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SFGirl
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Planetary parameters
Any other SF writers on the board yet? I need to know if this planet sounds feasible: a large global ocean, two polar continents, and small equatorial volcanic island chains as the only other land masses.
Any obvious problems?
Sherry
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Reading: Best of F&SF 50th Edition
Writing: editing "Summer of The Widows"
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1/12/2005, 10:41 pm
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Uncle Mac
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Re: Planetary parameters
The planet sounds pretty feasable so far.
If you wantto get into specifics of your planet, I found a planet generator spread sheet which can give you the specifics of your planet based on the information you provide.
---
Jay M. Hurd
Author - Ascension: Book One of The Alliance Chronicles
ISBN# 1-4137-3709-9
http://ascension.pfrpg.org
Working on: Avenging Angel & The Migichinan Sourcebook
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1/13/2005, 12:35 pm
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McDoogle
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Re: Planetary parameters
Hey SF Girl,
Sorry this is going to be a bit of a vague reply but...I know I've read a SF book somewhere that was based on all water planet! (And no, it wasn't the movie WaterWorld! ) I think it was Solaris by Stanslaw Lem. But I'm not sure about that... You know...the writer of the highly respected comically funny SF book: "The Cyberaid". 
So your planet is definately feasable!
Go for it!
McDoogle
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Now Race Reading vs. nephew: Furies Of Calderon
Slightly Writing: 'Resume for a Gladiator' (2005 novel)
Watching: Pushing Daisies (X- Canceled!!)
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1/13/2005, 1:03 pm
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SFGirl
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Re: Planetary parameters
Okay, that's good. It's just for a short story, so I'm not going to go too deeply into the worldbuilding. Although I'd like that link if you have it, Jay. What I specifically need for the story is a world that has only winter in its habitable areas. So I thought that configuration might do the trick.
Thanks,
Sherry
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Reading: Best of F&SF 50th Edition
Writing: editing "Summer of The Widows"
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1/13/2005, 3:22 pm
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Uncle Mac
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Re: Planetary parameters
I'm looking at this spread sheet more. It appears to have been designed for use with the FASA Star Trek RPG from the '80's. I don't think it will help you much, I'm afraid. The way it's written is to generate completely random planets with random life forms.
This may help if you're trying to build a race from scratch as a sci-fi story starter, but I doubt it will help with an established idea.
Your best bet is to just continue on your line of thought. You've obviously know what you want and are looking for, and and can probably answer most of your questions by skimming through some geology text books.
If you need any help as far as some in depth astrometric data, let me know. I might be able to tailor this spreadsheet to give you that.
---
Jay M. Hurd
Author - Ascension: Book One of The Alliance Chronicles
ISBN# 1-4137-3709-9
http://ascension.pfrpg.org
Working on: Avenging Angel & The Migichinan Sourcebook
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1/13/2005, 3:48 pm
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Firlefanz
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Re: Planetary parameters
Anne McCaffrey used a simliar type planet for her "Powers that be" series. As far as I remember, it had two basically polar land masses and little in between.
(It was the series about the sentient planet.)
I have no idea what ocean currents would do for the climate in such a scenario. I know a guy I meet online who could answer that, and I'll ask him as soon as I get hold of him. 
Last edited by Firlefanz, 1/16/2005, 11:08 am
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1/16/2005, 11:06 am
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Firlefanz
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Re: Planetary parameters
Right, I caught him, and here's his answer:
"... the volcanic chain is unusal like that, but it's not neccessarily impossible. It's just a quite unstandard configuration. Ie, leaving ramdoness to work, it wouldn't come up oftently."
(He's Dutch, forgive his English.)
We talked on, and another problem came up: Climate.
This planet must not have an ice age, because that would probably freeze over the continents, covering them in glaciers. That in turn means, there must be no build-up of snow. Which means that the snow must melt away in summer, or you get a really cold ice world, incapable of sustaining life. That implies temperatures well above zero for a certain time of the year.
In addition, our own Antarctica has a circumpolar ocean current, keeping it even colder. This can be prevented by a landmass jutting south or north respectively, which would have an even more temperate climate, of course.
All this means your planet would have a short summer and plant growth, most likely.
Would that still work for you?
Last edited by Firlefanz, 1/16/2005, 4:25 pm
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1/16/2005, 4:00 pm
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SFGirl
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Re: Planetary parameters
Thank you, Firle! I just need the only habitable areas for humans to be year-round wintry regions. Actually, that's going to change by the end of the story, so this information might be really, really helpful. It would have been easier if that was all that was available, but I'll just come up with another reason they can't live anywhere else. [Sherry puts on her thinking cap and goes off to be alone...]
I might be back with more questions for your friend yet...and yes, you know what this story is for. 
Sherry
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Reading: Best of F&SF 50th Edition
Writing: editing "Summer of The Widows"
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1/16/2005, 10:11 pm
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Firlefanz
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Re: Planetary parameters
Well, it so happens I'm also using a foreign world, but it's not all winter. Just the region that matters.  Wow! You just helped me think of a title for my story! Weeeh!
I can get hold of my friend easily, so more questions are not a problem at all. He's a student of geosciences, and just started his first novel, too. He loves to help out.
--- - Firlefanz
Reading: "Sword-Dancer" by Jennifer Roberson
Rewriting: "The Cloth-Merchant's Daughter", 2nd Lar Elien book
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1/17/2005, 5:38 am
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Uncle Mac
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Re: Planetary parameters
I haven't gotten into too many specifics of the world(s) featured in my book yet, but I've got an idea of the three main ones featured.
The Migichinan Homeworld, where much of the action in my first novel is taking place, is a semi-arid place. It ranges from arid at the equator to the northern and southern 38th parallels, then gets gradually cooler to a climate simliar to the Pacific Northwest of the North American continent when you get closer to the poles. The planet has only about 50% water coverage.
New Jordance, featured in my second book Avenging Angel, is similar to Coruscant from Star Wars. The planet is mostly an urban sprawl. The atmosphere is maintained techonolgically.
Meridia, the third world to be featured, is more or less similar to Earth.
---
Jay M. Hurd
Author - Ascension: Book One of The Alliance Chronicles
ISBN# 1-4137-3709-9
http://ascension.pfrpg.org
Working on: Avenging Angel & The Migichinan Sourcebook
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1/17/2005, 4:42 pm
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