Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

Geek Culture / Hardware components of a space ship

Author
Message
Fallout
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 16:58
Link
Ok, for this story I'm writing and occasionally work on, I'd like some ideas for components. By components I mean modules that might make up the hardware, weapons, sections etc. of a space ship / mother ship / space station. If you can suggest anything else, that'd be cool, and it'll help me add some depth to my story. Here're the components I have so far:

-Scanners
-Cargo holds
-Weapons (Turrets points, missile/launcher points etc)
-Passenger sections
-Rockets/propulsion
-Counter measures
-Repair bots / mechanical bay
-Command center
-Fuel pods
-Navigational/targeting etc. computers
-Shield generators
-Tractor beam units
-Onboard security bays
-Hangers/docking bays

The technology era is kinda Aliens (so dark industrial, not too futuristic). Any ideas you may have, throw em up. Cheers.


Back to top
Profile PM
Tinyschu
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 31st Dec 2005
Location: Toxin Games Studio
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 17:03 Edited at: 10th Aug 2007 17:05
Link
Don't forget the trusty computers!

Make the computers with hologram display or just standard LCD displays.

EDIT. Woops, I didn't see that you put it in already, I must have skipped it.

Give me a little bit to think here, and I will come up with something.

EDIT 2. How about hologram keyboards! That would be something to see.

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Grandma
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Dec 2005
Location: Norway, Guiding the New World Order
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 17:12
Link
Wouldn't be a spaceship without life support systems, oxygen replenisher, gravity drive or a master AI. And don't forget the all-important recreation-deck.

This message was brought to you by Grandma industries.

Making yesterdays games, today!
Back to top
Profile PM Email
jasonhtml
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 20th Mar 2004
Location: OC, California, USA
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 17:43
Link
you gotta have a biosphere-like system to grow food if you are going on a very long space journey

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Damokles
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 28th May 2003
Location: Belgium
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:07
Link
And where do they eat ? And where do they keep the food anyway ?

- Mind the gap -
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Apr 2005
Location: The Fifth Plane of Oblivion
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:20
Link
Racetrack? Medi bay? Hidden black market between modules?


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
Back to top
Profile PM Website
bitJericho
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:20
Link
Don't forget gps! er... galactic positioning system

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Apr 2005
Location: The Fifth Plane of Oblivion
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:22
Link
Relative Spacecraft-Entity Positioning System

Erm...
RSEPS.


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
Back to top
Profile PM Website
bitJericho
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:25
Link
Don't forget the medical room either! I'd hate to be in space without a proper surgery table

You need communications devices as well. And a lavatory...

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Grandma
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Dec 2005
Location: Norway, Guiding the New World Order
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:27
Link
Watch a couple of battlestar Galactica episodes and you'll be set. If a real-life spaceship needs something, then it's omboard the Galactica.

This message was brought to you by Grandma industries.

Making yesterdays games, today!
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Fallout
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:33
Link
Actually, I have got into Battlestar recently. It's good quality sci-fi, fo' sho'!

Btw, my list up above was not meant to be comprehensive. It was ideas of the sort of level I'm looking at.

Liking many of the suggestions, but not a bloody hollodecks/recreation room/whatever! I like to keep things vaguely plausible.


Back to top
Profile PM
bitJericho
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 18:42
Link
Quote: "Liking many of the suggestions, but not a bloody hollodecks/recreation room/whatever! I like to keep things vaguely plausible."


You gotta at least have a cantina!

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
French gui
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 11th May 2004
Location: France
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 19:06
Link
Quote: "And where do they eat ? And where do they keep the food anyway ?"


... and if they eat they... well, you know!
Back to top
Profile PM Website
Inspire
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 23rd Dec 2006
Location: Rochester, NY
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 20:08
Link
Quote: "Liking many of the suggestions, but not a bloody hollodecks/recreation room/whatever!"


I was just about to post about a holodeck.

Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Agent Dink
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Mar 2004
Location:
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 20:14
Link
A small science lab?



Back to top
Profile PM
KYP
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th May 2005
Location: 01110000
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 20:17
Link
Watch Jimmy Neutron. You'll get a ton of "ideas" (like a hydrogenated sodium carbonation ray)

You'll eat a muffin. You'll eat it and LIKE IT!!!
Back to top
Profile PM Email
PowerSoft
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Oct 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 20:32
Link
Don't forget the beer...

The Innuendo's, 4 Piece Indie Rock Band
http://theinnuendos.tk:::http://myspace.com/theinnuendosrock
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
IanM
Retired Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 11th Sep 2002
Location: In my moon base
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 20:41
Link
Escape pods, cryogenic/stasis chambers, communications, engineering/biology/science lab.

For free Plug-ins and source code
http://www.matrix1.demon.co.uk
New Utility plugins collection
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Insert Name Here
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 20th Mar 2007
Location: Worcester, England
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 21:14
Link
Ejector seats!
Not to escape with, obviously. To propel the most irritating guy on board with when he get's too drunk from powersoft's beer.

(N-1)/n*100<n2/n-n/2+n/4*2+100
Back to top
Profile PM
David iz cool
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2005
Location: somewhere lol :P
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 23:31
Link
i didnt see engines (u have propulsion)


my suggestions:

beam weapon modules
structural components of ship
docking bay
mechanical robot unit generators
backup propulsion
light speed stability modules
missle bays
photon bays
extra living quarters
anti space phenomena science sections
Back to top
Profile PM
NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Apr 2005
Location: The Fifth Plane of Oblivion
Posted: 10th Aug 2007 23:47
Link
Crawlways. Don't forget them. They can create a real feel of claustrophobia and fear of no escape.


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
Back to top
Profile PM Website
Matt Rock
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Mar 2005
Location: Binghamton NY USA
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 01:07
Link
I was going to say Escape Pods, and tie that into the game "Pod 9" with some funny anecdote about how they might glitch, but Ian beat me to mentioning it, so no quirky joke for you


Text Adventure Competition 2007
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
CattleRustler
Retired Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Aug 2003
Location: case modding at overclock.net
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 03:25
Link
beer!


My DBP plugins page is now hosted [href]here[/href]
Back to top
Profile PM
Jess T
Retired Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 20th Sep 2003
Location: Over There... Kablam!
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 05:34
Link
Quote: "not a bloody hollodecks/recreation room/whatever! I like to keep things vaguely plausible."


Who says it's not plausible?
The ships that I've been on have rec-rooms with a foosball table, a media room, chillout lounges. Really basic, in a small room, but it's somewhere to go and kick back for a break. Doesn't necessarily have to include holograms!

Nintendo DS & Dominos :: DS Dominos
http://jt0.org
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
dark coder
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 6th Oct 2002
Location: Japan
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 07:44
Link
You find Tractor beams and shields plausible but not holodecks?

Back to top
Profile PM Email
Fallout
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 12:51 Edited at: 11th Aug 2007 12:56
Link
Quote: "You find Tractor beams and shields plausible but not holodecks?"


No, I just find them more plausible. Shields, some crazy fabrication of energy that isn't really possible, but vagule plausible ... and tractor beams ... some method of attracting matter, like a magnettic force that works on all matter. But holodecks - recreating an entire world in a small room, complete in every detail using holograms that you can touch? ... I need a lie down.

Quote: "beer!"


Have a big case of no!! I'm feeling the effects this morning and as a result have decided beer will be illegal throughout the fleet.


Back to top
Profile PM
Damokles
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 28th May 2003
Location: Belgium
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 13:09
Link
Well, then it's surely not a belgian fleet.

- Mind the gap -
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Insert Name Here
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 20th Mar 2007
Location: Worcester, England
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 13:13
Link
At least champange?

(N-1)/n*100<n2/n-n/2+n/4*2+100
Back to top
Profile PM
dark coder
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 6th Oct 2002
Location: Japan
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 13:33
Link
Based on your ideas I've extrapolated the ideal design for this ship.



Back to top
Profile PM Email
Fallout
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 13:57
Link
Suspiciously close to how I envisaged it.


Back to top
Profile PM
Grandma
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Dec 2005
Location: Norway, Guiding the New World Order
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 14:37
Link
HAHAHA! Grandma almost got a stroke from that sketch. It's perfect!

This message was brought to you by Grandma industries.

Making yesterdays games, today!
Back to top
Profile PM Email
CattleRustler
Retired Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Aug 2003
Location: case modding at overclock.net
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 14:59
Link
Quote: "I'm feeling the effects this morning and as a result have decided beer will be illegal throughout the fleet"

gah, lightweight!

My DBP plugins page is now hosted [href]here[/href]
Back to top
Profile PM
PowerSoft
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Oct 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 15:11
Link
Nice one Dark,

The Innuendo's, 4 Piece Indie Rock Band
http://theinnuendos.tk:::http://myspace.com/theinnuendosrock
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Scraggle
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Jul 2003
Location: Yorkshire
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 15:18 Edited at: 11th Aug 2007 15:23
Link
You haven't mentioned the Bridge (unless that is what you mean by Command Centre?)
Captains ready room
Captains/Crews/Passengers quarters
Sick Bay
Galley
Head
Random corridors
Engineering shafts
Engine Room
Shuttle Bay
Stella Cartography
Meeting Room
Landing Struts - If you plan on having an external view
Airlock - The source of many great nail biters
Gym - Do people work out in space?
Bar - Of course they work out ... so they can flirt in the bar
Lift/Elevator/Turbo Lift - Call it what you like, you still need it
Windows (not the Microsoft variety but the kind you see through)

... and of course you will need a darkly lit room filled with slime and rusty panels that serves no real purpose other than hiding ugly man-eating alien beasties
.



Back to top
Profile PM Email
Libervurto
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Jun 2006
Location: On Toast
Posted: 11th Aug 2007 16:46
Link
I think you should have a computer system that checks the status of everything (shields, life support, etc) then if that computer goes down the player has no information about all of the ships systems.

Have a look at naval ships and submarines, they'll have similar things.

Your signature has been erased by a mod because it was rubbish.
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Back to top

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2024-11-19 01:25:55
Your offset time is: 2024-11-19 01:25:55