OT: Starship size comparisons 1 pixel per meter

[Andrés]

Posted by dogscoff (Member # 1372) on May 06, 2003, 16:24:

http://www.theforce.net/swtc/holocaust.html

Here's the Endor link. I don't think you can argue against this kind of research Andres, but if you want to try I'll be listening with interest.

I like the Turbolaser Commentaries and I think they are great. I'd only embarrass myself if I tried to discuss that from a scientific pov.
According to the expanded universe there were many shooting stars that night, maybe a few pieces survived long enough to hit the ground (or trees), but that was it. No ecological disaster and no need to take any actions to prevent it.
As Gwaihir said

AFAIK, and as far as the pretty extensive research this fellow carried out states, there is no canon explanation of how Endor survived, it just *did.*

It may not be what *should have* happened, but starwars is not theoretical science, it's science fiction, literature. What happened is what's written and accepted, not what's most likely.
The star wars universe is quite scientifically consistent and errors like this one are strange.
The expanded universe seems to fix errors and solidify evidence rather than create more errors and inconsistencies. For example the "parsecs" mistake in ANH.
Marvel Comics series and WEG portrayed events that took place in Endor after ROTJ and no climatical disaster was ever mentioned.
It is discussed if those sources are official part of the timeline, but some of those events are mentioned in the official page: http://www.starwars.com/databank/species/ewok/eu.html
And although it isnt directly contradicted, a major event such as the extintion or evacuation of the Ewok race should have been mentioned in stories such as "Truce at Bakura" (note to self add ssi-ruuk to my shipsets to do list) taking place in that time.

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Posted by Aloofi (Member # 3719) on May 06, 2003, 14:29:

Yeah, but in SE4 the tonnage is in kilotons, not plain tons.
So that means that an unmodded Cruiser have 500 000 tonns.
Couldn't it be 500 meters long?

Right, but 500,000 tons is still pretty small among sci-fi ships.
Yeah, but the tonnage of most Trek and B5 ships is still pretty large even if you divide it by 1000 to convert tons into kilo-tons. Many close or beyond the 65,000 kT limit for modded ships.

Sure you could have a 500m long cruiser.
I've made some calculations to put numbers to "linear ships".
Using a density of 0.00035 kT/m3, as I did for my other other estimations, your 500m long cruiser would be 500m x 53.45m x 53.45m.
It's width and height would be almost 1/9th its lenght what is elongated but not so crazy.
Of course that your escort would be 150x53x53m and your dreadnought 1000x53x53m.

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Originally posted by Gwaihir:
No, Grand Moff Tarkin would have been dead, cause clearly that attacking fleet is no threat. I'm just going to sit with my finger on the trigger cause you're just making that up about the explosions and stuff. Yessiree, no danger here!

But he would be right! That is no danger for the Death Star!
No planetary defense fleet would be able to face a 3e20 kT baseship in conventional battle.
And without a specially programmed torpedo lauched from a fighter that manages to get close enough and shoot it through the exaust port, wouldn't be able to exploit its Achiles heel and blow up the main reactor either.

I promise I'll get back to work in the Sci-Fi X-over Mod or a SW-Mod 2 soon.

Here's the superlaser:
Name := Superlaser Mk II
Description := Massive sized laser strong enough to overcome the strongest planetary shields and destroy worlds.
Pic Num := 347
Tonnage Space Taken := 20000
Tonnage Structure := 20000
Cost Minerals := 50000
Cost Organics := 100
Cost Radioactives := 30000
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base
Supply Amount Used := 1500
Restrictions := One Per Vehicle
General Group := Weapons
Family := 25008
Roman Numeral := 2
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Superlasers
Tech Level Req 1 := 2
Number of Abilities := 1
Ability 1 Type := Destroy Planet Size
Ability 1 Descr := Can destroy a huge sized planet. It's not destroyed on use.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 5
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Weapon Type := Point-Defense
Weapon Target := Ships\Planets
Weapon Damage At Rng := 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 0 0 0 0 0
Weapon Damage Type := Normal
Weapon Reload Rate := 8
Weapon Display Type := Beam
Weapon Display := 12
Weapon Modifier := 0
Weapon Sound := EMPIRELASER.WAV
Weapon Family := 2440