Im 57A
This can be broken into several sections:
[Roup] [4,5,7] - [C][77A][9A9-6] [Hi In Wa] [A323] [Im] [57A]
These are, respectively:
- Name, [Roup. The first section is commonly represented as the name of the mainworld (the most important world) of a system. This is not necessarily the same as the name of the star(s) around which the world orbits. Thus, while Terra is the name of the mainworld the actual name of the system is Sol.
- Co-ordinates, [4,5,7] (x,y,z). The co-ordinates of the system relative to the origin and measured in approximate parsec units (~3.26 light years). The origin is defined as (0,0,0), or the bottom left foreground point of a standard 200 light year cube that defines a sector.
- Starport, [C]. The quality of the starport at the world (see below). In the '''Warhammer 40,000''' universe, A-class starports are extremely rare and generally restricted to the Adpetus Mechanicus.
- Physical Properites of Mainworld, [77A]. The first three numbers represent, respectively, Size, Atmosphere and Hydrosphere of the mainworld. In the '''Anargo Sector Project''' these may not normally be changed to suit the desires of a worldbuilder. The values and their meaning are described below.
- Socio-Technological Properties of Mainworld, [9A9-6]. This represents, respectively, the Population, Law, Government and Tech Level codes of the mainworld. When worldbuilding these values may be selected at the desire of the worldbuilder to represent the current or past status of a world they have created (see below). The values and their meaning are described below.
- Bases, (S). This lists any Imperial, etc., bases present on a world. E.g. "S" for Scout, "N" for Navy, etc.
- Trade Codes, [Hi In Wa]. The Trade Codes are a hold-over from the original Traveller system and represent the dominant trade from the mainworld. They are utilised in the '''Anargo Sector Project''' to guide the worldbuilder in the creation of their economy but, ultimately, will be determined by the final product.
- Extended System Details, [A323]. These four codes respectively represent the Travel Zone, the Population Multiplier, Planetoid Belts and Gas Giants of the system that the mainworld is associated with. This may be misleading if the system is not a single but, rather, a binary or trinary system.
- Allegiance Code, [Im]. This represents the faction to which the mainworld and, normally, system hold allegiance.
- Resources, [57A]. Resources represents broad features of the mineral and biological value of a given mainworld/system and are used primarily as guidelines. The first value represents the Life Value, the second the Resource Value and, finally, the Export Code (the primary export of the system).
The various codes are described in the appropriate sections, below.
Using the UWP in the Warhammer 40,000 UniverseBeyond the desire to create a standardised approach to the creation and representation of worlds in the
Anargo Sector Project, what is the use of the UWP? Once a world is created they are, after all, not strictly necessary. The "Standard Representations" employed by the project utilise quantitative and qualitative terms to interpret the UWP, so why bother with them?
First, the UWP remain used in the world creation process at this juncture of the project, tied in as they are to its origins and organic development. Alternative approaches may be sought at a later date, but for now the fact that worlds can be cross-referenced is considered a bonus. Secondly, using such programs as
Traveller Heaven & Earth it is possible to rapidly reinterpret the world and the system if a reader so wishes.
Thirdly, the use of the UWP allows the project to represent and alter the perceptions of a world or its system. To explain this approach we will need to have a brief foray into an interpretation of Imperial bureaucracy.
Hierarchal Approaches to Information Exchange in the ImperiumThe question of information logistics in the
Warhammer 40,000 universe has remained an issue for some time. While there is a tacit assumption that the Astropathic Network, the sheer volumes of information that even a single world could produce in terms of economic reports, legal documentation, etc., are truly astounding. Could the Astropathic Network handle all this information? Unlikely.
As such, the utilisation of the Merchant and Civil Fleets for the transmission of information moderated through a hierarchal approach seems to make a great deal of sense. Thus, a world within a subsector sends all the financial reports collated by its [i[Adeptus Administratum[/i] to the subsector capital. Such a report might be thousands up thousands of pages of detailed information that, while useful, is not necessary at the subsector level. Thus the
Adeptus Administratum of the subsector capital distills the information of the various worlds within the subsector and sends this abridged version to the sector capital. The same process happens there as they send it up to the regional sector capital, from there to the
segmentum capital and, finally, to Terra.
What does this all mean? Information required to determine the economic health of the Imperium is required at the upper echelons, i.e. the sector and
segmentum capitals and, of course, the Imperial homeworld of Terra. Yet at each stage they do not require ''all'' the information, only those points that are cogent to the scale of economy that they are dealing with. ''This'' is what the UWP is meant to represent: the distilled physical, economic and social information that might be found in the archives on Terra or, indeed, a general database of worlds of the Imperium. The more detailed information found in the
Standard Representations, however, represents information found at the subsector or sector level.
There are numerous advantages to a hierarchal system, whether it is from the distribution of military forces, the collection and redistribtion of tithed resources or, even, discussion of the hierarchy of the Inquisition or other Imperial organisations. For the purposes of discussing worlds, though, it is the fact that the code may change over time that is of potentially the greatest interest.
Narrative Alteration of the UWPThe primary purpose of the UWP links to the long-term narrative of the
Anargo Sector Project. The above hiearchal translation of information not only allows for mistakes to crop up but, if the information is not regularly checked, errors can drift in over time. This can be utilised both in world generation, but also in "discovering the unknown". Consider, for example, the Sargassos subsector. UWP in a subsector that is broadly out of contact with the authorities might be wildly inaccurate, all of which deepens both the roleplaying and wargame potential.
In short, though, the UWP remain a convenience for worldbuilding and storytelling as well as keeping a level of consistency and requiring that worldbuilders think about the worlds they are creating beyond a singular image.
Interpreting the UWPThe following information derives from DGP's
Worldbuilder's Handbook originally published for the
MegaTraveller system. Only the tables that describe the values and what they represent are included here so that it is possible to use both the UWP mention on these forums and in related programs.
NameAs mentioned above, the UWP name usually refers to the mainworld, or most important world in the system. Binary systems can be listed as a separate UWP, and the more detailed "Standard Representation" can make mention of the system name if the worldbuilder wishes.
Co-ordinatesThe
Anargo Sector Project divides the 200 light year cube that describes a standard Imperial sector into a 60x60x60 cube of approximate "parsec volumes", i.e. each sub-division represents approximately one cubic parsec. The default origin of the co-ordinate system is defined as the bottom left closest corner of a cube, or:
Needs image? StarportThe UWP Starport Code represents the ability of a mainworlds' starports to be able to handle spacefaring traffic. Broadly speaking the following values apply:
| UWP | Description |
| A | Capable of constructing warp-capable ships, sublight ships and repairing major damage. |
| B | Capable of constructing sublight ships and repairing major damage. |
| C | Capable of repairing minor to medium damage. |
| D | Dock and fuel facilities only. Repair is limited to local specialists, if available. |
| E...Y | Codes used to represent "No Starport". |
For a more detailed look at starports and how they might be utilised, see [http://www.frelancetraveller.com/features/rules/expuwp/starports.html]Extending Starport UWP (Rice Archives)[/url].
Physical Properties of the MainworldGenerally speaking, worldbuilding does not permit the alteration of the physical properties of a world. In certain circumstances, though, it may be possible to alter the UWP codes.
UWP SizeThe size of the world is represented by:
| UWP | General Description | Average | Minimum Diameter | Maximum Diameter |
| R | Asteroid/Planetoid Ring | - | Multiple Bodies | < 1km |
| S | Very Small | 400km | 200km | 799km |
| 0 | Asteroid/Planetoid Belt | - | Multiple Bodies | <200km |
| 1 | Small | 1,600km | 800km | 2,399km |
| 2 | Small (Luna) | 3,200km | 2,400km | 3,999km |
| 3 | Small (Mercury) | 4,800km | 4,000km | 5,599km |
| 4 | Small (Mars) | 6,400km | 5,600km | 7,199km |
| 5 | Medium | 8,000km | 7,200km | 8,799km |
| 6 | Medium | 9,600km | 8,800km | 10,399km |
| 7 | Medium | 11,200km | 10,400km | 11,999km |
| 8 | Large (Terra) | 12,800km | 12,000km | 13,599km |
| 9 | Large | 14,400km | 13,600km | 15,199km |
| A | Large | 16,000km | 15,200km | 16,799km |
| SGG | Small Gas Giant | - | - | - |
| LGG | Large Gas Giant | - | - | - |
UWP Atmosphere| UWP | General Description | Minimum Pressure (atm.) | Maximum Pressure (atm.) |
| 0 | Vacuum | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1 | Vacuum (trace) | 0.001 | 0.09 |
| 2 | Vacuum (very thin; tainted) | 0.1 | 0.42 |
| 3 | Vacuum (very thin) | 0.10 | 0.42 |
| 4 | Thin (tainted) | 0.43 | 0.72 |
| 5 | Thin | 0.43 | 0.72 |
| 6 | Standard | 0.71 | 1.49 |
| 7 | Standard (tainted) | 0.71 | 1.49 |
| 8 | Dense | 1.50 | 2.49 |
| 9 | Dense (tainted) | 1.50 | 2.49 |
| A | Exotic | Varies | Varies |
| B | Exotic (corrosive) | Varies | Varies |
| C | Exotic (insidious) | Varies | Varies |
| D | Exotic (dense, high) | Varies | Varies |
| E | Exotic (ellipsoid) | Varies | Varies |
| F | Exotic (thin, low) | Varies | Varies |
UWP Hydrosphere| UWP | General Description | General % Water | Minimum % Water | Maximum % Water |
| 0 | Desert World | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Dry World | 10 | 5 | 14 |
| 2 | Dry World | 20 | 12 | 24 |
| 3 | Wet World | 30 | 25 | 34 |
| 4 | Wet World | 40 | 35 | 44 |
| 5 | Wet World | 50 | 45 | 54 |
| 6 | Wet World | 60 | 55 | 64 |
| 7 | Wet World | 70 | 65 | 74 |
| 8 | Wet World | 80 | 75 | 84 |
| 9 | Wet World | 90 | 85 | 94 |
| A | Water World | 100 | 95 | 100 |
