 September 8, 2013 - 4:16am | The New Drake Equation http://www.space.com/22648-drake-equation-alien-life-seager.html apparently small stars with tidally locked rocky planets in the goldilocks zone are potentially inhabitable and coming to a stellar neighborhood near you (as close as 13LY to Earth). http://www.space.com/22558-alien-life-water-red-dwarfs.html http://www.space.com/18790-habitable-exoplanets-catalog-photos.html I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 8, 2013 - 2:03pm | Carl Sagan did a fantastic explanation of The Drake Equation. Check it out here . Just love the way old Carl said "BILL-ion". The depressing thing about this vid is F sub L, I think he is probably right with the former much smaller fraction for this element's value - and I guess that expains why there are only Humans, Yazarians, Vrusk, Dralasites, and the Sathar in the Star Frontiers universe!  |
September 8, 2013 - 4:12pm | Carl Sagan did a fantastic explanation of The Drake Equation. Check it out here . Just love the way old Carl said "BILL-ion". The depressing thing about this vid is F sub L, I think he is probably right with the former much smaller fraction for this element's value - and I guess that expains why there are only Humans, Yazarians, Vrusk, Dralasites, and the Sathar in the Star Frontiers universe! Jedion whispers, "Has no one told CmdrMic about Zebulon's Gudie?" Clearing his throat, "Actually the Star Frontiers Universe is overrun with sapient life. Beside the core four and the sathar there are also humma, osakar, ifshnit, saurian, zethra, zuraquor, clikks, mechanons, mhemne and eorna which all to some extent or another have interstellar flight. Then there are the primitives: ul-mor, kurabunga, edestakai, wypongs, snapes, lokuku, and one other from the Beyond the Frontier campaign. All of these have some degree of canon status as they were published by TSR. Ooops, I almost forgot there is also the tetrarchs which seem to have died 10,000 years ago. Naturally enough the zethra and the saurians are considered optional as they were presented as optional in Dragon Magazine articles. the Wypongs were presented in Ares or Polyhedron magazine cant remember which at the moment, "Layover on Lossend" which was a rather half baked encounter IMO. I tend to treat the wypong as a very intelligent animal with their sapience in dispute which lets me drop them form the list of sapient creatures and yet honor the canon material without really changing it. Zebs is of course the subject of much debate and dispute. Since your new to the boards I'll sum up the debate if I can. Zebs was rushed to publication in a half baked manner since they knew that the SF property was being killed by L. Williams in favor of a sci fi property owned by her family (Buck Rogers) so that she would collect royalty on everything printed (not on what sold) so there are a lot holes in it that dont hold water. In addition Kim Eastland intended to take SF in a gama world direction with the 3 planned Zebs Guide volumes. the column shift rule mechanic is of course dead and not worth using. Some people liked the new skill system but most consider it a little too fiddly. Most people will use some of or most of the equipment list with a few reservations, most people accept the new setting material in the form of megacorps, cults and cadres. The timeline is a source of endless griping and complaining- it contradicts a lot of things in the canon material and has a lot of holes and problems (there are threads around here discussing that) finally it introduced the Rim and 3 new races as well as re-crafted a robotic race from the Volturnus Campaign. Zebs is problematic and has a disputed pedigree- some people advocate ignoring it altogether but I contend that no one will really ignore it completely as almost everyone is bound to at least use the mega corps and cadre material in it and some of the equipment. BTW I believe it was Mr. Hahn, my 7th grade science and home room teach that played Carl Sagan's show in class for us, though I often as not watched it at home as it was one of the few shows my Dad and I were both interested in. And yeah you just have to love the way he says BILL-ion. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 8, 2013 - 6:28pm | Did you know there is an unofficial unit of measure called a Sagan? It represents at least 4 billion, as in "billions and billions". Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
September 8, 2013 - 7:21pm | Did you know there is an unofficial unit of measure called a Sagan? It represents at least 4 billion, as in "billions and billions". Thats kind of funny and probably a very touching tribute. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 9, 2013 - 9:15am | Jedion whispers, "Has no one told CmdrMic about Zebulon's Gudie?" That book does not count - it never did, and it never will. |
September 9, 2013 - 12:46pm | Wow, Jedion357; thanx for the correction! I guess I have much to learn. Well, as a beginner, I've been kind of ignoring the Zebulon's Guide, as I read something about it not really matching up or dovetailing well into the original game (as you mention). Still it sure seems rich in info though... Hmm. |
September 9, 2013 - 6:33pm | Well, to each their own. As much flack as we give the Zebulon's Guide, we still cherry-pick it for this and that. For example, as much as I don't like its timeline, I still incorporate the dates and events on the SF Wiki, I like the idea of an Age of Adventure to the point of making a project of it, and that future era at its tail-end of it sounds really nice, if only for all the sheer tops used by everyone.  |
