Gravity, Speed, &c

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2 total messages Started by pbre... Patrick M Brennan Wed, 04 Jan 1995 20:55

#180

Author: pbre... Patrick M Brennan
Date: Wed, 04 Jan 1995 20:55

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So it's time to nitpick!!!  Yeah!

1. There's no gravity in the flight model.  You don't fall, your
missiles and flares don't fall, the other robots don't fall -- yet
you're supposed to be deep in the heart of planets.  Hmmmmm.
(Actually makes sense in Level 7: you're in the center of Mercury.
But then why does the lava pool?)  Doesn't make me dislike the game
one iota less, but anybody got some good bullshit to paper this one
over?

2. Your starting weapon is a laser.  When you fire the laser, your
shots take time to get to the target.  When an enemy robot shoots at
you, you can see the laser bolts and get out of the way. Which is a
really good thing, since those robots have InstaAim (TM), but course a
laser beam propogates at the speed of light and you "shouldn't" be
able to get out of the way.  But notice the speed of propogation of
the Vulcan cannon.  There is no time-of-flight for a Vulcan shell!
(which is its biggest advantage) So we have the paradox of a gun shell
which is faster than a laser beam.  Again, I love this game, but maybe
-- maybe -- the writers need to cover the apparent contradictions for
us "hard sf" freaks who like to know how Joel eats and breathes and
other science facts.  Maybe the 'laser beams' are plasma bolts,
released by the weapon and instantly heated and accelerated toward the
target by a laser beam.  Yeah, that's the ticket.

Patrick

Re: Gravity, Speed, &c

#181

Author: do... Dean M ODonnell
Date: Fri, 06 Jan 1995 21:24

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In article <D1wFG...@world.std.com>,
Patrick M Brennan <pbre...@world.std.com> wrote:
>So it's time to nitpick!!!  Yeah!
>
>1. There's no gravity in the flight model.  You don't fall, your
>missiles and flares don't fall, the other robots don't fall -- yet
>you're supposed to be deep in the heart of planets.  Hmmmmm.
>(Actually makes sense in Level 7: you're in the center of Mercury.
>But then why does the lava pool?)  Doesn't make me dislike the game
>one iota less, but anybody got some good bullshit to paper this one
>over?

While the mines were being dug anti-grav generators were installed in
order to facilitate ore removal (it's much easier to transport
weightless ore than it is to remove ore with weight).  Certain areas
were left without anti-grav generators and this is where the lava has
pooled.  These mines are malfunctioning and aren't being actively
worked anymore, remember, so many of the ore collection systems and
lava river, non-antigrav areas are no longer functioning.

>
>the Vulcan cannon.  There is no time-of-flight for a Vulcan shell!
>(which is its biggest advantage) So we have the paradox of a gun shell
>which is faster than a laser beam.  Again, I love this game, but maybe
>-- maybe -- the writers need to cover the apparent contradictions for
>us "hard sf" freaks who like to know how Joel eats and breathes and
>other science facts.  Maybe the 'laser beams' are plasma bolts,
>released by the weapon and instantly heated and accelerated toward the
>target by a laser beam.  Yeah, that's the ticket.

There is time in-flight for the Vulcan shells, it's just miniscule.
You got the plasma-bolt part right though.  <g>

Dean
Official Writer of Creative Excuses

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