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#26 2004-08-10 10:26:23

MSP
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Registered: 2004-08-04
Posts: 11

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

I suggest that you include a template for a settlement the size of New Euthenia (see http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm ).

Scott,

Thanks for the interesting suggestion.  I'm not sure if the sim is far enough along for domed settlements or not.  Also I don't think the sim is capable of handling that many settlers as your New Euthenia would support.

I do think a domed settlement would be very interesting but currently we're working with more rudimentary settlements.

Thank you.  I'll put a link to your web site on out project web site's link page if you don't mind.

Scott Davis

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#27 2004-08-10 10:44:51

MSP
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Registered: 2004-08-04
Posts: 11

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

Rxke,

DERF: The Mars Analog stations are only errrr.. half analog.They don't have to make their own air, for starters.
But they're great to use as a basis to fine-tune the model on, at least parts of it (like how much energy does the greenhouse need, how much food does it produce?)

The '"Mars Direct" settlement template is quite similar to the Mars Analog stations, and I'm sure we could learn a lot from the data from those stations.

Scott G Beach: the sim has not yet an implementation for geometrically placed buildings. A base is a virtual group of buildings, each with its own function (you could/can make a base with say one habitation module, 52 greenhouses and 120 nuclear reactors, if you wanted to, but then you don't have enough housing for the people that need to run the place etc...) and it calculates various numbers like energy out/input, food production etc...

Right.  We don't have dimensions or relative position for buildings in a settlement yet.  I'm a bit worried that it might add a lot of complexity to the configuration files, but we may try to add it later and see.

Once the sim has the ability to allow new buildings to be added, i guess it will really fly, then it's just a matter of writing some extra stuff in the simulation files to make a lot possible (got lots of idea's, that i want to try, heehee... And pretty sure it is doable, even I'm not a JAVA programmer, that stuff looks like scripting- more than programming language...)

You can definately add more buildings in the "buildings.xml" config file.  Buildings are defined by what functions they provide and there are a set list of possible building functions.  These functions are hard-coded but may have parameters that can be set.  The functions were designed around the Mars Direct reference mission, and we may want to add more of them later.

Check out the simulation configuration guide on the website (under the "user guide" link).  It's a bit rough as I'm not all that good at documentation, but it might help.

Scott Davis

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#28 2004-08-10 11:07:36

MSP
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Registered: 2004-08-04
Posts: 11

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

Does the settlement location make any difference at this point?

Though I suppose we don't have enough "real data" on Mars to say where there won't be water, it would seem logical that the settlements closer to the poles will have an easier time of that...

I was actually thinking of making it so that ice prospecting missions in the polar regions would have shorter driving distances and faster collection rate for ice.  (Ice in the simulation is actually dirt/ice mixture)

If we do more with the concept of mining in the simulation, it might be interesting to create resource maps on Mars where miners would have to go to collect the resource.

Currently settlements in the polar regions have a problem in that it is dark there for a good part of the year due to Mars' tilt.  This makes rover missions and EVA's slower and more dangerous.

Another aspect of settlement location is the difficulty of the surrounding terrain.  Rovers travelling around the settlement might have to negotiate difficult cliffs. 

Three example settlements are located near difficult terrain:
Pavonis Base is located on top of Pavonus Mons.
Olympus Scarp is located at the base of Olympus Mons.
Canyon's End is located at the mouth of Valles Marineris.

Scott Davis

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#29 2004-08-10 21:16:35

Free Spirit
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Registered: 2003-06-12
Posts: 167

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

Not sure how it works, but if you have the non-docs treating, you may wish to run a variable where they make the situation worse.

Especially if our good intentioned non-docs are attempting major surgery.  It would probably be preferable to just die in that situation than to be opened up by a bunch of amateurs and then die!


My people don't call themselves Sioux or Dakota.  We call ourselves Ikce Wicasa, the natural humans, the free, wild, common people.  I am pleased to call myself that.  -Lame Deer

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#30 2004-08-11 07:39:30

Rxke
Member
From: Belgium
Registered: 2003-11-03
Posts: 3,669

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

to be opened up by a bunch of amateurs and then die!

Heehee...

Well if you look at the config and AI files (forgot which...) you see that people have a medical skill assigned to them, wich can improve by learning. If their skills are too low they won't attempt (ie: start) surgery.

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