Difference between revisions of "Megastructure"

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* While some megastructures are static (fixed), others are mobile.
 
* While some megastructures are static (fixed), others are mobile.
 
* Megastructures are rare and often unique (They inspire awe), so modern [[starship]]s are ''not'' megastructures despite being the product of "megascale engineering," or "astro-engineering," and their often enormous size.  
 
* Megastructures are rare and often unique (They inspire awe), so modern [[starship]]s are ''not'' megastructures despite being the product of "megascale engineering," or "astro-engineering," and their often enormous size.  
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** [[Starship]]s simply aren't rare in the [[Third Imperium]] or the rest of [[Charted Space]].  
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** [[Starship]]s simply aren't that rare in the [[Third Imperium]] or the rest of [[Charted Space]].  
 
** Unique or noteworthy [[Starship]]s are noted elsewhere.
 
** Unique or noteworthy [[Starship]]s are noted elsewhere.
  

Revision as of 14:26, 27 August 2015

A Megastructure is a colossally-large structure built for various reasons, but usually for reasons of prestige or technical accomplishment.

Megastructures have the following basic properties.

  • Megastructures can be built on planets or in open space.
  • Megastructures are sophont-made.
  • Megastructures are a product of technology.
  • While some megastructures are static (fixed), others are mobile.
  • Megastructures are rare and often unique (They inspire awe), so modern starships are not megastructures despite being the product of "megascale engineering," or "astro-engineering," and their often enormous size.

Description

A Megastructure is a very large sophont-made object.

The actual definition of a megastructure is highly disputed by Imperial scholars. Some only apply the term to especially large or tall buildings while others only feel that the term should apply to enormous structures built in space such as Highports. Others define a megastructure as a self-supporting artificial construction. And even others only feel that a megastructure should be qualified as a product of "megascale engineering" or "astro-engineering."

Whatever a megastructure is, they are tremendously impressive, and modern, interstellar states (polities) often build megastructures for prestige or to achieve impressive engineering or technical goals.

History & Background (Dossier)

Megastructures can be built a early as TL-1, but these early constructions are not very impressive compared to later megastructures.

Some of the first megastructures built on Terra (Earth or Sol System) in ancient times were called the "Wonders of the World."

These included:

  • 1. A Garden Ziggurat
  • 2. A Gigantic Lighthouse
  • 3. A Gigantic Statue
  • 4. A Gigantic Temple
  • 5. A Gigantic Tomb
  • 6. A Great Wall
  • 7. Several Pyramids

Many of the ancient Terran megastructures were later destroyed in the incessant conflicts that characterize early Terran history.

Megastructure Representative Types

Megastructures are mostly commonly built on terrestrial planets or in space.

  • Some structures are not built on terrestrial planets, but are still entered into the Terrestrial (Planetary) Megastructures category.
  • Some of these structures might be located on inhabitable moons, or non-terrestrial planets.

All entries also indicate the Tech Level that was required to build the structure.

  • For structures using a Tech Level above the (TL-15) capability of the Third Imperium, this TL rating is often estimated.

Some entries are marked in a bold font.

  • These entries represent unique structures or structures specific to Charted Space.
  • These unique structures, whenever possible, indicate the builder and/or owner with the preposition "of". (i.e. The Moot Spire of the Third Imperium)
  • These entries also typically indicate the location of the unique structure with the preposition "at". (i.e. The Ancients Ringworld at Leenitakot).

Terrestrial (Planetary) Megastructures

Some kinds of terrestrial megastructures include:

  • Manufacturing (Industry) Infrastructure (TL-4+)
    • Planetary Nanofac Network (TL-19+)
  • Military Infrastructure (TL-1+)
    • Defensive Megastructures (Great Walls, etc.) (TL-2+)
    • Planetary Defense Meson Gun Emplacements (TL-11+)
  • Planetary Communications System (TL-7+)
    • Ansible (TL-19+) (FTL Communications System)
  • Weather Control (Climate Control) Infrastructure (TL-10+)
    • Atmospheric Scrubbers (TL-8+)
    • Cloud Seeding (TL-8+)
    • The Pesta-wasakeswasa (Weather Control Installations) of Wesaswek (TL-10+)

Megastructures in Space (Vacuum)

Some kinds of megastructures, located in space, include:

  • Planetary-Scale Megastructures
    • None known.

References & Contributors (Resources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
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