...So that means it is implied that I have my very own rock collection storage facility? Which is merely only for a hobby and takes up space? 
But yeah, arguments ahead--this is going to be nice. [As a xenozoologist, I would advocate for a facility which allows an isolated atmosphere at least, in order to keep or store any specimen for study without causing bodily harm or future mutation (hopefully?); it can also be used as an emergency area for crew, if the medbay is down for some reason...err, as I envision it anyway]
Also from the post v, I do agree on the isolation system and procedural protocol.
...Perhaps this lab should also have its own internal power supply? Like, a battery charger...if the association isn't too crude for the technology of the time?
Also of note, Dorsi, the ship reminds me of Babylon 5...or whichever (sorry to say my memory may be lacking) involves a ship with the circle-esque architecture.
Aha, but I said "cunning arguments". "I like to collect rocks" is not a cunning argument. It also doesn't require a separate facility. It requires a box (although fancy terminology might allow you to dub a box a facility in the loosest possible terms). Though, then again, if you knew important enough people from your home planet, it's plausible you might get them to throw their weight around and get you a rock collection facility that's a bigger box instead (like a room, for instance, with shelves and smaller boxes in it, even).
Could maybe compromise on the zoo pen, though, and allow the use of some spare living quarters (maybe a distinguished scientist had a triple heart attack before we set off and couldn't come along) for keeping any alien life you find inside. Or, better idea, only study alien life either post mortem or in situ. Or figure something else out. Have fun with your limitations, you know? Like an actual space mission and not some kind of dang floating city.
The capability of the manufactory and mining systems, specially the capacity for drone construction since the whole block of equipment is being donated by the AI. Currently they still appear to be low end crappy ones. Also just remembered weapons are needed, pretty sure the group had agreed on weapons like twelve or fifteen pages ago.
All labs should have isolation systems.
Is it donated by the AI? What if we assume it isn't and that the ship wasn't put together from donated parts from each race but instead designed from the ground up? Does the AI Collective even exist yet? Could relative crappiness of fabrication facilities be imposed to save on mass (and thus fuel, to say nothing of the energy drain an incredibly large fabrication system would naturally cause, as we're not made of hydrogen and antimatter, you know)?
Really, I think it would be best if I did not acknowledge the AI Collective as part of any argument until I get some sort of actual documentation, because that can only run in circles without it.
As for isolation systems, can't you keep things in a space shipping crate with a camera in it? That should be airtight (with optional ventilation if you drill holes in it), and things wouldn't be able to escape, either. Plus, sealing labs shouldn't be difficult, either. Automatic doors with central overrides, good sir. Plus ventilation sealing, which I just added as well.
Also, no biological warfare in the labs. It's unhealthy and unseemly.
Finally, fire extinguishers added. Felt we'd need them.
I seem to remember having 4 rail gun Point Defense guns and a big laser or something, correct me if I'm wrong. This does seem like the "Dont get hit" kind of space battle though, seeing as our ship design is minimum weight explorer, and only has energy protection.
It was a fuckton of PD, a number of missiles, and a few particle beam turrets.
But I was so looking forward to venturing into the unknown with peaceful intentions and zero weaponry. You silly space imperialists, you. Don't you know that any form of alien life we are likely to meet (contrast a galactic society, which would naturally have experienced significant informative osmosis and equalization of technological achievement) is either going to be far ahead or far behind in weapons technology in relation to us, given the narrow technological window we inhabit? In either case weapons are probably mostly obsolete.
How about a large laser instead, or just a mining laser with "mine asteroids" and "mine battleships" settings? Can't see missiles being too practical, though. Maybe a railgun of some sort. Particle beams, though, those sound too awfully pointy and technobabbly to add in good conscience. What form of particles would they shoot?
I'm wondering why the AI is in the front of the ship actually. It's both the stupidest possible spot for any essential system and just flat out dumb. AI in center of ship. Change it to: All reactors in center of ship, bridge in center of ship.
Well, it's clearly because we think the AI is the best part of the ship and we want to show it to aliens so that they may appreciate it with their advanced weaponry, the result of which will no doubt be met with raucous cheering on the part of the crew, leading the AI to find it likely through the course of the roughly million thoughts it has in the last millisecond of its existence that this turn of events may have been their plan all along.
Other than that, you can basically shoot the ship anywhere with heavy ordnance and it'll be screwed, so where you put all that crap. But that's the price we pay for realistic-looking designs. Could put the AI next to the engine (and the reactor, of course), though, and have the bridge be more of a meeting room that nobody would miss if it went boom.
You also can't have the reactor in the center of the ship, because you need a shitload of radiation shielding for it (hence why it should be as far from the crew as possible), and putting it at one end makes you require that much less of it. The AI core can be put wherever, I'll grant you, since that's just a member of the crew anyway, and the central computer core could also be put wherever, maybe somewhere along the middle of the zero-G central spine to minimize the miniscule latency issues, though otherwise positioning's highly unimportant.
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Topic: The Dark Star (space game) - Planning thread (It begins! Link on latest post) (Read 85538 times)