Well, this is a real pisser...
Feb. 12th, 2002 02:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreI have a shareware program called Heaven & Earth, which generates star systems for Traveller. I gleefully thought that this would solve a big chunk of my writing woes, since I could just set the computer to churning out system after system which I would then merely transcribe, with a short write-up for each.
No such luck. As I went through the first few subsectors, I noticed that planetary density was always coming in low. This caused much gnashing of teeth, for this made it nearly impossible to get an Earth-like world. The program also does not believe in placing planets in the star's life zone.
Every element heavier than iron can only be created in a supernova. Since the universe has only been around for so long, that means that older solar systems will be light on the heavier elements. This would cut down on the density of any worlds orbiting the star.
First In and H&E both use a random system to both determine the expected lifespan of the star, and its age.. unfortunantly, the program seems to read lifespan as the actual age, and uses that when determining planetary density!
What does this mean? That I have to do close to 300 star systems by hand. Bleah. I can still mine the worlds I've already finished, but if I wanrt a habitle world, I got to do it myself.
God was a slacker, I've already done five solar systems today, and it took him a whole two days just to do the physical property of one.
No such luck. As I went through the first few subsectors, I noticed that planetary density was always coming in low. This caused much gnashing of teeth, for this made it nearly impossible to get an Earth-like world. The program also does not believe in placing planets in the star's life zone.
Every element heavier than iron can only be created in a supernova. Since the universe has only been around for so long, that means that older solar systems will be light on the heavier elements. This would cut down on the density of any worlds orbiting the star.
First In and H&E both use a random system to both determine the expected lifespan of the star, and its age.. unfortunantly, the program seems to read lifespan as the actual age, and uses that when determining planetary density!
What does this mean? That I have to do close to 300 star systems by hand. Bleah. I can still mine the worlds I've already finished, but if I wanrt a habitle world, I got to do it myself.
God was a slacker, I've already done five solar systems today, and it took him a whole two days just to do the physical property of one.
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Date: 12 Feb 2002 15:21 (UTC)*grin, duck & run behind the third galactic cluster to the left*
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Date: 12 Feb 2002 15:34 (UTC)There was an offical UN sponsored expedition, but both India and China send their own expeditions to claim the planet to relieve their population problems. We mentioned that the planet had native lifeforms but gave no real details. The preamble was then published and available to anyone to use provided they acknowledged the con and the panel who created it.
Another favourite panel from Thylacon I was the panel on children's literature in Science Fiction. This panel was started in the conference room, but due to low attendence, it was adjourned to the bar and then about a 1/4 of the con rocked in and grabbed a drink before joining the discussion.
At Thylacon II, we got the planet out and then we created the lifeforms on the planet in more detail in the "Create a Mutant" panel, of which, I was one of the panel members. I used my skills from my science geek backgound from chemistry, geology, bio-chem and geography. That was a lot of fun to do.