"Six Problems With Realistic Space Battles" Topic

"Who doesn't love giant space battles with lasers and missiles and shields, oh my? Communists, that's who. From Battlestar Galactica to Deep Space Nine's Dominion War, some of our most riveting science fiction has come from spaceships trying very hard to destroy each other. Unfortunately, things get complicated when you introduce real science into the equation, and not just because there's no sound in a vacuum. Space is an alien environment, and it's difficult for us puny humans to understand all the potential difficulties of fighting there. The issues are so numerous that it's no wonder filmmakers keep going back to a futuristic World War II…"

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Armand

Isn't escaping reality the whole point of fiction?

Fundamentals of Astrodynamics – On Goodreads

Just play Kerbal Space Program and you will understand why real physics space battles would be no fun.

Nice game and I spent a week attempting a rendezvous and dock.

Just play Kerbal Space Program and you will understand why real physics space battles would be no fun

And it even just simulates the basics of Newtonian physics, Inertia etc.
No relativistic forces, no multibody forces, unrealistic materials physics of space crafts, no realistic effects of forces on the body.

But, it's as good as it can be for a gaming simulation.

To be honest, I'd rather simulate a confrontation between Slaneesh and Nurgle in his garden.

"The Lost Fleet" by Jack Campbell shows the fleet moving through "gates" to arrive in a target system. An enemy warship is millions of miles away, or (for instance) two light hours. Therefore the enemy is not were you see it anymore. So planning an attack is much more complicated. And yes, planets can be destroyed by just throwing a rock at it.

Thanks.

Armand

It's not totally realistic, but I'll just stay with the Legend of the Galactic Heroes vison of space combat. It's just far more epic, while still using vector thrust effects.

Good read. Thanks.

A votre service mon cher ami…

Armand

Just my pet theory… There is no sound in space, but there is plenty of sound in the cockpit and gunnery turret. We can only see in a 120 arc, but we can hear in 360 degrees. Audible warnings, doppler shifting, auditory feedback are all ways to increase the crew's situational awareness and thus their survivability.

(smile)

Armand