Post by RascalLeader on Nov 30, 2004 19:13:31 GMT -5
An E class starport generally means that it is little more than just an area of compacted earth, or a rocky plateau or whatever. A bare scratch in an attempt to create a starport.
Then Perhaps it is another area of change. I still can't find the file I have written down it. I think it would be class either C-B (if I got it around the right way!). Mind you thinking about it, it does not have to be that high at all. It might be inside a giant stone castle but I think a E Class might be stretched to that.
That's fine. The 'social' statistics (Population, Government, Law, Tech Level, Starport and Export) are all subject to the desires of the designer. The reason that they are generated is to give the designer some inspiration, guidelines or whatever you want to think of the as. The good thing about random generation is that it can send you into strange realms when you try and explain something... If that doesn't work then you are free to change things!
;D Rubbs hand deviously
Depending on the type of taint , it may also not reach to these higher elevations. If you are going to have a world spanning swamp, you may be looking at gasses that occur from the decomposition of organic material. Maybe the taint is Methane. This would generally stay close to the ground...or with the denser atmosphere a little above it. Methane could also accumulate into pockets where explosions could be a risk.
Methane could work. I am going to consult my encylopedia just to make sure that it won't kill off all the populations of the lowlands if I use it.
The atmosphere would thin out as you go higher. Maybe most habitation occurs at a height where the atmosphere is equal to normal earth sea level or slightly above.
You've also said that there would be inhabitants living down in the swamps. They would need to adapt to this higher pressure as well as the taint of Methane (or what ever gasses may be present). They would need to overcome the heat.
Simple the rich live at the top of the mountians and the really poor in the swamps. Their living conditions linked to their social status.
Heat however might be a problem, more so then the denceness and the taint. If its WW2 level technology they might be able to put together cooling systems for their houses. Depending how things came out picking the agriculture at night might be better otherwise they could die of heat exaustion.
They may instead opt for a weapons system that uses either chemical propelants or even better pneumatics (air guns). There are many different types of air guns: spring-piston, multi-pump pneumatic, precharged pneumatic (PCP), and reservoir. Pneumatic rifles have been around since the 15th century. Austrian soldiers sniped and killed French soldiers with pnematic rifles during the Napoleonic Wars. Lewis and Clarke also took one along on their expedition.
Airguns, hummm...Nothing wrong with having them, but it would mean that they don't have much range as normal projectile weapons. Not that they are needed that much for any other task then hunting down pirates.
:'(No flamethrowers.
If you are talking about the planet having proto-cellular life only, does it really make sense that they would import a potentially hostile life form to the planet that would eventually serve as mounts for cavalry units?
Perhaps it was not hostile when they imported it, but it broke loose and went wild. Besides even dometistcated animals such as dogs can be trained to be aggresive and attack things. They might be perfectily friendly normally but reconditioned to make use of their teeth and claws.
You may also want to go with Jump Troops as an doctrine option. On a planet that is mostly swamp, there will be areas that are almost completely inaccessable by land. The only way into such places may be to deploy troops from the air.
I see your point. But with the techlevel as it is and the premium of flat land, air travel might be impractical. They would have to be paratroops.
Perhaps boat or hovercraft would be a much better way of getting around; and that would mean that I could still keep cavalry .