Oh, I think it just clicked, you guys were talking about 16bits worth of systems (i.e. 8 bit = 256 systems and 16 bits = 65,000 systems which then makes sense to me on the exponential growth.
Thanks, I guess I just needed to read what you guys were saying but put in a differen't way.
I thought you meant keeping 256 systems constant, double the data word lengths used to keep track of all the variables in the system, which would only double the storage needed. Now I get it
quote:
Originally posted by geoschmo:
Kilo,
If we assume that Lenny's first number (280Kb)is correct then the second number (70Mb) is also correct.
I'll admit it blew me away at first, but think of it like this. If 280Kb is correct for a galaxy with 255 systems, then simple division gives us a little more than 1Kb per system on average. If we then go to an 18-bit number that allows 65,000 systems 
then simple multiplication of a 1Kb per system times 65k systems gives us 65Mb of memory.
What I would like to know is, in my ignorance of computer programming, are if an 8-bit number is too small, is 16-bit our next option? Is not there some number in between we could use? If not I am sure he could use a 16-bit number, and then hard code some logical limit to the number of systems, say 1000 or somethhing like that that would keep the mem usage to a reasonable level.
Geo