Planet's atmoshpere: Choking death or pleasant stroll?

  Alpha Centauri Forums
  The Game
  Planet's atmoshpere: Choking death or pleasant stroll?

profile | register | prefs | faq | search

Author Topic:   Planet's atmoshpere: Choking death or pleasant stroll?

Father Black posted 02-27-99 07:19 PM ET
I was just wondering if anybody had any opinions about whether Planet's atmoshpere is breathable or not. In one Deirde quote she refers to it as a "choking death" to humans while other parts of the game seem to imply it is breathable. For instance, the comic strip Citizens' Defence Force seems to protray a battle with the natives raging OUTSIDE. Also, a fatal atmosphere would make nerve pods pointless since a mere breach of city walls or of a rover sides would have the exact same effect. If there was no breach then presumably everything would be air-tight so no gas would come into contact with humans. Is anybody following me?
The statistics of Chiron near the back of the manual shows a lower oxygen level. I am not sure whether it is too low to be breathable or not though. So what is the consensus here? Is it safe to go for a picnic on Chiron?
SnowFire posted 02-27-99 08:37 PM ET
Yeah, it's in the manual. You don't need a dome, though it helps, just pressure helmets for each citizen to supply pressure and oxygen. That's what the citizens (not the talents or drones) are wearing in teh city screen, I believe.
Audrey Two posted 02-27-99 10:24 PM ET
That would make it all fit... if there is oxygen in the atmosphere, then soldiers and rovers wouldn't carry oxygen with them-- they'd just use breathing equipment to extract oxygen from the air. The "nerve gas" weapon could use some gas tailored to get through the filtering system.
--A2
sandworm posted 02-27-99 10:35 PM ET
Some nerve gas can be absorbed right through the skin... no need to bypass a filter, although today's weapon's are much more effective if they're inhaled. Morbid, I know.
GreatNate posted 02-28-99 12:12 AM ET
To get a bit pedantic, reading the planetology section of the manual reveals some of this. The content of O2 in Planet's atmosphere is relativly close to Earths. But the N2 partial pressure is substantially higher; breathing pure planet air would lead to an overabundance of N2 in the bloodstream, called Nitrogen Narcosis; it messes up the balance of ions between the cells and the bloodstream, and is fatal. But all that is necessary is a helmet with an osmotic filter that allows o2 to pass freely, but restricts N2. And nerve gas could be designed to go right through, or be absorbed through skin.
OK, enough lecture. Sorry.
Achilles posted 02-28-99 12:27 AM ET
Actually Nate, that is the explanation given in the manual.
StellarLightning posted 02-28-99 06:55 PM ET
Actually, I doubt that the partial pressure of nitrogen in Chiron's atmosphere is high enough to cause nitrogen narcosis. The pressure of Chiron's atmosphere isn't even twice that of earth - but you can breathe
earth's atmosphere at almost four times its
original pressure, for example when diving, without becoming narcotized. And at a pressure of four earth's atmospheres, the partial pressure of nitrogen is much higher than it can ever be in Chiron's atmosphere. The lower oxygen content of Chiron's atmosphere is actually helpful - oxygen also becomes toxic at higher partial pressure.
TheHelperMonkey posted 02-28-99 08:38 PM ET
Actually, if you plant enough trees at your home base you could balace out the efects of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere.
iratheous posted 03-01-99 04:12 AM ET
[QUOTE]Actually, if you plant enough trees at your home base you could balace out the efects of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere. [/QUOTE]
Until that windy day comes along and blows that sweet smelling asphixiating ocean air into your city killing thousands.. :p
To close this thread, click here (moderator or admin only).


Hop to:

Contact Us | Alpha Centauri Home

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.18
© Madrona Park, Inc., 1998.

Author	Topic: Planet's atmoshpere: Choking death or pleasant stroll?
Father Black	posted 02-27-99 07:19 PM ET I was just wondering if anybody had any opinions about whether Planet's atmoshpere is breathable or not. In one Deirde quote she refers to it as a "choking death" to humans while other parts of the game seem to imply it is breathable. For instance, the comic strip Citizens' Defence Force seems to protray a battle with the natives raging OUTSIDE. Also, a fatal atmosphere would make nerve pods pointless since a mere breach of city walls or of a rover sides would have the exact same effect. If there was no breach then presumably everything would be air-tight so no gas would come into contact with humans. Is anybody following me? The statistics of Chiron near the back of the manual shows a lower oxygen level. I am not sure whether it is too low to be breathable or not though. So what is the consensus here? Is it safe to go for a picnic on Chiron?
SnowFire	posted 02-27-99 08:37 PM ET Yeah, it's in the manual. You don't need a dome, though it helps, just pressure helmets for each citizen to supply pressure and oxygen. That's what the citizens (not the talents or drones) are wearing in teh city screen, I believe.
Audrey Two	posted 02-27-99 10:24 PM ET That would make it all fit... if there is oxygen in the atmosphere, then soldiers and rovers wouldn't carry oxygen with them-- they'd just use breathing equipment to extract oxygen from the air. The "nerve gas" weapon could use some gas tailored to get through the filtering system. --A2
sandworm	posted 02-27-99 10:35 PM ET Some nerve gas can be absorbed right through the skin... no need to bypass a filter, although today's weapon's are much more effective if they're inhaled. Morbid, I know.
GreatNate	posted 02-28-99 12:12 AM ET To get a bit pedantic, reading the planetology section of the manual reveals some of this. The content of O2 in Planet's atmosphere is relativly close to Earths. But the N2 partial pressure is substantially higher; breathing pure planet air would lead to an overabundance of N2 in the bloodstream, called Nitrogen Narcosis; it messes up the balance of ions between the cells and the bloodstream, and is fatal. But all that is necessary is a helmet with an osmotic filter that allows o2 to pass freely, but restricts N2. And nerve gas could be designed to go right through, or be absorbed through skin. OK, enough lecture. Sorry.
Achilles	posted 02-28-99 12:27 AM ET Actually Nate, that is the explanation given in the manual.
StellarLightning	posted 02-28-99 06:55 PM ET Actually, I doubt that the partial pressure of nitrogen in Chiron's atmosphere is high enough to cause nitrogen narcosis. The pressure of Chiron's atmosphere isn't even twice that of earth - but you can breathe earth's atmosphere at almost four times its original pressure, for example when diving, without becoming narcotized. And at a pressure of four earth's atmospheres, the partial pressure of nitrogen is much higher than it can ever be in Chiron's atmosphere. The lower oxygen content of Chiron's atmosphere is actually helpful - oxygen also becomes toxic at higher partial pressure.
TheHelperMonkey	posted 02-28-99 08:38 PM ET Actually, if you plant enough trees at your home base you could balace out the efects of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere.
iratheous	posted 03-01-99 04:12 AM ET [QUOTE]Actually, if you plant enough trees at your home base you could balace out the efects of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere. [/QUOTE] Until that windy day comes along and blows that sweet smelling asphixiating ocean air into your city killing thousands.. :p