I know very little about the code used in SpaceEngine scripts, but I was wondering if there's a straightforward way to either select a random star (for example, by picking a random right ascension and declination, traveling a random distance, and picking the nearest star), or generate a random RS/RSC name to search for.

Open star browser, choose distance and get your 100500 random planets. End of topic.

Actually there is no way to do so, even with scenario scripts that will be present in the next version

Anyway, it is a very requested feature.

Actually there is no way to do so, even with scenario scripts that will be present in the next version

Anyway, it is a very requested feature.

Oh well. Doesn't hurt to ask, right?

Open star browser, choose distance and get your 100500 random planets. End of topic.

Surely, the star browser just lists all systems up to a certain distance that match a set of criteria that you define. That seems to me to be the exact opposite of random.

Surely, the star browser just lists all systems up to a certain distance that match a set of criteria that you define. That seems to me to be the exact opposite of random.

You don't have to specify any criteria in the star browser.

I get that. But even if you don't specify criteria, you then hand over control of the randomness to the user. People generally don't do things (even pick numbers) randomly, and most don't even understand how randomness works. If the lottery numbers are the same 2 weeks running, they'd sooner cry foul/cheat/whatever, then realise that the chances of those numbers being drawn twice in 2 weeks is exactly the same as them being different.

Asked for a random number between 1 to 10 inclusive, people more often pick number 7 than any other number, and 10 hardly gets picked at all unless you ask young children. And they only pick it because it's the last number they hear before they need to pick a number. It's the brain working on a sub-concious level, so there's no way to counter-act it, unless you specifically decide not to pick 7, which in itself means it still isn't random.

Similarly, using the star browser to get a list of every star, then just telling the user to pick randomly, will likely not yield 'genuinely' random results. Your brain sub-conciously applies rules. It's human nature to find order in things, we simply don't do random.

Of course, a computerised random number routine isn't random either, but at least a computer (unless programmed specifically otherwise) will give a fairly uniform selection of results without bias towards some number or another.

 that the chances of those numbers being drawn twice in 2 weeks is exactly the same as them being different.

This is not true if we do not have two numbers. If we have more than that, yes the number that was drawn before has a equal chance of appearing as any other number, but when we have more than two numbers the chance of a particular number appearing is always lower than 50%, therefore the number drawn before has a lower chance of appearing than 50%.

For example, if there are 1000 lottery numbers, the chance that a particular number gets drawn is equal to 0.1%.

If we have less than two, or in other words one lottery number, then it isn't lottery anymore.

Sorry... are you trying to tell us that every week, when the lottery numbers are drawn anew, that previously drawn numbers have less of a chance of being drawn again in the new draw?

For example, if there are 1000 lottery numbers, the chance that a particular number gets drawn is equal to 0.1%.

Yes, and each time all 1000 numbers are eligible to be drawn (ie: in each draw because they get entered back into the machine), each number has the same 0.01% chance of being drawn. And consequently, each possible combination of 6 numbers has the exact same possibility of being drawn. Which is pretty much what I already said.
Unless the lottery is run differently where you are, of course!

This is not true if we do not have two numbers. If we have more than that, yes the number that was drawn before has a equal chance of appearing as any other number, but when we have more than two numbers the chance of a particular number appearing is always lower than 50%

You seem to have contradicted yourself. You say more than 2 numbers means equal chance of draw, then say more than 2 numbers has less than 50% chance of draw. Explain please!

You seem to have contradicted yourself. You say more than 2 numbers means equal chance of draw, then say more than 2 numbers has only 50% chance of draw. Explain please!

I meant that a number/set of numbers/whatever , let's say x, has exactly the same chance of appearing as y. If there are 3 numbers/sets of numbers/whatever for example x has a 33.3333.. % chance of being drawn, same with y. If there are 100 numbers/sets of numbers/whatever, x has a 1% chance of being drawn, same with y.

Yes, and each time all 1000 numbers are eligible to be drawn (ie: in each draw because they get entered back into the machine), each number has the same 0.01% chance of being drawn. And consequently, each possible combination of 6 numbers has the exact same possibility of being drawn.

Yes my previous post implies that.
What i believe you meant that let's say combination 6,5,69,42 (or something)  gets drawn a second time is the same as something else will get drawn that second time. As in a combination 6,5,69,42 and then combination 6,5,69,42 is just as likely as 6,5,69,42 and then another combination(not a specific other combination, in which case it is fifty-fifty, looking away from all the other combinations. Just a combination that is not 6,5,69,42). Which is only true if there are two combinations.
There is a significant chance that i misunderstood you, in which case, sorry

I also thought there might be a confusion between 'combination' and 'sequence'. Obviously, with lottery draws, what matters is the numbers that are drawn (the combination), and not the the order they are drawn in (the sequence).

Apology not needed. I love numbers and number theory, I love discussing them. My girlfriend hates maths, so I brought out a new motto to tease her - "Maths is the language of the Gods"

I have to say there is no way to do so.