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10 lies video games tell us about outer space

Don't worry, we only mention space toilets once

Words: on October 25, 2012
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75 comments

  • JinHalloway - October 25, 2012 4:47 p.m.

    I have to disagree with number 8. Unless we figure out a way to make our plasma beams or missiles travel faster than the speed of light, ships would have to get close to one another in order to battle and have a reasonable chance of actually doing any damage to the other ship. Given how difficult it is for us to even figure out how to travel faster than light, let alone actually perform it, being able to do the same with missiles and plasma beams, which are too small/made of plasma to attach an engine capable of traveling faster than light, is fairly unlikely.

  • kyle94 - October 25, 2012 6:06 p.m.

    Honestly, I think space combat would involve mostly drones. We already have drones nowadays, so it isn't too difficult to imagine a system of catapulting small drones armed with a few missiles (or are missiles themselves) into space, have them activate boosters, and rocket towards a ship a large distance away while being guided, or having some sort of onboard computer. So, yea, it would be difficult and would take a while, but missiles and drones could work, as long as they're not dumb. (as in, unguided) Though, I'm not really sure what sort of defenses a ship could have. It is possible that railgun technology would be rather easy and miniaturized at that time, which means that they could shoot down missiles and drones when they get close enough. In that case, I'd imagine that ships would have to get closer.

  • theintellectual - October 25, 2012 10:27 p.m.

    For a given definition of 'close'. Space is pretty huge, and it's also unbelievably empty, so spotting anybody from a distance is going to be pretty easy, especially when they start an acceleration burn of any intensity. Shooting from across the solar system might be somewhat of an exaggeration, but combat distances would indeed be measured in light-seconds.

  • theintellectual - October 25, 2012 10:32 p.m.

    The amount of weapons you could mount on your craft would be severely limited by the amount of heat dissipation your craft can handle as well as the usual mass-to-fuel requirements. Your limited amount of railguns (which btw would be terrible as a point defence system. You're better off with lasers) could only intercept so many missiles at once before they become overheated, run out of ammo, or fail to intercept a single missile (which in any realistic scenario are going to be nuclear-tipped).

  • Andrew Groen - October 26, 2012 11:47 a.m.

    I see your point, but I think it's a mistake to take the "science always surprises us so it will continue to surprise us" route. There will eventually come a time when we've run out of tools to exploit in the universe. And we don't know when that time will come, or if future advancements will come in space travel at all.

  • alipsker - October 25, 2012 4:38 p.m.

    You wan to know about space. Check out the upcoming space game Cargo Commander. http://www.facebook.com/cargocommander.

  • Daruniah - October 25, 2012 4:20 p.m.

    Wasn't this an article Brett wanted to do?

  • mayday991 - October 25, 2012 4:09 p.m.

    I was enjoying the article up until number 10. Saying all life on earth is more interesting then alien life is pants on head retarded. Aliens are overrated? Go fuck yourself.

  • BladedFalcon - October 25, 2012 4:19 p.m.

    Because you've totally met an alien in real life, and can say that for a fact *rolls eyes* Also, FYI, if there are Aliens? they are most definitely not gonna be like any single of the species any human has described. Why? everything humans have used is stuff in their imagination, and their imagination is limited on what humans know already, every single alien described is science fiction has it's roots from something we already know. Bottom line, you have absolutely no idea what alien life looks like, and thus you can't really affirm if it'd be cooler or more interesting than what we already know.

  • Scuffles - October 25, 2012 5:05 p.m.

    If there are Aliens? I for one would be terrified if there aren't.

  • fattoler - October 25, 2012 5:20 p.m.

    I'd be rather chuffed if there weren't, think about it, every political and social group would get a planet of their own ergo no more bickering, seeing as we would all be isolated from each other with all the resourced we'd conceivably need. ...Or we would all just build death stars...

  • BladedFalcon - October 25, 2012 5:47 p.m.

    Well, neither you or I can know for sure, can we? I mean, I AM inclined to believe there must be, since I am not arrogant enough to think this whole massive universe only houses a tiny little planet with life. Still, until we actually MEET alien life, we can't really claim one way or another.

  • Acerlux - October 25, 2012 5:55 p.m.

    I think mayday991 is an alien in disguise and you've offended him. Way to blow your cover buddy.

  • Pwnz0r3d - October 25, 2012 7:46 p.m.

    I can assure you that every dinosaur that has existed is much more interesting than any alien life. If anything, the only alien life we'd probably see are dinosaur like reptiles, big monkeys, or bacterium, but you never know.

  • gopher1369 - October 26, 2012 5:01 a.m.

    Arthur C. Clarke?

  • BladedFalcon - October 26, 2012 5:11 a.m.

    Yes? what about him? Popular science fiction author, yes. Other then that, are you suggesting he has actually met aliens? :P

Showing 61-75 of 75 comments

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