ẞN

The Sincy Scale of Nyoom, "ẞN", "SSN", named as such out of sheer arrogance, is a six-point scale for approximately describing a civilization's state of logistics, infrastructure, and general ability to traverse different aspects of their immediate environment. It is based on a conflation of the given civilization's possible range and what established infrastructure they have at their disposal. The scale was first devised on 2020-03-14 as a response to a sudden thought about the phrase "Born too early to explore the earth, born too late to explore the galaxy". The scale could have wound up named something funny, with various potential names based on former abbreviations of its categories, such as As-Ae-L-S ("assails", "ass eels", etc), but did not.

The Numbers

The Bep's ẞN score, hopefully your main reason for being here, and a comparison to a rough estimate of reality:

Bep: S-2/A-4/L-5/N-4.5

Reality: S-3/A-5.5/L-4.5/N-2.5

Definitions of scores

A single decimal may be added to indicate that a civilization is somewhere between two of the below specified scores; a civilization that despite possibility does not explore beyond its continental scale may be classified as scoring between 3 and 4; e.g. 3.5, and one that has the possibility to globalize but does not may be placed between 4 and 5; e.g. 4.5.

• 1 – None. The civilization cannot traverse the given category, for a lack of technology, resources, or otherwise.
  • The Mayan Empire did at no point possess spacefaring capabilities, and as such scores a 1 on Spacefaring traversal.

• 2 – Restricted. The civilization can access nearby areas and may have internal infrastructure, but does not have any notable infrastructure (esp. outside its settlements). Infrastructure accomodating travel within and between a civilization's settlements counts as Restricted if it does not notably enable easier access to nearby pristine areas or neighbouring civilizations' infrastructure.
  • Early aviation (Pre-WWI) scores 2 on Aerial traversal at best, as do some larger networks of gondole today. The Amazon jungle also comes to mind.

• 3 – Local. The civilization has infrastructure connecting settlements relatively near each other well, and has the range to reach more remote areas in the bounds of the traversal method's maximum possible extent. Infrastructure accomodating travel to and from pristine areas or other nearby civilizations' infrastructure counts as Local.
  • The Roman Empire relied on extensive local infrastructure. Today, the International E-road network in Europe may be counted as a piece of Local infrastructure for a large scope. A society equipped only with light aircraft could reasonably score a 3 as well.

• 4 – Broad. The civilization has established infrastructure in its broader local area (approx. continental scale), extensively connecting all major societies and settlements. It has traversed or is theoretically capable of traversing all or nearly all the area physically available to it.
  • The early European colonial "explorations" of the Americas around the late 1400s–early 1500s are examples of Broad Land and Sea traversal. Europe itself was well interconnected, and the boat lads headed out to scout the peripheries of what was possible.

• 5 – Free. The civilization has established sufficient infrastructure spanning a majority of its accessible area, and areas not accessible by infrastructure are available (+ known) to expeditions.
  • Current Land traversal in real life scores a 5 globally; if you have enough money, you can make your way pretty much anywhere. While some areas remain unexplored and/or hard to access, everything is mapped and there are very few places on Earth we in theory cannot reach.

• 6 – Total. The civilization has established infrastructure interweaving all of its accessible area.
  • Current Aerial traversal in real life scores a 6, as we have the infrastructure to easily fly nearly anywhere on the globe, as well as having satellites in fixed low-earth orbit for global monitoring. Something like a city-planet might get this score in Land traversal.

Definition of categories

The scale distinguishes four* main forms of traversal;

Spacefaring ("S")

Astronomical traversal is defined as traversal going beyond a planet/realm's immediate environment. Space.

• Travel to the moon in our current global situation counts as Restricted Astronomical traversal, given it's possible but at the limits of what we can do. For a more prominently spacefaring civilization, the same could be reclassified as Free to Total Aerial traversal.

Aerial ("A")

Aerial traversal is defined as traversal above the primary land surface of a planet/realm, within atmospheric bounds, or with more prominently spacefaring civilizations any particularly nearby areas to the surface, ranging from moons to galaxies – elaborate on scale as needed.

Landfaring ("L")

Land traversal is defined as traversal taking place on the primary land surface of a planet/realm. With earth-like environments it is often characterized by heavy infrastructure reliancy, as many landscapes can only be readily accessible if modified.

Nautical ("N")

Nautical or Sea traversal is defined as traversal taking place on and especially in bodies of water or other liquid. This is notoriously the most awkward category to deal with and classify, as we in reality have a less developed knowledge and traversal capability of our deep seas than we do of anything in any other category.

Optional Categories

Underground ("U")

Subterranean traversal may be relevant as a separate category. In most cases, human settlements do not use subterranean traversal to any significant extent beyond a handful of metro lines or the like, negligible in scope and merged to Land traversal. For situations more dwarven or extraterrestrial, the category may however be relevant as its own thing.

Planetary ("P")

Planetary traversal is an umbrella category that merges Aerial, Land, and Nautical traversal into one category for civilizations/contexts with scopes too large for these to be relevant. Think "able to terraform the whole thing to taste anyway".