Place of the Week: Coruscant

[Monroe]

In truth, though, there's something that doesn't sit quite right about the idea of "Planetary X" - be it a planetary city, swamp, forest, ocean, desert, or whatever. Planets should be diverse.

I agree with most of those - it simply doesn't make sense that a single environment should come to dominate the whole planet and it remains inhabitable.

City-planets are a slightly different matter because they're artificial - while there's no reason why a single natural environment should come to dominate, a planetwide city is at least a vaguely plausible (if unlikely) outcome of urban sprawl.

I agree. Though Ocean worlds are very likely. We have found one ourselves (Remains to be seen if its water or ice). I think though that city planets aren't as far fetched. If transportation can be made cheaply enough I don't see why a dozen agriculture worlds couldn't feed Coruscant.

[Mikey]

Although it's a dismal depiction, I like the idea of the hive worlds in WH40k. The whole surface isn't given over to sprawl, but the major hives are much like Trantor or the lower levels of Coruscant.

Except Holy Terra, there isn't even an ocean. They've been consumed and city built on them.

There were other hive worlds with oceans... in the Eisenhorn trilogy at least, that I can recall offhand.

[Aaron]

There were other hive worlds with oceans... in the Eisenhorn trilogy at least, that I can recall offhand.

Oh indeed, I was trying to say that Holy Terra was the exception amongst hive worlds. I'm pretty sure that even Armageddon had an ocean.

[Graham Kennedy]

In truth, though, there's something that doesn't sit quite right about the idea of "Planetary X" - be it a planetary city, swamp, forest, ocean, desert, or whatever. Planets should be diverse.

I agree with most of those - it simply doesn't make sense that a single environment should come to dominate the whole planet and it remains inhabitable.

City-planets are a slightly different matter because they're artificial - while there's no reason why a single natural environment should come to dominate, a planetwide city is at least a vaguely plausible (if unlikely) outcome of urban sprawl.

I agree. Though Ocean worlds are very likely. We have found one ourselves (Remains to be seen if its water or ice). I think though that city planets aren't as far fetched. If transportation can be made cheaply enough I don't see why a dozen agriculture worlds couldn't feed Coruscant.

Wasn't saying that a city spanning planet is impossible, my comment was more about the desirability of it.

On transporting food, if you can cheaply ship enough food to feed a population like that, then you can just ship the people around instead. That way you don't have a city planet and nine agricultural ones to support it, you just have ten worlds that are each 10% city with a lot of commuting between them. Advantages are that your population has fast and easy access to oceans and green spaces, plus it's ten times harder for a natural disaster or war or whatever to kill your population.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Though Ocean worlds are very likely.

I believe the proper term is waterworld. That was a good movie. Not the most plausible, with several scientific inaccuracies. But one of the best battle scenes ever IMO.

[Mikey]

I believe the proper term is waterworld. That was a good movie. Not the most plausible, with several scientific inaccuracies. But one of the best battle scenes ever IMO.

This must be some definition of the term "good" with which I was previously unfamiliar. Lord, what a stinker!

[Aaron]

This must be some definition of the term "good" with which I was previously unfamiliar. Lord, what a stinker!

Come on dude, it was so bad it was awesome! Would have been cool to have an Ithakan wyrm pop up mid-battle and eat some Smokers though.

[Monroe]

On transporting food, if you can cheaply ship enough food to feed a population like that, then you can just ship the people around instead. That way you don't have a city planet and nine agricultural ones to support it, you just have ten worlds that are each 10% city with a lot of commuting between them. Advantages are that your population has fast and easy access to oceans and green spaces, plus it's ten times harder for a natural disaster or war or whatever to kill your population.

Oh I agree. But Star Wars people behave very much like modern day people. It would make sense for Mexico to have 10 cities of around equal size than Mexico City with a huge bulk of the country's population. You need the infrastructure for a Empire / Republic expanding millilons of worlds. So you would need millions of senators right then. If there are 40k lobyiests in America you could expect maybe a billion in Star Wars. Then you would need foods and services for that huge population. Then you would need manufacturing to be done for those people. Then you would need people moving to Coruscant to find work. Its also has perhaps the largest university in the galaxy. So you'd need everything that comes with a college town. Then because its so important you'd need a vast military. Vast shipping companies. And so on.

I can see how it can easily explode out of control. But the question is... when the Zhell first covered it in city why? For the Infinate Empire? They came a bit later. For the Architects? Or where Zhells and Taungs just city dwellers?

[Monroe]

I believe the proper term is waterworld. That was a good movie. Not the most plausible, with several scientific inaccuracies. But one of the best battle scenes ever IMO.

This must be some definition of the term "good" with which I was previously unfamiliar. Lord, what a stinker!

I thought the chick he hooked up with in the movie was hot.

[Mikey]

This must be some definition of the term "good" with which I was previously unfamiliar. Lord, what a stinker!

Come on dude, it was so bad it was awesome! Would have been cool to have an Ithakan wyrm pop up mid-battle and eat some Smokers though.

No, it was so bad that it was really bad.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I think Coruscant's always been covered. Well, what I mean is, except maybe for the Zhells and Taungs, it's always been a city-covered mess.

[Monroe]

I think Coruscant's always been covered. Well, what I mean is, except maybe for the Zhells and Taungs, it's always been a city-covered mess.

According to EU since 95,000 BBY.

[Aaron]

According to EU since 95,000 BBY.

What does BBY mean anyways? Is this 95,000 years before the Republic becomes the Empire?

[Monroe]

Before Battle of Yavin or ABY- After Battle of Yavin.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

I believe the proper term is waterworld. That was a good movie. Not the most plausible, with several scientific inaccuracies. But one of the best battle scenes ever IMO.

This must be some definition of the term "good" with which I was previously unfamiliar. Lord, what a stinker!

I thought the chick he hooked up with in the movie was hot.

I love that first battle scene though. No subplot other then survive and escape and maybe take out a few bad guys.