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Michilus
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a semi-decent explanation for SC2's physics
« on: March 15, 2007, 10:08:34 pm »

So, during a few minutes of extreme boredom, I started thinking about the Star Control Universe's physics for no apparent reason. Please don't kill me if I'm being Captain Obvious or repeating dozens of people with the same idea.

The first thing I noticed was the lack of inertia in HyperSpace, so you could say and applied force is directly responsible for movement.
So the TrueSpace formula of F = m*a doesn't count in HyperSpace, where it's more something like F=m*v.
Looking at this, one way or another, this could explain the absurd speeds that can be achieved in HyperSpace.

So F=m*a becomes F=m*v

So what about QuasiSpace?
We notice we can travel insane distances without even burning large masses of fuel. following the same pattern as above, we could say the force applied to an object has a direct effect on it's position.

So F=m*v in HyperSpace becomes F=m*s in QuasiSpace, with s being the distance traveled/ traveling.

Using this point of view, it would be plausible having a dimension where the laws of physics contain the formula F=m*t with t being time. So if anyone needs an explanation for time travel in the SC universe, I think this is the least cheesy explanation possible.
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Clay
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Re: a semi-decent explanation for SC2's physics
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2007, 01:34:10 am »

I think the official definition of hyperspace in most science fiction, and incidentally SC2, goes along the lines of "Hyperspace is like truespace folded."  As such, places that are far away in truespace are close together in the rumpled up blanket of hyperspace.  I imagine Quasispace us much the same, just even MORE rumpled.
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Valaggar
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Re: a semi-decent explanation for SC2's physics
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2007, 02:15:21 pm »

Yes, Clay's expanation is the official explanation.
Almost. (HyperSpace is not folded, only the transit points between HS and TS are more near each other.)

As to the lack of inertia - the laws of HyperSpace are slightly different than those of TrueSpace, HS having a different "reality phase". But what's the difference?

Notice that there's still acceleration, but it's faster. Also, time passes faster than in TS. This means that items in HS are represented on-screen at a smaller scale. Doing some math, we can see that the accelerations are in fact the same (or almost the same).
So still F=m*a, but if F=0 the formula doesn't apply, instead the body decelerates with -a0 (a0 being the acceleration it used to reach its current speed).

Now QuasiSpace:

An explanation for not using fuel in QS would be that you need a MUCH smaller force to propel the same mass with the same acceleration, so k*F=m*a (k>1, in fact it's certainly more than 100).

My 2 cents of neat and simple physical explanations...
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Novus
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Re: a semi-decent explanation for SC2's physics
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2007, 03:02:28 pm »

So still F=m*a, but if F=0 the formula doesn't apply, instead the body decelerates with -a0 (a0 being the acceleration it used to reach its current speed).
This deceleration looks like some sort of friction to me.
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Re: a semi-decent explanation for SC2's physics
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2007, 03:12:42 pm »

Friction? Then why can't there be friction in QS too? And since in QS smaller forces can cause a larger change, the friction would have much more considerable effects. Still, the deceleration in QS is the same as in HS, so this can't be true.
Plus, HS has a different "reality phase" than TS, and that would mean changed physics laws (more than the red colour and the comets).
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