Starrunners Project TODO List

This document outlines key tasks and development goals for the Starrunners worldbuilding project, its wiki infrastructure, and supporting tools.

I. Project Meta & Governance

Tasks related to the overall project structure, legal framework, and community organization.

• [META-LEGAL]
  • Research and decide on an optimal copyright/copyleft license for all Starrunners wiki content and contributed lore (e.g., Creative Commons variants like CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC-SA).
  • Draft and publish a clear Contributor License Agreement (CLA) if deemed necessary based on the chosen license.
• [META-INFRA]
  • Establish a dedicated “Starrunners Council” (or similar name) GitHub organization.
  • Migrate the Starrunners wiki GitHub repository to the new organization.
  • Create a starrunners-utils (or similar) repository within the organization for development of lore-building utility tools.
  • Configure DNS for starrunners.net to point to GitHub Pages.
  • Set up and automate wiki deployment from the GitHub repository to starrunners.net via GitHub Actions or similar CI/CD.
  • Implement basic analytics (e.g., GitHub Pages analytics, Plausible/Simple Analytics if self-hosted) for wiki traffic.
• [META-COMMUNITY]
  • Define roles and responsibilities for the “Starrunners’ Council” (or “Starrunners Council”).
  • Establish clear communication channels for contributors (e.g., Discord server, dedicated forum section).

II. Wiki Content & Structure

Tasks focused on expanding and refining the Starrunners wiki content, particularly to incorporate non-Terran civilizations and improve existing structures.

• [WIKI-SCHEMA-CIV]
  • Develop a General Schema for Civilizations:
    • Define a standardized subdirectory structure and set of core topics for each distinct civilization. Suggested core topics:
      • /<civilization_name>/overview.md (Introduction, core identity)
      • /<civilization_name>/biology/ (Physiology, evolution, senses, lifespan, reproduction, environmental needs)
      • /<civilization_name>/culture/ (Social structures, ethics, philosophy, art, religion/spirituality, daily life, customs)
      • /<civilization_name>/language/ (Linguistics, writing systems, common phrases, communication methods)
      • /<civilization_name>/history/ (Key historical periods, major events, origin myths, interactions with other civs)
      • /<civilization_name>/technology/ (Unique tech, adaptations of common tech, tech level, limitations)
      • /<civilization_name>/worlds_and_territories/ (Homeworld, colonies, key locations)
      • /<civilization_name>/factions_and_organizations/ (Internal political groups, guilds, corporations, etc.)
  • Create First Non-Terran Civilization Stub:
    • Brainstorm and select the first non-Terran civilization to be detailed.
    • Create the directory structure and placeholder pages for this civilization according to the new schema.
• [WIKI-REFACTOR-TERRAN]
  • Refactor Existing “Humanity/Terran Sphere” Lore:
    • Create a /terran_sphere/ (or /humanity/) subdirectory.
    • Move all existing technology, timeline, and settlement pages into the appropriate subdirectories within /terran_sphere/ (e.g., /terran_sphere/technology/, /terran_sphere/history/timeline_of_key_events.md).
    • Update all internal Jekyll links to reflect the new paths.
    • Create an overview.md for the Terran Sphere, summarizing its key characteristics.
• [WIKI-THEMING]
  • Research and implement methods for distinct wiki theming/CSS styling for different civilization subdirectories or specific page categories to enhance flavor and navigability (e.g., using Jekyll layouts, front matter variables, or custom CSS).
• [WIKI-LOREGUIDE-EXPANSION]
  • Expand the [Starrunners Lore-Builders’ Guide] into its own subdirectory:
    • Move current guide to wiki/meta/guide/index.md.
    • Create new pages within wiki/meta/guide/ for expanded sections.
  • Incorporate Civilizational Schema:
    • Add a section to the guide detailing the standard schema for contributing information about new or existing civilizations.
  • Add “How-To & Strategies” Pages/Sections:
    • Civilization Design: “Starting Points: From Habitable Systems to Biological Imperatives” (Planetary conditions → evolutionary pressures → biology → basic societal needs).
    • Xeno-Studies Primers:
      • guide/xenobiology_primer.md: Realistic alien biology, biochemistry, sensory organs, etc.
      • guide/xenoculture_primer.md: Frameworks for developing alien societies, ethics, art, and social structures.
      • guide/xenolinguistics_primer.md: Approaches to creating believable alien languages and communication methods.
    • Hard Science Primers for Writers:
      • guide/rocket_science_primer.md: Basics of reaction drives, delta-v, Tsiolkovsky equation, specific impulse.
      • guide/orbital_mechanics_astrogation_primer.md: Kepler’s laws, orbits, Hohmann transfers, gravity assists, interstellar navigation basics.
    • Narrative & Worldbuilding Craft:
      • guide/plot_hooks_in_lore.md: Guide to finding/creating plausible and compelling plot hooks from existing lore.
      • guide/llm_assisted_worldbuilding.md: Best practices for using LLMs (e.g., OpenAI API for complex math/physics via Code Interpreter, Gemini 2.5 Pro for creative brainstorming/formatting/double-checking), including prompt engineering tips for hard SF and consistency.
    • Cheat Sheets & Quick References:
      • guide/common_calculations_cheatsheet.md: (e.g., FTL energy, travel times, delta-v, spin gravity).
      • guide/scale_comparison_cheatsheet.md: (e.g., ship sizes, energy outputs, distances).
  • Add “Recommended Resources” Page:
    • guide/recommended_resources.md:
      • Inspirational Media: Curated list of essential hard science fiction novels, short stories, games, and other media.
      • Non-Fiction Reading: Key books on astrophysics, planetary science, astronautics, futurism, etc.
      • Online Tools & Databases:
        • NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
        • Atomic Rockets (Project Rho)
        • SpaceEngine
        • Asterank
        • Exoplanet Archive
        • Online physics and chemistry calculators
          • Wolfram Alpha
          • OpenBabel
          • OpenMM
          • OpenFF
• [WIKI-CONTENT-NEW]
  • Populate detailed pages for all key Terran technologies.
  • Begin populating detailed pages based on the new civilizational schema, starting with the Terran Sphere refactor.
  • Develop initial lore for the first non-Terran civilization.
  • Create placeholder pages for Factions and Locations indices if not already done.
• [WIKI-REFACTOR-GENERAL]
  • General Wiki Refactoring:
    • Refactor all wiki pages to be written in-universe, with a focus on consistency and clarity.

    • [ ] Move all non-diegetic content (e.g., meta-pages, story seeds, etc.) to dedicated subpages.

III. Starrunners Utility Tool (starrunners-utils)

Development of a dedicated software utility to assist with lore-building, writing, and consistency within the Starrunners universe.

• [UTIL-DESIGN]
  • Create a detailed design document and development roadmap for the starrunners-utils tool.
  • Define core features, architecture, and technology stack.
• [UTIL-FEATURES-MVP] (Minimum Viable Product)
  • Calculators: Implement modules for common Starrunners calculations (FTL jump energy, recharge time, sublight travel, spin gravity, delta-v budgets, thermal loads, spacecraft design, etc.) based on wiki formulas.
  • Consistency Checker (Basic): Script to parse Markdown files and flag:
    • Violations of Wildcode limits (power/bandwidth).
    • Inconsistent use of key terms or units.
    • Broken internal links (within a local checkout).
  • Formatting Linter: Script to check for adherence to basic Markdown style guidelines from the Lore-Builders’ Guide.
• [UTIL-FEATURES-ADVANCED] (Future Goals)
  • Constraint Seeding / Procedural Generation:
    • Explore use of replacement grammars (e.g., Tracery-like systems) or simple procedural generation for seeding ideas for:
      • Star system parameters (within habitable zone constraints).
      • Basic alien biology traits based on environmental factors.
      • Naming conventions (ships, characters, locations) based on established patterns.
  • Simulation Modules (Simple):
    • Basic N-body orbital plotter & astrogation calculator for star systems.
    • Simple economic model for resource flow between planets & star systems.
  • Integration with Wolfram Engine:
    • Investigate feasibility and benefits of using the Wolfram Client Library for Python and a local Wolfram Engine for advanced symbolic calculations, data analysis, and simulations.
    • Prototype a specific calculation or simulation using this stack.
  • Lore Database Interface: (Very Ambitious) Explore creating a structured database from wiki content for complex queries and cross-referencing.
• [UTIL-DOCUMENTATION]
  • Write comprehensive user documentation and API references for the utility tool.

IV. Content Creation & Expansion (Ongoing)

General ongoing tasks for growing the universe.

• [LORE-NEW-TECH] Populate individual tech wiki pages.
• [LORE-NEW-HISTORY] Populate historical event pages.
• [LORE-NEW-CIVS] Detail new civilizations.
• [LORE-NEW-LOCATIONS] Detail star systems, planets, stations.
• [LORE-NEW-FACTIONS] Detail factions and organizations.
• [LORE-NEW-CHARACTERS] Create notable character bios.
• [NARRATIVE-DEVELOPMENT] Write short stories, adventure hooks, or campaign outlines set in Starrunners.

This TODO list is a living document and will be updated as the project evolves.