Author Topic: Help! :D (Read 26676 times)

Ravenshaw · « **on:** January 20, 2012, 03:08:41 AM »

I'm in the process of writing a sci-fi story involving the colonization of 4 fictional solar systems. Unfortunately, not only am I a semi-perfectionist, I suck at science. English is what I'm really good at. So I'm looking for someone to help build and design these four solar systems based on my specifications! Any help would be appreciated!

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #1 on:** January 20, 2012, 03:38:57 AM »

And I found out that I totally suck at using this program. it is fun to watch planets get sucked into the sun because their mass has changed though!!!

vh · « **Reply #2 on:** January 20, 2012, 03:57:55 AM »

if you planets start falling into the sun, press "O" for autoorbit

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #3 on:** January 20, 2012, 05:45:58 AM »

That was just me rambling. It has nothing to do with planets:P

FiahOwl · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2012, 06:39:56 AM »

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Ravenshaw · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2012, 08:14:49 AM »

I need four individual solar systems built, and if possible, put into one simulation. Each solar system must have a minimum of one habitable planet, no more than five. At least six planets each solar system. Only one of the habitable planets can be "earth-like." There also needs to be an asteroid field surrounding and in between the four solar systems. I'm really not sure how deep or shallow this simulator goes, but I need as much detail as possible. Let me know if you can help! It'd be much appreciated.

FiahOwl · « **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2012, 08:18:45 AM »

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smjjames · « **Reply #7 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:13:41 AM »

Quote from: FiahOwl on January 20, 2012, 08:18:45 AM

Quote from: Ravenshaw on January 20, 2012, 08:14:49 AM
I need four individual solar systems built, and if possible, put into one simulation. Each solar system must have a minimum of one habitable planet, no more than five. At least six planets each solar system. Only one of the habitable planets can be "earth-like." There also needs to be an asteroid field surrounding and in between the four solar systems. I'm really not sure how deep or shallow this simulator goes, but I need as much detail as possible. Let me know if you can help! It'd be much appreciated.

Do you want them to be a four-star system, (not five-star ) or systems spaced FAR AWAY. (like 2 lightyears.)

He said individual, so I'm assuming they are some light years from each other.

Anyways, as for constructing the systems, you can use Bodes Law to determine the position of the planets as described here, theres more resources that can be useful to you as well, including a site where you can generate random planets. Also, if you don't have any specific star types in mind, you can use this thread to generate random stars.

As for asteroid belts, go to the add tool, click the body you want to put rings around and click any of the ring types (you can change them in the side box). For notable asteroid colonies, you can just plop down any asteroid bodies in the area.

FiahOwl · « **Reply #8 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:15:59 AM »

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smjjames · « **Reply #9 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:23:06 AM »

I also edited my previous post with some tips that he can use.

Oh yea, we should ask whether he wants all of the systems to be in one simulation or not.

Edit: Then again, the asteroid belt between the four systems make it sound like he is talking about a quadrinary group of stars.

FiahOwl · « **Reply #10 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:38:02 AM »

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Ravenshaw · « **Reply #11 on:** January 20, 2012, 03:08:42 PM »

Actually, they need to be less than two months sublight travel away from each other. And if possible, it would be awesome if they could all be in one simulation. Is that do-able? Close, is the same simulation, yet separate solar systems?

FiahOwl · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2012, 03:11:58 PM »

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vh · « **Reply #13 on:** January 20, 2012, 07:22:20 PM »

hi i just tell yu have funnie avathar and doesn't afraid of way to many gender changes

GENDER BENDER! DECLARED!

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #14 on:** January 20, 2012, 08:58:38 PM »

Uhh..... How fast can we travel now? Would it be doable with a 75% increase from our current speed?

FiahOwl · « **Reply #15 on:** January 20, 2012, 08:59:10 PM »

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Ravenshaw · « **Reply #16 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:30:42 PM »

Excrement. Um... How fast would it have to be? It has to be sublight though.

FiahOwl · « **Reply #17 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:31:19 PM »

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Ravenshaw · « **Reply #18 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:54:30 PM »

Oh goodness.. Um.. Less than two months travel away?

What would be a good speed for that?

FiahOwl · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2012, 09:56:53 PM »

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Ravenshaw · « **Reply #20 on:** January 20, 2012, 11:13:47 PM »

Drive engines powered by nuclear fusion. Very advanced sensor technology, but no shields or any kind of directed energy weapons. Is that kinda what you were looking for so far as details?

FiahOwl · « **Reply #21 on:** January 20, 2012, 11:20:36 PM »

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Ravenshaw · « **Reply #22 on:** January 20, 2012, 11:52:05 PM »

Uh... My tiny brain doesn't comprehend interstellar distances.

I really have no idea. That's why I'm asking you guys, the smart people, for help. I just do english, not science or math! D:

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #23 on:** January 20, 2012, 11:55:20 PM »

Another thing I'm thinking about is danger to the ships. They have very advanced sensor technology, so they're able to detect even the tiniest thing in their path, but the ships I have in mind aren't going to be very maneuverable. Wouldn't they have to worry about running into asteroids and such?

smjjames · « **Reply #24 on:** January 21, 2012, 12:43:43 AM »

It's not the asteroids that they should be worried about, besides, they can be avoided pretty easily. What such a ship REALLY has to worry about is dust particles inthe interplanetary and interstellar medium and micrometeorites, they can wreak havoc on a ship going 99% light speed without some kind of shielding or deflecting mechanism. Unless you want the ships to look like those in the Daedalus project with a big shield in front, some kind of magnetic shielding could do the trick.

Also, how hard-science fiction do you want the story to be? You could probably give yourself a little wriggle room here.

As far as distance goes, a light year is how long light takes to travel in a year(obviously, but bear with me here). To put it into perspective, it takes eight minutes for light to go from the sun to earth, so to travel a light year at sublight speeds means that it will take more than a year to go a light year. Two months at high sublight speeds will probably get you out to the kupier belt or maybe the Oort cloud. That's just a guess of mine, I'm not actually exactly sure.

For interstellar travel, this Wikipedia article should help you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_travel

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #25 on:** January 21, 2012, 12:55:13 AM »

Not very sciency, more fictiony. No aliens or any of that. Just colonization set in an alternate future. There's nothing really "fantastic" about this story. Simple. But I don't want them to be going at 99% light speed. Not even close. I was thinking maybe 50% max? But I'm not very good at math and numbers, so even though I understand the amounts behind light years and such, I can't really get them figured out.

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #26 on:** January 21, 2012, 01:01:50 AM »

Quote from: smjjames on January 21, 2012, 12:43:43 AM

It's not the asteroids that they should be worried about, besides, they can be avoided pretty easily. What such a ship REALLY has to worry about is dust particles inthe interplanetary and interstellar medium and micrometeorites, they can wreak havoc on a ship going 99% light speed without some kind of shielding or deflecting mechanism. Unless you want the ships to look like those in the Daedalus project with a big shield in front, some kind of magnetic shielding could do the trick.

See, the ships I'm using are massive. Able to house 2.5 million each, easily. They're going to be massive, the kind of ships that blot out the sky when they pass. So do they still have to worry about dust particles? I mean, they're not even going to be CLOSE to going light speed. What do you think?

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #27 on:** January 21, 2012, 01:02:29 AM »

Whoops. Somehow I managed to add my text onto your quote.

smjjames · « **Reply #28 on:** January 21, 2012, 01:16:40 AM »

Do you have any idea of the kind of damage micrometeorites and small objects can do just orbiting earth? Even 50% light speed is very fast. However, you're right, a ship that massive would be more worried about large objects. You could just slap on some kind of shielding or say that the skin is made of some self repairing material.

Ravenshaw · « **Reply #29 on:** January 21, 2012, 01:21:13 AM »

The only kind of shielding these ships will have are more metal, and then maybe some more metal. No nano materials or any kind of self healing materials unfortunately. Really really thick hulls are their only protections against the universe.