Vote up a Space Opera

[nondescript handle]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

The reason why I went with either Hyper (w/encouners) or Warp was to avoid drives where FTL travel constituted "downtime". Same for short voyage times. [...]

But FTL with a non-interacting hyperspace and travel time measured in weeks/days means:
- the cavalry (Imperial Fleet/Starpatrol/whatever) is need some time to arrive. Until then the crew of the Starfrighter Rustbucket must deal with the problem no matter how outgunned they are.
- long interactions with "interesting" passengers or/and dangers of the space ways which must be overcome with the limited resources on board.
- mysteries of the controlled cast and environment type, where the spaceship in hyperspace fills the role of the "snowed-in castle" (or the train in "Murder on the Orient Express IN SPACE")

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Diomedes

Is this referring to relative distance, or absolute?

Two more questions, relevant to space opera:

• Can ships in hyperspace detect/communicate with each other?
• Can ships in hyperspace fight each other?

good points!

I'm talking about relative distance, though doing that also messes with absolute distance. In a very extreme example where the distances are different, it could take 3 months to get to alpha centari but only 10 days to get to a star in a different galaxy.

The hyperspace detection and warefare are good questions. I'll put them up.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by nondescript handle

But FTL with a non-interacting hyperspace and travel time measured in weeks/days means:
- the cavalry (Imperial Fleet/Starpatrol/whatever) is need some time to arrive. Until then the crew of the Starfrighter Rustbucket must deal with the problem no matter how outgunned they are.
- long interactions with "interesting" passengers or/and dangers of the space ways which must be overcome with the limited resources on board.
- mysteries of the controlled cast and environment type, where the spaceship in hyperspace fills the role of the "snowed-in castle" (or the train in "Murder on the Orient Express IN SPACE")

vote?

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[Diomedes]

Originally Posted by ericthered

HyperSpace Questions!

Are distances in hyperspace roughly the same as real space?

- The variation helps set up spacelanes.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Are their multiple hyperspaces?

- I don't see any need to add this complexity.

Originally Posted by ericthered

If there are multiple hyperspaces, do they behave radically differently?

+ Conversely, there's no point if they're not different enough to be distinguishable in interesting and plot-relevant ways.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Does Hyperspace have currents and paths?

oo A possible justification for the differing distances.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Does Hyperspace have "weather"? (do conditions change?)

+ Keeps things interesting. Provides the possibility of worlds getting "lost" if you don't keep your charts up to date.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Do things live in hyperspace?

-- No. Don't want to overdo the space-as-an-ocean thing.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can hyperspace be changed through construction (or rather, is it?)

- No, hyperspace is largely something that everyone just has to work with as it is.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can humans survive being exposed to hyperspace?

- I think not. Hyperspace is as friendly to life as realspace.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can ships in hyperspace detect/communicate with each other?

++ Sure. At short ranges, at least.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can ships in hyperspace fight each other?

oo I can see advantages both ways.

[samd6]

Originally Posted by ericthered

HyperSpace Questions!
Are distances in hyperspace roughly the same as real space?
Are their multiple hyperspaces?
If there are multiple hyperspaces, do they behave radically differently?
Does Hyperspace have currents and paths?
Does Hyperspace have "weather"? (do conditions change?)
Do things live in hyperspace?
Can hyperspace be changed through construction (or rather, is it?)
Can humans survive being exposed to hyperspace?
Can ships in hyperspace detect/communicate with each other?
Can ships in hyperspace fight each other?

Distance * is roughly proportionate, discounting hyperspatial topography
Multiple hyperspace +
Different properties +
Current/paths/topography ++, and currents should be two-way
Weather --
Critters +, but only on some layers
Construction * not practical
Survive* depends on layer and whether or not in ship.
Vision +, but communication should be more difficult.
Combat * Different from normal combat and a really bad idea.

Travel time between close habitable worlds: ~14 days for most civilian ships on normal layers with average topography. Ships can be faster by using other layers of hyperspace, using topography to their advantage, and mounting more hyperdrives.

I vote that humans are a junior power.

[Captain-Captain]

There are natural occuring jump points. Transit point to point takes a few days or hours as suits the game. Drawback: if you force your way out elsewhere (very dangerous and difficult: don't try) you can't get back. Call it hyperspace II. All sector 0/0/0 points are jump points. Sectors expand outward from there.

Virtual teleportation long distance, perhaps intergalactic.

Then there is hyperdrive. a shorter distance mode covering parsecs or even tens of parsecs in the next longer time unit. Getting to another galaxy? Not in your lifetime. Hyperspace one. Navigation is hard, you fly close to blind. Risky.

And Warp drive. You are inboth normal and ftl states. Slower than hyperdrive but safer. You can physically interact with real world objects, like enemy ships, Hyperspace 1/2.

[Neon_goggles]

distances -
multiple +
differences +
paths +
weather +
life -
construction -
habitable -
vision + at close range
combat -

humanity is a considerable power but still one among many.
Travel takes about three days to a week in most situations. Hyperspace storms can mess up travel time.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by ericthered

HyperSpace Questions!

This vote is a series of yes or no questions. you can answer yes, no, or nothing to each issue, and you have one big yes and one big no (worth 2 each)

suggesting other qualities hyperspace can is welcomed.

Are distances in hyperspace roughly the same as real space?

Yes. Proportionally roughly so. With adjustment for hazards/currents/etc. if we include them, of course.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Are their multiple hyperspaces?

Maybe. Ever seen QuasiSpace of SC2? Something like that might be interesting to have, if RARE.

Originally Posted by ericthered

If there are multiple hyperspaces, do they behave radically differently?

Yes, as above.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Does Hyperspace have currents and paths?

Yes.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Does Hyperspace have "weather"? (do conditions change?)

Big Yes.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Do things live in hyperspace?

Yes, but this isn't life as we know it. Rare, poorly documented sightings of Eldritch Things exist, and some phenomena seem lifelike.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can hyperspace be changed through construction (or rather, is it?)

Do Hyperspace Exit/Entry gates count as yes?

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can humans survive being exposed to hyperspace?

Same as vacuum, but the radiation levels are less predictable than in a solar system. I suppose that's a no.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can ships in hyperspace detect/communicate with each other?

Yes, in short range (almost visual range). Past that, no. I guess that's a No with a conditional exception for real-close-up fleets.
I would also like to put a Big No on communication through hyperspace from normal space. I.e. No FTL Comm. Send a mail courier ship instead. More fun that way.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Can ships in hyperspace fight each other?

Maybe. Hard question.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by ericthered

HyperSpace Questions!
Are distances in hyperspace roughly the same as real space?

Are relative distances proportional? Yeah.

Are their multiple hyperspaces?

Not if anyone and everyone can access them. But if one race has access to a super-secret high-speed hyperspace channel or drive, yes.

If there are multiple hyperspaces, do they behave radically differently?

Yes. As someone else said, there'd be little point otherwise.

Does Hyperspace have currents and paths?

Yes. Makes the Astrogation skill interesting and vital, and makes hyperspace charts a valuable commodity and a useful macguffin.

Does Hyperspace have "weather"? (do conditions change?)

Yes.

Do things live in hyperspace?

Won't rule it out, but it would need an interesting treatment.

Can hyperspace be changed through construction (or rather, is it?)

Depends on the scale. Mining hyperspace with artificial gravity-well mines could be interesting.

Can humans survive being exposed to hyperspace?

No. I'd picture hyperspace as somewhere needing a force-field generator to remain in with stability. Un-fielded matter becomes subject to weirdo physics.

Can ships in hyperspace detect/communicate with each other?

Detect unreliably- think early sonar instead of modern radar. Okay for detecting a presence nearby or tracking a path with difficulty, but not for targeting or visualising.
Communicate at low bandwidth- must be omindirectional broadcast with a low bit-rate, suitable for crackly audio.

Can ships in hyperspace fight each other?

No, but the reasoning needs to be considered. It would be nigh impossible to match vectors at multiples of lightspeed, while ships on different multi-c vectors would find it impossible to target each other. Missiles would need forcefield generators as well as hyperspace drives, regular beam weapons would suffer from the weird physics. Perhaps some hyperspace-only beam weapon could be developed, but it would be one race's super-secret weapon.


Other questions (obvious and otherwise) to be posed down the track:
- tech level
- scope- how many settled star systems?
- one government, a few, or many many many?
- cybernetics?
- computers, AI and robotics?
- force swords or other melee weapons?
- psionics? pseudo-scientific, cybernetic, mystical?
- aliens- mainly rubber forehead anthropomorphs?
- and... an economic model for starship ownership
- and and... preferred armour paradigm- none (ST)/light body armour (SW)/mecha?

[vicky_molokh]

THIS IS NOT A VOTE YET

Originally Posted by Daigoro

Other questions (obvious and otherwise) to be posed down the track:
- tech level

Strongly prefer TL9^ with some operatic exceptions (less lethal weapons, advanced mêlée armour penetration etc.).

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- scope- how many settled star systems?

IMHO start at 50 and go up from there, but less than 1000.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- one government, a few, or many many many?

Operatic simplicity probably calls for relatively homogenous planets, even those with no world governments.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- cybernetics?

Depends on type.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- computers, AI and robotics?

Smart AIs are not good for old-school op'rah. Even dumb but dextrous AI means that space combats can devolve to barrages of automated turrets/missiles.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- force swords or other melee weapons?

Yes please, even if they're not a military weapon. Probably not force, but whatever. I have a few ideas, some already used. Grav-Axe FTW!

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- psionics? pseudo-scientific, cybernetic, mystical?

Pseudo-sci or mystical. Probably depending on who's talking.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- aliens- mainly rubber forehead anthropomorphs?

Both forehead aliens and starfish aliens.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- and... an economic model for starship ownership

This is going to be complicated.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

- and and... preferred armour paradigm- none (ST)/light body armour (SW)/mecha?

Ablative armour sounds fun, so are ablative shields.