Author Topic: Need help for a hard science RPG  (Read 2976 times)

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Offline vorpal+5 (OP)

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Need help for a hard science RPG
« on: October 08, 2019, 08:06:37 AM »
Hi guys,

I'm starting to plan a new pen & paper RPG in the not so distant future of Earth. I'm trying to have the thing rather hard science, but it's difficult to find the answers I'm looking for over the internet, even if everything is there probably!

If that's not the proper forum for this kind of questions, just point me to the correct one.

A first set of questions is about what I can expect in term of mass usage from a propulsion system which is fission based (nuclear pulse). How much energy one gram of fissile matter (the uranium we use in nuclear plant) can deliver? I know also that you don't get to use all this energy, so there is an efficiency loss.

One newton being defined as the force that will push at one m/s one kg of matter, how it relates to the energy of 1 g of fissile matter? I also so it is expressed in MeV, but also energy is in Joule ...
I need some Physic 101 here :-)

Another set of questions I'm asking me about is at which speed in space the little debris and loose grain of matters start to be dangerous (understand will pierce easily a spaceship)?  I have no clue here ...
What strategies there are to fight off that, in a realistic manner? Would a lattice of ceramic and hydrogel stops enough of the impact, is it sustainable? That would be an ablative process, but what is the life expectancy of say 5 meter thick of such material.

Is it the right material? I speak of hydrogel because I read somewhere that a huge tank of water at the front of a spaceship would also be very useful to stop the deadly radiations...

Ok, enough for now. I have an ample reserve of questions anyway...  ;D
 

Offline Bughunter

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2019, 10:38:36 AM »
I bet this site will keep you busy for a while:
http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/
 

Offline SevenOfCarina

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2019, 11:16:21 AM »
The Atomic Rockets website is probably a good place to start, but if you want a more hands-on approach, I'd recommend https://store.steampowered.com/app/476530/Children_of_a_Dead_Earth/, or visiting the forums at childrenofadeadearth.boards.net
 

Offline Triato

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2019, 01:12:23 PM »
Issac arthur has a long video abouth space debris at hi speeds. Very complete and well explained
 

Offline vorpal+5 (OP)

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2019, 04:39:51 AM »
Thanks guys! I'll do some reading and watching, perhaps playing and see what I learn from all that!

Expect my return  :)
 

Offline Garfunkel

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2019, 11:30:42 AM »
Google the old 1980s RPG AD2300 or 2300 AD]AD2300 or 2300 AD. It's the hardest sci-fi RPG in existence, as far as I know. Might give you ideas on both world building as well as mechanics.

« Last Edit: October 15, 2019, 04:45:39 PM by Garfunkel »
 

Offline boggo2300

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2019, 04:13:39 PM »
As you might expect by my username I second what Garfunkel said, though I would also recommend Atomic Rockets, I've used it extensively for both Aurora and Astra Imperia game backgrounds
The boggosity of the universe tends towards maximum.
 

Offline Steve Walmsley

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2019, 04:21:06 AM »
I'm also a 2300AD fan. There is a lot of fan-generated material out there as well as the original game. I think you can still get the original modules on DriveThruRPG.

I've even run a couple of 2300AD-inspired Aurora campaigns.
 

Offline boggo2300

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2019, 03:49:35 PM »
I'm also a 2300AD fan. There is a lot of fan-generated material out there as well as the original game. I think you can still get the original modules on DriveThruRPG.

I've even run a couple of 2300AD-inspired Aurora campaigns.

Drive through has all of the original 2300 stuff, plus a few of the third party modules, and the 2360AD rules (the d20 version, which I highly highly DO NOT recommend, completely loses the feel)
The boggosity of the universe tends towards maximum.
 

Offline vorpal+5 (OP)

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2019, 12:02:09 AM »
But is this not too deprecated if written some 30 years ago?
 

Offline boggo2300

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Re: Need help for a hard science RPG
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2019, 03:49:19 PM »
It's still the best hard science fiction RPG, by a long, long, long margin

Plus it has the Kafer war, the Kafer are pretty much the posterchild for surprising Aliens done right!

Pretty much the only handwaving tech in 2300 is Stutterwarp, but personally I'm willing to forgive that due to the fun I had playing Star Cruiser (the starship combat for 2300) Sub Battles in space (nuke pumped laser missiles, not self guided but drones, how could you not love that!)

I'd suggest maybe grabbing a look at some of the sourcebooks, probably Aurora Sourcebook for a look, it shouldn't be that expensive and will give you a good feel, oh, ok, just thought of another less likely tech thing, there are 2 Beanstalks in human space,  one on Earth another out near the end of the French arm, though possible, those are definitely considered way less feasible than when the game was written.
The boggosity of the universe tends towards maximum.