Author Topic: Psychological side-effects?  (Read 3435 times)

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Offline Andreas

  • Ai No Koriida
  • 27
Psychological side-effects?
I wonder what sort of psychological side-effects pilots and the crew would have to endure in space. Cramped inside the cold metal of an Orion, and outside, nothing but a hard vaccuum and a world full of Shivans :D You would think that a long tour of duty like that in some distant corner of space would get to the crew.
"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another." - Jonathan Swift
"Common sense is not so common." -Voltaire

 

Offline Kail

  • 24
Psychological side-effects?
You can read some science-fiction to get an idea of what it would be like.
I recommend Alastair Reynold's books, extremely well paced, thrillers almost in a gritty dark future. Start with "Revelation Space", then read the rest from there.

 

Offline Fergus

  • 28
Psychological side-effects?
It depends really, pilots don't see thier foe's, so the emotional impact of taking anothers life must be somewhat reduced.  Of course the thought of just failing to protect a convoy out of Capella with a few thousand lives can't help either.  The stress of the few days in Capella would be huge.  Still hazard pay must be huge.
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Offline IceFire

  • GTVI Section 3
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Psychological side-effects?
I'm not convinced people can live for prolonged periods in space yet.

The more I learn about people and how we work psychologically and physically leads me to believe that important elements like the sky, the sun, stars, moon, light and dark, and seasonal cycles are tuned into our systems...or rather we're tuned into them.

We're pretty darned adaptable to all sorts of climates and patterns...but space is pretty much a sterile and climateless environment...or rather the environment that would likely be created.
- IceFire
BlackWater Ops, Cold Element
"Burn the land, boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me..."

 

Offline Kail

  • 24
Psychological side-effects?
Well, on spaceships you would have to simulate seasons and day and night or people would go mad.

 

Offline aldo_14

  • Gunnery Control
  • 213
Psychological side-effects?
Well, one step might be to look at both the people who lived long-term in Mir (I don't think anyone in the ISS has matched them yet?), or in submarines.   Certainly people can last a few months in the latter (is it a 3 month tour of duty?), IIRC.

 

Offline IceFire

  • GTVI Section 3
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    • http://www.3dap.com/hlp/hosted/ce
Psychological side-effects?
Quote
Originally posted by Kail
Well, on spaceships you would have to simulate seasons and day and night or people would go mad.

Thats the trick...they have discovered more about how much connection we have to this rock we call Earth in the last few years than ever before.

There's probably more things that go on that we don't know about.

Hell, its hard enough to stay sane in an environment we were designed for.  I'm sure if you stuck a crew on a submarine for a few years without any time to get out...they'd go mad.  I'm sure I would.

Sometimes, I go outside and breath and watch the clouds go past because that helps.  You can't do it on a sub.  Even if you were "born" on the sub...I doubt you'd be quite right.
- IceFire
BlackWater Ops, Cold Element
"Burn the land, boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me..."

 

Offline Solatar

  • 211
Psychological side-effects?
You'd have insanity problems for sure. Like for instance...starting a rebellion and trying to wipe out entire species...or going on a galactic genocidal rampage.:D

the truth comes out. The Shivans just don't get out much.

 

Offline NGTM-1R

  • I reject your reality and substitute my own
  • 213
  • Syndral Active. 0410.
Psychological side-effects?
Technically you could last a very long time out there...certainly submarine crews have gone for six month deployments on occasion, without ever surfacing, and that's in an environment far smaller then an Orion. Submarines go through a relative day/night cycle that matches that of their home port.

Frankly, though, whatever the pyschological problems, I imagine the GTVA has had a long time to work on them, and probably has them beat.
"Load sabot. Target Zaku, direct front!"

A Feddie Story

 

Offline Striker

  • 27
Psychological side-effects?
Quote
Originally posted by Fergus
It depends really, pilots don't see thier foe's, so the emotional impact of taking anothers life must be somewhat reduced.  Of course the thought of just failing to protect a convoy out of Capella with a few thousand lives can't help either.  The stress of the few days in Capella would be huge.  Still hazard pay must be huge.


Unless you're Alpha 1. Then you never fail and have 3000+ ships kills.

Think about how large the ships are (supposed to be). I think I could stand a year or two on one. I think Corvette crews have it the worst. No fighters to fly and a large ship to manage. Destroyers there's probably a lot more R&R places and Cruisers are easily destroyed before you even get bored. :p
...lurk

 

Offline WeatherOp

  • 29
  • I forged the ban hammer. What about that?
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Psychological side-effects?
I bet ships like the Orion probly have some thing like in Star Trek, that simulates being on Earth.
Decent Blacksmith, Master procrastinator.

PHD in the field of Almost Finishing Projects.

 

Offline aldo_14

  • Gunnery Control
  • 213
Psychological side-effects?
What makes you think they don't have R&R stopoffs at colonies every x months?

  

Offline WMCoolmon

  • Purveyor of space crack
  • 213
Psychological side-effects?
I'd guess the ships have some sort of garden area (Where they grow fresh food and oxygen, of course, probably using bioengineered plants to produce more oxygen and such). Lights would probably be dimmed to simulate day and night, shifts would be rotated between the artifical times.

I suspect they'd have some sort of astronomy room, that could be used to simulate night outside with a projection/hologram of stars and well-placed speakers. (In battle situations, it could be used to plan ship movements and get an idea of the tactical/strategical situation.)

Some rooms like the 'main hall' might not be too unrealistic, since it would help with any sort of claustrophobia. I doubt they'd have a glass window though. :p

On anything lower than a Destroyer, they'd probably have the astrolab and hydroponics room, but lack any really large rooms. Possibly combine the two and use a smaller compartment as a tactical monitoring room.

Depending on how large, obtrusive, expensive, and effective the technology used for star projections then would be, some ships might add a star projection system to the hydroponics room with the outside simulation sounds.
-C

 

Offline WMCoolmon

  • Purveyor of space crack
  • 213
Psychological side-effects?
Quote
Originally posted by aldo_14
What makes you think they don't have R&R stopoffs at colonies every x months?


I think everyone's assuming they do, but obviously you can't stop a war and say "Hold on, we're gonna drop by Vega V for a swimsuit day on the beach. :p"
-C

 

Offline IceFire

  • GTVI Section 3
  • 212
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Psychological side-effects?
Quote
Originally posted by WMCoolmon


I think everyone's assuming they do, but obviously you can't stop a war and say "Hold on, we're gonna drop by Vega V for a swimsuit day on the beach. :p"

That neeeded to happen with the holosuite more.  I mean...you can do anything in there :)
- IceFire
BlackWater Ops, Cold Element
"Burn the land, boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me..."

 

Offline Fergus

  • 28
Psychological side-effects?
What do you mean, we're attunded to the seasons (looks outside, sees more Scottish rain) so that means I am only attuned to Autumn...oh goody.
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Offline Carl

  • Render artist
  • 211
    • http://www.3dap.com/hlp/
Psychological side-effects?
Quote
Originally posted by IceFire
I'm not convinced people can live for prolonged periods in space yet.

The more I learn about people and how we work psychologically and physically leads me to believe that important elements like the sky, the sun, stars, moon, light and dark, and seasonal cycles are tuned into our systems...or rather we're tuned into them.


I don't know about that. just look at us. we spend our entire lives sitting in a dark room on computers with no contact with the sun, moon, stars ect. and we're doing fine...i guess.
"Gunnery control, fry that ****er!" - nuclear1

 

Offline varus

  • 25
Psychological side-effects?
Quote
 I don't know about that. just look at us. we spend our entire lives sitting in a dark room on computers with no contact with the sun, moon, stars ect. and we're doing fine...i guess.


A lot of it also depends on the individual person.  That may be true for some people, but I know in my case its really not.  There are times I just NEED to get outside or I'll go crazy.  I can't even put up with being in a city for a long time - just too cramped and noisy for me.  If and when space travel starts, there is going to have to be some type of testing to see if the individuals they want on the mission will last.  I know myself that I couldn't deal with it for more than a few weeks, at best  :(

 

Offline aldo_14

  • Gunnery Control
  • 213
Psychological side-effects?
Quote
Originally posted by WMCoolmon


I think everyone's assuming they do, but obviously you can't stop a war and say "Hold on, we're gonna drop by Vega V for a swimsuit day on the beach. :p"


During a war-footing, I'd imagine they'd have enough on their mind to avoid these problems.  Or you could rotate crew & ships round every xx weeks/months if there was a physical or psychological risk to the  health of the crew.

 

Offline AlphaOne

  • !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 210
Psychological side-effects?
Well the whole thing takes place 360 years in the future...so...I imagine they have some really good R&R activities to keep the crew of the ships from gooing crazy...!
And lets not forget that they had plenty of time to adjust to long tours of duty....I mean they are the space generation aren't they?
Here is some fan fiction to get an ideea of what I asume pronged battle situation without any R&R does to the crew of a ship:
Adm. Petrov personal log:
"I fear for my crew...I fear for theyr sanity....!
They are becoming incresingly more stresed by the hour....!
The medical officer has already told me of some suicide atempts...!

Nightmares have become a permanent rutine of our sleeps....people that waka up in middle of the "night" screaming,terified of something....something in the dark.... !
There is a prayer that has become rutine amongs fighter/bommber pilots...."As I walk through the valey of the shadows of death..I fear nothing, and pray to have the strenght to kill, maim, slaughter as many people as I can, women, childred, no matter . Please give me the strenght to spare none...! Amin"

These are terifiing news as I fear that we mai lose this battle and I'm not talking about the war but the battle with our sanity...! "
Well at least that is what I think happens when you have to fight off 3 or 4 attacks a day from an enemy so hard to kill that you begin tyo wonder if it is all worthit.
And i'm not talking just about the shivans here.
Die shivan die!!
Then jumps into his apple stealth pie and goes of to war.What a brave lad....what a brave lad say the ladies in red.
 

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