Moon orbit

...wrong direction

from GalCiv2 Forums
I just thought that I would point out that the orbit of the moon around Earth in GalCiv2 is in the incorrect direction. In reality, viewed down the rotational axis from the north pole, Earth's rotation is counter-clockwise and the orbit of the moon is counter-clockwise. In the game, the moon orbits clockwise around Earth. The counter-clockwise orbit is the reason why the moon rises approximately 50 minutes later each day - it takes the rotation of Earth that much time to 'catch up' with the progression of the orbit of the moon. Were Earth to stop rotating, the moon would actually rise in the west and set in the east.

Of course, this doesn't make a bit of difference to gameplay... I just thought people might want to know.
14,796 views 31 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
All moons in GC2 have retrograde orbits.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Would it be possible to change all moons to anit-retrograde (or whatever the appropriate word is) easily, say by reversing the sign on the direction of rotation? Since our moon is the only rendered in game that has a known real life counterpart, all the others may as well march to the beat of its drum, right? No biggie, but if it's trivial to fix it'd be a good fix to do.
Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yeah sure make it so the 'face' side always faces the earth and has the right size and distance and speed relative to the rotation of the Earth which I noticed doesn't tilt and my guess is a perfect sphere and has no shadow when the moon passes between it and the Sun...

I think someone needs to spend more time sorting their MP3's.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I thought our moon orbited in the same direction the earth rotates, only more slowly, so that accounts for the time difference every night in the position of the moon. If you go out and look at the moon every night you will notice it is in the same position approximately an hour later every night. That's because the moon orbits more slowly than the earth rotates, not because the moon orbits a different direction.

I could be wrong about this.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If I time it right can I enhance my Tidal Disruptors?
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's not that the moon rotates in the wrong direction. It's just that the Earth's texture is upside-down. This is, of course, by design.

Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I just like how when you settle a gas giant, the "Class #" refers to it's moon, and then you get to build on it's moon. Could never settle the moons in MOO3

Don't really mind which way the moon goes, but I suppose it would be nice to have it going the right way.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The only issue I have with moons is that they are all in sinc with each other. Mix it up a little if you can.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The only issue I have with moons is that they are all in sinc with each other. Mix it up a little if you can.

That'd be hella stuff for the computer to calculate. Better save that juice and use it for AI instead!
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If I time it right can I enhance my Tidal Disruptors?


Outstanding.

Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Miborovsky , I don't think that would be very hard on the computer, I think it's more just a matter of programming resources at Stardock.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
I think that's a level of detail only the analest of galciv players are bothered by. The rest of us don't really care. At stardoc we have a great democratic process whereby the majority rules and minority is silenced. Expect no further posts on this topic.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I brought this up ages ago, but nothing came of it. I'd like to see different sized moons at different orbit speeds/directions, and even the odd inclined orbit (rings too). It would give a little more graphical spice to the game. And it would not be "hella stuff for the computer to calculate". I could program it. It's easy.

But I'm sure we'll get major bugs ironed out before anything like this ever happens.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
and while you're at it, I've noticed that none of the planets are revolving around their respective suns... could you guys please add that in a future expansion, and be sure to make it so that all the orbits are appropriately elliptical.
and none of the planets are rotating around an axis that is appropriately tilted. Earth should be about 23.5 degrees off the perpendicular in relation to the plane it orbits the sun on.
Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, could you guys please "bend" the grid on the squares that contain planets and suns, in order to more accurately reflect the way gravity bends space-time?
I mean, seriously, all these bugs are starting to make it hard for me to believe that I'm a 2225 CE ruler of Earth bent on galactic domination.

so, yeahifit'snottoomuchtroublekay?thanks.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Um, uh-huh. Well, it's a little known fact that Avatar Frogboy, long before he met his wife, while in high school, once saw an Aussie gal he quite liked. In honor of her memory, he made the GalCiv II universe as it would be viewed by an Australian, which is down upon the Earth from the direction of the SOUTH pole. This, of course, meaning that the moon would rotate in the opposite direction, just as water swirls in the toilet bowl in reverse when down-under.

Lawd hep us.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If I knew Nicole Kidman in HS I would do the same thing.
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That'd be hella stuff for the computer to calculate. Better save that juice and use it for AI instead!


I didnt mean that they rotate at the same speed, thats fine, its just they are all at the same location in the rotation, so it would just require different starting points.


Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This feature is working as intended. If ever fixed, it will be working as intended.

Taking lessons from Blizzard?
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
FYI I stated a new game, noticed that the moons were not all rotating at the same place anymore. They were all in different parts of their orbits, WTF I think, I am sure they were all in sync. Save the game load up an old one, yup all in sync, quit, load up the new game, all in sync. When you load a saved game they get all lined up.
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Unbeleivable!

What a waste of forum space. Now what does it matter to your appreciation of the game if the moons have retrograde orbits? If that's what you were looking for in a program you should be buying a program from NASA or the ESA.

If you want a game enjoy the gameplay and shut up about unimportant things like this.
Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's way down there on the priority list, but I have to admit it bugs me ever so slightly too.
Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
just like how when you settle a gas giant, the "Class #" refers to it's moon, and then you get to build on it's moon


Settling a gas giant in galciv2? Dont think I've ever seen a gas giant above class 0. Am I just unlucky?
Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

something i noticed which did bug me a bit, though its not important. When you look at the planets and the squares you can build in some of them say "prairy" but are in the sea, etc. I think it would be more important to make the land squares right before the orbit of the moon!

Ohh no, im being anal too