Guardian SLF - magic ships?

[Rubbernuke]

Dear Star Baby Bowman

Would you please stop it with the esoteric alien technology star magic? You know, black boxes that multiply, 'star gates' that propel you to other parts of who knows where (I mean, come on!). Please stick to fusion drives and designs that my human mind can comprehend.

Hugs

Frank Poole

 

[GunnerBill]

You're right - I don't.

All I can do is make a few assumptions:
- the designer of that fighter isn't a complete idiot. Proof of the pudding: the things actually fly.
- assuming he's an Engineer, he didn't hang those engines on fields (or rather, in a delicately shaped field) "just because he could" and liked the effect (and convinced his bosses/customers by just about the same arguments as I'm using that this is a technical necessity, so they would cough up the money for it). Admittedly, that argument is much weaker than the first one, especially if he's a really good engineer/scientist.

From these two assumptions I deduce that the engines operate in a way that makes an immaterial connection between them and to the payload pod the best option.

And I don't see them as "wings" and "fuselage". They operate in space, and so far haven't demonstrated any atmospheric capabilities (might become their Achilles' heel - watch this space!). I would interpret that separation between "engines" (or thrusters) and "payload pod".

Maglev: yep. Problem is that wheeled trains evolved while the Maglevs were developed. Wheeled are just too good at the moment compared to current Maglev designs, the main problem isn't the wheels any more but the air. Hyperloop might have the potential to change that.

:0 You are RP'ing this a bit too much!

The "designer" of a ship was a graphics designer based in Cambridge who was operating on a brief to make a ship look really cool and alieny!

People here are just substituting known theories or handwavium as to actually why this makes sense, which is OK but they should also be prepared to accept that 'wings' which aren't attached to a fuselage may be just plain daft or not as easy as just attaching them physically - no matter how technologically advanced the in-lore creators may be.

Sadly FD haven't tried to offer any plausible reason for this fitment (have they?).

The other method of trying to force this argument is to say that those who are skeptical simply don't have the required intelligence or imagination to understand what's going on. That really sucks.

All I can say in conclusion is that having floaty wings didn't stop them from becoming extinct, so perhaps we should leave well alone.

 

[BurnyBurns]

It's yet another appeal to the console crowd and teenboy yutes and like telepresence is world breaking proof that FD doesn't care about the integrity of their gameworld.

Plays a game in which humans have mastered to travel faster than light at the press of a button.
...
Gets outraged about "inconsistent", gamey or alien things appearing in the game.


Yep. Those damn teenboy yutes and console peasants will surely be our downfall.

 

[CMDR Redcrest]

They look good. They look alien. What's not to like?

If they looked in any way similar to current SLF's: Fdev are lazy and just recycle the same stuff over again!

 

[NW3]

Yes, it's cool. I think the ship is held together by Sinclair monofiliment*. Also, why do ships in space need wings?

* http://larryniven.wikia.com/wiki/Sinclair_Molecule_Chain

 

[Jukelo]

They look good. They look alien.

They look alien if you have never watched a sci fi show or played a sci fi video game before. If you have, then you are entirely familiar with the design already.

 

[GunnerBill]

Plays a game in which humans have mastered to travel faster than light at the press of a button.
...
Gets outraged about "inconsistent", gamey or alien things appearing in the game.


Yep. Those damn teenboy yutes and console peasants will surely be our downfall.

But it's the plausibility which make good sci-fi. FSD as tech has been explained pretty well and all mankinds development has basically been about exploration. So it's entirely plausible that we have FTL in the future.

Wings that aren't attached - why? Needs some explanation and for the purposes of this discussion their hasn't been much other than "believe".

 

[BurnyBurns]

Wings that aren't attached - why? Needs some explanation and for the purposes of this discussion their hasn't been much other than "believe".

Should Frontier release a pseudo scientific paper full of rubbish on each and every aspect of the game, because your selective suspension of disbelief doesn't manage to cope with some more outlandish stuff in a game?

They shouldn't. Just like a good Sci Fi or Fantasy book doesn't need to come up with a detailed pseudo scientific explanation for each aspect of the world.

 

[[VR] Goooost]

Wings that aren't attached - why? Needs some explanation and for the purposes of this discussion their hasn't been much other than "believe".

There's really no upper limit to how strong a field can get. These wings might have better attachment to the hull of the ship than if they were welded directly to it. Maybe the detachment lets the engines run hotter than normal. Maybe the magnetic fields are a better electrical conduit than conventional materials. Maybe the latency between control and action is completely eliminated. Maybe this configuration allows the engines to gimbal without transferring vibrations to the cockpit.
There are so many reasons this could make sense, would it kill you to just make one up?

 

[Winterwalker]

But it's the plausibility which make good sci-fi. FSD as tech has been explained pretty well and all mankinds development has basically been about exploration. So it's entirely plausible that we have FTL in the future.

Frontier didn't specify with an explanation for FSD though, the community did. It's not the way it happened ever, and a feature of the game has been that while Devs might have theories, they are largely constrained by making a game that walks tightrope between sim and fun.

HoloMe was the same, ALL FD said was it's a way to project an image of yourself into the cockpit. There was then a big theory bash on FTL communication, hologram generators, hologram/ship interaction, the works and actually, fun discussion (better than why oh why oh why at any rate).

FD have said the wings are held with electrostatics of some sort. That's an advanced tech to develop theories on, that a physical stanchion, isn't. It's also 'plausible,' in that mega dense energy sources and magnetism manipulation could give an effect like this. Question is how ..

 

[GunnerBill]

Frontier didn't specify with an explanation for FSD though, the community did. It's not the way it happened ever, and a feature of the game has been that while Devs might have theories, they are largely constrained by making a game that walks tightrope between sim and fun.

HoloMe was the same, ALL FD said was it's a way to project an image of yourself into the cockpit. There was then a big theory bash on FTL communication, hologram generators, hologram/ship interaction, the works and actually, fun discussion (better than why oh why oh why at any rate).

Yup that's true. With the example of FSD the fact they chose the term Frame Shift Drive and there is theory and physics around frames of reference and traveling or at least traveling relatively faster than light suggest some aforethought. Holographic projection is well established in general sci-fi lore so IMO doesn't really require much in the way of explanation.

FD have said the wings are held with electrostatics of some sort. That's an advanced tech to develop theories on, that a physical stanchion, isn't. It's also 'plausible,' in that mega dense energy sources and magnetism manipulation could give an effect like this. Question is how ..

So I'm not actually viewing this new SLF design as negative in anyway but I'd like to be able to ground it in either a how(ish) or a why(ish).

I suppose we can go for a bit of handwaving for the how but still puzzled about the why. Generally speaking a machine that works well is a simple as possible, especially if you are mass producing it (SLF) and it's disposable (SLF). Guardians may be more advanced but still have common sense, or is this my lack of imagination at play?

Oh and - we're making these from blueprints right? This was my nagging doubt.

You find a Stargate and yes it's weird and we have no idea how it works, but then we did not make it.

We are actually making these ships from blueprints that we can understand enough to build from yet...

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

Should Frontier release a pseudo scientific paper full of rubbish on each and every aspect of the game, because your selective suspension of disbelief doesn't manage to cope with some more outlandish stuff in a game?
….

Why not, it would add to the lore and background story of the game. It doesn't have to be for everything, just those aspects that are new and might be difficult to explain on first or second glance.

Imagine a GalNet article about how Ram Tah managed to use guardian technology to create highly complex magnetic fields able to hold wings of the SLF in place even under extreme flight situations.
Then a bit of talk how this might change some technology in the future.

(Or any other explanation FDev considers approbate)

(Instead we get Galnet articles about computing jewelry and tough PDAs that will probably result in nothing)

 

[Ca$hback]

Personally, I hate things attached by lightning ropes. It's one of my pet-peeves in sci-fi. I hate Chewie's laser "crossbow" and all the gungan artillery. Laser bows that fire laser arrows are stupid. Why does drawing the laser string do? I hate forcefields that aren't either spheroid/ovoid around the center of the generator or have a frame of emitters to project a sheet between them, like the brig. It's still electricity and it still needs a circuit. At least a lightsaber is a little more "how and why" than a "laser axe" and wins by rule of cool but still has a lot to answer for in plausibility.
A lot of people like overwatch so flashy colours gets money.
This is the state of the game.

 

[Quester91]

Should Frontier release a pseudo scientific paper full of rubbish on each and every aspect of the game, because your selective suspension of disbelief doesn't manage to cope with some more outlandish stuff in a game?

Should RPGs narrate and explain their lore because some players can't suspend their disbelief by just fighting npcs and exploring new maps with their newly created custom character?

 

[Winterwalker]

Why not, it would add to the lore and background story of the game. It doesn't have to be for everything, just those aspects that are new and might be difficult to explain on first or second glance.

I think the problem with that, is it kills any creative discussion, locks it down with "that's the tech, end story". Speculation is interesting though - look at this thread - wild theories, silly theories, conspiracy theories .. it's much more open ended and keeps you going. I also think 'magnets' (which is FD's lore) is easier for most general people to grasp, than quantum tunnel effecting a plasma link (whatever that means) could ever be?

 

[EISENHORN01]

It’s obviously some sort of invisible alien duct tape

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

I think the problem with that, is it kills any creative discussion, locks it down with "that's the tech, end story". Speculation is interesting though - look at this thread - wild theories, silly theories, conspiracy theories .. it's much more open ended and keeps you going. I also think 'magnets' (which is FD's lore) is easier for most general people to grasp, than quantum tunnel effecting a plasma link (whatever that means) could ever be?

It could be vague enough to hint in the right direction, but open enough to speculation. But I understand your point, having discussions about those things is fun.

On a side not, I still haven't found a source where FDev says explicitly that the "wings" of the Guardian SLFs are held together by "magnets". If you have a linkable source I would appreciate it if you could share it.

 

[Winterwalker]

On a side not, I still haven't found a source where FDev says explicitly that the "wings" of the Guardian SLFs are held together by "magnets". If you have a linkable source I would appreciate it if you could share it.

Have a look back this thread maybe ... electromagnetism, a form of, I think might be more accurate but sorry I forget where I read it. Called it unconfirmed.

 

[bitstorm]

I do wonder if Frontier has learn't to allow the community to introduce their own lore, or at least not try to explain things too much.

3d printed SLFs springs to mind, this was Frontier's official explanation around SLFs. There was a bit of a backlash, the explanation was felt to be a bit rubbish.


For me I'm not that bothered by the new floaty non-attached wings.

I am open minded on the matter though so willing to listen to arguments as to why they suck.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

This thread is the very definition of first-world problems.