Range vs. Speed
- Thread starter Jame
- Start date
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Do you mean jump 2 is twice as fast as jump 1?
So a ship with jump 2 engines could travel 1 parsec in three and a half days
So a ship with jump 2 engines could travel 1 parsec in three and a half days
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
That's where the physics of jump comes into play, Jame. So, it all depends on how jump works IYTU. If you go by some sites based on some canonical stuff, that are full of physics, etc., the implication is that all your fuel for a jump is used at the beginning (or most of it, anyway).
I'm looking for suggestions on how to change it so that the fuel is not swallowed at the beginning - i.e. sipped out through the jump. Even if you travelled at a speed of 2 parsecs a week, what if you didn't use up all of your fuel in that week and didn't have to drop out while you still had fuel?
Jame,
What I think you're getting at is a sort of 'Jump-Warp' drive. Does it work like this?
- You want to decouple 'speed' from 'distance' and break the one jump = one week link. So jump2 means two parsecs per week, jump4 means four parsecs in per week, etc. with jumps able to last shorter and longer than one week.
- If you have the fuel you needn't drop out of jump after a week, but 'faster' drives consume more fuel per week . Consider a 100dTon ship with a jump1 drive. If it could carry 60dTons of jump fuel, it could travel 6 parsecs in six weeks by 'paying' 10dTons per week and never leave jump space.
- Conversely, if you have fuel available and the higher drive rating, you can jump faster. Using the 100dTon ship again, this time with a jump6 drive. It could expend 60dTons of fuel and travel one parsec in 1/6th of a week.
Is that what you're driving at?
If so, you've changed the fundamental nature of Traveller's setting. Anything that changes the nature of Traveller's FTL drive, changes Traveller's setting. It can't be helped.
You'll have faster couriers over shorter distances. A jump4 X-boat for example could travel 4 parsecs in one week, travel 2 parsecs in a half a week, or 1 parsec in a 1/4 week on the same 40dTon fuel load. You'll have slower vessels with much longer ranges too. A jump2 Marava with 80dTons of fuel aboard for example could travel 4 parsecs in two weeks with no intermediate stops.
It's sounds fun, but to do the idea justice you'll need to apply it to its own setting. It won't work in the OTU with it's 1 week = 1 jump = 1 to 6 parsecs paradigm.
Have fun,
Bill
What I think you're getting at is a sort of 'Jump-Warp' drive. Does it work like this?
- You want to decouple 'speed' from 'distance' and break the one jump = one week link. So jump2 means two parsecs per week, jump4 means four parsecs in per week, etc. with jumps able to last shorter and longer than one week.
- If you have the fuel you needn't drop out of jump after a week, but 'faster' drives consume more fuel per week . Consider a 100dTon ship with a jump1 drive. If it could carry 60dTons of jump fuel, it could travel 6 parsecs in six weeks by 'paying' 10dTons per week and never leave jump space.
- Conversely, if you have fuel available and the higher drive rating, you can jump faster. Using the 100dTon ship again, this time with a jump6 drive. It could expend 60dTons of fuel and travel one parsec in 1/6th of a week.
Is that what you're driving at?
If so, you've changed the fundamental nature of Traveller's setting. Anything that changes the nature of Traveller's FTL drive, changes Traveller's setting. It can't be helped.
You'll have faster couriers over shorter distances. A jump4 X-boat for example could travel 4 parsecs in one week, travel 2 parsecs in a half a week, or 1 parsec in a 1/4 week on the same 40dTon fuel load. You'll have slower vessels with much longer ranges too. A jump2 Marava with 80dTons of fuel aboard for example could travel 4 parsecs in two weeks with no intermediate stops.
It's sounds fun, but to do the idea justice you'll need to apply it to its own setting. It won't work in the OTU with it's 1 week = 1 jump = 1 to 6 parsecs paradigm.
Have fun,
Bill
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Jame,
Excellent! I'm happy to hear that.
Your idea is an extremely interesting one and it should be applied to a sci-fi setting forthwith. Because it changes the basic nature of FTL travel, that setting cannot be the OTU.
Please believe me, not being compatible with the OTU is a good thing!
Mull it over. How would you 'trade speed for distance' or 'jump-warp' drive effect a sci-fi setting? What sort of large governments could exist? What would trade look like? What would war look like?
You're in an enviable position. You get to lay out a new sci-fi setting from the ground up! Hopefully, you'll share your ideas about the setting with us.
One and the same, just without the clown suit.
Have fun,
Bill
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