Nautical v.s. Aeronatical Terminology

[rgrove0172]

Historically sci-fi setting paint spacetravel and combat with a nautical tone. Ships turn to "port", move "ahead 1/3" and fire on targets to their "stern" or "starboard".

2300 seems at times to have a very NASA feel to it, IMHO, and there is a good argument that the future of spaceflight will pattern its terminology after current air-space technology, or develop its own rather than borrowing naval terms and perspectives.

Thoughts?

 

[mike wightman]

In the SG1 TV series it was the airforce that got to fly the starships that were built in the later series.

I always thought that was pretty original since, as you say, most sci-fi has the space navy fly the ships.

 

[rgrove0172]

Ive been researching and making a list of aerospace terms, some remotely familiar to even the most casual of space fans, to sort of lend the right atmosphere to the game. Drop some phrases like..

Your pilot performs a 10 minute OTM (Orbital Trim Maneuver) and establishes a Clark orbit (geostationary)

The Maser looks fried and we are barely getting anything on the HGA, High Gain Antennae. At this speed the doppler is a real bitch as well. We wont be hearing from anybody for a while.

Give us a 30 degree right azimuth on the bouy and see what another hour at that heading does for us.

even if not technically accurate, they appear just scientific to be "cool" and really lend some atmosphere, helping the players see 2300 in the right light.