Major suggestions for the most realistic Universe structure possible and more.

[NeonSturm]

In StarGate a trip to Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy is 1 month from Earth.

With the intergalactic gate bridge, you can travel the same almost instantly (or with 1 day delay because of quarantine :D)



I would like if gates could be set to connect 2 other gates (thus not longer usable itself but a repeater between 2 others)

I would also like if you have to enter the destination into the source, not the source into the destination (makes no sense) - especially if you can buffer the destination address in display blocks (like with a DHD)

If the display is factioned/locked you could maybe read if there is door in front of the display and only write if you are in the faction.

• Protect your display block with doors if you want to keep a secret
• Don't forget to self-destruct displays with a dis-integrator if somebody wants to intrude.

 

[ToyotaSupra]

Summary of most suggested universe stuffs so far: (and I mean in the history of the forum, in order.)

1) Different stars: People want neutron stars, suns of various colours and sizes, red dwarfs ETC.

2) Nebulae and other universe features: I've heard people want nebulae or space dust that poses a risk to electrical systems, such as knacking up your nav system or even extreme stuff like a small amount of damage or draining of electric charge.

3) Planets. Moons are a popular request, as are moon-like planets and gas giants. Not quite sure what feature GG will pose other than décor but I've heard requests of them acting somewhat like stars (quite realistic, they aren't exactly liveable.)

4) Realistic restructuring. Like OP said, ice planets 3KM from the sun ain't exactly believable, even with 'willing suspension of disbelief' turned on. It would be a bit nicer to have a more realistic set, not asking for mathematical perfection of course just a tab more believable. This has been suggested before, but not quite as often as the other suggestions before.

 

[Criss]

2) Nebulae and other universe features: I've heard people want nebulae or space dust that poses a risk to electrical systems, such as knacking up your nav system or even extreme stuff like a small amount of damage or draining of electric charge.

The problem with nebula is that there are already "nebulae" in game via the generated backgrounds. If a nebula was somehow introduced then it should take up an entire star system. Perhaps have pockets of gas make up the majority of sectors? Not sure how well that would work in game. Graphic, particle, block? Asteroids should still be present. Different nebula should do different things. Some can just limit visibility, others can block sensors/radar. Others can do damage. Space anomalies are like the coolest thing about space games. It would be a shame if it wasn't worked on somehow.

You know what I haven't heard yet? Maybe it's just me but I have yet to see someone ask for rings on a planet. I think that would be super easy do and it could really add to that diversity. Imagine finding some crazy ring worlds. Epic.

 

[WaffulMann]

So, gas mining? That produces hydrogen, water, helium, that you can store in capsules and sell? Yes, please.
Would make for more types of mining ships and more diversity is good.

 

[Jake_Lancia]

The problem with nebula is that there are already "nebulae" in game via the generated backgrounds. If a nebula was somehow introduced then it should take up an entire star system. Perhaps have pockets of gas make up the majority of sectors? Not sure how well that would work in game. Graphic, particle, block? Asteroids should still be present. Different nebula should do different things. Some can just limit visibility, others can block sensors/radar. Others can do damage. Space anomalies are like the coolest thing about space games. It would be a shame if it wasn't worked on somehow.

A definite YES for nebulae with effects. You could hide a base inside a sensor-blocking nebula so no-one could find it :D And just use sun damage in damage nebulae (text changed of course). Nebulae that disable shields or stop systems like cloaking. Nebulae that generate a natural interdiction field (when FTL is finally released). The possibilities are endless...

 

[ltmauve]

One thing I am going to put in is that it should be relatively easy to go between different areas (for example, there should not be a whole block of plantary systems that, if you are in the middle of, you are close to no other types of sectors. (Disks would be cool though.)

 

[Starlight Walker]

Gas mining is an interesting idea, gas giants like Jupiter contain high levels of hydrogen in different forms, like liquid and metallic(they also have helium in normal and liquid forms).

I also believe magnetic fields are a possibility. Jupiter's liquid and metallic hydrogen builds up electric currents because of a large bar magnet deep inside it and that acts like an electro-magnet (see magnetosphere) (its magnetic field is 20,000 stronger then earth's)

the radiation from solar wind plays is a factor in causing magnetic fields, It comes off of Jupiter at 400,000 km/hr

Jupiter has a cloud top gravity of 2.53, it is 483.6 million miles from the sun, and has 64 moons

that's all you need to know about Jupiter! (not really)

 

[Ithirahad]

Black hole section

1. Scale down galaxies so that it contains a few dozen planetary systems
pro: you can now have multiple galaxies with real need of the extra space (As time goes on).
con: Might erk the "realism first" crowd.

You could always just have a massive (If still unrealistically small) galaxy (Or galaxies, if one were to expand a universe enough), but with spiral arms dividing it (or them) up. The voids between the arms, and outside the galaxy, would be the space.

2. Generate only part of the galaxy (such as a spiral arm):
pro: can still have more complex spacing with star systems becoming more clustered near the base of the arm and the centre of the arm with sparse systems near its edges.
cons: If you wanted this to be traversable in a human lifetime you'd still want it to be slightly scaled down but the suspension of disbelief suffers less.

Meh, this is going too far. Have multiple spiral arms, each around 36 systems wide. Galaxies would be huge, but theoretically able to be crossed through or between in a reasonable amount of time with a hyperdrive-capable exploration ship. Also, with this much space in and around the arms, they won't feel too small while ingame. Of course, when visualizing it from a 'bird's eye' conceptual view, they do look a bit small, but... Have you ever noticed how much space systems take up ingame? :P

 

[ltmauve]

If there is something that only exsists in the void and you want it, having massive blocks of stars makes it much longer to get to, and then get back. Therefore, I support spiral galaxies.

 

[Ithirahad]

It also would make warpgate networks more widespread, since people would need to cross large distances quite a lot...

 

[NeonSturm]

It also would make warpgate networks more widespread, since people would need to cross large distances quite a lot...

Maybe there could be one public intergalactic gate lane which repairs itself (or NPCs do it) but with a lot of pirates around.

• still, if you kill a single gate, the lane is shut down for some time.

Players could build unknown intergalactic lanes then Example:

• 4-5 hours to build one with a big ship utilizing mobile construction blocks (repair beams?)
  • supply can be delivered through the built gate before travelling to the next one.
• 3 hours to cross the gap with a normal battleship
  
• 1 hours to cross with a specialized ship

Wouldn't players then coop more? If it could save at least a whole hour?


Some ideas:

1. Inter-galactic sectors could be noenter/noexit for thrusters.
   • That means that you really need a jump drive to cross galaxy borders.
2. Jumping from or into one could limit your jump distance to 1 if we want less systems (to search a hidden gate route for example).
   • especially useful with 1.
3. NPCs which scout your huge battleship or a gate and survive may spread/tell the tale to enemies of your faction.
   • if you want to attack a faction you have to avoid getting scouted by NPCs (jamer and be careful to not run into one or cloak)
   • Pirates:
     • bases more likely in asteroid sectors.
     • they try to stay away from planets and from trade stations,
     • but like to appear in-between trade stations or between these trade-lane's centre and their base.
   • Explorers
     • more likely near and between planets. They are fast and very hard to catch!
   • Traders
     • more likely near and between shops. Slower and easy to avoid if you are not near or in-between shops.

 

[Planr]

We have tried solar orbits with planets and other bodies;
it was a feature that we used to have in the game for around a year's worth of time when starmade was first made.

it created countless sector border issues as sectors (which are naturally cube-shaped) were overlapping each other at their borders and the universe was surrounded by a mesh of "no man's land" on the borders of every sector. it made space travel very difficult, and the issues it created with exceptions and physics glitches crippled many servers.

 

[NeonSturm]

We have tried solar orbits with planets and other bodies;

it created countless sector border issues as sectors (which are naturally cube-shaped) were overlapping each other at their borders and the universe was surrounded by a mesh of "no man's land" on the borders of every sector. it made space travel very difficult, and the issues it created with exceptions and physics glitches crippled many servers.

I see the problem. too few orbits. You can only occupy 2 orbits without heat damage or touching each others.

Maybe the sun is a bit smaller and we have 3 orbits (can't remember).

For 4 possible orbits, A planet sector could then only be 0.8 /16 size to avoid overlapping another planet sector.

Doubling the sun system size - and halving the sun size - would allow 6 (or 12 with 0.8 / 32) orbits before touching the void systems.​

. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
0 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
1 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
2 # # . . . . . . . . . . . . . #
3 # # . / < . . . P . . . < \ . #
4 # # . v . . . . . . . . . ^ . #
5 # # . . . / < . . . < \ . . . #
6 # # . . . v . \ | / . ^ . . . #
7 # # . . . . \ / S \ / P . . . #
8 # # . P . P — S S S — . . . . #
9 # # . . . . / \ S / \ . . P . #
A # # . . . v . / | \ . ^ . . . #
B # # . . . \ P . . . > / . . . #
C # # . v . . . . . . . . . ^ . #
D # # . \ > . . . . P . . > / . #
E # # . . . . . . . . . . . . . #
F # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

# = void sector
. = sol sector
P = planet
S = Sun
^<v> = movement of sectors.​

 

[ltmauve]

Moving sectors? wasn't that already done? If the sectors switch positions every X minutes, then ships entering in a group could wind up in different sectors. Perhaps the sectors could be rotating shells.

Also, shift the sun to the point between 8,8,8 and 7,7,7, and reduce the sun-damage range to a constant distance independent of the sector size.