Re: Tech & SJ

***************
* This is a repost *
***************

With the list going mad recently, a couple of my posts seem to have gotten 
lost. So I'm posting them again. Please delete or ignore this if you already 
got it...

From: "Asa Benjamin Winkler" <abwinkler@???????????????.com>
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 2:20 AM

> On Aug 26, 2007, at 8:59 PM, Matt Hoffman wrote: In the Space:1889 
> setting, spacecraft are powered by solar boilers.   As with SJ, a 
> coal-fired steam engine would quickly destroy the  ship's supply of air. 
> Solar boilers focus the sun's rays so as to  boil the water for a steam 
> engine.  (I do not recall if the issue of  what is done with the steam is 
> dealt with - it is possible that,  given the setting's cold vacuum of 
> space, the question of what to do  with excess heat isn't really a 
> problem.)

I like this a lot more than steam power, although I don't see an excuse for
this working above tactical speed.

> Solar boilers limit the range of human space exploration in Space: 1889 to 
> just about the Asteroid Belt, if I recall correctly, because  beyond that 
> the sun's radiance isn't powerful enough to fire a  boiler.  A ship can 
> run on batteries for a little while, but in 1889  large battery arrays 
> were not very advanced.

I very much like the way this is limited. It reminds me of Antilian Sun
Magic, in that it would allow a group to expand to fill the inner part of a
crystal sphere.

> Incidentally, while conventional cannon would certainly mess up a  ship's 
> atmosphere, there really isn't anything wrong with guns based  on 
> compressed air.  A few men at the capstan, and one to actually  place the 
> ball in the muzzle, would be enough to operate a compressed  air cannon, 
> given materials and equipment capable of handling gas  under pressure, 
> etc.

This sounds similar to paintball gun technology to me. I would want to see
crew pumping gas for several rounds to recharge the weapon, as bottles of
compressed air make the entire thing too easy to lock into position and run
with one crewman.

David "Big Mac" Shepheard
Virtual Eclipse Role Playing Club
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/virtualeclipselrp/links/d20_system_001071937434/Spelljammer_001071430476
http://www32.brinkster.com/virtualeclipse/