05-01-2015, 12:22 PM
(05-01-2015, 07:17 AM)four Wrote: Assume the findings are true. What does this mean for OA?
I think this is a pretty big turning point for Orion's Arm. Do you continue adapting the past timeline to real-life events, even when they significantly alter the course of history, or is there a point at which you decide to stop following with real life and continue as an increasingly-retro 2000s sci-fi?
Because this finding would completely change the course of OA history.
It might not mean very much for OA at all and not do all that much in the way of changing OA history.
A drive that can shift satellites at much cheaper cost or allow for much faster interplanetary missions (or even low speed interstellar missions) wouldn't be all that different from what we already describe in the early timeline (in fact, in some ways it would make some things easier - an abrupt drop in the cost of space travel would help justify space travel taking off in the early timeline).
If this were to develop into something, it would necessitate tweaking some aspects of the setting re the type of propulsion used, but perhaps not much else. A lot would depend on to what degree and how quickly (and if) this sort of thing might develop into a useful drive and how powerful such a drive might be.
In the interim, I would suggest the best approach is to follow our normal course of action with this kind of thing - wait and see and keep on keeping on as we have been doing. If and when there are sufficient developments to justify making changes to the setting, we can discuss the situation and develop a course of action.
My 2c worth,
Todd