From TL9^ interplanetary to TL10^ interstellar space opera in 200 years or less?

vicky_molokh · 02-06-2017, 06:19 AM

Greetings, all!

Both single-solar-system space settings and many-star-system space operas seem reasonably common, but I'm wondering: how does one develop a setting from one to the other? Babylon 5 is occurring around 2250s; Star Control around the 2150s; Mass Effect around 2180s (with multiple colonies with populations in the millions, while the interstellar phase began in the 2150s); Star Trek TOS seems to be place around the 2200s.

So let's say that I have a TL9^ setting, with reactionless drives to solve the SSTO issue, a homeworld population of about 4 billion, and about 10-50 million spending a significant part of their lives or even outright living offworld or on other worlds of the system (unobtainium mining, orbital power plants, zero-G alchemy research, logistics for all of the above etc.). On Staryear Zero, the first successful FTL trip to a nearby system occurs. Let the staroperatification begin!

Things that worry me:

The rate of building up colonies. Making multiple self-sustaining colonies (not outposts) with a population ranging from at least a few millions to a billion seems like something that's hard to pull off in 200ish years. It means either focusing more on non-operatic technologies such as creation of rapid-breeding transhumans, or moving lots of people around.
Moving lots of people offworld implies having a large colonizing fleet. Yet somehow I doubt that a planetary population will spend more than about 0.5% of its Monthly Average Wealth Income on such a fleet and the colonization itself. Maybe 5% if there's some big long-term existential threat (because societies like being in denial). I suspect that this would be extremely little.
Assuming the colonies will be founded by rather modest populations compared to that of the homeworld, just how fast can they grow, assuming that a new planet both has a biochemically compatible ecosystem (this isn't hard-sci!) and reasonable resource value?

Has anyone had the worldbuilding experience of going through this process? Or just ideas how to make it 'work'?
Thanks in advance!

02-06-2017, 06:19 AM	#1
vicky_molokh GURPS FAQ Keeper Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kyïv, Ukraine	From TL9^ interplanetary to TL10^ interstellar space opera in 200 years or less? Greetings, all! Both single-solar-system space settings and many-star-system space operas seem reasonably common, but I'm wondering: how does one develop a setting from one to the other? Babylon 5 is occurring around 2250s; Star Control around the 2150s; Mass Effect around 2180s (with multiple colonies with populations in the millions, while the interstellar phase began in the 2150s); Star Trek TOS seems to be place around the 2200s. So let's say that I have a TL9^ setting, with reactionless drives to solve the SSTO issue, a homeworld population of about 4 billion, and about 10-50 million spending a significant part of their lives or even outright living offworld or on other worlds of the system (unobtainium mining, orbital power plants, zero-G alchemy research, logistics for all of the above etc.). On Staryear Zero, the first successful FTL trip to a nearby system occurs. Let the staroperatification begin! Things that worry me: The rate of building up colonies. Making multiple self-sustaining colonies (not outposts) with a population ranging from at least a few millions to a billion seems like something that's hard to pull off in 200ish years. It means either focusing more on non-operatic technologies such as creation of rapid-breeding transhumans, or moving lots of people around. Moving lots of people offworld implies having a large colonizing fleet. Yet somehow I doubt that a planetary population will spend more than about 0.5% of its Monthly Average Wealth Income on such a fleet and the colonization itself. Maybe 5% if there's some big long-term existential threat (because societies like being in denial). I suspect that this would be extremely little. Assuming the colonies will be founded by rather modest populations compared to that of the homeworld, just how fast can they grow, assuming that a new planet both has a biochemically compatible ecosystem (this isn't hard-sci!) and reasonable resource value? Has anyone had the worldbuilding experience of going through this process? Or just ideas how to make it 'work'? Thanks in advance! __________________ Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper Last edited by vicky_molokh; 02-06-2017 at 08:33 AM.