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Warning: major scientific nitpickery ahead!

Got the game a couple weeks ago and am loving it! Definitely one of the best early access titles I've bought into. But like all media containing any sci-fi element I can't help but question it's accuracy from time to time, which led me to wonder: why does your pod drop from only 37 km above the planet? Hoxxes IV probably has a substantial atmosphere since it is of similar mass to Earth (most gameplay is at 1 g gravity) and it's very volcanically active, and such an atmosphere would make an orbit this low impossible.

So for reference, the lowest stable orbit around Earth is ~150 km up, and that's low enough for atmospheric drag to still decay the orbit in a matter of days. Of course, Hoxxes IV could have a thin enough atmosphere where a 37 km orbit would be stable, but then I doubt there would be enough air pressure to survive without a space suit even kilometers underground. However, I've read that air pressure scales with depth at a different rate in deep mine tunnels compared to out in the open, so maybe I'm wrong.

I realize the silliness of questioning something like this in a game about space dwarves, bug monsters, and butt-shooting but it keeps bugging me while I'm waiting in the drop pod so I'm curious if anyone was wondering the same thing or had anything to add/refute. I doubt scientific coherency is at the top of the dev's priority list but I just think this little discrepancy could easily be solved by adding a zero at the end of the number or at least making it 90-something km if they don't want to go up to six digits just to satisfy some internet nerd.

https://preview.redd.it/6ppkmvqbcoa41.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39783b03652e0aece647b59b73420b483b4a85c9

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almost 5 years ago - /u/Mike_GSG - Direct link

Do you think that's air you're breathing?