Human Xenium Alternatives

[Metalfrenchtoast]

You know, you'd really think the human side of such a conflict would try and expand beyond a finite resource such as Xenium, coming from somewhere across the galaxy WITH the enemy. It would only make sense that they create some power source of their own independant of Xenium. Also, frankly, Xenium is waaaay overused in ideas to create high-tech weaponry, as Fuxor mentioned. Let's not forget that V1+ is completely in our creative hands, and we shouldn't let ourselves go stale with old ideas. I propose a discussion of Xenium alternatives that are also scientifically feasable, taking into account but not completely assimilating alien tech. Hope this goes somewhere!

[Snakeman]

There's always room for expanding on ion technology, nuclear, fusion or fission I would think or even traditional rocketry. If an expansion or sequel would utilize a wider play arena in our solar system if not the frontier where the aliens came from, that only adds to the argument you've made for fallback technologies since the xenium is limited.

 

We're only ever going to find it in piecemeal quantities in our back yard anyway as we do missions.

 

However, someone once made an interesting argument for the Silacoid rock creature thing. The idea was something along the lines of having it create either alien alloys or xenium as a byproduct from the stuff it has eaten.

 

It might be a cool alternative to think about too in case there wasn't a supply line the aliens used from the frontier to here, or even instead of them simply sitting on a very huge stockpile.

[Metalfrenchtoast]

I think Ion technology would be really cool. Have you seen the ion thrusters around today? It uses beams of ions accelerated to high velocities to propel a craft. Also, the specific impulse is very high, meaning less matter is needed to cause propulsion. On the flip-side, you actually need more energy to create that kind of efficiency. Perhapse with a powersource based on alien powersource principles, the same idea could be adapted into some kind of Ion Beam weapon.

 

 

That's right.... I use wikipedia.... what about it? <_>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_propulsion

Edited August 28, 2006 by Metalfrenchtoast

[Snakeman]

I'd seen a Science channel thing one time, I forget the name of the craft, but it had a shaky start (something about very fine debris mucking up its startup of its ion drive in the beginning stages). The ship's mission was to check out this asteroid and was I think the first time the ion drive tech was implimented.

 

Far as I know it was a success, but I haven't a clue where they are now in terms of advancing it along. I think the problem ion propulsion has right now is that it takes quite awhile to get up to speed, but once its achieved your looking at a decent cruising speed.

 

For the purposes of the game I'm thinking a hybrid propulsion system with others as redundancies is good. i.e. use rocket fuel or xenium to give you your initial speed boost, then have it switch to nuclear or ion for your cruise speeds.

[Robo Dojo 58]

The problem with ion drive is... get this... the power source! An ion drive takes lots of power and doesn't give much thrust in return. Conventional power sources weigh down an ion drive so much, that you barely get any more power from the whole setup. Never mind that ion craft can't lift themselves off the ground, they'd have trouble moving if they were on rollers!

 

The problem with nuclear fuel would come from world treaties and public protests against that. Nuclear fuel is a VERY unpopular option for anything that flies.

 

However, something that COULD work very well: Xenium ignited fusion. A massive problem with fusion stems from starting the ignition in the first place, and containing it is another problem. Alien composites can go a long way to providing the raw material needed for a chamber, and the Xenium would provide the ignition source. It would still be too large for anything that flies, but might prove useful for a base facility perhaps? I guess it doesn't really matter how useful it'd be for the public, though.

[Metalfrenchtoast]

Right, but I meant utilizing ion technological knowlege in general to create some kind of Ion weapon, not a thruster, and I'm sure they could figure something like that out combining their current knowlege with what they've learned from dismantling acquired alien tech.

 

Edit: Would there be any way to create some kind of Ion-based power source?

Edited August 29, 2006 by Metalfrenchtoast

[Snakeman]

Another option in terms of power requirements could be about just using a boat load of sophisticated batteries. While an angle like this may mean that you'd have a cumbersome ship layout to make room for all the early generataion of equipment onboard, I think its a good thing, cause if we're talking ships here I think having a lot of hull choices for this is good anyway.

 

Utltimately though, I think the size and scale of any alternate power sources or propulsion is going to dictate which hull choices will be open to you and how much equipment and people you could keep on board as well as dictating what other capabilities it'll have. So naturally miniturization would come into play for your hull choices too at some stage.

 

On the alien dependence on xenium, I wonder if it isn't just strictly a source of power and fuel - maybe there are other power source ideas that we can come up with that power things like their nav consoles and such that advance our own battery or power source concepts in a different direction in combination with what we already know about.

 

For example a battery backup system (hybrid most likely) to a xenium power source could have something to do with minimizing fuel consumption. This way, maybe the only time you burn any xenium is when you change course or accelerate beyond a minimum cruising speed for burning too much at a faster rate. While this idea could stretch out the use of xenium much longer, its still heavily dependent on this element.

 

Ships would have to get exponentially bigger probably to allow for alternate propulsion methods - because if you run out of xenium you'll need to still be able to move some how in an ideal hybrid setup. Nuclear (while politically and environmentally unacceptable) would still be the most reliable Earth based way to get around, but I think there'd still be room for ion or roceketry working in tandem with it to make up some of the loss associated with a xenium only setup.

 

Something else to consider - sources of fuel for things like rocketry other than Earth in combination with an ability to perform interceptions from low gravity environments like the Moon. I think locations like this would be great for Interceptor space based hybrids or Avenger hybrids. Low gravity environments for bases seems logical all around when considering most fuel consumption issues.

[gu35s]

I have been thinking. If it is just a base facility, maybe player can construct a powersource for the base. Like by using human-alien hybrid tech, player can build a deep thermal reactor and supply power to the base. Then maybe Laser defense power output can be boosted to be as powerful as plasma with less maintenace cost. And since the base will be generating it's own power, maintenace cost of each facility will be lowered. But that wouldn't help with alien tech weapons or craft though.

 

Perhaps by enhancing the available human tech, such as solar or nuclear power plant, is a possibility. Again by hybrid tech nuclear reactor combined within, and supercell solar collector created using alien composites can be attach on the craft, the craft can fly longer range. For example, even though the fuel for nuclear reactor is gone, the backup solar collector will generate enough power for a lower speed flight. Or if the craft is hover/patroling over an area, it would only use solar power. In daylight, it would mean unlimited flight time.

 

Low Yield Nuclear Warhead Missle covered in alien composite shell that is able to direct blast instead of area explosion. I know that Xenium is supposed to be better than nuclear, but I think if we nuke an alien ship, it will still go down no matter what. (except for that stupid octopus alien from some martian movie who sucked the nuclear blast like a bong pipe ....)

Edited August 29, 2006 by gu35s

[kashyyk]

How about cold fusion?

[sir_schwick]

I have been thinking. If it is just a base facility, maybe player can construct a powersource for the base. Like by using human-alien hybrid tech, player can build a deep thermal reactor and supply power to the base. Then maybe Laser defense power output can be boosted to be as powerful as plasma with less maintenace cost. And since the base will be generating it's own power, maintenace cost of each facility will be lowered. But that wouldn't help with alien tech weapons or craft though.

 

Perhaps by enhancing the available human tech, such as solar or nuclear power plant, is a possibility. Again by hybrid tech nuclear reactor combined within, and supercell solar collector created using alien composites can be attach on the craft, the craft can fly longer range. For example, even though the fuel for nuclear reactor is gone, the backup solar collector will generate enough power for a lower speed flight. Or if the craft is hover/patroling over an area, it would only use solar power. In daylight, it would mean unlimited flight time.

 

Low Yield Nuclear Warhead Missle covered in alien composite shell that is able to direct blast instead of area explosion. I know that Xenium is supposed to be better than nuclear, but I think if we nuke an alien ship, it will still go down no matter what. (except for that stupid octopus alien from some martian movie who sucked the nuclear blast like a bong pipe ....)

 

Funny enough I could imagine a really low yield, i.e. really small, warhead on a modified AAMRAM. It is hilarious that aliens who can travel between stars cannot manage to fool a human made AAMRAM. With Alien Alloys and Alien Electronics, you could have some pretty bad-arse missles. Just make sure that stuff is detonated well outside Earth orbit.

 

How about cold fusion?

 

You must be from Utah

[Level]

Why must he be from Utah?

[sir_schwick]

In the late 80's Feleischman and Pons from the University of Utah had a press release to announce they had acheived cold fusion. What was so dubious about the process is that their data and research had not gone through any peer review process before the press release.

[zaimoni]

In the late 80's Feleischman and Pons from the University of Utah had a press release to announce they had acheived cold fusion. What was so dubious about the process is that their data and research had not gone through any peer review process before the press release.

While they might have found some interesting electrochemistry (platinum-group metals are the basis of the most reasonable hydrogen-storage tanks...much safer than direct pressurization), they set themselves up for instant condemnation by not looking for the gamma rays that are (empirically) a consequence of fusion.

 

No gamma rays, so no fusion. Simple.