[Space] Terraformed Venus as a setting

[Bengt]

Originally Posted by acrosome

True, but see above about my obsessiveness. Heck, if I'm worrying about the side-effects of spinning up the planets and moons et al instead of just handwaving it for a crappy fantasy campaign doesn't that tell you something about me? :) But mostly the map problem was one of Mars, not so much Venus. But I decided against Mars for other reasons, primarily the gravity, which I couldn't muster the courage to handwave even at TL12.

I don't really see a difference in saying a wizard did it and saying the precursors could move planets, but to each their own.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by acrosome

Really? *scribble, scribble, scribble* Because I get increasing the planetary radius by 21 miles (which you quoted earlier) as an increase in circumference of 131 miles.

21 kilometres is the required difference between polar and equatorial radius. As mantle material displaces from the poles to the equator not only does the land level at the equator rise, but also the land level at the pole falls. The equatorial radius increases, but also the polar radius diminishes, and the change in the difference is larger than the increase in equatorial radius alone. You reach equilibrium before the equator has risen the full 70,000 feet, so the increase in equatorial circumference is less than two pi times the difference in radii.

[Phantasm]

There is something else you can do: Earth and Venus are close enough in mass that if Venus is moved to Earth's orbit it's entirely possible that they could be a binary planet, both orbiting a fixed point. Remove the moon from the picture; hell, put the moon in Venus's current spot! This way, when the folks on Venus look up, they see a blue-green "moon"!

How'd this happen? Someone Out There decided to move a massive gravity-manipulating and planet-moving TL 12+ station into an L-spot - call it Jupiter's L4 for argument's sake - and flipped the switch a few times.

This would lead to legends and myths of "sky gods" among the Venusites that transplanted them from "up there" as they point to the moon.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Bengt

I don't really see a difference in saying a wizard did it and saying the precursors could move planets, but to each their own.

Oh come on. The first is impossible according to all known laws of reality as we currently understand them. The second is merely an overused science fiction cliché, but still technically possible.

Oddly, I only have problem with the idea that precursors disappear completely and without reason rather than their mere inexplicable megaprojects.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Oh come on. The first is impossible according to all known laws of reality as we currently understand them. The second is merely an overused science fiction cliché, but still technically possible.

Oddly, I only have problem with the idea that precursors disappear completely and without reason rather than their mere inexplicable megaprojects.

Perhaps discovering the fate of the precursors is part of the campaign?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

There is something else you can do: Earth and Venus are close enough in mass that if Venus is moved to Earth's orbit it's entirely possible that they could be a binary planet, both orbiting a fixed point. Remove the moon from the picture; hell, put the moon in Venus's current spot! This way, when the folks on Venus look up, they see a blue-green "moon"!
...
This would lead to legends and myths of "sky gods" among the Venusites that transplanted them from "up there" as they point to the moon.

It's the reason my first-to-space aliens spent so much time and energy on space programs. Every time they looked up, they saw an obviously alive planet.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Perhaps discovering the fate of the precursors is part of the campaign?

It's still overused and not reasonable for an entire, near god like tech, space faring species to completely and utterly disappear with very few signs of ever existing. But that's getting off topic for this thread. I apologize for drifting.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It's still overused and not reasonable for an entire, near god like tech, space faring species to completely and utterly disappear with very few signs of ever existing. But that's getting off topic for this thread. I apologize for drifting.

Mayhaps Venus is a large-scale social experiment?

Hmm, how would things work if Venus had two moons? Ceres plus Vesta should be doable.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Mayhaps Venus is a large-scale social experiment?

Hmm, how would things work if Venus had two moons? Ceres plus Vesta should be doable.

That would make for some small but complex tides, I imagine. Rare, but I love moons that trade orbits periodically like a single couple square dance.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

That would make for some small but complex tides, I imagine. Rare, but I love moons that trade orbits periodically like a single couple square dance.

It would even throw the players off a bit more to have two moons instead of one, right?