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Navigation/Terminology - In SPAAACE!

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Sat, 2013-06-08 09:50

Dareon

Navigation/Terminology - In SPAAACE!

This is vaguely related to EP in that I'm having this issue while designing an adventure locale, but it's much more of a general physics, geometry, and terminology issue than anything directly related. Basically, I'm working with a toroidal space station. There are corridors that follow the curve of the station, potentially going all the way around without a break (You can travel spinward/antispinward on them). There are "horizontal" corridors perpendicular to the previous, which keep you in the same deck. Then there are "vertical" shafts that let you change decks within the station. I have no idea what to call any of these. I'm using thoroughfare, corridor, and shaft respectively as placeholders, and I'm pretty sure the word "transverse" applies to one of them, but I just don't have the vocabulary to even word a search properly.

Sat, 2013-06-08 10:25

Decivre

I absolutely agree. I have a

I absolutely agree. I have a very hard time describing relative directions and positions in the game. Usually I try to draw things out, but it might admittedly be a lot easier if I knew some terms in this topic. On a sidenote, our group did come up with basic directions for discussion system navigation. We use zenith, nadir, clock, counter, sunward, starward as basic "cardinal directions".

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Sat, 2013-06-08 13:26

King Shere King Shere's picture

Clock segments

Here is a crude method. Use a 12 hour clock face 12oclock "segment" would be the entrance/port from where the players came in. and then usually spin-ward = clockwise & anti spin-ward =anticlockwise. The nomenclature for "Tire" might also be useful for inspiration Rim floor, bead cealing, inner tube corridors - perhaps

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Sat, 2013-06-08 17:59

anth

Discworld

Discworld uses hubward and rimward for the directions to and from the centre. It also uses turnwise and widdershins, but I think clockwise and anticlockwise would be the obvious choice for the corridors going around the station. I've no suggestions for the third pair of directions.

Sat, 2013-06-08 18:37

CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture

anth wrote:Discworld uses

anth wrote:
Discworld uses hubward and rimward for the directions to and from the centre. It also uses turnwise and widdershins, but I think clockwise and anticlockwise would be the obvious choice for the corridors going around the station. I've no suggestions for the third pair of directions.

One of the interesting things about toroidal habitats is that it is extremely easy for people to build a referential frame to determine directions from. Due to the biological mechanics in play within the human ear, turning your head when in a rotational frame (such as in a toroidal habitat) provides a supposedly extremely noticeable 'tilt' effect that allows people to tell which direction the habitat is spinning. This is noticeable even at 'safe' diameters and RPM. So you can build your cardinal directions off of that. People will always know which way is 'Spinward', and which way is 'Antispinward'. Science fiction likes to use a lot of naval terms when describing space travel, and it happens to be a trope that I like. So I ended up using; Fore (Spinward) Aft (Anti-Spinward) Starboard (Right, facing fore) Port (Left, facing fore) Mast ('Up', towards centre) Keel ('Down', away from centre) So directions might sound like 'Go down three decks keel, head fore until the third starboard turn'. Actually, in my games people don't give directions any more ('Go here' as they send you the co-ordinates over the Mesh), but you get the point. I particularly like it because of the image of non-meshed individuals quickly shaking their heads to determine spinward before giving directions. It amuses me.

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Sat, 2013-06-08 18:36

anth

Orion's Arm - Banks Orbital

There is an [url=http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/4845ef5c4ca7c]Encylopedia Galactica[/url] article which has suggestions. Search for "Directions" (without the quote marks).

Sun, 2013-06-09 09:56

Dareon

Those last two posts are both

Those last two posts are both helpful, thank you. I can use those referents and just let my players deal with the fact that they're obsolete because the station's tumbling and "down" is now towards a corner. >:D edit: That's probably really silly, isn't it? No matter how the station is rotating about its axes, down would always be towards the exterior of the ring.

Sun, 2013-06-16 13:15

bibliophile20 bibliophile20's picture

Obligatory Schlock Mercenary

Obligatory Schlock Mercenary reference: http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2010-01-17 :)

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