Floating Cities

Ok, this might seem cliched but I think we should have floating cities. You know, just to give variety to the player.

If it's possible in real life, you can make it in the Tech Editor... with very few exceptions. As long as the player can think of some way to do it with the editor, there's no reason there couldn't be floating cities.

Xenopologist wrote:

If it's possible in real life, you can make it in the Tech Editor... with very few exceptions. As long as the player can think of some way to do it with the editor, there's no reason there couldn't be floating cities.

-"Baloon cities" on low gravity planets (gotrol's idea) : big baloon like structures filled with light gas with a city building on it or around it.
-Ship city : basicly a big flat space ship or air ship with a city built on it, with either jet reactors, rocket, anti gravitational reactor, etc to sustain it in the air.

Do you mean floating as flying, or floating as floating on water?

@Keen Originally I meant floating cities in the sky but this could just as easily refer to cities floating on water.

@Albalrogue Oh yeah, gotrol's artwork is really good.

I suppose this should be possible, but I don't understand, why would you go to all that trouble just to have a city that flies or floats (on water)?

Maybe you would have a flying city so it is mobile. But why do you need it to be mobile? We don't have mobile cities, it's a waste of time, money, and it would be noisy if it had engines. And they could fail and let the city fall to its death.

Flying cities are a bad idea if they aren't extra secure and require lots of energy (so, some huge balloon or ship-hull cities may be possible, but very costly to make).

Better alternative could be a giant vehicle, preferably a ship of some sorts (naval or space). Think colony ships. Sacrifice comfort for actually being realistic.

Commander Keen wrote:

Flying cities are a bad idea if they aren't extra secure and require lots of energy (so, some huge balloon or ship-hull cities may be possible, but very costly to make).

Better alternative could be a giant vehicle, preferably a ship of some sorts (naval or space). Think colony ships. Sacrifice comfort for actually being realistic.

We're not here to tell the player not to do stupid things. They'll figure that out themselves or die.

A reason why it could be a good idea to build floating cities is if the conditions on the surface have become to hostile/harid/inhabitable. Yet gets a cost. If that was the best option for the survival of you're species, would build one?

US_of_Alaska wrote:

We're not here to tell the player not to do stupid things. They'll figure that out themselves or die.

That is exactly what I want to see. Stupid players using fail logic wondering what they did wrong

But we still have to make sure it will be impractical. Possible, but useful only for showcase,

Albalrogue wrote:

A reason why it could be a good idea to build floating cities is if the conditions on the surface have become to hostile/harid/inhabitable. Yet gets a cost. If that was the best option for the survival of you're species, would build one?

Space colonies would be the best idea in that case, if you aren't planning to return any time soon, because it doesn't have to resist gravity. Just bring two of every organism along (for food, wood etc.).

The Uteen wrote:

Albalrogue wrote:

A reason why it could be a good idea to build floating cities is if the conditions on the surface have become to hostile/harid/inhabitable. Yet gets a cost. If that was the best option for the survival of you're species, would build one?

Space colonies would be the best idea in that case, if you aren't planning to return any time soon, because it doesn't have to resist gravity. Just bring two of every organism along (for food, wood etc.).

However, they might not have the possibility to go on other planets (not enough time or not advanced enough technologicaly). And They might find an inhospitable planet that has immence mineral value. Build flying cities and make automates go and collect the ressources to collect them.

Albalrogue wrote:

The Uteen wrote:

Albalrogue wrote:

A reason why it could be a good idea to build floating cities is if the conditions on the surface have become to hostile/harid/inhabitable. Yet gets a cost. If that was the best option for the survival of you're species, would build one?

Space colonies would be the best idea in that case, if you aren't planning to return any time soon, because it doesn't have to resist gravity. Just bring two of every organism along (for food, wood etc.).

However, they might not have the possibility to go on other planets (not enough time or not advanced enough technologicaly). And They might find an inhospitable planet that has immence mineral value. Build flying cities and make automates go and collect the ressources to collect them.

Aah... I see... In case of lava and acid... Expensive, but I do now see a reason.

Hang on, if the player knows there is valuable resources there, they must have technology resistant to whatever danger there is there... Use the material they are made with and you're fine making a colony there.

If they can't go to other planets yet, then maybe... I'm still not certain on what actual dangers would mean this is the best option...

If the player wants to do this, they should be able to. (They'll find some reason)

The Uteen wrote:

Albalrogue wrote:

The Uteen wrote:

Albalrogue wrote:

A reason why it could be a good idea to build floating cities is if the conditions on the surface have become to hostile/harid/inhabitable. Yet gets a cost. If that was the best option for the survival of you're species, would build one?

Space colonies would be the best idea in that case, if you aren't planning to return any time soon, because it doesn't have to resist gravity. Just bring two of every organism along (for food, wood etc.).

However, they might not have the possibility to go on other planets (not enough time or not advanced enough technologicaly). And They might find an inhospitable planet that has immence mineral value. Build flying cities and make automates go and collect the ressources to collect them.

Aah... I see... In case of lava and acid... Expensive, but I do now see a reason.

Hang on, if the player knows there is valuable resources there, they must have technology resistant to whatever danger there is there... Use the material they are made with and you're fine making a colony there.

If they can't go to other planets yet, then maybe... I'm still not certain on what actual dangers would mean this is the best option...

If the player wants to do this, they should be able to. (They'll find some reason)

Well there are loads of reasons for them to build floating cities, I'm not bothered to list them all though.

2creator wrote:

Ok, this might seem cliched but I think we should have floating cities. You know, just to give variety to the player.

I see no reason why not. It's technically possible, under the right circumstances.

P.S. BioShock Infinite much?

This brings me the idea of my mate... Can we have UNDERWATER cities?

You're verging on bringing back the debating over under water sapience... Eep.

To skip all the debating, possibly unsuccessfully, if you mean a city by our standard, then only if the creatures that made it originate from land. Otherwise they won't be able to get the technological and constructional capabilities. Stone-age cities (whatever they are like) will be all an underwater civilisation could manage.

The Uteen wrote:

You're verging on bringing back the debating over under water sapience... Eep.

To skip all the debating, possibly unsuccessfully, if you mean a city by our standard, then only if the creatures that made it originate from land. Otherwise they won't be able to get the technological and constructional capabilities. Stone-age cities (whatever they are like) will be all an underwater civilisation could manage.

\QFT
We no longer talk about underwater sapience, since it's just beating a dead seahorse.

Submarine cities designed for air-breathing organisms: cool, not necessarily practical.

Please no one start up underwater Sentience again, we just shot that topic.

There could be practical uses to flying/underwater cities. Both could be mobile cities that have more purposes than just being a city. Like the underwater city could also second as a mining station for easy access to goodies at the bottom of the ocean. And the flying city could second as a battleship or a colony vessel.

Well any floating/flying city could be used in a situation of over-crowding (no more room on land) but not a whole lot else. Of course it would be a better idea to colonize other planets if possible, or just live on a giant spaceship.

I remember from the misc. thread, I posted a question on planet spanning cities, like Coruscant from Star Wars for those of you familiar with the lore. Nick or one of the other devs confirmed that, I think. The base for a floating/underwater city would be just the thing for getting around the issue of planetary oceans, if you wanted to build a Coruscant in Thrive.

ThePoisonchocolate wrote:

Well any floating/flying city could be used in a situation of over-crowding (no more room on land) but not a whole lot else. Of course it would be a better idea to colonize other planets if possible, or just live on a giant spaceship.

Please do not necropost, especially with just a personal comment.

NickTheNick wrote:

ThePoisonchocolate wrote:

Well any floating/flying city could be used in a situation of over-crowding (no more room on land) but not a whole lot else. Of course it would be a better idea to colonize other planets if possible, or just live on a giant spaceship.

Please do not necropost, especially with just a personal comment.

Aw Belgium I forgot to look at the post date... not a particularly active section.

gona leave this sorted out, yes, you can do underwater cities and colonies, no, full underwater development of a race up to space isnt possible without achieveing fire and smelting of metals. it was discussed and the thread has been closed at last.

floating cities should be possible, but would require really advanced technologies, Bioshock Infinite is the worst example btw. a floating city would be just the same as an space colony/station, just at atmospheric level. this means you have to deal with pressurization, keeping it floating. it would require at least some sort of antigravity. the mass is too big to keep it floating with only lighter than air fluids and materials.

also this is a necropost, i'll ask someone to close it, better to ask this in the miscellanious thread.