So I tried to find the answer to my question on the forum so if this has been answered let me know.

When it comes to your NavComputer how many planets does it already know? Does it only know planets programmed into it? Planets traveled to?

Right now my PC's are in the far Outer Rim. They are getting short on hyperspace fuel and need to get somewhere soon. Mon Calamari is close by, but so are some others. I'm pretty sure my PC's would know about Mon (or at least a easy roll) but other planets around? Right now I'm thinking of handing them my SW Atlas and any planet that is listed on the main map (many more only mentioned in index) or even further to only let see planets along major/minor hyperspace routes.

What do you think?

Solid information about this is sketchy, with some sources citing only a handful of routes whereas others might have a large database. I think maybe the Atlas itself is too much for a single navicomputer given the complexity of the data, but it probably wouldn't hurt anything to run the game that way.

10 minutes ago, themensch said:

I think maybe the Atlas itself is too much for a single navicomputer given the complexity of the data, but it probably wouldn't hurt anything to run the game that way.  

I don't know about that. Anything in the Atlas (which is only dozens of major systems) could be handled by some very old computers, so I'm sure the nav computer could know all those systems and the most common routes between them. Plus they can always get data from BoSS. Any nav computer worth its salt should be able to track thousands of systems...the data might not be up to date, and the route might not be the fastest, but it knows about it.

I generally dispense with all the specificity unless it's plot-driven, like "you are almost out of fuel, so you need to plot the very shortest route to the closest filling station". Then you can tweak difficulty based on the obscurity of the planet, the speed with which they need to get there, etc. The point shouldn't be just to get to planet A, the point should be can they get there before X or in time for Y.

I think you're being overly granular about what is or isn't in a ship's navigation computer. If you want that information in there because it serves the plot, it's in there. If it isn't, make a roll.

EDIT: If you want to maintain setting verisimilitude, planets located along any publicly-known hyperspace route will be in the database. Mystery planets wouldn't be and those planets only exist to serve the plot.

11 minutes ago, whafrog said:

I don't know about that. Anything in the Atlas (which is only dozens of major systems)

The way the new Solo movie portrayed it, a cache of routes is something to be cherished.

10 minutes ago, Concise Locket said:

I think you're being overly granular about what is or isn't in a ship's navigation computer. If you want that information in there because it serves the plot, it's in there. If it isn't, make a roll.

EDIT: If you want to maintain setting verisimilitude, planets located along any publicly-known hyperspace route will be in the database. Mystery planets wouldn't be and those planets only exist to serve the plot.

This is how I'd run it. Just because I know that London exists, and I even have a general direction, I can't just drive there. If everyone could come up with the information, why would anyone spend XP on astrogation?

11 minutes ago, themensch said:

The way the new Solo movie portrayed it, a cache of routes is something to be cherished.

Absolutely. It's pretty clear from the media that there is no effective speed limit in hyperspace, because the protagonists can get anywhere (or not) based on plot. Mechanically I think this is only adequately explained by assuming that common routes are slower, faster routes are treasured, etc.

But the question was about "how many planets". And I figure "most of them", even if all that is known is a single route to any specific planet.

3 hours ago, whafrog said:

Absolutely. It's pretty clear from the media that there is no effective speed limit in hyperspace, because the protagonists can get anywhere (or not) based on plot. Mechanically I think this is only adequately explained by assuming that common routes are slower, faster routes are treasured, etc.

But the question was about "how many planets". And I figure "most of them", even if all that is known is a single route to any specific planet.

But that's a red herring - sure, there could be "most of them" but that's not really the spirit of the question, I don't believe. You are correct, though, that it is the question but our friend isn't hip to the fact that hyperspace routes are the real treasure here.

Agreed on the whole "speed of plot" thing, getting scientific beyond a quick dusting is a fool's errand.

9 hours ago, Shaheed the Gand said:

So I tried to find the answer to my question on the forum so if this has been answered let me know.

When it comes to your NavComputer how many planets does it already know? Does it only know planets programmed into it? Planets traveled to?

Right now my PC's are in the far Outer Rim. They are getting short on hyperspace fuel and need to get somewhere soon. Mon Calamari is close by, but so are some others. I'm pretty sure my PC's would know about Mon (or at least a easy roll) but other planets around? Right now I'm thinking of handing them my SW Atlas and any planet that is listed on the main map (many more only mentioned in index) or even further to only let see planets along major/minor hyperspace routes.

What do you think?

I think it is reasonable to assume your players will have the most up-to-date maps of popular/important hyperspace lanes, and the known systems that are along them. I assume this would include all known and explored planets. In Legends, updating this data was usually part of any docking fees at most starports.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I will let them take the Core Rulebook or Atlas with a grain of salt, let them roll Astrogation and Knowledge if they need.

Yeah, remember, a navicomputer does not have the limitations that an Astromech dorid has regarding hyperspace coordinates. An Astromech holds only a limited number of coordinates, whereas a navicomputer can hold thousands. Also, the navicomputer is designed for calculating routes using those coordinates, not simply as a storage device of coordinates. So, figure that a navicomputer holds coordinates of all known planets and systems, from which you then calculate jumps from.

On 6/15/2018 at 5:42 AM, Tramp Graphics said:

Yeah, remember, a navicomputer does not have the limitations that an Astromech dorid has regarding hyperspace coordinates. An Astromech holds only a limited number of coordinates, whereas a navicomputer can hold thousands. Also, the navicomputer is designed for calculating routes using those coordinates, not simply as a storage device of coordinates. So, figure that a navicomputer holds coordinates of all known planets and systems, from which you then calculate jumps from.

Further to that, with regards to Astromechs being used as alternative/substitute to a navicomputer (or at least a limited version), I treat Astromechs as being able to calculate jumps to a number of destinations pre-determined, but with the ability to jump between all of them. If a PC wanted to go somewhere unexpected, I'd make the roll more difficult. I figure this covers the 'Dagobah system?!' issue in Ep V. Actually now I think of it, Luke may have had time to pre-research that one after he got out of the Bacta tank.