Huge Space Objects in Sci-Fi

HinterWelt · October 17, 2006, 11:49:58 AM

Do you use them in your game? Things like Ringworld and Dyson Spheres?

I always have problems with them. The best I can usually do is a really big sleeper ship. I always want to keep the builders around since, if they were smart enough to make the thing, you would think they would have survived anything. I had some success many years ago by saying the builders had evolved to a peaceful navel gazing society of thinkers. In other words, so obsessed with knowledge they never left their think tanks, ignoring the explorers. They used drones to remotely explore anything of interest and their tanks were nigh impenetrable. Still, that only works so many times.

Bill

Nicephorus · October 17, 2006, 11:57:36 AM

I really haven't. They (dyson spheres & ringworlds) sound cool but really seem just too far fetched to me. The amount of material moved and construction is just insane, like building hundreds of planets.

That's not to say that I haven't used other things that are just as impossible. Everyone has things that trips up their suspension of disbelief.

I've thought of using big sublight colony ships but it's been done so many times.

But a Red Dwarf style game would be fun.

jrients · October 17, 2006, 11:59:55 AM

Traveller's setting includes at least one partially complete ringworld, a rosette of worlds, and a parsecs-wide artificial pocket dimension, but I've never had opportunity to use any of them.

T-Willard · October 17, 2006, 12:01:37 PM

I use them, but in my campaign setting the universe only moved 6,500 years while the Sol System moved over 65 million years. This meant that humans hit the galaxy after...

You know what, it doesn't matter.

Yeah, I've used them. Partially completed/destroyed, fully finished, and in use ringworlds, keppler rossettes, and all kinds of stuff.

ColonelHardisson · October 17, 2006, 12:41:24 PM

Quote from: jrientsa parsecs-wide artificial pocket dimension

I remember the others, but where is this located?

jrients · October 17, 2006, 12:43:17 PM

Quote from: ColonelHardissonI remember the others, but where is this located?

I'm talking about Grandfather's pet universe. IIRC it is 'co-extant' with a part of the Spinward Marches.

ColonelHardisson · October 17, 2006, 12:54:14 PM

Quote from: jrientsI'm talking about Grandfather's pet universe. IIRC it is 'co-extant' with a part of the Spinward Marches.

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with Grandfather. Is this something that came in Megatraveller?

jrients · October 17, 2006, 12:55:59 PM

Quote from: ColonelHardissonSorry, but I'm not familiar with Grandfather. Is this something that came in Megatraveller?

No, he appears in the last adventure in the Ancients series. That's Classic Trav.

Nicephorus · October 17, 2006, 12:59:52 PM

I think it's also all described in the megatraveller book on Droyne. Grandfather is a really special droyne - he and his created children make all the cool toys, including the Vargr and humans all over the place. Then after a few thousand years, grandfather kills off all of his kids and retreats to his pocket dimension. The remaining droyne are scattered war survivors.

ColonelHardisson · October 17, 2006, 01:05:25 PM

Quote from: jrientsNo, he appears in the last adventure in the Ancients series. That's Classic Trav.

I have a ton of the CT little black books, but I must've missed that one. Do you recall the title?

jrients · October 17, 2006, 01:18:06 PM

Quote from: ColonelHardissonI have a ton of the CT little black books, but I must've missed that one. Do you recall the title?

Adventure 12 - Secret of the Ancients

Balbinus · October 17, 2006, 01:19:03 PM

Quote from: jrientsAdventure 12 - Secret of the Ancients

A dismal reveal that has never formed part of my personal Traveller canon.

ColonelHardisson · October 17, 2006, 01:21:16 PM

Quote from: jrientsAdventure 12 - Secret of the Ancients

Cool. Thanks. The only "Ancients" adventure I have is "Twilight's Peak," and I don't even know if that's part of the series.

jrients · October 17, 2006, 01:22:26 PM

Yeah, it is.

Quote from: BalbinusA dismal reveal that has never formed part of my personal Traveller canon.

As much as I would love to run the Ancients series some time, I cannot figure out a good way to make the ending not suck.

flyingmice · October 17, 2006, 01:25:27 PM

Quote from: HinterWeltDo you use them in your game? Things like Ringworld and Dyson Spheres?

I always have problems with them. The best I can usually do is a really big sleeper ship. I always want to keep the builders around since, if they were smart enough to make the thing, you would think they would have survived anything. I had some success many years ago by saying the builders had evolved to a peaceful navel gazing society of thinkers. In other words, so obsessed with knowledge they never left their think tanks, ignoring the explorers. They used drones to remotely explore anything of interest and their tanks were nigh impenetrable. Still, that only works so many times.

Bill

Sure. I play the Ringworld RPG and I cowrote Aquavita, a game about a Dyson sphere.

-clash