Expanding Atmosphere Types

[Renegade 13]

I think H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) would be a good choice, given how it's possible to be used to slow metabolic processes of mammals to an extreme level. The race that breathed it could be said to possess an extremely low metabolic rate, and evolved over time to utilize it instead of oxygen as their home planet's atmosphere became slowly innundated with H2S.

[Spoo]

Fyron said:
AstralWanderer said:
Unless there is intended to be some gameplay variation (e.g. cost/capacity of domed colonies varying by planet atmosphere), what purpose would be served in adding further types?

What purpose was served by adding red giant systems? Neutron stars? 20 different kinds of nebulae systems stemming from 11 storm colors? Swirling WP graphics? Electrostorms?

More atmosphere types will decrease the percentage of breathable worlds.

[Fyron]

It would also decrease atmosphere contention with other races.

I could make domed colonies have more space like in FQM for SE4 to compensate. If I made domes impose a 70% reduction instead of 80%, it would more or less balance out. Assuming 100 medium planets, we have breathable facility space + domed space (reduced to facility count for stock 1000 kt all facility size):

20 x 10 + 80 x 2 = 360 stock 5 atm and 20% dome
10 x 10 + 90 x 3 = 370 proposed 10 atm and 30% dome

[Santiago]

Been there done that- In my personal mod I added chlorine, nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, helium and neon. I wasn't going for the realism that you are. But don't rule out the noble gases- they are used as exotic diving gases- Argon and Xenon are too narcotic, Krypton causes dizziness and Radon is radioactive. Neon though expensive is a good replacement for helium.

Trimix is also good as it is a mix of O2 He and N2.

Hydrogen sulfide is a good choice but causes smelly planets

If you're just looking for other possibilities;
Nitrous Oxide---A very happy planet

Ethylene---ancient Egyptians, who would gas figs in order to stimulate ripening.

Sulfur hexafluoride---SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential of 22,200 times that of CO2.

Hydrogen chloride---Very corrosive forming HCl acid in the presence of water/humidity

Nitrogen Dioxide---This reddish-brown gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor. NO2 is one of the most prominent air pollutants and a poison by inhalation.

Vinyl chloride monomer---Until 1974, VCM was used in aerosol spray propellant. Prior to the removal of VCM from hair spray the accumulation of vinyl chloride vapor in hair salons may have exceeded the NOAEL (NO Adverse Effect Level) exposure guidelines. Just an odd fact.

Deuterium Gas---Don't know much about this one

Phosgene---This gas gained infamy as a chemical weapon during World War I, but it is also a valuable industrial reagent and building block in organic synthesis. It is colourless, but can appear as a white or yellowish haze when released into air, Chlorine light.

Silane---chemical compound with chemical formula SiH4. It is the silicon analogue of methane. At room temperature, silane is a gas, and is pyrophoric — it undergoes spontaneous combustion in air, without the need for external ignition. Silicon based life forms?

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN)--- is a colorless gas with a faint bitter almond-like odor. Very poisonous.

Dimethyl sulfide--- In vapor form it is produced by cooking of certain vegetables, notably corn and cabbage, and seafoods. It is also an indication of bacterial infection in malt production and brewing,and a disagreeable odor. DMS is the most abundant biological sulfur compound emitted to the atmosphere. Emission occurs over the oceans by phytoplankton.

[Kana]

From Star Fleet Battles / Star Trek sources.

Planet Types:

Class A - Hot Gas (Jupiter)
Class B - Cold Gas (Uranus)
Class C - Hot/Toxic (Venus)
Class D - Airless (Luna)
Class E - Large Earth (ST)
Class F - Sulphurous
Class G - Desert (Mars)
Class H - Early Earth
Class I - Hot Rock (Mercury)
Class J - Cold Rock Thin None
Class K - Desert Breathable (Vulcan)
Class L - Earth like low H20
Class M - Earth like
Class N - Earth Like 90 percent H2O
Class O - Earth like, Cold
Class P - Carbon Dioxide, Frozen
Class Q - Frozen Ice (comet/Pluto)
Class R - Nitrogen/Ammonia Cold Rock
Class S - Frozen Methane (Hydrax)


Atmosphere Types vs Planet Type:

Rock/Rock-Iron

Carbon Dioxide
Nitrogen
Sulfur Dioxide
Methane
Argon
Ammonia
Chlorine
Fluorine
Hydrogen
Helium

Ice/Rock-Ice

Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Argon
Nitrogen
Ammonia
Hydrogen
Helium

[Romulus68]

THE HAMILTON INSTITUTE OF EXOPALEONTOLOGY
Glossary and Definitions

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This site is still under construction, however feel free to browse the entries as they are added by our hard- working researchers and graduate students.



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"STAR TYPES"
Star types are based on the same system as used at the beginning of Human interplanetary exploration. The Earth's sun is a Type-G main-sequence star; Barnard's star is a Type-M; Sirius-A is Type-A and so on. One modification is that for non-main sequence stars, two types are given: the current type (based on temperature/color), and the main-sequence type. A red supergiant such as Betelgeuse is Type-M(B), meaning it was formerly a hot Type-B main sequence star.


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"PLANETARY TYPES"
Planetary types are determined by the composition of the planet, its atmosphere and oceans (if any). Some of these are based on 20th-century Earth asteroid designations. Please do not confuse with the 'Star Trek' planetary classification system.
Type H: hot gas giant ("Brown Dwarf")
Type J: gas giant (Jupiter, Saturn)
Type U: gas giant with icy mantle (Uranus, Neptune)


Type S: silicate rock, airless. (Mercury, Earth's moon, Vesta) NOTE: this designation was originally used for meteroites and asteroids
Type C: carbonate rock, airless. (Ceres, Pallas, Phoebe) NOTE: this designation was originally used for meteroites and asteroids
Type M: highly metallic. Sometimes applied to metal-gas giants found in close orbits around stars. NOTE: this designation was originally used for meteroites and asteroids. Again, please do not confuse with the 'Star Trek' planetary classification system.
Type Y: ice, airless (Ganymede, Rhea, Hyperion)
Type Z: rock with ice crust (Europa)


Type G: Relatively thick atmosphere, but of noble gases.
Type R: Marslike, with a carbon-dioxide or nitrogen atmosphere (Mars, Venus as a special type--see below)
Type D: Worlds with NO/NO2, other odd nitrogen compounds, etc. in the atmosphere
Type E: Earthlike, with oxygen in the atmosphere (generated by certain ecotypes) usually mixed with nitrogen or inert gases, and water in the atmosphere or surface
Type O: Proto-Earth type
Type T: Methane or ethane atmosphere/oceans or organic-coated surface (Titan, Triton)
Type L: Ammonia atmosphere/oceans
Type P: Phosphine atmosphere/oceans
Type F: Fluorine/Chlorine/etc. atmosphere/oceans
Type I: Sulfur-coated surface (Io)
Special type, V: for worlds with an unusually thick atmosphere causing extreme heating (Venus is a type VR)
Special type, N: for worlds with a thick particle layer causing extreme cooling (Earth after a global thermonuclear war would be type NE for a short period)
Special type, W: for irradiated worlds (usually near dying stars, or after attack by extremely nasty weapons)
Special type, X: for worlds modified by metaforces, gods, or extremely advanced species


NOTE: Artificial planets and quasi-planetary structures (including Ringworlds, Dyson spheres, and Criswell structures) are not included. These are usually designated Type A with a summary explanation.

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ECOTYPES: describe the primary metabolism of the life forms
Fermentation (what Yeast can do)
Photosynthesis (what plants do)
Thermosynthesis
Electrosynthesis
Magnetosynthesis
Chemosynthesis (what some bacteria can do, many subtypes)
Phototransis
Respiration (what we humans do)
Metarespiration
Gravitosynthesis


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EVOLTYPES: describe the genetic material and the mechanism of evolution of life. NOTE: Here 'evolution' is used in the general sense (how life changes), but in the Evoltype designation the term is specifically reserved for Darwinian, selectionist evolution.

GENETIC MATERIAL
Not all forms of life have double-stranded DNA. Even on Earth, some use RNA. Some alien life forms have different types or arrangements of nucleic acids entirely; some use proteins, crystalline structures, or even stranger genetic material. Here we avoid simplistic definitions like "carbon-based life forms" and "silicon-based life forms", and designate each alien lineage by the type of genetic material.

List incomplete; of course includes double-helix DNA, RNA (in some viruses).

MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTION
Often the mechanism of evolution is limited by or even linked to the type of genetic material that is used. Note that the PRIMARY modes of evolution are designated (Earth is Drift-Selectionist)


Drift (random genetic changes in populations; is a factor in nearly all types of life)
Selectionist Evolution (evolution by natural selection; Darwinian theory)
Transformationist (transformation by inheriting acquired characters; Lamarckian theory)
Orthogenesis (changes caused by innate characteristics of the genetic material or metabolism)
Vitalist (changes caused by metaforces)
Interference (by aliens, either accidental or purposeful. The popular term for interference in the evolution of sapience is "Uplift" [see Brin; Black Monoliths; von-Daniken]. NOTE: "Creationism" also falls under this category; although life on Earth was not designed, on some planets there is good evidence that the basic genetic or metabolic apparatus was modified or designed by another sapient species)
Transmutationism (massive, sudden genetic changes, when one mutation can have a cascade effect on the genome)
Abiogenesis/catastrophism (on many young worlds, conditions exist for the formation of life from inorganic materials, but meteor bombardment may destroy new forms of life several times before a lineage is established. This may have occurred on Earth 4 billion years ago)


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DEFINITIONS OF PSUEDO-RELIGIOUS TERMS. The words "supernatural" and "paranormal" are not used here, because everything that exists can be regarded as normal or natural by some species. However, it is useful to have terms for things that appear beyond the ability of human senses (and technology) to analyze.

METAFORCE: a law or force that is beyond the senses of humans (and similar life forms); may control other laws/forces, or could also control gods, animin, or other aliens.

GOD: powerful alien species or being that has control over at least one natural law or force, and has an analytical intelligence.

ANIMIN: a powerful alien species or being that has control over at least one natural law or force, but does not have an analytical form of intelligence (may be instinctive, or have a form of intelligence that humans cannot comprehend).

BUDDHA: an enlightened being, renouncing power and selfish desires. It is probably more difficult for a God to become a Buddha than it is for a human being, just because Gods desire worship and power to such an extent they delude themselves into thinking they are a superior race.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I have difficulty understanding what religious opinions have to do with planetary types. Or some of the other stuff you lifted. If you're going to copy-paste, at least filter.

[Romulus68]

narf poit chez BOOM said:
I have difficulty understanding what religious opinions have to do with planetary types. Or some of the other stuff you lifted. If you're going to copy-paste, at least filter.

Because, it can lead to other ideas and the more source material you have to draw upon the better. IE....pulling ideas together to make them cohesive and believable. You could have a very volatile atmosphere that lead to strict religious culture bound by harsh guidelines (so they don't blow themselves up), etc.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

That actually makes sense.

[Raapys]

Many neat ideas. I'd love to see the game take more factors into account when it comes to planets and colonies, though. Gravity, for instance. I imagine a low-G population would have great problems being productive on a high-G planet.