Re: Galaxy Cargo Tech - KILL IT!!! :)

From: hafting@Lise.Unit.NO (Helge Hafting)

Date: Tue, 09 Feb 1993 15:57:29 +0000

In article <1993Feb8.224049.12100@samba.oit.unc.edu>, Jesse.Taylor@launchpad.unc.edu (Jesse Taylor) writes:
 > [in follow-up to the two prev messages on this]
 >
 > I think both ideas are good. REduce cargo mass to 0 AND get rid of cargo
 > tech. Seriously, you've devoted an immense amount of space in the inside
 > of your ship to cargo... so why the heck should it take up so much mass?!?
 > Colonists are already in cryofreeze, Materials wouldn't require special
 > containment, and Capitol wouldn't either. BUT, Cargo Tech is silly too.
 > You can put more cargo into the same space?! There's something you should
 > look into called Physics... If you can only stuff x amount into a given
 > space, then you _cannot_ put amount x+1 in there, unless you've got some
 > pocket dimension in the cargo bay... By the same token, making cargo
 > "weight less" is clueless too. I suppose you could use inertial
 > compensators or contragrav technology, but...why?
 >
 > These two things would make the game a _lot_ simpler... IMHO, of course.
 >
I don't want a simpler game. :-)  Not that it would be much simpler,
you would be able to transport your cargo somewhat faster, that's all.

Rejecting cargo tech/mass of cargo bay because it is unrealistic would be
a strange move with a game full of other unrealistic things, such as
hyperspace and frozen colonists.
You can't find a meaningful interpretation of cargo tech, but that don't
mean that there isn't one.  Higher tech simply means that the devices
needed to transport cargo is less massive, or that you can build
a larger cargo bay with the same mass as a small one with lower tech.
So you don't necessarily stuff more cargo into the same space. (Altough
this could be accomplished by better packing, less voluminous containers,
or simply an ability to shrink the cargo being transported.)

Few people actually research cargo tech as drive tech usually is a better option,
but if your drive tech is high enough to reach all interesting planets
fast enough, then you may transport more with higher tech.
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References

Galaxy Cargo Tech - KILL IT!!! :)
Jesse.Taylor@launchpad.unc.edu (Jesse Taylor)
Mon, 08 Feb 1993 22:40:49 +0000