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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 3:26 am
by ffutures
Disembodied wrote: Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:17 pm
Well, we can hitch a lift with Howard de Campo, owner and pilot of the Chili Bird, from Vesta to the Moon (from Larry Niven's "The Patchwork Girl"). We've come a long way to go not very far – but at least there's more destinations available from Luna …
Well played! I don't think I've seen that move since the '07 tournament, but it's perfectly valid, and does open up a lot of possibilities.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:00 pm
by Cody
We can get from Luna to Earth via Iron Sky (I think).

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:16 pm
by ffutures
OK, that gets you back to Earth on the third move after travelling with the Rolling Stones, so I think we're out of the Tribble/Trumble zone, and it opens a lot of possibilities for the next move. But I have to remind everyone that visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:25 am
by spud42
not sure what the rules are for this game... but i can get to the destination in 1 book from earth....
are we trying to make as many hops as poessible?

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:07 pm
by Cody
Rules? No rules! Go for it, spud!


And I can get from Mars to Alpha Centauri in one book!

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:34 am
by RockDoctor
Cody wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 11:14 am
I do so hope that Humph is somehow watching from above!
Dodging and getting Samantha to give him a rub-down.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:45 am
by RockDoctor
spud42 wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:25 am
not sure what the rules are for this game... but i can get to the destination in 1 book from earth....
are we trying to make as many hops as poessible?
Part of the point of Mornington Crescent is that the rules change to ensure that no listing of the rules can encompass all the moves legally played before the establishment of any particular edition of the rulebook.
Yes, that does mean that the Rule Book must expand (considerably?) faster than the (conceivable or conceived?) Universe.
I would advise not pressing "Print" on the rulebook. Definitely not if you've got an inkjet.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:47 am
by RockDoctor
ffutures wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:16 pm
visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!
Don't go into Huff. You wouldn't like it in Huff.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:54 am
by RockDoctor
ffutures wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:16 pm
OK, that gets you back to Earth on the third move after travelling with the Rolling Stones, so I think we're out of the Tribble/Trumble zone, and it opens a lot of possibilities for the next move. But I have to remind everyone that visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!
I'm going to play the "throw the dice where they ricochet at lethal velocity" tesuji with Tau Zero by ... Poul Anderson? As the ship accelerates it gets towards the point where (in a finite and closed universe) it will be passing through all points in the universe (and probably all times too, but that requires a bit more maths. Probably) in a short period of time.
"Bang" - Earth ; "bang" - AlphaCen ; (several more bangs) "bang" - debris of Earth ; "bang" - debris of Alpha Centauri.
Unfortunately, I don't remember if AlphaCen was specifically named. But at one point the "bangs" were the Tau ship trashing galactic superclusters, so I'm pretty sure they'd have "visited" Earth and AlphaCen in any one encounter.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 3:01 pm
by spud42
looks like i might have been gazumped but ....

Robert Silverberg. Revolt on Alpha C 1955 his first book.

"The story takes place in the year 2363. The protagonist is Cadet Larry Stark, a 20-year-old, fresh graduate of the Space Patrol Academy who comes from a long line of Space Patrol commanders. As the story begins, he is embarking on the customary final training cruise on the interstellar ship Carden. At the end of this cruise, he will be awarded a commission as officer of the Space Patrol. The ship makes the four and a half light-year journey to the star Alpha Centauri in a span of 15 days using the faster-than-light overdrive. The fourth planet orbiting Alpha C, an earth-like planet inhabited by dinosaurs, has been colonized 125 years earlier."

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:03 pm
by Cody
<chortles> It's a cut-throat game, is Mornington Crescent.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 10:52 pm
by ffutures
RockDoctor wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:54 am
ffutures wrote: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:16 pm
OK, that gets you back to Earth on the third move after travelling with the Rolling Stones, so I think we're out of the Tribble/Trumble zone, and it opens a lot of possibilities for the next move. But I have to remind everyone that visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!
I'm going to play the "throw the dice where they ricochet at lethal velocity" tesuji with Tau Zero by ... Poul Anderson? As the ship accelerates it gets towards the point where (in a finite and closed universe) it will be passing through all points in the universe (and probably all times too, but that requires a bit more maths. Probably) in a short period of time.
"Bang" - Earth ; "bang" - AlphaCen ; (several more bangs) "bang" - debris of Earth ; "bang" - debris of Alpha Centauri.
Unfortunately, I don't remember if AlphaCen was specifically named. But at one point the "bangs" were the Tau ship trashing galactic superclusters, so I'm pretty sure they'd have "visited" Earth and AlphaCen in any one encounter.
Tricky... but I'm going to have to go by the plot here - the ship travels in what appears to be a straight line AWAY from our local galactic group, consuming huge amounts of time though the crew don't perceive it due to relativity - eventually, after billions of years, the universe collapses then undergoes another Big Bang. I think it's fair to say that Alpha Centauri is not likely to exist by the time the collapse occurs, because our galaxy would presumably collapse first - and the ship is described as not taking part in the Big Bang, it somehow stays out of it and intact into the next universe, so wouldn't interact with any bits of primordial dust that might once have been Alpha Centauri. It was a good ingenious attempt, but I don't think I can accept it.
spud42 wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2020 3:01 pm
looks like i might have been gazumped but ....

Robert Silverberg. Revolt on Alpha C 1955 his first book.

"The story takes place in the year 2363. The protagonist is Cadet Larry Stark, a 20-year-old, fresh graduate of the Space Patrol Academy who comes from a long line of Space Patrol commanders. As the story begins, he is embarking on the customary final training cruise on the interstellar ship Carden. At the end of this cruise, he will be awarded a commission as officer of the Space Patrol. The ship makes the four and a half light-year journey to the star Alpha Centauri in a span of 15 days using the faster-than-light overdrive. The fourth planet orbiting Alpha C, an earth-like planet inhabited by dinosaurs, has been colonized 125 years earlier."
OK, that's a valid move, and you avoided the obvious pitfalls by using an FTL drive. A lot less dramatic than RockDoctor's move, but I think slightly more legal. Your turn!

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:33 am
by spud42
give me 5 animals like the worms in Dune that spice is harvested from. obviously normal rules. you cant use dune...
5 different authors... yada yada yada...

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 11:45 am
by Cody
Samlon?

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 12:40 pm
by cbr
exogorth, wormish slug