Under the Red Star [Space]

[AlexanderHowl]

So, let us assume that 7.5% of red dwarfs would likely have habitable or terraformable planets (as well as 50% of K, G, F, and A stars). The red dwarfs would have to be non-flare stars and the planets would need resonance orbits, otherwise they would not be habitable or terraformable. Since red dwarfs account for 88% of main sequence stars, that would mean that there would be 11 habitable or terraformable planets orbiting red dwarfs for every 10 habitable or terraformable planets orbiting other types of stars.

A resonant planet orbiting a M7 star would likely have a year of 180 hours and a day of 360 hours, meaning that daytime would take up a local year and nightie would take a local year. While a habitable planet would have local life adapted to the conditions, a terraformable planet would likely have Earth-derivex life (if humans terraformed it). Higher animals would likely adapt, but some genetic engineering would likely be required for the plants and the lower animals.

What type of games would lend themselves to such a world? Imagine that human civilization collapses after the terraforming of such a planet and regressed to TL4. What type of nations would you make for such a world? What type of adventures would you have?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

What type of games would lend themselves to such a world? Imagine that human civilization collapses after the terraforming of such a planet and regressed to TL4. What type of nations would you make for such a world? What type of adventures would you have?

Nomads of course. For real SF adventures (instead of just TL3-4 under funny-colored sky) you have then contacted by the thinly spread Second Terran Empire and re-purpose Golden Age "Mars" adventures which were themselves adaptations of colonial pulp adventures.

The locals are all swarthy and have long curved swords but ride things that aren't horses (even if they were gnetically engieered to produce ideal ridign beasts for the planet durign terraforming). The First Empire and its' terrafoming stations provide the enigmatic ruins.

Ah! I forgot the Andre Norton-esque "Secrets of the Ancients" campaign. I'm not sure about adapting the "one coming of age human and his furry telepathic whatsits" format to a conventional rpg group though.

[AlexanderHowl]

If we assume an Earth-sized world, the sunline would move at 110 km per hour on the equator, meaning that light would appear to move much slower than sound (a bell that rang at dawn could be heard before the dawn approached). In that case, it would probably be hard for science to develop properly, as it would be counterintuitive to the inhabitants that light was faster than sound.

One problem that the inhabitants would face is the temperature change during night and day. On the equator, the change might be only be 10 C, but the polar regions might experience changes of 40 C. Plants would have to grow quickly during the day and hide during the night. Evergreens would probably be quite successful.

As for the societies that evolve, they may be much less prudish than Earth societies. Without as much harmful UV rays, people would not need clothing during the day, and would probably want to be nude to trigger vitamin D production. During the night, they would wear clothing against the cold when outside but might not wear clothing indoors. You would end up with an entire society of nudists due to nutritional needs, and they may find clothing as erotica as we find nudity.

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Without as much harmful UV rays, people would not need clothing during the day, and would probably want to be nude to trigger vitamin D production.

It wouldn't help. A red dwarf star produces negligible UV-B light (the kind that produces vitamin D). You could be sunbathing completely nude all day and still get rickets.

Except during a flare, of course. In which case you really don't want to be caught out in the open without protection.

Luke

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by lwcamp

It wouldn't help. A red dwarf star produces negligible UV-B light (the kind that produces vitamin D). You could be sunbathing completely nude all day and still get rickets.

Are we assuming humans? Native life either wouldn't have endoskeleta or would use a different chemistry to generate them.