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Old 09-12-2022, 06:02 PM   #32
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Cyberpunk, Space Travel, and Setting Design

Quote:
Originally Posted by RyanW View Post
Actually pretty much every planet. Earth is an unusual case, as the galaxy at large didn't think intelligent life could evolve on world made of murder.
Cimbrean's the only one where Earth life is taking over. This is primarily because Cimbrean is the only one humans have actually colonized (although that's in the process of changing), and the only other planets where they have any significant presence are other Deathworlds that can handle them (although even then, in many cases they often need to be quite careful - Earth's microorganisms are particularly nasty).

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
Isn't every planet with life a planet with murder?
Deathworlds are much worse than others. Basically, the Corti - the Greys - have a numeric classification system they use for each planet, taking into account things like gravity, intensity of seasonal shifts, prevalence (and severity) of natural disasters, how dangerous native life is, etc. Class 1 (which I'm not sure there are actually any examples of) are extremely safe - you could plop just about anyone from any species there completely naked and they'd likely thrive*. Most habitable planets are class 4 to 6, where fairly basic survival skills are all that's necessary to survive in the above scenario. Class 10 and higher are classified as Deathworlds - high gravity, extreme seasonal shifts, frequent natural disasters, absolutely lethal native life, etc. Plop most sapients down there in the above scenario, they'll probably wind up dead within minutes or hours - a lucky one might last a day or two. Prior to humans getting involved in the galactic scene, it was considered impossible for sapient life to evolve on such a harsh world.

Earth is a high-end Class 12 (IIRC, the only planet with a higher classification - the planet Nightmare - is indicated as actually being more survivable than Earth if you know what you're doing, but got a higher classification because the Corti really hate eccentric orbits, which Nightmare has). The typical weapons used for lethal combat by most military forces - rifle-sized kinetic pulse guns - hit about as hard as a human punch; so-called anti-tank weapons, which will reduce most targets to paste, hit about as hard as a kick from a horse.

*Humorously, humans and other Deathworlders would have difficulty surviving on low-class worlds, due to them having high caloric needs that such worlds often can't satisfy.
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