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Time/Distance scale for FT (sort of related top safe speed, et al)

From: RWHofrich@a...
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 18:02:24 EST
Subject: Time/Distance scale for FT (sort of related top safe speed, et al)

Okay, I'm relatively new to this list and I suspect it's been discussed
before, but I'd like to visit the issue of Time and Distance scale in
FT...and yes, I know the books don't actually give one.

I look at the canon FT universe as rather medium-tech I suppose
(compared to
most popular science fiction media depictions) and therefore assume
relatively short weapon range, which leads to the following:

6 minutes per turn
100 km per MU
This gives a game speed to real speed correlation of 1 MU/turn = 1000
km/h
This means that SL missiles of the normal sort have a range of 30,000 km
(24
MU + 6 MU) and Beam-3 batteries have a range of 36,000 km.

This also means that Thrust-1 is 7.72 m/s2, or about 0.75G (I'm doing
some
serious rounding here, so please forgive me), Thrust-2 is 1.5G, -4 is
3G, -8
is 6G.	Which to me "feels" about right for vessels and their crews
assuming
no inertial dampers or some artificial gravity generation.  BUT...

In MT, you need to have Thrust-4 and Streamlining; or Thrust-6 and
Partial
Streamlining; or Thrust-8 in order to land on a planet-which leads to
the
assumption that Thrust-8 is just over 1G.  If that is the case, maybe
the
thrusters on canon ships are "low tech" versus those in most science
fiction
stories (well, space operas anyway).  UNLESS we assume some PSB about
reduced thruster abilities in either atmosphere or well within gravity
wells
or is there something else I've missed?

Robert 

PS--I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and an unforgettable
(only 
in the best ways) New Year.


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