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Post by stormturmoil on Feb 2, 2007 20:22:56 GMT
On a kind of related note, just what kind of star are we using for the system. Depending on the star's output and stability, it might influence the evolution of any photosynthetic lifeform, and so alter the life-cycles we're discussing here.
So, what do we think is best. It obviously has to be relatively Sol-like, to support a planet with human life, but that still leaves us with the choice of Red, orange or yellow dwarfs, as well as the possibilities of sunspot activities/flare cycles.
If the star is a flare star, the nature of the jungles, the oceans and the construction of the hivebergs might all be related to this: The hivebergs might be built so everyone can take shelter under the surface when a flare hits. Similarly, the Resource might be a result of oceanic life-forms exploiting a certain depth of ocean that is at sufficient depth to be safe from Flare radiation, but allows enough light for photosynthesis on some level. The Jungle foliage may have high content in heavy metals or the like to filter out high radiation, and this may give rise to some of it's strange metabolic pathways. Moreover this would also make the jungle the only safe place to hide out (other than purpose built shelters, under the ocean like the hivebergs or in caves.) which could explain the fate of all the 'escapees' from St Martius cove: they all went into the jungles because it's the only way to survive if solar flares hit.
what does everyone think?
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mohauk
Artisan
Bringer of Fish
Posts: 75
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Post by mohauk on Feb 3, 2007 16:01:04 GMT
As to Taka's question about the petrochemicals, I'm working on a chemical model for the oceans themselves. not pseudo science, just simplified, by basically ignorinjg all the chemicals which would only be present in really tiny numbers. However, it may take a bit longer, because even simplified its insanely complciated, and I keep having to rewrite bits to make it self-supporting.
When it's done I'll post it on the oceans board for you all to have a look at what i've managed to put together.
EDIT: Having just seen Stormturmoil's thoughts on flare-stars and the like has given me the solution to the problem of making the ocean non self-destructive and not too unstable to have existed so long. Its all to do with biochemistry. Cheers.
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Post by Doug on Feb 3, 2007 17:13:09 GMT
I really like those ideas, Stormturmoil....they provide some quite nice explanations which we could use...
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vendile
Enginseer
The doodler
Posts: 234
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Post by vendile on Feb 4, 2007 19:29:51 GMT
i think making it a flare star - whilst an interesting idea, is just too much extra work as it becomes something that has to be factored into almost everything to ensure it works properly. I think the system should just have a star very similar to Sol.
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Post by Doug on Feb 4, 2007 19:52:58 GMT
Well...wouldn't that just be a little boring? Yes, it would be some extra work to figure this in, it shouldn't be too much - and it would certainly help get past that irritating little thing that always bugs me, where it seems sometimes like every bloody planet humans live on in sci fi has an atmosphere, sun and the like just like that of Earth's...while 40k isn't as bad as some others (and indeed, usually handles this quite well), it does strike me that this is something else that could help set this planet apart even more...
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vendile
Enginseer
The doodler
Posts: 234
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Post by vendile on Feb 4, 2007 19:58:36 GMT
whilst obviously i'll accept it if the majority want flare-star, i will continue to fight for my corner just now.
for instance: the jungle tribes. how would they know when flares are coming, how would they have even known about them during the origional colinisation? as i am typing this i am coming up with lots of good answers to those questions. damn.
EDIT: i'll post up a nice juicy explaination of the answers i came up with in an hour or so - first though, Top Gear is on.
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Post by thenephew on Feb 5, 2007 18:59:18 GMT
I like the idea of a flare star, but it can't flare too often, or at least only violently once or twice in a quite long period. Otherwise the level of damage inflicted to the central forest [assuming it doesn't manage to flukily be on the other side of the planet every time] as well as the atmosphere would be simply immense. Although a second, slightly smaller island, on the other side of the world, where everything gets irradiated into chunks every few years, could be interesting. Prison colony, perhaps.
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Post by stormturmoil on Feb 5, 2007 19:12:33 GMT
I was thinking along the lines of a roughly predictable major flare sequence- kind of like our own sun's 11 year susnspot cycle, but obviously more extreme, where by the real killer flares are predictable and go off like clockwork, to the extent that life cycles have grown up around them. On the other hand, lesser flares might be more spontaneous but less damaging; good for a kind of GM-needs-a-random-event-to-keep-everyone-occupied-in-one-place item.
Moreover, it give newcomers something to immediately be wary of (overly wary, perhaps, but that's good for tension making). I can imagine some gruff ex-PDF trooper at customs doling out goggles, saying "These are your Flare goggles; they're like the inside of a jail cell or the bottom of an empty ale mug, something you're going to be seeing a lot of..."
Another consequence is that the ruins in the jungles may not all be the same age. The indigenous tribes may have raised their own stone circles and the like (like stonehenge), and like stonehenge is suspected of, these may have an astronomical/astrological purpose, though in this case it's to predict the coming of the 'light of punishment' (or another appropriate term) so they can seek shelter from it. I could easily see it becoming part of the indigenous tribe's holy rites. For that matter, I could easily see some more ecclesiastical Ministorum members invoking Flares as being the Emperors wrath within this system, calling down killing light upon the unbelievers.
In any case, I'm only putting the ideas forward at this point, rather than pushing for their inclusion. I just thought it would be interesting to consider.
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Post by thenephew on Feb 6, 2007 20:34:29 GMT
As you may gather from various other posts I've made, I'm sold on the flare-star idea. It's a brilliant one. The Ministorum's 'Punishment of the Emperor is upon you, heathen!' act would be a great mini-scenario, if the preacher tries it on, and the locals procede to try and eat him for insulting their intelligence. If the flare is accompanied by a lot of solar wind type offshoots, then the loss of communications due to atmospherical interference makes a great 'Shut up, sit down and stay still!' device for GMs. If the flares tend to come in small wave - big wave - small wave - big wave pattern, then the smaller, less damaging (possibly not even human-visible) wave could cause all teh flowers to close up, or some similar effect. This would protect local plant-life from harm, and be a seriously freaky warning for characters out and about at the time.
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Post by Doug on Feb 13, 2007 15:35:08 GMT
Out of interest, now we're basically decided on the flare star idea, do people wnt this thread movd to the completed discussions, or was there more they wanted to talk about?
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Post by thenephew on Feb 13, 2007 16:50:57 GMT
I posted my last post with minimal points, and little to prompt further discussion. Which it hasn't. Looks closeable to me.
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Post by Doug on Feb 13, 2007 17:01:17 GMT
Yep. I'll do it this evening
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