Topic: Flight Back: Recreation

[Ronin RedFox]

Just a story im writing. Its not done yet.

It tells how Descent evolved into the Freespace age. 

Linkage: http://www.reactor.planetdescent.net/flightback/

[NUMBERZero]

No one can view it because it is protected and you need to take it off of that protected mode.

[Ronin RedFox]

Fixed. You must log in to view it though.

[NUMBERZero]

Sounds like an uber story! But why would shelds implode? I don't think energy cares if it is in space or in the atmo. o_0

[Scyphi]

If the shields were activated within an atmosphere, capturing some of that atmosphere, then moved out into space, the vacuum pull of space on that atmosphere could theoretically create some sort of shield-implosion effect...assuming the shields are weak enough. Seeing that said shields are supposed to block attacks from powerful weapons, it seems unlikely.

However, here's a possible explanation. When a Pyro's shields are weak enough, they are prone to the implosion effect (hence why in Descent, when you run out of shields, your ship is instantly destroyed. It's due to the implosion effect).

Project Pavilion, before it died, was planned to tie in with Freespace towards the end. Our explanation as for the lack of shields was simply the fact that technology had advanced to the point that the old shield systems were now incompatible, and armor had been advanced enough that it wasn't really needed anyway. A kind of lack-luster explanation for it all, but it was the best, most logical, explanation we could come up with at the time.

Anyway, looks like this is a start of a good story, Darc, will read more as you post it.

[NUMBERZero]

If the shields were activated within an atmosphere, capturing some of that atmosphere, then moved out into space, the vacuum pull of space on that atmosphere could theoretically create some sort of shield-implosion effect...assuming the shields are weak enough. Seeing that said shields are supposed to block attacks from powerful weapons, it seems unlikely.

If there is air inside of the shields, it wouldn't cause an implosion. It'd be an explosion because space is a vacuume and the air must go out. An implosion would only occur if there was extreme pressure outside. First of all, if there was that problem in the first place, why wouldn't you deactivate the shields and reactivate them so that there is no air in there? The ship is sealed.

[Ronin RedFox]

I dont know, the only time the pyro has been without shields is when you die. So i just thought it would be logical for them to explode/implode after a short amount of time. 

[NUMBERZero]

Well when a shield runs out, a shield runs out. It's a simple and traditional game mechanic that when you run out, you're dead. I've always told myself that when the little red light comes on below 20 shields means that I am now on regular armor.

[-<WillyP>-]

I always took it as, when the shields get below the damage level of an opponents weapon, the weapon penetrates the shield and destroys your hull. So, if you have a shield strength of 5, and a weapon does 10 damages, your toast, if you get a direct hit. Most weapons have a splash radius, say the same level 10 damage weapon hits a wall nearby you might get only 3 units of damage, and you are ok for now, but now you only have 3 units of shield.

It's not the shield failing and causing you to die, it's when a weapon hits you, and your shields aren't strong enough to repel it.

[D2Disciple]

WillyP, that makes sense, but then you have the problem of explaining why the hull is so easily penetrated. Without shields, a flare can destroy the craft. I'm no expert, but chances are low that even a biplane is going to shatter to pieces if it gets hit with a road flare, let alone a large, heavily armored zero-G craft. The implosion theory actually answers that quite well.

But if we run with the whole shields down/hull damaged theory, then perhaps it could be argued that the GX's fusion reactors and thrusters cause an internal explosion when exposed to the atmosphere, providing the thrusters with entirely too much fuel and pressure. Then again, not every planet or moon has any sort of gaseous atmosphere, so, say, on the moon, That would likely not apply.

Personally, I like this concept you have going. 

BTW: Why shields were not used in the Freespace timeline yet were in Descent timeline: Regeneration. The GX required an actual, external charge to power the shields, whereas in an open-space setting, shields would need to be self-regenerating. It's completely possible that the GTA actually used a similar shielding system on their craft before meeting up with the Shivans, because while a single hit would result in actual armor damage, without protection a single hit could rip through the armor entirely (think of what would happen if the cockpit was hit with a missile).

However, the GX relied on shields entirely, whereas the GTA relied on hull armor. Perhaps the system was perfected so that shields were used as an adjunct to armor, and thus the shields acted as a layer of absorbency to weapon fire, allowing minimal impact and energy to be transferred to the hull itself. Therefore, the shield was never actually destroyed. The Shivans developed a wall of regenerating energy around their craft in addition to ordinary shielding, however, meaning that the outside shield could actually absorb ALL of the energy without any energy transfer to the hull.

That's my theory.

[NUMBERZero]

BTW: Why shields were not used in the Freespace timeline yet were in Descent timeline: Regeneration. The GX required an actual, external charge to power the shields, whereas in an open-space setting, shields would need to be self-regenerating. It's completely possible that the GTA actually used a similar shielding system on their craft before meeting up with the Shivans, because while a single hit would result in actual armor damage, without protection a single hit could rip through the armor entirely (think of what would happen if the cockpit was hit with a missile).

However, the GX relied on shields entirely, whereas the GTA relied on hull armor. Perhaps the system was perfected so that shields were used as an adjunct to armor, and thus the shields acted as a layer of absorbency to weapon fire, allowing minimal impact and energy to be transferred to the hull itself. Therefore, the shield was never actually destroyed. The Shivans developed a wall of regenerating energy around their craft in addition to ordinary shielding, however, meaning that the outside shield could actually absorb ALL of the energy without any energy transfer to the hull.

That's my theory.

Brilliant! I say that we have a winner!

[Scyphi]

Ditto! beats all the other theories, hands down.

If there is air inside of the shields, it wouldn't cause an implosion. It'd be an explosion because space is a vacuume and the air must go out.

I though of that when I posted that, but I figured it didn't really matter. End result would've been more or less the same.

[Ronin RedFox]

Implosion sounded cooler. 

[Scyphi]

Just because it sounds cool doesn't mean it sounds logical. Don't underestimate the intellect of your audience, Darc, they WILL latch onto logic flaws and pick them to pieces if you don't catch those flaws and correct them first. Not doing so can and will hurt a work's popularity.

But of course, that's your choice. And I make it sound so worse-case scenario, but in this instance, it's a fairly minor thing. It's just something we're all pointing out t' ye.

[Thomas]

I wouldn't worry too much about correctness. If we all did, none of us would be playing Descent.

It's like screeching tires on gravel in films.

Nice and dramatic effects are usually more important than correctness.