10-11-2004 14:43									#1
	Scaling Map to actual dimensions Suffering from ads?

Greetings!

Not sure whether this is the right forum to do so, but I have a question to ask:

Are there any sources telling us about the scales of one abstracted "tile" in SMAC (depending on map size)?

I have done a forum search, but had to stop on page 5 of the results list , so Iīm trying here...

Meanwhile I have done my own calculations, leading me to some nice result:
First of all I have to form the axiom "Alpha Centauri has about the size of earth". That is for two purposes:
1) It offers a nice method to compare and calculate.
2) Itīs logical, for the game doesnīt mention different gravity or giant deviations from earth years (correct me if Iīm wrong, havenīt read much of the fiction that is around )

So I can start with my map (89*90 = 8010 tiles) and the exact dimensional figures of earth.
- I am assuming the overall area of earth with 510,000,000 kmē
- I substract the "circles" spanned by 10 degrees of latitude around each pole
- This gives me a remaining area of 502,350,000 kmē (rounded)
- So the area per tile is about 62,500 kmē (again rounded)
- Which makes up for a beautiful 250km*250km size of a single tile

Now that sounds much for a single tile, but when playing the earth map in SMAC it is resembled quite good and in accordance with abovementioned figures.

What is your opinion? Do I have a major flaw in my accountings?
(I need that figure for a tourist guide project in /SMAC/Alpha Centauri Democracy Game)

Thx for any feedback,
- Micha

	11-11-2004 05:28									#2
	Tired of ads?

The numbers look roughly correct to me. I managed to dig up this old thread: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthre...241#post3132241

It somehow got onto how big the fungus beds were. Someone in the thread then did some calculations to figure out the size of a tile.

Check it out, see if it helps any

	11-11-2004 14:18									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Thanks!

Although the numbers given there by jtsisyoda (who happens to be my teammate in the ACDG ) are three times higher than mine. That surely comes from the strange effect of using a grid square for describing a sphereīs surface...

Tahtīs why I used the area as critical figure, while he concentrated on circumference... My approach is good when wanting to know how large of an area your faction covers, while jtīs approach is good for calculating distances (only for equatorial places).

Again, thanks!
- Micha

	17-11-2004 03:14									#4
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Go in to your firaxis/sid meiers alpha centauri folder and open Planets.txt

There's a tabular comparison of Alpha A vs Sun, Earth vs Chiron, moon vs Nessus and Pholus, etc

here's a screenie of the Earth vs Chiron comparison:

Attachment: planets.jpg
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