What is considered fiction?

[Trithemius]

I have been working on an idea for a scenario for a multiplayer team-game and have produced a "chronology" of events for the first fifty years of Chiron's colonisation. Would people be interested if I put it here, or does it belong more properly in the AC-Creation forum?

[Frankychan]

Hmmmm, so your post here would be a "fictional" account of what's going on in a scenario you would be playing?

I know Hydro plays some games, then recreates them and adds more flavor to them to create a story. As far as I can see, I think you can post it here...I don't mind.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Frankychan
Hmmmm, so your post here would be a "fictional" account of what's going on in a scenario you would be playing?

Designing actually... but hopefully playing one day.

I know Hydro plays some games, then recreates them and adds more flavor to them to create a story. As far as I can see, I think you can post it here...I don't mind.

Good enough for me!

[Trithemius]

The chronology of Chiron, background file for a scenario I am working on tentatively entitled: Planetary Year 50.

Comments please.

[Frankychan]

The Church of the Believers, outnumbered and surrounded, initiates a campaign of “martyrdom operations” against the allied factions; primitive radiation bombs are detonated inside the forward positions of the allied factions resulting in massive casualties. The allied factions respond in kind and the Church of the Believers is eradicated, one base at a time, through the use of tactical nuclear weapons manufactured by University Enclave scientists. Miriam Godwinson is obliterated, along with her headquarters, by one of these devices during the final hours of the ‘Siege of New Jerusalem’. Former Church of the Believers’ territory is polluted with radiation, greatly reducing its capacity to support life.

‘Conservation of Planetary Ecosystem Protocol’ fails to be ratified
Deidre Skye attempts, during the annual Planetary Council session, to have a protocol prohibiting what she describes as “the rampant exploitation of the Planetary environment” ratified. The United Nations Council and the Children of Gaia ratify the protocol, University Enclave and Morgan Industrial fail to do so and the Human Hive abstains. The measure fails and Deidre disconnects from the session in protest.

That would be Deidre.

Trial of Sinder Roze and the Data Angels’ League

Nwabudike Morgan attempts to bring the Data Angels’ League before the Planetary Council on charges of unprovoked aggression. The other members note that “aggressive purchasing strategies” are part of Morgan Industrial’s own repertoire of corporate techniques and are not prohibited by the United Nations Charter.
The case is dismissed and Nwabudike Morgan accuses the other members of being bribed or blackmailed by the Data Angels’ League. The other members make no further comments on these accusations or on the case.

Overall, I like the fact that you utilized aspects of the game. I think the timeline is rather good. Shoot, it looks like if you wanted to, you could go back and go more indepth into the events on Chiron to describe them better.

I like it.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Frankychan
Overall, I like the fact that you utilized aspects of the game. I think the timeline is rather good. Shoot, it looks like if you wanted to, you could go back and go more indepth into the events on Chiron to describe them better.

It's something that I would like to do, discuss specific battles in the wars, determine who developed what technologies and when, bring in some minor characters so it isn't just the the faction leaders; university work is occupying me at the moment though (and I am not talking about Network Nodes).

I like it.

Thanks! That's what I like to hear!

[Sovereign]

I wanna see more, Trithemius.

I'd like to see one more chapter or two posted, because I like seeing stories with good characterization.

[Trithemius]

I'll probably "zoom in" on some of the events mentioned in the timeline at some point in the future, when I have less assessment due.

I was wondering if people could help me with something though. In the document I posted, the continents are still referred to as FirstContinent and SecondContinent. These were place-holder names that I put in until I could think of something better - I forgot to change them to something more interesting. I was wondering if there were any suggestions for names of Chironian continents?

I thought about "Chariclo" and "Ocyrhoe", the lover and the child of the mythological Chiron. I am thinking about "Deianira" for one of the larger islands, but is that already used in SMAC?

[Sovereign]

I like the two lovers names. Use them!

I'm not sure about Deianera. Wasn't that the name of Hercule's wife?

Anyways, I think thats a good name. It should be used for the large island with the Garland crater, Mainfold nexus, and Uranium Flats.

[GeoModder]

Deianera is the island near the north pole on the planet map.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Sovereign
I like the two lovers names. Use them!

I'm not sure about Deianera. Wasn't that the name of Hercule's wife?

Anyways, I think thats a good name. It should be used for the large island with the Garland crater, Mainfold nexus, and Uranium Flats.

Hercules, Nessus, and Deianera are all involved, mythologically (Nessus lusted after Deianera). Aren't Nessus and Hercules the names of the moons?

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Deianera is the island near the north pole on the planet map.

I should take a look at the 'Map of Planet', but my computer is still not here yet. *sigh*

I've been thinking about renaming some of the landmarks in the game. Mount Planet might become Mount Pelion (just for the "centaur" reference) and I need to think of a new name for the Nessus Canyon since Nessus is used for something else (a moon?). I just don't much like the name Sunny Mesa, its rather boring afterall, and I have decided that I will rename (and alter in appearence) The Ruins so that they are called the Mounumental Plain.

[Snowflake]

Just read the time line. Quite impressive. I like the way you described the fall of old factions and introduced new factions. Look forward to see more details.

[Sovereign]

I remember in game...

"Hercules B has reached perhilion. Expect native life activity to increase dramatically."

So I'm assuming Hercules is a sun or something?

Nessus is definitely a moon, as said by Nessus Mining Station, or something like that. I think it was one of the orbital things you build to increase base production.

[GeneralTacticus]

IIRC, the primary sun is Hercules A, and the secondary is Hercules B... I'm not sure if they renamed Proxima Centauri or not (the star which is technically the third in theAlpha Centauri system, but which is about a light year away from the rest).

[Sovereign]

I find that curious.

Why rename stars like that? I'd go with Alpha Centauri, Beta Centauri...

Or I'd go with Centarus or something.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by HongHu
Just read the time line. Quite impressive. I like the way you described the fall of old factions and introduced new factions. Look forward to see more details.

Thanks for your comments HongHu!

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Sovereign
Nessus is definitely a moon, as said by Nessus Mining Station, or something like that. I think it was one of the orbital things you build to increase base production.

Is there only one moon orbiting Chiron?

[GeneralTacticus]

There's definitely more than one... either two or three, I don't recall which.

[Sovereign]

Actually it depends.

In the game start-up menu, IIRC, when you set Erosion, you pick light, moderate, and heavy.

With light, you get 1 moon, moderate with 2 moons, and heavy with 3 moons.

Least thats what I can remember.

But officially, I know there's at least one. It's Nessus. Dunno if there's any more "official" moons.

[Illuminatus]

Nessus, Pholus ( I do not think that third one had a name).

[Sovereign]

Pholus? I thought it was Pholus Ridge and Pholus Mutagen?

[Illuminatus]

They were called by that moon.

[Mr. President]

You'd think the Pholus Ridge would have to be on Pholus. Apparently not.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Crimson Sunrise
You'd think the Pholus Ridge would have to be on Pholus. Apparently not.

Like the Nessus Canyon (which I'm planning on renaming anyway; I guess I'll have to rename the Ridge and the Mutagen to the Deianira Ridge and the Deianira Mutagen too).

[Sovereign]

Where is it stated as canon that Pholus is Chiron's 2nd moon?

[Snowflake]

Originally posted by Crimson Sunrise
You'd think the Pholus Ridge would have to be on Pholus. Apparently not.

Well it is obviously named after Pholus, just like the Moon River would not be on the moon.

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Sovereign
Where is it stated as canon that Pholus is Chiron's 2nd moon?

PLANETS OF ALPHA CENTAURI A
===========================

Solar constants Sun Alpha A Ratio

Mass kg 1.99E+30 2.15E+30 1.08
Luminosity W 3.89E+26 5.63E+26 1.45
Radius m 6.96E+08 7.59E+08 1.09


Planetary constants Earth Planet/ Ratio
Chiron

Mass kg 5.98E+24 1.10E+25 1.84
Equat. radius m 6.38E+06 7.54E+06 1.18
Dist. from star m 1.50E+11 1.60E+11 1.07
Axial tilt degrees 23.45 2.00 0.09
Surface area m2 5.10E+14 7.18E+14 1.41
Standard gravity m s-2 9.81 12.85 1.31
Escape velocity m s-1 11184 13947 1.25
Density kg m-3 5519 6150 1.11
Size of sun degrees 0.27 0.27 1.02
Year our days 365.3 388.6 1.06
Year local days 365.3 532.0 1.46
Day hours 24.00 17.53 0.73
Mountain height m 10626 8112 0.76
Horizon distance m 5051 5493 1.09
Ocean tide (sun) m 0.12 0.12 0.94
Ocean tide (moon 1) m 0.27 0.18 0.67
Ocean tide (moon 2) m 0.11
Ocean tide (both) m 0.39 0.41 1.05

Atmosphere

Total pressure Pa 101325 176020 1.74
Nitrogen Pa 79125 160000 2.02
Oxygen Pa 21228 15000 0.71
Argon Pa 942 1000 1.06
Carbon dioxide Pa 30 20 0.67

Nitrogen 78.09% 90.90% 1.16
Oxygen 20.95% 8.52% 0.41
Argon 0.93% 0.57% 0.61
Carbon dioxide 0.03% 0.01% 0.4

Surface density kg m-3 1.22 2.06 1.68
"Flammability" mmol K J-1 7.17 2.87 0.40

Effective temp. K 253 261 1.03
Greenhouse effect K +36 +32 0.90
Surface temp. K 288 293 1.01
Surface temp. C 15.4 19.7 1.28
Solar constant W m-2 1383 1750 1.27


Moon #1 (Nessus) The Moon Nessus

Mass kg 7.35E+22 6.50E+21 0.09
Radius m 1.74E+06 8.00E+05 0.46
Dist. from planet m 3.84E+08 2.00E+08 0.52
Surface area m2 3.80E+13 8.04E+12 0.21
Mean gravity m s-2 1.62 0.68 0.42
Density kg m-3 3342 3031 0.91
Synodic month our days 29.5 7.7 0.26
Synodic month local days 29.5 10.6 0.36
Syn. months/yr 12.4 50.2 4.05
Angular radius degrees 0.26 0.23 0.88


Moon #2 (Pholus) The Moon Pholus

Mass kg 7.35E+22 5.20E+20 0.01
Radius m 1.74E+06 3.50E+05 0.20
Dist. from planet m 3.84E+08 1.00E+08 0.26
Surface area m2 3.80E+13 1.54E+12 0.04
Mean gravity m s-2 1.62 0.28 0.17
Density kg m-3 3342 2895 0.87
Synodic month our days 29.5 2.7 0.09
Synodic month local days 29.5 3.7 0.13
Syn. months/yr 12.39 143.76 11.60
Angular radius degrees 0.26 0.20 0.77


Eurytion (Mercurian planet) Earth Eurytion Ratio

Mass kg 5.98E+24 5.16E+23 0.09
Equat. radius m 6.38E+06 2.82E+06 0.44
Dist. from star m 1.50E+11 7.06E+10 0.47
Surface area m2 5.10E+14 9.98E+13 0.20
Standard gravity m s-2 9.81 4.33 0.44
Escape velocity m s-1 11184 4942 0.44
Density kg m-3 5519 5503 1.00
Size of sun degrees 0.27 0.62 2.31
Year our days 365.3 113.8 0.31
Year local days 365.3 SYNCHRONOUS
Horizon distance m 5051 3357 0.66
Surf. temperature K 288 438 1.52
Surf. temperature C 15.4 165.3 10.71
Solar constant W m-2 1383 8999 6.51

[Sovereign]

Thanks Obstructor.

[Trithemius]

I still don't have my computer yet (I'm using the pesky university network right now...) so I can't make an actual SMAC/X map, but I have worked out on paper where things are likely to go and what they will be called.

Chiron; Planetary Year 50.
The planet Chiron contains two major continents, and several smaller islands.

The first continent surveyed by the Unity's probes was Chariclo, named for the mythological Chiron's nymph wife. Chariclo is shaped roughly like a crescent facing towards the east and is dominated by the Chironian Alps, a massive rocky spine the rises steeply out of sea. The mountain range seperates the continent into roughly three sections: the Coastal Plains in the south, where a river spills down out of the Asbolus Canyon (formerly: Nessus Canyon) and towards the sea; the Red Valley in the north, where a river passes through highly radioactive red-dust plains creating the Bitter Delta (formerly: Uranium Flats); and finally the the so-called Promised Land, an alpine plateau in the western centre of the continent that was named by the Believers who settled there first. At the centre of the mountain range lies Mount Pelion(formerly: Mount Planet), the home of the mythological Chiron. Mount Pelion looms over the Chironian Alps and the bubbling Sea of Steam (formerly: Geothermal Shallows).

The second continent surveyed was Ocyrhoe, named for the daughter of Chiron and Chariclo. Ocyrhoe is roughly oval in shape with a thick spur jutting out towards the north-east that broadens into a wide plain. This region is known as the Monumental Plains (formerly: The Ruins, but altered into an avenue instead of a square) and possesses a great number curious alien structures. The most peculiar and useful of these are The Gorgons (formerly: The Borehole Cluster), three vast fissures that penetrate right down into the burning heart of Chiron's mantle. The Sentinel Ranges lie at the end of the north-eastern spur and rise very close to the north-western coast of Chariclo, creating a narrow channel named The Pillars. The centre of Ocyrhoe was named the Valley of Eden by the Gaian settlers and consists of a lush native jungle (formerly: The Equatorial Jungle). The Valley is protected to the north by the chill waters of Northern Reach where it is said that the shattered remains of the Unity lie (formerly: Unity Wreckage, but with most benefits disabled) and on the remaining three sides by mountains: to the east, the Central Highlands seperate the Valley from the Monumental Plains; to the south rocky highlands give way to the sun-drenched Southern Plateau (formerly: The Sunny Mesa); and to the west the
Garland Range plunges down into the fertile basin of the Riverlands, this verdant expanse is marred only in the north by the Garland Crater, where one of the colony modules crashed into the surface.

The two continents are connected by range of seamounts that almost breaks the surface halfway between the two landmasses. At this point a curious Fossil Ridge (suprise: The Fossil Ridge) can be observed by those with the skill to negotiate the colliding currents of the Open Sea to the north and the Southern Reach to the south.

Far to the north of the Open Sea lies the large island of Deianira named for the wife of Heracles. Its main feature is the steep ridge that runs east-west along its entire length, the Lichas Ridge (formerly: Pholus Ridge). To the west of Deianira, and to the north of Chariclo lies the vast dark mass known as the New Sargasso, a huge floating colony of native plant and animal life.

The currents of the New Sargasso spill down through the Pillars and into the Sea of Nereids (formerly: Freshwater Sea). Three small islands mark the boundary between the Sea of Nereids and the larger, more bitter, Closed Sea. These islands Arethusa, Galatea, and Psamathe are each named for nereids and each have a small alien pillar on them, although the significance of these monuments is still unknown.

Along the eastern edge of the Closed Sea, barely seperated from the south-west of Chariclo by the foaming waters of the Roaring Gap stands the island of Tiresias. This steep island, named for the son of Chariclo who became the famous blind prophet, is the location of the so-called Alien Temple ([i]formerly: The Manifold Nexus) which the University Enclave continues to study for its archaeological secrets. To the east of Tiresias lies the Grey Sea a frigid body of water full of ice-crystals and churned its signature colour by the violent current spilling out of the Roaring Gap.

The various new names for landmarks should be explained in the text, but if anyone has any comments, please post them!