What do you use to help with design?

[rhoenix]

Following my failed idea of heavy-fighter wankage in the Star Wars forum, I started re-examining some of my story ideas from different angles. I found my old GURPS books, and the GURPS Space book in particular. It has an excellent section on starship design that I like enough to use as a helpful template for designing stuff.

Are there any templates or crutches you use to make writing or the flow of ideas easier?

[Hawkwings]

Atomic Rocket

It helps on technical stuff. Creative stuff I just spin up from nowhere. On occasion, the technical stuff spurs the creative stuff.

[Feil]

1: Figure out how you want combat in the universe to be.
2: Design a technology base and technology type that will make that form of combat the most effective possible.
3: Design the ships that best employ that technology, taking into account cost, volume, staying power, speed, and killing ability. You'll probably want many classes of ships.

If you are working in someone else's universe, the first two steps are already done. Learn the universe cold, then cary on to step three (or, if you're working in the same universe and the same time period, use existing ships wherever possible).

[rhoenix]

http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/index.html

It helps on technical stuff. Creative stuff I just spin up from nowhere. On occasion, the technical stuff spurs the creative stuff.

This is great reading, especially while my shift is winding down at work. Thank you again for the link, I'm definitely saving this.

1: Figure out how you want combat in the universe to be like.
2: Design a technology base and technology type that will make that form of combat the most effective possible.
3: Design the ships that best employ that technology, taking into account cost, volume, staying power, speed, and killing ability. You'll probably want many classes of ships.

This is more or less the same process I was using to design a fleet, until I hit upon various stumbling societal and psychological stumbling blocks. This idea started as a StarCraft Protoss spinoff, and is rapidly changing from the ground up.

This is comforting that we're on the same page as far as process, though.

If you are working in someone else's universe, the first two steps are already done. Learn the universe cold, then cary on to step three (or, if you're working in the same universe and the same time period, use existing ships wherever possible).

And here you've directly pointed at the heart of the problem. In my case, for me to be able to have an idea and simply let it congeal, I'd have to know the universe and details within it better, in some regards, than I know how we understand reality to function now.

I'm not complaining, as this is a somewhat fun process, but as you say, to know one's universe of choice "cold" is the only way for me, as otherwise I'd (as a writer) fall into the classic Trek trap of "U.S.S. Make-shit-up," which for consistency reasons alone I'd rather avoid.

[Feil]

Whose universe are you writing in? Maybe I or someone else can hook you up with links to get you started.

Research is unavoidable, no matter what your universe. People can help you find information, and they can patch holes if you make mistakes, but there's no substitute for research.

[rhoenix]

Whose universe are you writing in? Maybe I or someone else can hook you up with links to get you started.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure at this point. I've plotted out a tentative new species based on human over about a millenium, with quite interesting things, but then again, this was written as another medium to allow me to play with "psionics" of the Protoss (now...not so much) in a sci-fi.

At first, I was going to have a Star Trek/Protoss crossover to basically have the Force in the Star Trek universe, but I realized that was more or less reinventing the wheel with different scenery.

So, my next idea was to catapult a small refugee sampling of the Protoss populace into the fringes of the Star Wars universe, circa the birth of the Galactic Empire. However, as I started going over the details of the different aspects, I was coming up with far, far too many questions about the Protoss themselves, biologically, psychologically, sociologically, and of course technologically. There were far too many gaps in the histories of each, requiring theories to fill the gaps - which grew to be a giant patchjob. The idea in this case of "upgraded" Protoss craft in combat with Empire craft was intriguing, but the many questions I had about the Protoss as a people more or less killed it.

Now, I've figured out a way to get a humanoid species to develop into more or less the same direction as the Protoss (in that they speak telepathically, and much of their manipulation of their technology requires one to be psionic to even use, let alone use with any skill), but I'm unsure of where to drop them that a millenium or two of quiet progress wouldn't be noticed. Granted, it doesn't have to be even a full thousand years, but to have credible advancement of them as a people, as a species, and as a technological power, it would require a generous length of time to develop.

But the tentative plans I have for them would be fun to write adventures with them as characters.

So, in short - I'm still deciding.

Research is unavoidable, no matter what your universe.

Completely agreed. One might be able to tell what direction I was plotting in by a few of the posts I've made in the Star Wars and Star Trek forums.

My Traveller thread was to use the Travellers as a plot device to basically train the first Jedi (with a different name, of course) in the Star Trek universe. But...quite honestly, it fell flat as an idea.

My fighter tech questions in the star wars universe were also to get ideas for ships and ship design, but also for the intent of the ship. Wookiepedia was invaluable for giving varied ship examples, and some sample figures to measure with.

People can help you find information, and they can patch holes if you make mistakes, but there's no substitute for research.

Quite true, and agreed. Making shit up as you go along to cover your own ass is sloppy, and isn't very satisfying to write. For me, learning as much as I can about pertinent details involved provide natural bounaries within which to explore - you can't see all the ways you can twist things without knowing what is possible and probable.

[Coalition]

So, my next idea was to catapult a small refugee sampling of the Protoss populace into the fringes of the Star Wars universe, circa the birth of the Galactic Empire. However, as I started going over the details of the different aspects, I was coming up with far, far too many questions about the Protoss themselves, biologically, psychologically, sociologically, and of course technologically. There were far too many gaps in the histories of each, requiring theories to fill the gaps - which grew to be a giant patchjob. The idea in this case of "upgraded" Protoss craft in combat with Empire craft was intriguing, but the many questions I had about the Protoss as a people more or less killed it.

Now, I've figured out a way to get a humanoid species to develop into more or less the same direction as the Protoss (in that they speak telepathically, and much of their manipulation of their technology requires one to be psionic to even use, let alone use with any skill), but I'm unsure of where to drop them that a millenium or two of quiet progress wouldn't be noticed. Granted, it doesn't have to be even a full thousand years, but to have credible advancement of them as a people, as a species, and as a technological power, it would require a generous length of time to develop.

One way for the Protoss to get SW technology (if that is what you mean), is a simple colony ship crashlanding on a Protoss held planet. The Protoss manage to keep them alive, and the colonists teach the Protoss how to use the tech (turn the med computer on, look up necessary data, etc).

The Protoss learn about the technology, and the humans have a new ally.

The location could be a small cluster away from the main galaxies of SW, a small grouping of planets that the original colonists wanted to use to be away from everyone.

The Protoss would use their own robotics technology to construct buildings (Protoss equivalent of an Industrial World), allowing them to build up their forces, though population forces a rough upper limit on their capabilities. Their capital world would be heavily industrialized to construct their buildings, with extensive shipyards overhead building ships. Lots of warp gates as well, to send the buildings/ships/troops to the designated targets also.

One sneaky method for Protoss psionics would be an elevator with the same switches we currently use, but those switches are hidden behind a panel. The Protoss 'touch' the buttons either telepathically (sensitive circuit), or telekinetically (push the button). But for a human, all they see is a blank panel, and the elevator somehow knows which floor the Protoss wants.

[rhoenix]

One way for the Protoss to get SW technology (if that is what you mean), is a simple colony ship crashlanding on a Protoss held planet. The Protoss manage to keep them alive, and the colonists teach the Protoss how to use the tech (turn the med computer on, look up necessary data, etc).

The Protoss learn about the technology, and the humans have a new ally.

Thankfully, I've still a few notes from that idea - my basic idea was that members of the Alliance find them first, they establish some friendly communication but no trade or allying. The Empire meets them, and the Protoss tow the flagship of the Empire expeditionary force (the only undestroyed one of the fleet) back to their planet, take it apart, and figure out hyperdrive with the help of the ship's computers.

After that, I can make a reason the Empire wasn't able to commit as many forces as it would have liked at Endor - the Protoss and Rebels were tying up too many Empire ships somewhere else.

The location could be a small cluster away from the main galaxies of SW, a small grouping of planets that the original colonists wanted to use to be away from everyone.

Actually, that would work out better than my original idea - I didn't have a specific location in mind yet for them.

The Protoss would use their own robotics technology to construct buildings (Protoss equivalent of an Industrial World), allowing them to build up their forces, though population forces a rough upper limit on their capabilities. Their capital world would be heavily industrialized to construct their buildings, with extensive shipyards overhead building ships. Lots of warp gates as well, to send the buildings/ships/troops to the designated targets also.

Yes, though I had slightly different ideas for some parts of this - essentially, they'd be taking over an entire solar system within about 50-75 years of first landing there, and perhaps spreading a bit further.

One sneaky method for Protoss psionics would be an elevator with the same switches we currently use, but those switches are hidden behind a panel. The Protoss 'touch' the buttons either telepathically (sensitive circuit), or telekinetically (push the button). But for a human, all they see is a blank panel, and the elevator somehow knows which floor the Protoss wants.

See, now that's just good clean fun. I was planning on having quite a few normal amenities like this, but I admit I didn't think of the elevator idea. That's a damn good one.

Well, thanks to your reply I'm thinking about this idea again. I'd have to do some definite patchwork in the Protoss history, heritage, technology and so forth to get them as a people viable enough to write about, but this might still be done. Since today is the last day of my work week, I'll be thinking about this today, and over my weekend.

[Coalition]

One sneaky method for Protoss psionics would be an elevator with the same switches we currently use, but those switches are hidden behind a panel. The Protoss 'touch' the buttons either telepathically (sensitive circuit), or telekinetically (push the button). But for a human, all they see is a blank panel, and the elevator somehow knows which floor the Protoss wants.

See, now that's just good clean fun. I was planning on having quite a few normal amenities like this, but I admit I didn't think of the elevator idea. That's a damn good one. ;)

Not mine, actually.

Got it from the Mechanoids game put out by Palladium. The Mechanoids' stuff is all controlled telepathically or telekinetically.

The basic scene involving the elevator was when a bunch of characters get chased into an elevator, and they try to push the buttons. They stare in shock at the blank walls, while Mechanoid combat robots close in. A psionic reads the elevator, and finds out the secret. So they have to hold off the bots, so a tech can use a cutting torch to cut away the panel, in order to flip a switch.