www.ditl.org

Yeah, I'll have to catch it on Hulu too........thankfully Hulu's got my back

Tyyr wrote:You've gotta reduce the pool though. You've got 39 to choose from for the first but then 38 for the second 37 for the third etc. At the end the last two can be any of the 39 if I've got the dialing protocol and basics from movie right.

1,024,890,895,108,080 combinations in total using a 9 digit address of which 7 must be unique pulling from 39 symbols.

Of course the fun part is that not all of the combinations can be properly used. If you use the first four symbols (to determine horizontal/vertical), then you have to use a specific pair of symbols to select the final two stars. This could be a security system, to make sure only knowledgeable people use the stargate, but it does make it a limit.

Me, I'd have done something along the lines of either latitude/longitude, and a 5th for the origin point. The stargate then sends the wormhole along that vector, and connects to the first gate that it 'detects'. Another option would be just three symbols (forming a triangle) and the target system is at the center of the triangle formed. Additional symbols would tell if it was the 2nd, 3rd, or further.

This would allow for a rough front line, but additional symbols (that have to be researched) allow for deeper strikes.

There is definitely a lot of alternate arrangements possible. I based my calculation off of the way it was described to work in the movie. 6 points to define the destination and one for the origin. Numbers 9 and 8 would be sort of like the country and area code for the address.

I'm wondering if there was always this kind of plan, maybe not exactly for SGU but to have two extra chevrons free to use to greatly expand the gate system later on in the movie/show?

that's a good question...did the Stargate from the move have 7 or 9 chevrons...I can't remember

as to when the show is on: 9-8central

Awesome, I can watch Clone Wars with my boy, put him to bed, then watch Stargate.

Lt. Staplic wrote:that's a good question...did the Stargate from the move have 7 or 9 chevrons...I can't remember

It had nine, but the Emmerich-Devlin Gates sort of worked differently than the ones in the series, at least in the way it was dialed. It's possible that the chevrons on their gate played a different role, too.

OMG! I am actually excited for this series, it looks like it's going to be really good IMO. I actually watched it twice (the same one was on again right after the premier) last night.
I can't wait for more!

Tyyr wrote:There is definitely a lot of alternate arrangements possible. I based my calculation off of the way it was described to work in the movie. 6 points to define the destination and one for the origin. Numbers 9 and 8 would be sort of like the country and area code for the address.

I'm wondering if there was always this kind of plan, maybe not exactly for SGU but to have two extra chevrons free to use to greatly expand the gate system later on in the movie/show?

You are right, that is the way it was described in the movie. Unfortunately, it doesn't work as effectively. You can only select 5 coordinates, and the last one is forced on you. Figure you set up a X line (2 symboles), a Y line (2 more symbols), and you have to select the Z coordinate. You pick one star system, and the 6th one is auto-chosen (because you have to draw a line from the location symbol #5 represents, through the destination, to the star system on the other side). From there, you wouldn't need an origin point, as the coordinates work anyway. Given that the X and Y intercept, the Z line is not necessary.

If you have four symbols, you can select the star system, as you are drawing a line with the first two symbols, then a second line with the second two symbols, and where they intercept is the target system. This allows for cross-galaxy travel via single jumps (which is what the series went into). Unfortunately, this limits it to systems that line up appropriately.

Another use for four symbols would be the three for a triangle with the destination in the center, and the fourth would be the origin. Extra symbols would indicate if it was the 2nd, 3rd, etc after the first stargate found. This allows for travel beyond the coordinates listed, up to whatever stargate is found (and/or power available).

What the movie (and the show) describes is not an effective method for the travel. It might be designed that way for security, or controlling the development of species that rise up in the galaxy, but it is not that efficient.

There's also the fact that by only using 39 symbols you're incredibly limiting the possibly number of intersection points in the galaxy. Most of the gate combinations would just be jibberish.

Tyyr wrote:There's also the fact that by only using 39 symbols you're incredibly limiting the possibly number of intersection points in the galaxy. Most of the gate combinations would just be jibberish.

very true, then they limited themselves more in the Pegasus Galaxy (that Stargate only has 36 symbols)

something else I just found out is that of the 39 symbols on the MW stargates, only 38 are common between the different gates (and it is these 38 that are found on the DHD) the 39th symbol on ever MWSG is the origin planet symbol.

SGU was bad ass. I'm looking forward to next week.

I am watching it right now.

I'm not really sure how you "discover" something that's been sitting right on the gate the whole time.

Maybe they mean they "discovered" it's usefulness two years ago. *shrug*

Still ridiculous.

"Holy shit, these seven symbols do stuff! What about the other two?"
"Shut up and get back to work."

"Well damn, number eight does something cool... what about nine?"
"Nothing, it's there for decoration, GET BACK TO WORK."