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StarShip Comparisons


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  • 1 year later...

In Outer Space, there's little to no air to create resistance or "drag" on a ship. So, a ship's speed usually comes down to her propulsion system, which, more often than not, takes the form of rocket engines. However! A rocket propulsion system requires fuel, which is extraordinarily heavy, and can drastically weigh down your ship. Especially when, say, you're trying to leave Tatooine airspace while being pursued by sand raiders. In most cases, a nuclear fusion reactor would be more efficient in terms of energy consumption. But, as the movie Passengers has taught us, nuclear reactors are prone to computer errors.  :P  If you're looking for maneuverability, though, smaller is better. Small ships are useful for dodging those giant space rocks that pop up in large, outspread formations when your heroes are trying to run away from the Galactic Empire. On the other hand, I suppose a larger ship could blast the rocks apart with her overblown laser cannons. (Hmmm. Do you think Emperor Palpatine was over-compensating for something?) :gikkle: Another point: flight manifest. Be sure your ship has enough crew aboard to handle all tasks efficiently. Han Solo and Chewbacca might have scraped by, but the Millennium Falcon was roughly the equivalent of a sloop or pinnace in terms of size. The Starship Enterprise, in its various incarnations, required anywhere between 85 and 800 crew. I'm not suggesting that you need to write 85 different characters for a single ship, of course. But try to consider the logistics of operating such a massive, technologically advanced piece of equipment. These aren't the only points to consider when designing your starship, but they are some of the big-ticket ones. The more details you add, the more realistic the ship will seem to your readers. And remember, have fun with it!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Like a race team in NASCAR has many employees, the pit crew is just 5 of many. In the shop you have the employees who makes the car and make sure the engine won't break down....a big team might have 500 employees...not going to write characters on them, but in my series they'll pop up...

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/22/2018 at 11:29 AM, Page Scrawler said:

In Outer Space, there's little to no air to create resistance or "drag" on a ship. So, a ship's speed usually comes down to her propulsion system, which, more often than not, takes the form of rocket engines. However! A rocket propulsion system requires fuel, which is extraordinarily heavy, and can drastically weigh down your ship. Especially when, say, you're trying to leave Tatooine airspace while being pursued by sand raiders. In most cases, a nuclear fusion reactor would be more efficient in terms of energy consumption. But, as the movie Passengers has taught us, nuclear reactors are prone to computer errors.  :P  If you're looking for maneuverability, though, smaller is better. Small ships are useful for dodging those giant space rocks that pop up in large, outspread formations when your heroes are trying to run away from the Galactic Empire. On the other hand, I suppose a larger ship could blast the rocks apart with her overblown laser cannons. (Hmmm. Do you think Emperor Palpatine was over-compensating for something?) :gikkle: Another point: flight manifest. Be sure your ship has enough crew aboard to handle all tasks efficiently. Han Solo and Chewbacca might have scraped by, but the Millennium Falcon was roughly the equivalent of a sloop or pinnace in terms of size. The Starship Enterprise, in its various incarnations, required anywhere between 85 and 800 crew. I'm not suggesting that you need to write 85 different characters for a single ship, of course. But try to consider the logistics of operating such a massive, technologically advanced piece of equipment. These aren't the only points to consider when designing your starship, but they are some of the big-ticket ones. The more details you add, the more realistic the ship will seem to your readers. And remember, have fun with it!

 

The Enterprise-D had more than 1,000 people onboard, which is why both fans and non-fans dubbed it the Apartment building in space :P :o

 

For star ship comparison and logistics, I love spacedock's Youtube channel, if you want size try this:

 

 

 

 

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