Planet smashing and the creation of a new moon

This may end up sounding absolutely insane, but Imma post it anyway, because why not?

Okay, so one of the popular theories for how the moon was created, in short, was that a planet (Thea) collided with the Earth and, the through the magic of gravity, the rocks and magma that flew off eventually over several years accumulated into the moon.

So.... should that have a possibility of happening in PA?
You know, hit a planet with a planet, and there'd be a chance of the aftermath creating a new moon that orbits the planet that was hit.
I'm pretty sure it'd be pretty difficult to program in, but this is more a funsy hypothetical thread than anything, so, IF it were an easy implement, would it be a good implement, or should it be left to client-side mods?

Would be neat if there was a set of guidelines set where if a large body hits another large body, they bounce off each other and just both take a "impact" with crater and all.

Sort of interesting concept. Bad thing is it cuts down on some gameplay because it doesn't "narrow down" the playfield. Good thing is, four or five small planets can be used multiple times, landing multiple craters on each other time and time again, so you have a fun bouncy ball game with less planets required.

Some people might really enjoy this for an extended game mode. Personally I don't enjoy a games which go for a few hours with prolonged orbital antics. I say maybe for this as different gamemod.

well, i think that once they overhaul the effects of planet smashing, we'll get a similar effect... but not really a moon.

what i mean is, smashing a planet/moon/asteroid/whatever into another will not only create a big crater and earthquakes and stuff on the planet, but asteroid belts would form around the planet from the explosion, and the amount of asteroids would depend on how big the planet that had rockets strapped to it was.

that's how i'd imagine Uber will go about things anyway, eventually.

I think this is a good idea. Mainly in the sense of remedying the too few moona to smash stalemate problem. Because currently people dont always want to smash because of the fear that they may miss an enemycomm and thus lose an inportant strategic weaponn for nothing. I think this woul help reduce the amount of stalemates.

Smashing planet produces asteroids, smashing asteroids to other planet produces more... Infinite cycle leading to asteroid miniwars if we will get interplanetary artillery or smashing duels in hope to kill other commander first... Its well be good if properly balanced and imo with save feature - because it'll take a lot of time. But, it's sound quite fun.

That's not how physics works.

But such things do not happen over night. At first you get probably a lot of derbis on same orbit, it eventually form moon >few thousands years< after collision. Simple asteroid impact would cloud planet in ashes for few hundred years.

Smashing 2 planets is inelastic collision, they will never bounce. Tidal forces can rip part of planet that is passing by. But simulating physically accurate (believable) collisions in game is silly and boring for gameplay.

So do not think too much if some results of smashing planets are accurate or not. What counts is if its fun and improves game.

Actually that's exactly how it works. It's just that, above a certain size it no longer applies. like, planets

They don't bounce off each other. They shatter into a billion pieces, the largest welding themselves together and the rest falling to the surface of the new planet or getting stuck in orbit.

Stop, stop, stop. Collision of two planets is beautiful and deadly, nobody can say that's boring. But, its impossible to simulate, and, moreover, its not needed. PA not about realism, its about fun, so let's see what can we suggest for playable and doable implementation.

Generally, I didn't say thats how "it works".

I said that would be a neat way to work. If "crater size" was linked to size of the impacting object, maybe it should actually work "2 way".

Then, when a small body hits a large body, the small body shatters and the large body craters. When a small body hits a small body, both bodies shatter. When a large body hits a large body then both crater as large as half the planets and then they sort of rotate and pass off one another.

It would look really silly if two planets just bounced off each other. The energies involved are ludicrous.

It wouldn't be realistic, but i don't think it would look silly. I am talking about a deflection really. As in, both planets lose half their mass in a shattering explosion leaving a half-planet-sized crater for both, and both push back off of one another to their sides and fly outwards forward. It would look like it makes sense if both rotate inward on their impact, the host planet turning to it's side as the impacting planet hits it and passes.

Im serious, it wouldn't be as bad as you insist. It is more silly that planets just get a crater and no other change to the planet, cracks or lava creation or anything. If anything, they should make a large area around craters turn lava biome if you want to discuss silly.

We can probably speak of near objects annihilation, like moons belong to collided planet-victim or asteroids.

where's my ObiWan Kenobi poll option?

Maybe an option to choose a maximum amount of created asteroids?

...or when planet smashing, have a choice of

• direct impact (max damage to target)
• angular, slow-velocity impact (less damage to target, leaves orbital debris -> spawns moon)

Seriously though, that's not a bad idea in general, like, maybe it can even work in the actual game.
Example: Direct impact does more damage, but is easier to counter (once asteroid countermeasures are available) and a slower and angular impact deals less damage, but is more difficult to break apart.

...or a "countered" direct impact becomes an angular impact? not completely neutralized, but mitigated to the point of probable survival?