Starships, Explosions, and Mortgages

[Fritz_Brown]

Originally posted by kaladorn:
I've got straight razors that Grandad used in 1918 in the Trenches.

They haven't been used much, eh? Otherwise, I would think they would be down to the nubbins!

whartung, I think that is (IMHO) the reason the OTU has somewhat of a kluged appearance on the players side. The system (computer-based) for which I am a contractor has been around for going on 10 years. We have to field a change to the software partly because nobody supports the OS versions, database versions, etc. with which it was originally fielded any more. And, we have to field new hardware partly because we can't actually get the hardware that will run the old OS's, DB's, etc. anymore. And, to sustain us through fielding the new system, we are having to start scrounging for the old hardware when it breaks. Somehow, I think that is a human nature thing, and won't change in 53 millenia, much less 53 centuries.

 

[roygbiv]

Originally posted by Fritz88:
And, to sustain us through fielding the new system, we are having to start scrounging for the old hardware when it breaks. Somehow, I think that is a human nature thing, and won't change in 53 millenia, much less 53 centuries. [/QB]

We don't have true rapid prototyping. And your hardware manufacturer (who may not be in business any longer) doesn't have an 11,000 world market to saturate.

I guarantee that there will be a thriving business in "after market" parts for extremely popular ship classes such as the Iiken, Marava, and Beowulf.

 

[RainOfSteel]

roygbiv mentioned the magic phrase, "rapid prototyping".

I can easily imagine high tech engineering shops containing equipment that can literally grow (by whatever weird process) whatever parts are necessary. Such things exist in limited format today at TL-8, and at TL-12, it's going to be a different story. (At TL-15, woo-hoo!)