Hard Light Productions Forums
General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Setekh on February 26, 2001, 01:36:00 am
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Well we know that Shivan beams are red, Terrans green, Vasudans yellow and GTVA AAA is blue - but what significance would it hold if the game was real?
I mean, different colours are just different energy levels right? Where red is the lowest energy and violet is the highest energy. So would violet beams be the most powerful? If we go by colours, beams are most powerful in this order:
- Red - weakest (low spectrum)
- Yellow - second weakest (close to red)
- Green - after yellow, third weakest
- Blue - would be abotu twice as powerful as green
- Violet - most powerful
Interesting... Shivans are skimpy on power consumption (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
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More accurately, the color of shivan beams means that they would _deliver_ less energy, because their photons would be less energetic.
However, on a different tack.....space is a vaccum, so technically there should be no color (or very very little visible) as there is nothing to reflect off of. But why do objects glow? Because they are losing energy. So if we consider that, perhaps Shivan beams are more efficient because they lose less energy into space. That would explain why AAA beams, which are low powered, are blue, as they would lose a lot of energy.
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Originally posted by Setekh:
Well we know that Shivan beams are red, Terrans green, Vasudans yellow and GTVA AAA is blue - but what significance would it hold if the game was real?
I mean, different colours are just different energy levels right? Where red is the lowest energy and violet is the highest energy. So would violet beams be the most powerful? If we go by colours, beams are most powerful in this order:
- Red - weakest (low spectrum)
- Yellow - second weakest (close to red)
- Green - after yellow, third weakest
- Blue - would be abotu twice as powerful as green
- Violet - most powerful
Interesting... Shivans are skimpy on power consumption (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Who knows? Maybe they are!! (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
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GTD Excellence ("http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/excellence")
NeoHunter< [b][email protected][/b] >
Upcoming campaign: NTF Saga
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Originally posted by Shrike:
But why do objects glow? Because they are losing energy. So if we consider that, perhaps Shivan beams are more efficient because they lose less energy into space. That would explain why AAA beams, which are low powered, are blue, as they would lose a lot of energy.
I forgot about that, good point. It also coincides with the might of the BFRed, and of course Terran beams sucking in comparison to Zog beams.
Though, I think it could possibly be a fluke on (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/v.gif)'s part (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
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Originally posted by Setekh:
I forgot about that, good point. It also coincides with the might of the BFRed, and of course Terran beams sucking in comparison to Zog beams.
In general, Terran beams do more damage but fire slower than the Zog ones. And you have to look at the number of beams on a ship.....a Deimos has 4, while a Sobek only has 2. An orion has the same thing....3 BGreen and 2 (or was it 3) Terslash.....a Hat has 3 BVas and 1 SVas.
In most cases, Terran beams are pretty much 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other.
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Actually, red beams would do most damage from heat effects while high frequency radiation would pass targets almost without any influence on them.
For example: gamma radiation is almost impossible to block, cause it simply passes through any material.
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Another good point. So if a beam was powerful enough it would simply go straight through a ship without touching it?
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Originally posted by Starwing:
high frequency radiation would pass targets almost without any influence on them.
Hold on... aren't some of the FS2 weapons like the Subach and Kayser or something based on high frequency radiation? I'm getting really interested now (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
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Ye, the Subach is a X-Ray weapon. Maybe that explains why it has such a low power compared to other lasers, like the Prometheus. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
The Kayser is a particle weapon, so that would be something completely different.
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And the Maxim should have ammo...
Caseless uranium, hmmm? (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Some of those tech entries are quite interesting. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
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Originally posted by Starwing:
Ye, the Subach is a X-Ray weapon. Maybe that explains why it has such a low power compared to other lasers, like the Prometheus. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
The Kayser is a particle weapon, so that would be something completely different.
Actually, the Subach is a Xaser... what that means, i dunno... i dropped Physics...
The Kayser on the other hand is a particle weapon... when its bolts hit a target, they release tiny ammounts of focussed zero-point energy emissions... if the game WAS real, a single kayser bolt would tear a chunk out of a Sathanas (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
The only reason a weapon of such power doesn't exist today (it is entirely concievable) is because we havent invented a source of power that outputs enough to actually power the thing... FS ships are meant to run on cold fusion (im sure everyone knows what that is) meaning they have enough power to run the things...
just imagine the Kayser Cannon, a 12 mile long Kayser with Thrusters... Golgotha, eat your heart out (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
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Temporal Mechanics ("http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk")
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Originally posted by Setekh:
And the Maxim should have ammo...
Caseless uranium, hmmm? (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
actally thats Depleted Caseless Uranium Slugs... (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/tongue.gif)
The Maxim doesn't behave like a proper railgun though (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/frown.gif)
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Temporal Mechanics ("http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk")
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Alright, a bit of physics:
On a Per Photon basis, the higher the frequency, the greater the energy. This universally means greater damage. Also, X-Rays and Gamma Rays will penetrate materiels, but for something on the size range of a capital ship, the amount that would actually pass through would be negligeable. Also, X-Rays and above have a nasty secondary effect....when they strike solid materiels, their photons have enough energy to actually cause severe secondary radiation from what they hit. So anything hit by a gamma ray laser is now radioactive for a long time.
A Xaser is simply slang for X-Ray laser, so it fires coherent X-Ray light. Very mean, the only way we can accomplish this now is by the detonation of a nuclear bomb.
As for the Kayser, presumably the amount of ZP energy released is quite small, or it would be taking chunks out of Sathanas. Out of all the weapons, it's the most 'out there' as Zero Point Energy (or ZPE) is still poorly understood. We could build a crude X-Ray laser, I doubt we could build anything to take advantage of ZPE for quite a while. (BTW, Quantum torpedoes from ST use ZPE for their explosive power)
Finally, of course the maxim doesn't work like a proper railgun. None of the weapons save the beam cannons are anything like what real life energy (or not) weapons would be like.
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Originally posted by Shrike:
Finally, of course the maxim doesn't work like a proper railgun. None of the weapons save the beam cannons are anything like what real life energy (or not) weapons would be like.
The Maxim behaves like a Hi-Vel weapon probably would in space, just not a railgun like they were hinting at in the techroom & Psamtik briefings...
Im sure the missiles might behave like they do... but they do seem to have more akin to current day atmospheric projectiles... mostly down to the fact theres a trail (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
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Temporal Mechanics ("http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk")
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And trails look cool (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
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Originally posted by Shrike:
Out of all the weapons, it's the most 'out there' as Zero Point Energy (or ZPE) is still poorly understood.
What eactly is ZPE?
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Originally posted by Setekh:
What eactly is ZPE?
Zero Point Energy.
Basically, think of the energy that makes up space/time.
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Originally posted by Shrike:
Basically, think of the energy that makes up space/time.
(http://www.kirkwoods.plus.com/barvets/undertig.gif)
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Originally posted by Setekh:
(http://www.kirkwoods.plus.com/barvets/undertig.gif)
well done for stealing Tigeroonies smilie (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
surely (http://www.th3b4r.com/smilies/cwm13.gif) would have been better (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
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Temporal Mechanics ("http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk")
[This message has been edited by Griffon UK (edited 02-27-2001).]
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Originally posted by Griffon UK:
well done for stealing Tigeroonies smilie (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
(http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif) It's a funny smiley (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
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Actually, (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/eek.gif) is more appropriate.
Seeing as the amount of energy you'd get from the total conversion of a cubic centimeter of neutronium into energy is less than the amount of energy that makes up a cubic centimeter of vacuum.........!
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(http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/eek.gif)
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On the subject of missile trails, I believe that those are actually the plasma torches of the ship's fusion drives.
Various vessels and engineerings have different drives, so thus the different varieties in "trails."
As for the Maxim, it's stated it is a high velocity weapon and it accelerates the projectile through the barrel, it is never stated that the slugs are accelerated to relativistic speed such as in a rail weapon.
My assumption is that in this case the shape of the shells and method of acceleration makes it more efficient than a relativistic weapon. (also the amount of ammunition within the cannon means that the only thing counted is the energy used logistically)
The Avenger cannon in the first FreeSpace is similar, save the "pulse weapon effect" is actually thousands of small bullets flying out together in a close pattern.
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Ace
Staff member FreeSpace Watch
http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/ ("http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/")
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im going with shrike's first statement
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Did you say you wanted your head used as a soccer ball?
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Originally posted by Ace:
As for the Maxim, it's stated it is a high velocity weapon and it accelerates the projectile through the barrel, it is never stated that the slugs are accelerated to relativistic speed such as in a rail weapon.
Actually, a rail weapon simply means that it uses a pair of long electromagnets to accelerate a projectile. The speeds involved are totally irrelevant.
Check out railgun.org ("http://www.railgun.org") for some information on the physics involved.
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I've gotta do higher school physics. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
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Originally posted by Ace:
The Avenger cannon in the first FreeSpace is similar, save the "pulse weapon effect" is actually thousands of small bullets flying out together in a close pattern.
Or maybe its a lame explanation for the reason they couldn't get ammo based weapons in the FS engine (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/tongue.gif)
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Temporal Mechanics ("http://www.fs2temp-mech.co.uk")
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Generally people assume railguns are relativistic projectile weapons. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Yes, the Maxim is a form of railgun technically, and it behaves like a low velocity railgun with lots 'o ammo.
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Ace
Staff member FreeSpace Watch
http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/ ("http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/")
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Originally posted by Ace:
Generally people assume railguns are relativistic projectile weapons. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif)
Just because that's the way Q3 depicts them doesn't mean it's true. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)