Why do the Basestar's spin?

[buerger23]

My thought is that it is used for artificial gravity. But also on that note the colonials have figured out how to have artificial gravity w/o centrifugal force so you would think the Cylons would have it too.
It can't be good for the raiders because they would constantly be taking off from different spots.
Any other thought's on why they spin?

[Lestat]

Gravity on Baseships apperas to be oriented with their north south axis at least it was that way when Boomer boarded one of them in Kobol Last Gleaming so the spin has nothing to do with it , but it could have other explanations such has the position of their sensor arrays or DRADIS or their navigational systems or to give to the raiders on its arms a way to keep their orientation in space.
You know maybe they have a different technical concept for the design of their DRADIS the humans rotate the emitter and the receiver's antenna whereas the cylons rotate the whole ships, who knows? It is not clearly explained in the show so far

[ShadowEnigma]

I would think it could have something to do with their engine system possibly. They don't have any external way of a propelling themselves, at least not anything that I've noticed. Maybe however they move themselves is helped by the rotation of the ship.

Also it could be a defense mechanism. By continually spinning a ship can't keep putting shots in the same spot. But I dunno about that idea.

[buerger23]

about it as a propulsion system? i am curious too know how that would help propulsion?
they dont seem to spin that fast anyways

[Spencerian]

The RDM basestars spin because...

...the original TOS basestars did, too. Dramatic effect, nothing more.

[ShadowEnigma]

Haha that's the script answer. I think he was looking for real in show answer.

I would be quite interested in figuring out how their engines work.

[Spencerian]

I know.

BSG is not a technical show. Although we've now seen the interior of the basestars, we know even less about Cylon technology than that of the Colonials.

I was first author on Computers in the Re-imagined Series and a few other Battlestar Wiki articles on the technology of the show. I love studying the technology of the series, too, but somethings will remain forever unexplained because it's really not important.

On occasions like this I respond with two words of advice when fans are too concerned about the technology rather than the story:


Good science fiction tells a story, not give a technobabble lecture on "tetrion fields" or "phase density."
Physical kicking of ass or clever characterization always trumps any talk about the technology necessary to kick ass. If that weren't true, Batman would be dead several hundred times over.
It's just a TV show. You should really just relax.

[ShadowEnigma]

And I know it isn't. Which makes it all the more fun. The mystery of such things adds to the show for me. I fully enjoy the idea of actually having a real story and not techno babble haha. (No offense to Star Trek, I grew up on it)

On occasions like this I respond with two words of advice when fans are too concerned about the technology rather than the story:


Good science fiction tells a story, not give a technobabble lecture on "tetrion fields" or "phase density."
Physical kicking of ass or clever characterization always trumps any talk about the technology necessary to kick ass. If that weren't true, Batman would be dead several hundred times over.
It's just a TV show. You should really just relax.

1. That was three words of advice
2. Who said I wasn't relaxed? O.o

[Spencerian]

I didn't say I could count after two beers. Sorry for the inconvenience :)

The last line, if its not familiar, is from MST:3K. But, yeah, I like the little techno-tidbits they feed us, too. I just don't want to get too wrapped up in it to distract me.

[Lestat]

Well everything in a show is made for the show , but needs some explanation which doesn't mean technobabble a simple linear explanation with no details , for example: it's related to sensors , it is so because the Hybrid likes it so or any other explanation.

Sure you can make a show with no logical explanation at all , nor any reason for things , but then you can put in magic

[Sparrow]

RDM stated before strongly against technobable.. he told that the characters would not discuss how things work because they allready know..
for example if my car's rotor breaks i would go to the garaje and ask for a rotor change, and maybe spark plug cables..
but i will not go "Hi..The rotor wich is connected to the cramshaft and rotates with the engine providing the spark to the 4 ignitor spark plugs who in change ignite the fuel mistuxe in the cylinders wich must be estequiometric of 14to1 parts air/fuel .. is broken.. we should change it be removing the coupling of the rotor and unplugging the 4 spark................"

Thats the thing in Galactica.. they will not discuss how FTL work and how a Viper engine work because they allready know... they will simply say "fix the FTL" or "repair the engine".. maybe some little bits like the FTL intercooler or spiners.. like in the garaje example saying "the engine has a bad rotor, change it"

And the most funny reference in the show was in "A day in the life" when the Tyrols were trapped, Apollo begins to discuss how the safety locks in the doors work and its cut by Adama : "I KNOW how the system works.. i WANT sollutions!!" that is the most clear example of what we should expect... and i like it .. they will not engage in discussing ficticious tech

[Lestat]

Ok then the cylons know why their basestars rotate, let's keep it secret.

we don't need a blueprint of the basestar , just a simple explanation for example asking to the hybrid , why the ship rotates? and it responding: I like it that way or : because our sensors are in it , or to have our cannons ready on every direction , or to give a supplemental outwards spin to the raiders while rapidly taking off from the ship in case of attack.
After all the Galactica has also some kind of magnetic launch system for its vipers in that case

nothing very complicated just a hint

[ShadowEnigma]

Yeah I wasn't looking for a reason they gave, I know they don't talk technobabble. We all I'm sure are quite happy they stay away from technobabble. It's nice not to have technobabble. We all know that. That's why we are just speculating about it.

Little details like this amuse me, and at least interest others. It's fun to see what other people think. It's just fun to chat about. If you don't like it, then don't talk about it. I fully understand there is no real technobabble, and therefore we all will never really know, simply because the show centers around the story, and for this I'm not complaining. I absolutely love the story, I love what they've done with the show, and I'm sitting on the edge of my seat for Season 4. I'm also waiting for Season 3 to come out so I can watch a few episodes again.

That doesn't mean that you can't speculate about some of the technology they use. Or why they choose to use specific things while they don't have other technology. And yes, maybe it's just because they wanted to do it like that. But then, why did they want to do it like that? Maybe just to look cool, and maybe that is all it is. That doesn't mean you can't ponder it though.

[Sparrow]

They surely employ some type of gravitic drive to move arround.. maybe they use rotation to be able to exploit that for propulsion..
or maybe the lack of a proper "front" and "aft" makes them spin them just to empathise the lack of any given characteristic.

also they dont spinallways..
in the battle of New Caprica when three basestars closed to Galactica to attack her, the basestars werent spining..
also when the 4 basestars aproach Galactica in the algae planet they seem to be flying straight away and no spining...

[NEXUX]

It is spining acordingly to the feelings of The Hybrid.

It is a reflections of her emotions during stable and if she does not have any task about moving in space or any war action.

The Hybrid is a partly biological system and high tech mixture and very complicated creature. The Hybrid is a female humanoid Cylon and placed in a very special high tech tank.

She doesn't have a complete human body. She lives in that tank but also she got so strong feelings and sharp intelligence , plus clairvoyant sences.( She has her own opinions and thoughts also.)
The Hybrid express the state of the ship physically, like during FTL jump she performed very strong physical reactions ; This also prove that she may express some of her feelings to the ship movements also.
All these create some unlogical ( for us ofcourse ) emotional reflections and mirroring her feeling to the base star movements as like some times she performed phisicaly of her own body.

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

<cornyjoke>Since the basestars don't have hubcaps with spinners, they spin the whole ship. :D</cornyjoke>

[ShadowEnigma]

<cornyjoke>Since the basestars don't have hubcaps with spinners, they spin the whole ship. :D</cornyjoke>

Best answer yet =P


Nexux, that's an interesting idea. Could make a lot of sense.

[Growly Bear]

OMG! No wonder they where all metal and shiney. It was their BLING! :thumbsup:
So they created the female humanoid Cylons to be their HOs n Bitches. :D

On a serious note, centrifugal force can be used to move an object in any direction, a straight line mostly.

[gmuno]

Since the basestars are asymetrically build, i would say, they rotate because of covering the firing arcs.

[Sparrow]

Nexus teory may be interesting... but that wouldnt explain why the original BaseStars - wich dont have hybrids - spin too..

Maybe they spin acording to old toaster feelings?

Another reason in the old basestars... in StarWars expanded universe there is a society, the Hapan consortium, whose warships rotate in a very similar fasion because that way they are able to continuily bring "fresh" weapons hardpoints to the enemy, increasing that way the rate of fire.. maybe the basestar rotate to present more missile launchers to the enemy while the others recharge..

Also if you keep rotating the ship, it would be harder to colonials to hit a given point.. like for example missile batteries or raider hangers or sensors.. you cant aim straight and even guided weapons have a chance to hit anything that wasnt previously there.. and the Cylons, being machines chose to use this concept while humans maybe would be confused or hard to get used to constant rotation..

Still this teory dont explain why we see BaseStars in combat standing still (New Caprica), but in Razor we do see old basestars spining while launching missiles

[buerger23]

Interesting, never though of the the Battledragons (Star Wars Expanded Universe) but your right they spin and that is correct that they do that to bring your weapons to bear. Although I still think that they use this for artificial gravity because if the cylons within the ship were sideway since its space there really is no sideways and the use the centrifical force for artificical gravavity as to a reason.

[NEXUX]

Nexus teory may be interesting... but that wouldnt explain why the original BaseStars - wich dont have hybrids - spin too..

Maybe they spin acording to old toaster feelings?

Another reason in the old basestars... in StarWars expanded universe there is a society, the Hapan consortium, whose warships rotate in a very similar fasion because that way they are able to continuily bring "fresh" weapons hardpoints to the enemy, increasing that way the rate of fire.. maybe the basestar rotate to present more missile launchers to the enemy while the others recharge..

Also if you keep rotating the ship, it would be harder to colonials to hit a given point.. like for example missile batteries or raider hangers or sensors.. you cant aim straight and even guided weapons have a chance to hit anything that wasnt previously there.. and the Cylons, being machines chose to use this concept while humans maybe would be confused or hard to get used to constant rotation..

Still this teory dont explain why we see BaseStars in combat standing still (New Caprica), but in Razor we do see old basestars spining while launching missiles

[ I am taking the matter only acordingly to BSG new series ]


Well we are talking about very high tech weapons and sytems , I dont think targeting wud be any problem , infact re-charging the missels!!!!???? c'mn ...

Gravity? no way ... some times no spining at all ... so all cylons stand on air on that moment?

I am so confident about my theory.
Infact remember that : " I AM A CYLON TOO"

:tos-cylon:

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

The spinning thing, as Spencerian mentioned, is a trademark borrowed from the Original Series.

Of course, the reasons in-universe for it are something that will probably be left unexplained. :D

[Sparrow]

Well we are talking about very high tech weapons and sytems , I dont think targeting wud be any problem , infact re-charging the missels!!!!???? c'mn ...

:tos-cylon:

It doesnt matter how fast you can recharge the missile launchers .. if you have them mounted all arround a round ship and you rotate it to fire in a given direction to a target you will be able to fire ALL missile ports at the same target..otherwise you only would be able to fire those directly pointing to the target..plus if you rotate them all you will add that plus to the recharge time.. its a way of doing things.. it would be a hell confusing if you are inside the ship and keep seeing things in sensors moving arround.. but Cylons would easily adapt to that..

and i thing is clear that in all basestars gravity is with the horizontal plane..
up and down.


The Death Star in star wars rotated too and that was more pointless.. the Turbolaser only faced one way and there was clearlygravity in the horizontal plane.. as we know TOS was a copy of StarWars so maybe just copied that in basestars too

[The Nubs]

It is spining acordingly to the feelings of The Hybrid.

It is a reflections of her emotions during stable and if she does not have any task about moving in space or any war action.

The Hybrid is a partly biological system and high tech mixture and very complicated creature. The Hybrid is a female humanoid Cylon and placed in a very special high tech tank.

She doesn't have a complete human body. She lives in that tank but also she got so strong feelings and sharp intelligence , plus clairvoyant sences.( She has her own opinions and thoughts also.)
The Hybrid express the state of the ship physically, like during FTL jump she performed very strong physical reactions ; This also prove that she may express some of her feelings to the ship movements also.
All these create some unlogical ( for us ofcourse ) emotional reflections and mirroring her feeling to the base star movements as like some times she performed phisicaly of her own body.


Interesting theory. Not sure I agree. But to provide some back up for you. It is well documented that many animals, especially dogs who are kept in small cages for extended periods of time tend to start spinning around. I don't remember why the beleive they do this, but since the hybrid can't spin, maybe they are doing the next best thing.

[JDS]

How are you supposed to board a ship if you get dizzy every time you set foot on the decks?

Ahhh, didn't think of that one, did you? Big metal robots don't have inner ears, they're immune to nausea!

[britboyj]

The real question is... why DON'T the Colonial ships spin? :p

[ShadowEnigma]

The flux capacitor that they are nice enough not to talk about on the show provides artificial gravity :p

[jp2542as]

It's because it's saves fuel/energy to spin if you want to have some orientation stability. Like a gyroscope. Plus you don't have a back for the enemy to sneak up on you. And it's harder to find the nice bits to shot at.

And then there's the view from the resturant .. :D

[NEXUX]

The real question is... why DON'T the Colonial ships spin? :p

Good question

:devil:

[barnmaddo]

I think they spin because they are drunk.

[genji2000]

I think they spin because they are drunk.

Or to wind themselves up.

[timbo]

They spin because they are spinny things.

[stavrosg]

another derailed thread
*sighs*