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Hydrogene can exist in the metallic form but as far as I know it must be kept in low temperatures and high pressure. The temperature can be kept relatively easy in the outer parts of the ship, but the pressure can be a problem.
And don`t forget H reacts with the O - probably, after first shot it could contact with the atmosphere of the ship and immediately make it a hell of the flames.
So I think it wouldn`t be much practical.

The hulls, at least the outer parts, must be dense due to at least two reasons.
First, it must keep the crew safe from the cosmic radiation. That radiation consists not only from the Alpha Beta Gamma radtion types, but also extremely high energetic massive atom`s cores and other elements which are hard to stop and are present deep in the space, where the FS takes place ( we on earth are safe thank`s to the Earth`s magnetic field).
The second thing is that dense hulls should better get through the beam fire.
I `m almoust sure there are various materials beeing used for the ships.
The strong materials (or related) mentioned above are certainly used since the ships must get safely through the jump gates, must make fast maneuvres and so on and the construction of the ship must be strong enough to make it all possible ( don`t forget that a capital makes the jump at a really high speed and the hull must resist the results of the acceleration of many g.

They shouldn`t be also so heavy - the massive ships have usually poor saturation and maneuvrability. And some dense materials must be used as protection against the radiation.
With the beams I can imagine that there could be a gas, or a liquid , not a metal, which could resist strong beam -light exposure better as the dense metals. Who knows?

So I think really various types of materials should be used for these ships. And probably, not many ( if any) of them are known today. But since the rules of the economy doesn`t change these materials shouldn`t cost too much. Don`t forget the ships are beeing built in the space so they are expensive anyway.

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Hydrogene can exist in the metallic form but as far as I know it must be kept in low temperatures and high pressure. The temperature can be kept relatively easy in the outer parts of the ship, but the pressure can be a problem.
And don`t forget H reacts with the O - probably, after first shot it could contact with the atmosphere of the ship and immediately make it a hell of the flames.
So I think it wouldn`t be much practical.

The hulls, at least the outer parts, must be dense due to at least two reasons.
First, it must keep the crew safe from the cosmic radiation. That radiation consists not only from the Alpha Beta Gamma radtion types, but also extremely high energetic massive atom`s cores and other elements which are hard to stop and are present deep in the space, where the FS takes place ( we on earth are safe thank`s to the Earth`s magnetic field).
The second thing is that dense hulls should better get through the beam fire.
I `m almoust sure there are various materials beeing used for the ships.
The strong materials (or related) mentioned above are certainly used since the ships must get safely through the jump gates, must make fast maneuvres and so on and the construction of the ship must be strong enough to make it all possible ( don`t forget that a capital makes the jump at a really high speed and the hull must resist the results of the acceleration of many g.

They shouldn`t be also so heavy - the massive ships have usually poor saturation and maneuvrability. And some dense materials must be used as protection against the radiation.
With the beams I can imagine that there could be a gas, or a liquid , not a metal, which could resist strong beam -light exposure better as the dense metals. Who knows?

So I think really various types of materials should be used for these ships. And probably, not many ( if any) of them are known today. But since the rules of the economy doesn`t change these materials shouldn`t cost too much. Don`t forget the ships are beeing built in the space so they are expensive anyway.

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appearently FS ships have magnetic fields, artificial gravity, very dense alloys for their hull (or titanium, might be cheaper to mass produce by then). the weapons are what interest me

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Molybdenum is used on the Deimos and we have discovered Molybdenum, and no matter how metalic hydrogen gets, it is still not a metal. Just the same, even if you melt iron, it is still a metal. The possibility of using nonmetals for armor on ships is very possible, but titanium and molybdenum are far cheaper. Just because a ship is built in space doesnt mean expense is not an issue; cost is always a deciding factor.

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Well...most of the weapons are Argon lasers if im not mistaken.

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Well...most of the weapons are Argon lasers if im not mistaken.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by ltnarol
Molybdenum is used on the Deimos and we have discovered Molybdenum, and no matter how metalic hydrogen gets, it is still not a metal. Just the same, even if you melt iron, it is still a metal. The possibility of using nonmetals for armor on ships is very possible, but titanium and molybdenum are far cheaper. Just because a ship is built in space doesnt mean expense is not an issue; cost is always a deciding factor.

---

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quote:

---

Originally posted by ltnarol
Molybdenum is used on the Deimos and we have discovered Molybdenum, and no matter how metalic hydrogen gets, it is still not a metal. Just the same, even if you melt iron, it is still a metal. The possibility of using nonmetals for armor on ships is very possible, but titanium and molybdenum are far cheaper. Just because a ship is built in space doesnt mean expense is not an issue; cost is always a deciding factor.

---

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not to mention with the proper tools, we can build our own elements (proton accelerator, neutrons, electrons etc). it would just take a LOT of energy.

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Unless the GTVa mainly uses metals not currently found on Earth - i.e. currently undiscovered.

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Well there can`t be much elements undiscovered, if any, because the atoms become too unstable.

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On the comments of radiation shielding, remember that at the walls of the lunar modules in the Apollo missions was at best paper thin in areas without electronics. Yet the modules themselves managed to avoid being torn by micrometeorites and the astronauts being cooked even in cases where radiation levels were becoming dangerously higher due to solar activity. (Apollo 17 I believe) The fact that a series of several spacecraft with such minimal shielding flourished beyond the magnetosphere states that radiation shielding is not as large of an issue as early sci-fi writers believed.

On propulsion, assuming that fusion isn't feasible solar sails and laser propulsion are excellent. Also in an emergency they can be quickly turned into weapons, an added plus

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Last edited by Ace on 06-17-2002 at 11:16 PM

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On the comments of radiation shielding, remember that at the walls of the lunar modules in the Apollo missions was at best paper thin in areas without electronics. Yet the modules themselves managed to avoid being torn by micrometeorites and the astronauts being cooked even in cases where radiation levels were becoming dangerously higher due to solar activity. (Apollo 17 I believe) The fact that a series of several spacecraft with such minimal shielding flourished beyond the magnetosphere states that radiation shielding is not as large of an issue as early sci-fi writers believed.

On propulsion, assuming that fusion isn't feasible solar sails and laser propulsion are excellent. Also in an emergency they can be quickly turned into weapons, an added plus

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Last edited by Ace on 06-17-2002 at 11:16 PM

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"Collapsed-core molybdenum" in it's application seems to indicate that it's an armour layer rather than what the ship's super structure is made of. It's name seems to suggest something that's been condensed to the point of collapse(A sort of do it yourself neutronium I guess), but that would be so immensely dense that I'm not quite sure if it's feasible to actually use in construction.(Which would explain why it's described as being a sheeth rather than the superstructure.) Mo IS an alloying agent, so it does make sense that they'd use something like this.

However you'd think by then they'd have more carbon composites, particuarly in the form of fullerenes with perhaps imbedded metal strands on an atomic level. Since carbons have the best tensile strength, and are relatively light, they'd make a good building material(especially if it's 300 or so years from now.)

There are theorized to be "stability islands" in a the periodic table past 110, with the first being around 112-114 the next few being at some figure past 120 but any of those proposed materials would probably be radioactive in any wait.

As for shielding, I'm sure by that age they would have electrostatic/magnetic shields for purposes of cosmic ray blocking and perhaps limited gamma ray shielding, thouigh from FS1 I guess that wasn't the case till the Shivans dropped in.

Powerplants seem to be "conventional" thinking based deuterium fusion, with outputs probably in the low-mid TW range(probably on the figure of about 200-300TW depending on how much space on ships is actually dedicated to power generation.) Propulsion I don't have the slightest clue what they use, though it's probably some form of inertia compensation based on gravity fields(Simply from the fact that speeds bleed off even with afterburners), and an electrostatic engine of some sort. Why the ships can't travel any faster than WW1 era bi-planes I can't tell at least in a "in-universe" sort of fashion.(Obvious reason is gameplay.)

As for stuff about that "fusion" needed for stronger materials, I don't have the slightest clue what that's referring to.

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"Collapsed-core molybdenum" in it's application seems to indicate that it's an armour layer rather than what the ship's super structure is made of. It's name seems to suggest something that's been condensed to the point of collapse(A sort of do it yourself neutronium I guess), but that would be so immensely dense that I'm not quite sure if it's feasible to actually use in construction.(Which would explain why it's described as being a sheeth rather than the superstructure.) Mo IS an alloying agent, so it does make sense that they'd use something like this.

However you'd think by then they'd have more carbon composites, particuarly in the form of fullerenes with perhaps imbedded metal strands on an atomic level. Since carbons have the best tensile strength, and are relatively light, they'd make a good building material(especially if it's 300 or so years from now.)

There are theorized to be "stability islands" in a the periodic table past 110, with the first being around 112-114 the next few being at some figure past 120 but any of those proposed materials would probably be radioactive in any wait.

As for shielding, I'm sure by that age they would have electrostatic/magnetic shields for purposes of cosmic ray blocking and perhaps limited gamma ray shielding, thouigh from FS1 I guess that wasn't the case till the Shivans dropped in.

Powerplants seem to be "conventional" thinking based deuterium fusion, with outputs probably in the low-mid TW range(probably on the figure of about 200-300TW depending on how much space on ships is actually dedicated to power generation.) Propulsion I don't have the slightest clue what they use, though it's probably some form of inertia compensation based on gravity fields(Simply from the fact that speeds bleed off even with afterburners), and an electrostatic engine of some sort. Why the ships can't travel any faster than WW1 era bi-planes I can't tell at least in a "in-universe" sort of fashion.(Obvious reason is gameplay.)

As for stuff about that "fusion" needed for stronger materials, I don't have the slightest clue what that's referring to.

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