ẞN

The Sincy Scale of Nyoom, "ẞN", "SSN", named as such out of sheer arrogance, is an six-point scale for approximately describing a civilization's state of logstics, infrastructure, and general ability to traverse different aspects of their immediate environment. This 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 by Sincy 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 the abbreviations of its categories, As-Ae-L-S ("assails", "ass eels", etc), but did not.

Definition of scores

 * A single decimal point 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 3.5, and one that has the possibility to globalize but does not may be placed at 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 Astronomical 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, in isolation, today.
 * 3 – Local. The civilization has insfrastructure in nearby areas, including nearby civilizations, and has the range to reach more – on an approx. continental scale. Infrastructure accomodating travel to and from pristine areas or other nearby civilizations' infrastructure counts as Local.
 * The International E-road network in Europe, in isolation, may be counted as a piece of Local infrastructure. A society equipped only with light aircraft would score a 3 as well.
 * 4 – Broad. The civilization has established infrastructure in its broader local area (approx. continental scale), such as connections to other civilizations, and is theoretically capable of traversing all of its available area.
 * The early European colonial "explorations" of the Americas around the late 1400s–early 1500s are examples of Broad Land and Sea traversal.
 * 5 – Free. The civilization has established sufficient insfrastructure spanning most of its accessible area, and areas not accessible by infrastructure are more or less available (/and known) to expeditions.
 * Current Land traversal in real life scores a 5, at least if you have enough money. 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 spanning all of its accesible area.
 * Current Aerial traversal in real life scores a 6, as we have the infrastructure to easily fly anywhere on the globe, and even have satellites in fixed low-earth orbit.

Definition of categories
The scale distinguishes four main forms of traversal;
 * Astronomical ("As", "Astro")
 * 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, but with a more prominent spacefaring civilization it could be classified merely as Free to Total Aerial traversal.
 * Aerial ("Ae", "Aero")
 * 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.


 * Terranean ("L"/"Tr", "Land")
 * Terranean or 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 ("S"/"Nt", "Sea")
 * 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.

References: