system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Asteroids] Why do asteroids phase through each other harmlessly but destroy ships and UFOs?

[](/twisad) We've lost a lot of good men in that warped pocket universe, all for the cause of destroying those blasted asteroids. A single touch at their speeds can destroy one of our vessels, and even the heavily armored saucers those filthy aliens cruise around in. 

[](/sp)

[](/twiponder) Since they're natural constructs with no agency of their own, rattling around a tiny pocket universe at high speeds, I'd expect them to crash into each other all the time. But our sensors just show their outlines merging together until the two pass each other by. How does this occur?
gpt
You're looking at a 2-D representation of a 3-D world.  The asteroids are all on different planes along the Z-axis.  When you see them pass "through" each other you are actually seeing them pass over/under each other.

Now you're probably wondering why your ship, and the aliens, are constantly getting hit.  Again, 2-D to 3-D issues.  You are seeing the top of your vessel, but it actually extends all the way along the Z-axis.  When you fire, you percieve only a little blip of energy but in truth it is a massive bar of energy, thus allowing it to strike every asteroid regardless of its position on the Z-axis.  This was done to simplify your mission; you need only worry about the X and Y-axis positions of the asteroids.