Orbital Mechanics Questions

[Achan hiArusa]

Voyager III

No, I don't think it does. But I didn't know that Starry Night lets you do that. I have a whole bunch of comp copies and I just never used it, since all I really need is the information.

 

[Pbartender]

Anybody ever played an old PC game called Frontier: Elite II?

It is a pretty fun space-simulation game, but besides that, it emulated real-world physics and had thousands upon thousands of ready-made Star systems.

Most of the star systems had planets, but not all of them. Only a few of the planets could be considered habitable, but many of them were colonized by domed or underground complexes nonetheless or orbiting space stations. The systems came in all shapes and sizes... Even habitable moons around gas giants, and mutliple star systems with habitable planets.

All the systems, planets and moons come with details on settlements, population, government, economy and such. All the systems, stars, planets, moons space stations, and cities are named (even if many of names are just 'Sirius I-a').

You can see a few screen shots and download the game here: http://www.sharoma.com/frontierverse/files.htm (The file is less than 0.5 Mb.)

Or just do a google search for: 'elite' 'frontier'.

 

[ajanders]

Wow...

Periodically I think I wasted my education in business school.
Thanks for all your help, people.
I was looking for "a solar system not like ours, but real". I think I need to go back to the drawing board.
The Extrasolar visions site is proving somewhat helpful, I'm also going to have to look at some books again.
By the way, if somebody with a graduate degree in planetary science wanted to write a book or article on creating realistic solar systems, I bet it would sell as well as EN world's Magical Society and Magical Ecology books. Just a note for any publishers out there.
If this works out, I'll put up a new thread.
Thanks again, all.

 

[Pbartender]

I was looking for "a solar system not like ours, but real".

Yeah... The tricky part is that we don't really know real solar systems look like, except for ours.

 

[Aesmael]

Lord Satan, if you still monitor this thread, can you recommend any good resources for planetary science? Books in particular would be helpful.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Periodically I think I wasted my education in business school.
Thanks for all your help, people.
I was looking for "a solar system not like ours, but real". I think I need to go back to the drawing board.
The Extrasolar visions site is proving somewhat helpful, I'm also going to have to look at some books again.
By the way, if somebody with a graduate degree in planetary science wanted to write a book or article on creating realistic solar systems, I bet it would sell as well as EN world's Magical Society and Magical Ecology books. Just a note for any publishers out there.
If this works out, I'll put up a new thread.
Thanks again, all.

Here's an idea you can do...

Just do it. Science be hanged. Most people wouldn't know what effect solar winds have on a planet, or how far a planet would have to be from a white dwarf to sustain habitable life, or how eratic planetary orbits would be in a trinary star system.

Do hard science for the effects of vacuum and weapons and combat and that stuff.

Don't sweat what color the carpet is. Worry about whether or not the burgular is going to kick your teeth in.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

Science be hanged?

If your group is a bunch of theater people and you don't know your science, and you are playing science fantasy, that would be possible. But in science fiction you have enough improbable things such as beam weapons, cybernetics, and faster-than-light travel (I don't want to get into arguments about how improbable they are, just as they are now). An old rule of thumb for science fiction magazines was "Only one implausible item per story." It is best to stick to science to keep the "willing suspension of disbelief." I couldn't get away with it since I am a astro/biophysicist, and I game with physics major, two computer scientists/engineers, and a prevet.

I am not saying you can't have your light sabers and psionics, just if you do the players will feel better if the planetary system they are in makes sense. Also like Gurps: Unnight, when it doesn't make sense, it will make a great story hook.

The planetary systems listed on the extrasolar visions site really do prove that "truth is stranger than fiction" since before 51 Peg was discovered no one would have ever thought that a system like that could exist.