On 18/5/25 03:01, Timothy Collinson - timothy.collinson at port.ac.uk
(via tml list) wrote:
> pulling the closer chunk yet closer to barycentre unless counteracted.
> That's an additional failure mode to consider.
>
> Although presumably anyone who could actually build one of those, can
> build in safeguards against such.
> Not that safeguards always work.
One of the downsides of requiring active intervention to promote
stability.  See Sirka, Ziru for another example.
>
>
>     ObTrav: The well-armed lunatics (ie, PCs) come across an
>     Ancient-built
>     dyson sphere (of whatever subtype) in the process of embuggerising
>     itself via turbo-Kessler as outlined in that paper you linked to.
>
>
> And even if they work, said well-armed lunatics might well unsafe the
> guards.
It is what they tend to do....
>
> What did I say about mind-boggling?
> I think we're talking *more* than the population of the Third Imperium
> iirc.

According to
https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Charted_Space#Charted_Space.2C_Defined ,
3I population is on close order of 18 trillion.

Coruscant alone (approx 1 quintillion, neglecting orbital
infrastructure) would easily beat 3I, population wise - and it's just
one industrialised Core world of many.  Back in Trav, Yaskoyloyt takes a
swing at it, with a population of one trillion.  Trantor, with a mere 40
billion population at its height, doesn't even rate.

A population of 550 septillion would outnumber 3I population by 30.556
_trillion_ times.

>
>
>
> hmmm, I must check my classification system to see if there's a
> segment for 'megastructure infrastructure'. There's enough room for a
> megastructure within this particular megastructure, that's for sure.
>
> tc
>
I'm interested to know what you come up with.

Alex