Colonization II - How long do you wait?

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

Some of the responses to my first interstellar colonization thread got me to thinking. Especially the responses from folks who decided they'd stay home until the technology improved.

So I have a new scenario. Imagine that you are now living in the First World, and you happen to know that work is being carried out to make colonization ships faster and faster. Imagine that you get to choose the maximum amount of time you'll get to spend on a starship before it reaches its destination.

The question is, what's the longest you're willing to wait? That is, how fast must a colonizing starship reliably go before you will consider getting on it? Assume that for really long trips, you'll spend it all in hibernation, and you'll get to play frontiersman. However, for faster trips, more of the destinations will be to reinforce already established colonies, with progressively fewer chances to play frontiersman.

We'll assume that your destination is some fixed distance away, like 25 lightyears.

[Zoink]

"N/A"

I don't want to live on another planet so I don't care how long the trip takes Earth is a pretty nice planet, imho.

[wolveraptor]

Actually, if the attrition rate was the same as it was for the previous thread, I'd want to get there so that the chance of my death would be under 1%. If you're excluding that, though, then I'd be willing to wait any length of time. It was just the 12% chance of dying that scared me off.

[Junghalli]

It would depend. I'd say if there was some kind of FTL in the works I'd wait for it to be perfected. I like the idea of still being able to go back if things don't work out. Also, I like the thought of being on the vanguard of the newborn Terran Empire, as opposed to going off to some mudball that won't get another visitor for decades or maybe centuries.

[Enforcer Talen]

Im quite happy to wait decades. one, I want to land in a fairly developed area, two, Im sure Ill be immortal.

[The Dark]

I'd be looking at the rate of improvement of technology, to prevent the overtake scenario. If it takes ten years now, but five years from now it'll only take three years, it's worth waiting, because the later ship will arive earlier.