Alternate FTL
- Thread starter robbo6761
- Start date
While I've not used the mechanics in MGT for it, it closely parallels the warp mechanics I worked out in the summer of 1987, and used with CT.
It badly breaks many of the OTU setting assumptions, but, given that...
It eliminates most of the advantage of low speed shipping (IE, that it's cheapest under MGT to ship in a 200Td or an 800 Td ship at J1, only slightly more expensive at J2 going 2 Pc, but considerably more expensive for a J2 going j1).
Because a Warp 2 ship can carry as low as 1Pc worth of fuel, it only pays the difference in drive size and PP fuel, and the related crew and stateroom expenses. Assuming a standard 14 day schedule for jump (7 jump, 1/2 day each way for 100diameter and customs, 6 days dirtside) and switching to parsecs per week warp drives, in a 30 day nominal month... and courier duty is 2 days rather than 7 (which also allows for long jumps with no further delays) for a 9 day window.
Couriers have no reason to go less than maximum speed in warp - the days downtime are for refuel. A warp courier can easily stop for a few minutes to transmit news; a jump courier cannot, and has to stop along each desired world - with warp, there's much less reason for worlds to be "off the main route" and thus there should be a lot less cultural diversity, but that's a logical follow-on, not a matter of rules.
Likewise, news can actually go even faster in a warp system because warp lacks the time variability of the canoncial jump system, simply by using the pony express method - the courier spends its time at warp, comes out on schedule, and hands off in under an hour, which then sends the other, already fueled courier onward.
Also - warp brings the outer system into easy reach. Taking the Sol system in...
Jupiter is 778570000000m - about 5.2 AU, or 43.54 LM
At 6G, 161097. sec (and some change) - 44:44:57 - just shy of 2 days. Given warp, however...
1 Pc/Week is 0.019404761904761904 LY/h, 7.082738095238095 LD/H, 169.98571428571427 LH/H or LM/M...
making jupiter only 15 seconds of warp, and an hour or two at either end under acceleration.
Pluto under jump is a week away. Under Warp, under an hour.
In system exploitation can thus increase dramatically. A Warp 1 shuttle with a day's warp fuel and 3 days at 6G is capable of reaching anywhere not blocked by gravity wells. If retaining the 100 diameter limit, Venus and Mercury are further away, time wise, than is jupiter or mars.
Further, a lot of the setting change depends upon if one keeps "No FTL comm except by sending a ship" - if so, TL sets the limit of speed, and the range is somewhat higher than for jump, and the ability to send troops to the edge (following the 6-month rule) is 20% larger, voids produce less texture to the setting (since warp ships can stay in longer than a week), and Warp 3Pc/wk is the normative mains hauler, probably with 2Pc range, but able to pull the 4th week plant fuel to get at least another 3 day's distance.
It badly breaks many of the OTU setting assumptions, but, given that...
It eliminates most of the advantage of low speed shipping (IE, that it's cheapest under MGT to ship in a 200Td or an 800 Td ship at J1, only slightly more expensive at J2 going 2 Pc, but considerably more expensive for a J2 going j1).
Because a Warp 2 ship can carry as low as 1Pc worth of fuel, it only pays the difference in drive size and PP fuel, and the related crew and stateroom expenses. Assuming a standard 14 day schedule for jump (7 jump, 1/2 day each way for 100diameter and customs, 6 days dirtside) and switching to parsecs per week warp drives, in a 30 day nominal month... and courier duty is 2 days rather than 7 (which also allows for long jumps with no further delays) for a 9 day window.
| Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Jump Trips/mo | 2.14 | 2.14 | 2.14 | 2.14 | 2.14 | 2.14 |
| Jump Merchant Max Pc/mo | 2.14 | 4.28 | 6.42 | 8.56 | 10.7 | 12.84 |
| Jump Courier Max trips/mo | 3.33 | 3.33 | 3.33 | 3.33 | 3.33 | 3.33 |
| Jump Courier Max Pc | 3.33 | 6.67 | 10 | 13.33 | 16.67 | 20 |
| Warp Trips per month 1 Pc | 2.14 | 2.86 | 3.21 | 3.43 | 3.57 | 3.67 |
| Warp Courier single trip/mo Max Pc | 4pc | 8pc | 12pc | 16pc | 20pc | 24pc |
Couriers have no reason to go less than maximum speed in warp - the days downtime are for refuel. A warp courier can easily stop for a few minutes to transmit news; a jump courier cannot, and has to stop along each desired world - with warp, there's much less reason for worlds to be "off the main route" and thus there should be a lot less cultural diversity, but that's a logical follow-on, not a matter of rules.
Likewise, news can actually go even faster in a warp system because warp lacks the time variability of the canoncial jump system, simply by using the pony express method - the courier spends its time at warp, comes out on schedule, and hands off in under an hour, which then sends the other, already fueled courier onward.
Also - warp brings the outer system into easy reach. Taking the Sol system in...
Jupiter is 778570000000m - about 5.2 AU, or 43.54 LM
At 6G, 161097. sec (and some change) - 44:44:57 - just shy of 2 days. Given warp, however...
1 Pc/Week is 0.019404761904761904 LY/h, 7.082738095238095 LD/H, 169.98571428571427 LH/H or LM/M...
making jupiter only 15 seconds of warp, and an hour or two at either end under acceleration.
Pluto under jump is a week away. Under Warp, under an hour.
In system exploitation can thus increase dramatically. A Warp 1 shuttle with a day's warp fuel and 3 days at 6G is capable of reaching anywhere not blocked by gravity wells. If retaining the 100 diameter limit, Venus and Mercury are further away, time wise, than is jupiter or mars.
Further, a lot of the setting change depends upon if one keeps "No FTL comm except by sending a ship" - if so, TL sets the limit of speed, and the range is somewhat higher than for jump, and the ability to send troops to the edge (following the 6-month rule) is 20% larger, voids produce less texture to the setting (since warp ships can stay in longer than a week), and Warp 3Pc/wk is the normative mains hauler, probably with 2Pc range, but able to pull the 4th week plant fuel to get at least another 3 day's distance.
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