Black Holes in v5.50

[Beersatron]

I like more 'things' and did not know that black holes were not gravity behemoths so it makes sense to fluff it so that a hither unknown effect of a black hole is to exert a massive pull on materials that are constructed from TN minerals.

This then opens up a tech tree that would negate the effects of a black hole in the same way that more armor on a ship negates the drag of a nebula.

You could use shields as a way to block that 'pull' from a black hole but have it such that each level of black hole reduces the shield level by a certain amount (over time maybe, like taking damage?).

So, if you want to traverse a black hole then you have to heavily shield your ship and run the risk that they fail before you get to your destination.

[symon]

The likely effect is just to create a 'no-go' system. Doesn't honestly excite me.

[Jacob/Lee]

I think it would be interesting if a black hole could randomly shift to another system, appearing in some random place there and eating whatever it landed on/is too close.

[UnLimiTeD]

Now what sense would that make?
Ultimately, it creates gateway systems that are only available once you have sufficient engine tech.

[Jacob/Lee]

Now what sense would that make?
Ultimately, it creates gateway systems that are only available once you have sufficient engine tech.

Currently, black holes make no sense simply the way they work.

[UnLimiTeD]

.. he said directly after quoting the very sense they do indeed make ingame.
They create gateways.
Bork TN tech. makes totally sense to me.
No need to make them a second Invaders.
Theres already plenty of people who hate those.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Interesting,
Will a ship (that is faster than the black hole strength) also have the option to go towards the black hole and thereby greatly increasing it's speed?

No. I considered having an actual gravity effect. The problem is that if the black hole pulls you toward it at speed X and you are heading in a different direction Y, it will be difficult for the player to plan a course across the system. Simply heading toward a jump point will actually result in a non-optimal curving course. That is why I decided on the simpler speed reduction effect. You get the basic problem of being sucked in by a black hole without the difficulties involved in projecting courses within a strong gravitational field.

Steve

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

I agree that super-massive black holes (SM-BH) would be scary. But then they would to be very _very_ rare.

Also, as the distance jumppoint - star are somewhat related to the star´s mass, the jumppoints leading to a SM-BH would probably be very far away, migiating its effect on the ship.

If we are talking about "regular" black holes, I used the 5-sun-masses just as an example. It doesn´t matter if the black hole is 5 or 20 or 50 sun-masses. It is still no different from a 5 or 20 or 50 sun-masses star (actually, the system would probably be more dangerous _before_ the star went supernova, as it will have to be a lot larger than 50 sun-masses to create a 50 sun-mass black hole)

yes, this is one of my pet-peeves with movies/books where a black hole is the end of everything.

Now, I am not against black holes, it just taxes my suspension of disbelieve to the limit


The singularity affecting TN-technology is a good thought.

Yes, I am guilty of the movie-version of black holes with this. Although I too like the technobabble that singularities have an effect on TN drives rather than it being the mass of the black hole.

Steve

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Hell, this is perfect.
By only really affecting TN drives, making them accelerate towards the hole like a ship in the bathtub when you pulled the plug (they treat space like water, after all), you could actually keep wrecks in the system, being rather uninterested in the matter and not knowing what all the fuss is about.

Have to be a little careful here. I think the singularity would have to affect ships based on TN elements rather than just TN drives, otherwise could a ship escape BH effects by disengaging its engines? If it is TNE that are affected, then wrecks would be affected too, although perhaps not lifepods

Steve

[jseah]

Plotting a curve with a constant speed field shouldn't be too difficult for a computer to solve.  A least time solution should be quite possible to compute although my math isn't good enough for me to give an answer instantly. 

I can take a shot at it if you want. 
(Constant speed towards the origin, constant magnitude vector applicable in any direction, is desired point reachable and find least time path)

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Plotting a curve with a constant speed field shouldn't be too difficult for a computer to solve.  A least time solution should be quite possible to compute although my math isn't good enough for me to give an answer instantly. 

I can take a shot at it if you want. 
(Constant speed towards the origin, constant magnitude vector applicable in any direction, is desired point reachable and find least time path)

Sorry I wasn't very clear. I didn't mean it would be hard for a computer to figure out the best course. I meant it would hard for a player to visualise what was going on and plan accordingly. Simpler mechanics make it easier for players to visualise and plan and aren't significantly less 'fun' than more realistic mechanics. It's the same reason that I used TN technobabble instead of Newtonian physics.

Steve

[UnLimiTeD]

And here I was thinking it was because it would have been too much work to program /calculate very turn the inertia and acceleration of every single object....

  

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

And here I was thinking it was because it would have been too much work to program /calculate very turn the inertia and acceleration of every single object....

  

Aurora was designed that way originally, with real Newtonian mechanics and gravity effects and replicated real world rockets such as a Saturn V. I spent several weeks learning all I could about rocket science. In one of my attention to detail moments, I even rang up a company in the US to find out the mass of the insulation on a particular cryogenic fuel tank . However, it was just too difficult to play with real physics so I invented Trans-newtonian physics instead.

Steve

[waresky]

Aurora was designed that way originally, with real Newtonian mechanics and gravity effects and replicated real world rockets such as a Saturn V. I spent several weeks learning all I could about rocket science. In one of my attention to detail moments, I even rang up a company in the US to find out the mass of the insulation on a particular cryogenic fuel tank . However, it was just too difficult to play with real physics so I invented Trans-newtonian physics instead.

Steve

..*G--Phew..:-D

[UnLimiTeD]

I would have loved the challenge.
But I suppose I can't complain either way.