Limits & Rules Discussion

[Xanthuss]

We of course need limits and rules to have our world work, so I thought I'd post a place to discuss what rules are needed.

General things are that we need to limit expansion, so I was thinking, that with H's and K's permission, we could use K's version of H's idea.

What K suggested was that instead of scooping up interstellar gas to power themselves, ships could scoop up Dark Matter. Once used, waste Dark Matter would be re-released in space, and due to some reaction the processed Dark Matter would react to the normal Dark Matter and create structures, or creatures. These beings would be sentient but not sapient, and they would instinctively think of further ships using Dark Matter as enemies and threats. Therefore races who expanded to quickly would create hundreds of these things and in turn have their ships ripped apart by droves of the Dark Matter Beings. Then both the species and the DM being's go extinct.

That strikes me as a good way to limit expansion :)

Any other things you think need limiting, please post it here, and we can find a way to limit it if it needs to be.

[Higurashi]

I don't particularly like it. I would rather dark matter be chaotic and destructive.

[Xanthuss]

Its doesn't work. Sorry H but that just wouldn't work.

Its not realistic that a being that is sentient is just going to be randomly destructive, its going to certainly have instincts, like the instinct to protect itself, which would cause this reaction.

[Higurashi]

This isn't a scientifically bound world though now is it?

While it would have instincts, you are ignoring the fact that any sentient being would be driven insane by such violence in its creation.

[Shifty]

Personally, i don't really like the idea of Dark Matter beings. For one thing, they are apparently living, yet they were created from a chance event from random particles, and seem to attack any ships that use dark matter as energy for no reason. Also, they don't limit all expansion, like the Snap Drive used by my Unqirate, which simply requires a power source and strong computers, no dark matter needed at all.

[Xanthuss]

@H: Yes, but even in a non-scientific world you need to have some guidelines.

@Shifty:
The Snap Drive would have to be powered by dark matter, because I'm pretty sure we've decided its the only power source strong enough to power any type of FTL drive.

[Shifty]

Yes, but the dark matter doesn't need to be expelled into space. Who said that the dark matter isn't just used up entirely in powering something, or that processed dark matter doesn't have another use?

Also, what about a fusion reactor? or an anti-matter powerplant, using anti-matter and matter in Annihilation, which produces a LOT of energy, seein g as two materials are turned instantly from matter into nearly pure enrgy, or close to it.

[Xanthuss]

@Shifty:
If you have read many scientific articles then you will understand that it takes MORE energy than sol/the sun can produce in its entire life-time to power any FTL drive we can imagine in the current time, so even anti-matter would not power a drive for any distance.

[Shifty]

hmm... well then, I stand corrected about dark matter as a power source for FTL, but I still don't quite like the Dark Matter beings. They just seem too... out there, even for a soft sci-fi setting.

[Higurashi]

This is a bit Fantasy if you'll remember.