[Space] Adding flavour to 'man in a can'

[Frost]

Originally Posted by Blind Mapmaker

Unless your habitats are sapients-only, you might want to pay special attention to the biomes present.

This is an interesting point. Other than assuming biological systems existed for atmosphere and water recycling and knowing that somebody is growing food somewhere I hadn't put much thought into habitats having complex biomes.

At the moment I am concentrating on the habitat for my initial adventure and in the draft write up I am now acutely aware that it has no biota. Of course it fits with the context.

[Ulzgoroth]

I am reminded of the low-gravity wild sparrows in Ceres in The Expanse.

Originally Posted by dcarson

Colony cultures would be based mainly on the colonists. So low people from low income and status parts since they have a reason to go. People from poor nations if someone is willing to pay for them to go in exchange for x years of cheap labor. Minorities that a repressive governemtn wants out of the way with out the problems caused by just kiling them. Etc.

Who goes depends a lot on how you're supposing the colony was established and peopled.

Historical examples include adventurers of varying prior wealth, prisoners, religious separatists, slaves, poor 'surplus population', blue-collar technical workers, and elite scientific teams. And probably some other categories that haven't sprung to mind.

If the originating society has a class system, most if not all of the classes will probably be represented in the colony - though they may be present in different proportions and with different makeup within the class than you would see back home.

I'd think anybody with basic trope awareness would be hesitant to arrange the existence of a remote colony populated entirely by people who hate their guts. But egregious lack of genre savvy happens.

[AlexanderHowl]

With the exception of penal colonies like Georgia and Australia, the majority of colonies consisted of groups of middle-income or wealthier people funding their colony with their own resources. I doubt that the majority of space colonies will follow the same pattern due to the massive resources required to create them (and the expense of transporting the colonists). A minimum of $500,000 per person would probably be the expected buy in, which would require Wealth (Very Wealthy) at TL9 if solely funded by private individuals.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by dcarson

Colony cultures would be based mainly on the colonists. So low people from low income and status parts since they have a reason to go. People from poor nations if someone is willing to pay for them to go in exchange for x years of cheap labor. Minorities that a repressive governemtn wants out of the way with out the problems caused by just kiling them. Etc.

Realistically only the wealthiest and best educated would have a place in artificial environments in space. Only they would have the skills and resources to pay for their passage and the required investment in making the habitats.

[Phil Masters]

I knew I should have mentioned the “Moving to Mars” exhibition at the Design Museum in London while that was on. (Do look at the video on that site.) That made the point that, if supplies are going to cost thousands or millions to ship per pound, you’re going to see a lot of repurposed materials, 3D printing and old-fashioned sewing, ultralightweight design, and use of what is available locally. Domes will be covered with local dust or rock for radiation shielding, and the automated technology used to do that may produce some interesting visual artefacts; the parachutes from supply drops will be sewn into garments; furniture will be engineered up to the limit for minimum mass. Then you can use VR, large-display video, and good sound design to make the environment pleasant but adequately stimulating.

Then apply that as a founder-effect seed for a few generations of cultural evolution.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

With the exception of penal colonies like Georgia and Australia, the majority of colonies consisted of groups of middle-income or wealthier people funding their colony with their own resources. I doubt that the majority of space colonies will follow the same pattern due to the massive resources required to create them (and the expense of transporting the colonists). A minimum of $500,000 per person would probably be the expected buy in, which would require Wealth (Very Wealthy) at TL9 if solely funded by private individuals.

I'm not sure why you think that's massive wealth. In some regions of the United States you can't buy a house for as little as $500,000.

[ericthered]

I expect space colonies will be made of the wealthiest who still work (if a position is desirable) and the lowest and most exploited(if it is merely profitable ). Both will be subsidised by Investors, through different mechanisms

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I'm not sure why you think that's massive wealth. In some regions of the United States you can't buy a house for as little as $500,000.

We are talking GURPS$, not 2020$. A house that costs GURPS$500,000 at TL8 would require a minimum of Wealth (Very Wealthy) to own outright or a Status 3 Cost of Living for the mortgage. You would be talking about a large house or a small mansion, probably around 5,000 square, with a large backyard with a pool and/or excellent view. Anyway, massive resources refers to the total cost, not the individual cost.