View Single Post
Old 02-20-2016, 09:22 PM   #20
(E)
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
Default Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting

First off in response to frosts question.

In some species the range of colonization is essentially limitless.

However most species (including humans) initially followed a colonize and terraform the nearby systems stratagem, usually about 40 light years deep. But the reality that it is cheaper to go further for better usually puts this stratagem to rest a few generations after the introduction of ftl travel.
This has resulted in a situation where most species home world is surrounded by the least hospitable colonies and outposts and the more attractive colonies are huge distances away.
These core worlds while usually economically behind the further colonies are attractive to free traders as they are frequently mono industrial, slightly ignored politically and close together.

Jumping in to answer the drive questions. (Completely willing do drop this section from my post if anyone has better ideas.)

1) Numbers might be a bit harsh but there is enough detail left to be revealed to fine tune the system. Assuming a generate, calculate, charge, jump, locate sequence.
Speed and efficiency can be improved at each stage.
For instance Many militaries have ships (carriers?) with large power generation capabilities relative to their size so that the can jump as soon as the navigational calculations are finished. (They have big computers too)

2) better equipment/engines/capacitors result in a more disk shaped jump exit zone as apposed to spherical exit zone with lower quality gear. This allows jump exits to be plotted closer to obstacles. Especially important for in system jumps.

2.5) star charts as well as "stellar positioning systems" greatly speed up the process of figuring out exactly where you exited. A key part of the following jump calculations. Up to date information regarding "jump" conditions at a desired destination can aid in improving jump accuracy.

3) there are 2 types of jump "deep" which is typically used for distances over 0.1 of a lightyear. A characteristic of a deep jump is the exit point tends to be away from gravity wells. The other kind of jump is a shallow jump which is effected less by gravity and tends to get used in system. Counterintuitively the calculations for a shallow jump take longer than a deep jump mainly due to the more complex nature of the environment.

Deep jumps of less than 1000 light years require more power to start and stop the jump than is used to travel the distance.

Shallow jumps use a similar amount of power regardless of the distance traveled. A shallow jump typically used about 1 percent of the power as a deep jump.

If power is low (or expensive) long range ships (bigger generators etc) can easily shallow jump up to 0.5 of a light year.

4) See point 1

5) the output of the ships capacitors relative to its size is the main limiting factor on the range of a jump.

6) pass

7) shorter range jumps mean less corrections so there would be a mathematical breakpoint do do with the probable number of jumps to get to a destination. Sometimes there would be deliberate undershooting of the desired target. Free traders would target a system then visit many locations once they get there.

FTL ships require position data, big generators, capacitors, navigational computers, a jump drive with external components (frequently retractable).

Question

How is policing the common laws handled? Organised force? Contractors? Something else?
__________________
Waiting for inspiration to strike......
And spending too much time thinking about farming for RPGs
Contributor to Citadel at Nordvörn

Last edited by (E); 02-20-2016 at 10:28 PM.
(E) is offline   Reply With Quote