Troublesome technology

[Loser]

I'm the Minister of Science in our Play by Commitee game and I've got an RP problem with the engines. The thing is, I don't know what they are or what they do.

Ion Engine
Contra-Terrene Engine
Jacketed-Photon Engine
Quantum Engine

Okay, I know how the first one works. Really, I do.

I don't know anything about the second one. I don't know what it is in reference to or anything else. No bleeping clue.

I can probably fake the third. I can make up something that sounds ... well at least that's readable and related to the name.

And the forth one, Quantum Engine... well, it's 'quantum', you could make up just about anthing and most folk would be okay with it.

But what about those middle two? Any ideas? Anyone actually know? Anyone got a link to somewhere that explains it?

[ September 30, 2003, 22:32: Message edited by: Loser ]

[Fyron]

The descriptions are not enough? Maybe they have different descriptions in SE3, I do not recall. Go get it from MM's site (the shareware anyways) and see if it is more helpful.

[Suicide Junkie]

Contra Terrene is french-ish for antimatter, IIRC.

[DavidG]

Terrene/Contra-Terrene, a more accurate term for what is often called matter/anti-matter (since both are actually matter, simply in different forms). The reaction between the two forms liberates all the energy both contain, making it by far the most efficient and least polluting energy source available. For this reason, T/CT is used almost exclusively for planetary and large-craft energy needs.

[Phoenix-D]

Contra-Terren is Contra-Terran, i.e. anti-terran i.e. antimatter. Presumably it operates by using matter/antimatter reactions to generate thrust.

[Fyron]

Jacketed Photon engines probably harness Photons directly as a means of propulsion.

Quantum engines probably use very small subparticles like neutrinos and such.