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Space Marines: Used or Shiny Future?

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RedneckRocker First Loyalty: Yourself from None Of Your Business Since: Jan, 2001
First Loyalty: Yourself
#1: Mar 23rd 2011 at 8:25:10 AM

So, I'm designing a universe (for my RPG group) in which I basically threw Aliens, Contra and Starship Troopers in a blender (with a splash of Halo and Clone Wars for flavor). The Marines wear Powered Armor that's a blend of Master Chief's suit and the Dead Boy armor from Rifts (in other words, not exactly up to going head-to-head wih Tony Stark). Some soldiers make mild customizations to their gear, like soldiers in Vietnam.

The question is, should their vehicles/weapons/etc. be all sleek and shiny, like in Star Trek, or grungy, a la the Millennium Falcon? Or possibly a hybrid of the two? (Rookie soldiers are often nicknamed "Glitters", since their armor is "just out of the box", so to speak).

edited 23rd Mar '11 8:26:18 AM by RedneckRocker

Embroiled in slave rebellion, I escaped crucifixion simply by declaring 'I am Vito', everyone else apparently being called 'Spartacus'.
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#2: Mar 23rd 2011 at 9:02:31 AM

That's really up to you. I mean, it's a pretty fundamental part of the setting. Unless there are more considerations involved than you've mentioned, I don't think we can really offer you good advice one way or the other.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
MC42 Tempus Omnia Iudicat Since: Oct, 2010
Tempus Omnia Iudicat
#3: Mar 23rd 2011 at 9:25:43 AM

Given that they're marines, a used future would work better. Shiny futures a la Star Trek typically have everyone on their clean ships taking care of problems from a distance without getting their hands dirty. On the other hand, you could make a point of depicting the space navy as being clean and pretty and taking care of problems from a distance by sending in the marines to do the dirty work.

"Thorough preparation must lead to success. Neglect nothing."
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#4: Mar 23rd 2011 at 12:40:48 PM

Slightly Used Future, those suits are going to pick up nicks and dents in no time.

Wanderhome The Joke-Master Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
The Joke-Master
#5: Mar 23rd 2011 at 3:38:36 PM

I'd recommend looking at real military equipment for referrence. Even brand-spanking-new stuff isn't shiny, but tends to come in dull, subdued colors. On a battlefield, you don't want to be wearing something eye-catching. Real life military gear doesn't tend to be falling apart though, either, even if it is really old. Stuff might get dented and scratched, but professional soldiers don't let it fall apart.

tl;dr: Military stuff should come in subdued colors because shiny is bad for camo. Old stuff will certainly show its age, but probably be well-maintained.

RedneckRocker First Loyalty: Yourself from None Of Your Business Since: Jan, 2001
First Loyalty: Yourself
#6: Mar 23rd 2011 at 5:19:26 PM

Well, the armor design we've thought of is dark green plating on top of a skintght black jumpsuit, though it can be "programmed" to change color (similar to Naked Snake in MGS 3 having different camouflage outfits). Some cosmetic customizations allow a color system for certain things (like Pilot, Medic, Sniper, etc).

Embroiled in slave rebellion, I escaped crucifixion simply by declaring 'I am Vito', everyone else apparently being called 'Spartacus'.
Blurring One just might from one hill away to the regular Bigfoot jungle. Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
One just might
#7: Mar 24th 2011 at 3:15:03 AM

Made the platings having matte finish. So they wouldn't be all shiny even when new.

If a chicken crosses the road and nobody else is around to see it, does the road move beneath the chicken instead?
AirofMystery Since: Jan, 2001
#8: Mar 24th 2011 at 3:33:56 AM

You know what? Go with shiny. We never get to see Space Marines in a shiny future, but we've seen Spess Mehrens in a used future a hundred times before.

SavageHeathen Pro-Freedom Fanatic from Somewhere Since: Feb, 2011
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
#9: Mar 24th 2011 at 7:04:24 AM

Mass Effect? 'Twas plenty shiny.

You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#10: Mar 24th 2011 at 12:24:07 PM

You know what? Go with shiny. We never get to see Space Marines in a shiny future, but we've seen Spess Mehrens in a used future a hundred times before.
Real Life militaries don't go for shiny either, so why should future ones?

Durazno Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#11: Mar 24th 2011 at 2:57:48 PM

Why shouldn't fictitious space marines go shiny?

If RR feels the need, he can give it the same kind of handwave deep space naval battles and laser swords get.

MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#12: Mar 24th 2011 at 3:47:59 PM

Deep-space naval battles makes sense, planetary orbit ones don't so much, unless you can actually get into planetary orbit without the defenders taking pot-shots at you.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#13: Mar 24th 2011 at 4:10:39 PM

[up]Let's not get into that right now, or the thread is likely to be hijacked by space warfare armchair theorists.

I agree that regardless of whether your future in general is Shiny or Used, realistic Space Marines will likely go with the Used look.

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#14: Mar 24th 2011 at 6:18:57 PM

Notes:

  • since there isn't a whole lot of debris in space, any starcraft that does not pass through an atmosphere's going to be pretty clean.
  • any starcraft that does pass through an atmosphere and lands, etc, will eventually collect dirt.

edited 24th Mar '11 6:20:17 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
RedneckRocker First Loyalty: Yourself from None Of Your Business Since: Jan, 2001
First Loyalty: Yourself
#15: Mar 24th 2011 at 6:24:08 PM

So, in other words, the main ship would look (reasonably) "out-of-the-box", but the Drop Ship (like the Pelican or Starbug) would accumulate wear and tear. I guess that'd work.

Embroiled in slave rebellion, I escaped crucifixion simply by declaring 'I am Vito', everyone else apparently being called 'Spartacus'.
annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#16: Mar 24th 2011 at 6:26:39 PM

The main ship may not necessarily be shiny, especially if that's not the aesthetic US Marines want. But it's not likely to get dirty, though, that's for sure.

  • Also, your main ship can get away with being sphere-shaped and having artificial gravity* .

edited 24th Mar '11 6:31:21 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#17: Mar 24th 2011 at 6:32:29 PM

There may not be much dirt out in space, but micro-meteorites will scuff up your gloss-paint/chrome-steel finish in no time.

annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#18: Mar 24th 2011 at 6:35:58 PM

[up] Micro-meteorites, eh? -does research-

-comes back- And thus there would not be any point in keep your ship all glossed up, unless you plan on coating it with diamond or something.

EDIT: Generating artificial gravity on a spherical ship would not be necessary—make the ship spin on an axis, and the inside wall of the sphere becomes the surface on which you stand.

edited 24th Mar '11 6:40:36 PM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#19: Mar 25th 2011 at 9:18:25 PM

At relativistic speeds, even colliding with hydrogen atoms is a problem, and interstellar space is full of them.

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#20: Mar 28th 2011 at 7:14:35 AM

Making your ship shiny is actually a pretty good idea; it helps reflect heat, which is a big deal in space, given that vacuum is an insulator.

On the subject of micrometeorites, your answer is Whipple shielding. Basically, a layer of tinfoil placed a small distance away from your hull proper causes micrometeorites to vaporize, which means your hull doesn't have to deal with nearly as strong an impact.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#21: Mar 28th 2011 at 12:08:12 PM

Making your ship shiny is actually a pretty good idea; it helps reflect heat, which is a big deal in space, given that vacuum is an insulator.
That being so, why do NASA and all the other space agencies use matte-finish radiators?

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#22: Mar 28th 2011 at 1:04:55 PM

Because radiators are a different beast than normal hull; they have to be able to radiate heat efficiently, after all, while otherwise you just want to have them avoid picking up radiated heat. (Radiators are positioned edge-on to the sun when possible anyway, to avoid exposing their cross-section to said radiated heat.)

The space shuttle in general really isn't a good example of an efficient space craft; most of its design is focused on reentry and recovery than the actual being-in-space bits. It's really not supposed to go anywhere in space, just get up to space and return again.

edited 28th Mar '11 1:06:09 PM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#23: Mar 28th 2011 at 1:22:42 PM

The ISS uses matte-finish radiators as well, as do all long distance space probes like Cassini-Huygens and Galileo. the finish on the radiators makes absolutely no difference to the radiators' efficiency.

RedneckRocker First Loyalty: Yourself from None Of Your Business Since: Jan, 2001
First Loyalty: Yourself
#24: Mar 28th 2011 at 6:05:21 PM

I'm not really planning on focusing on the technical aspects of the gear. Basically, we've got the ships (capable of traveling approximately a max of 1 light-year per day), we've got the Powered Armor and weaponry; that's all we need to know. Occasionally, some Techno Babble might be thrown around, but that's all.

Embroiled in slave rebellion, I escaped crucifixion simply by declaring 'I am Vito', everyone else apparently being called 'Spartacus'.
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