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Creating the Wikipedia page for orbital racing (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 weeks ago by jaykrown@lemmy.world to c/general@lemmy.world
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I've noticed that there is no page that covers the idea of orbital racing. There are many names of things called "orbital racing" that doesn't actually cover the concept. The idea being that you race in a vehicle in orbits around gravity wells. How do I go about creating this without creating a conflict of interest given that I'm developing Slingshot Speeders, which may very well be the first orbital racing game using orbital mechanics to race with time being a factor and delta V usage. The page for "space race" doesn't cover this concept. Thanks for any help.

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[-] MartianSands@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

I don't think you can. It's not a particularly noteworthy concept, given that nobody does it, and I suspect the Wikipedia admins wouldn't want a page on it until and unless there's something interesting to say or there are a non-trivial number of people who want to know about it.

The fact that there isn't even a name for what you're describing seems to argue against it being noteworthy, as well. If anyone was interested in discussing it, a name would emerge pretty quickly by consensus.

[-] jaykrown@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

So should I just assume when my game becomes popular, a Wikipedia page will be formed by someone else eventually for the specific game? Thanks for the help, I'm just pretty astonished that there's nothing about racing space ships in orbit.

[-] MartianSands@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

Racing in orbit probably isn't generally that interesting, because there's an easily-calculated best way to get from any place to any other place and everyone would just do that. It would be like racing clocks

[-] jaykrown@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

easily-calculated best way to get from any place to any other place

This isn't true if people can make custom maps and there are n-body physics. You could argue the same thing for almost any racing game depending on where you shift the goal post. The real-time piloting skill is what makes it racing.

[-] jaykrown@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

See that's exactly why Slingshot Speeders is the first. Human piloting skill, n-body prediction (impossible beyond a certain extent) combined with the miniaturizing of gravity wells and their strength. Still counts as orbital racing using proper orbital mechanics.

[-] MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago

You're trying to make a game and legitimize the mechanics of your game by writing a Wikipedia article for something that doesn't exist outside of The Expanse and your game?

[-] jaykrown@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

Also to mention, this exists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotating_wheel_space_station and it's never existed outside some fictional works.

[-] MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago

Sure, but it's at least a thing that's been considered by actual scientists and space agencies. It's been studied, and that Wikipedia page shows you the outcomes of those studies

Idk, maybe commission a study on the concept of orbital racing? And then there would be something to cite?

Fwiw, I played your game and it's pretty fun. I just don't understand why you want a Wikipedia page about orbital racing to even be a thing? Write a lengthy blog post about your game and publish somewhere. Put in ALL the information about orbital racing that you can in it. Publish it and spread it around.

Wikipedia isn't the starting point for information, it's the end point. There needs to be enough sources to feed the article to begin with.

Or, alternatively: Hire a professional Wikipedia article writer like every media company, rich person, celebrity, and corporation does.

[-] jaykrown@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks for the constructive advice, and I seriously appreciate you giving Slingshot Speeders a try. I'll look into doing what you've suggested, it makes sense that Wikipedia isn't the starting point for information as you said.

[-] jaykrown@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

The game already exists, Slingshot Speeders is playable and free online. I don't need to legitimize orbital mechanics. The idea is not new, racing in space has existed as a concept for a long time in science fiction. I haven't been able to find any game that uses orbital mechanics to race around gravity wells or a solar system to get the fastest time. The Belters in The Expanse are the only example of hard scifi that attempts to get the orbital mechanics correct.

Already detailed by Arthur C. Clarke in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunjammer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Jockey_(novel) as well as Lester del Rey: "Habit"

this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2026
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