It seems, BBGoode, that perhaps you are reading too much into the game vs reality.
Here is a reality, WE cant possibly travel 16LY distance in a matter of minutes. Yet in the game i can do it easily. if i wanted to go crazy i could do it in a matter of seconds (based on my corp's current equipment and science techs).
Now, since the very basic concept of this type of space travel is already incredibly impossible (if it is not, please show me the math that allows it), i cant see why you have any objections to the rest of the concept with game the mechanics of "time/speed" mathematics.
The concept of a ultra-rare (i believe they call them type 1a and 1b, though many other factors can cause other stellar phenomenon to occur) star going supernova which in turn excites the cold gases in space to start more star births, as well as fuses elements which cant normally be produced in stellar systems normal life-cycles, is not only fact, its evidenced and accepted among the smarter of our scientists. The simple fact that gold exists, as well as platinum, uranium and other heavy element on our very planet which is not produced by our own sun is evidence enough that we picked up our rocky mantle and elements from the final breath of a dying (catastrophically dying) star or stars. (or maybe God put it all there to give us miners a hobby)
It is also known that the time line to this happening is relatively quick (in universal time) from birth to death for these stars to re-emergence of new stars (a few hundred million years)
So now we come to the crux of the matter, that it takes only mere weeks to accomplish this in game. Who would play a reality game where a game turn took 100 million years to play? We could all start it, but none of us would finish 1 turn lol. If i can travel at an incredibly fast (faster than light) speed, then why not have all the other stellar factors also accelerated to keep in some sort of equal time-line?
And i guess, to add some real math to ii lets look at einsteins special relativity theorum, about the faster you travel, the slower time moves outside of the vessel as observed from outside. Plug in the fact that i can move the same distance in 15mins that it takes the speed of light a whopping 15.86 years to accomplish, chances are by the time i reach my 15ly destination, a billion years (give or take, not going to run the calc here. will take too long haha) would have elapsed from an outside observer's point of view, thereby justifying in the time-line of the supernova and re-incarnation model.
it already has to deal with the fact that AUs are used completely wrong. Isn't an AU the distance from the sun to Earth? I will check that
Indeed, an AU (astronomical unit) is the distance measure from the earth to sol (invented because the earth is the centre of the universe and everything revolves around it
) Not sure what you mean by used completely wrong though. I personally dont even look at an AU. if the road map says its 4.3AU to the system from safe point, who am i to argue? i just click on the engage button. The two dimensional imagery of the system is probably more concerning with the sizing ratios in screen for mind haha.
We can all poke fun at models and time-lines and reality, but in the end, come on guys, this is a game and it is already very slooooowwwwwww....dont bring in more doses of reality lol
"brought to you today by your local reality assessor"
Dadds.
