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Old 01-20-2018, 01:53 AM   #9
hal
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
Default Re: Time in Jump Space

Currently in my TRAVELLER universe:

There are two types of "errors" where jumps are concerned. They are:

Temporal (time in jump space)

Displacement (actual location of exit point into normal space)

Time in jump space: if navigation roll is successful, variance in jump space equals 5 minus degree of success times 1%. Failure in skill roll by 2 or more results in 4 + 1d6 percent variance in 168 hour jump. Roll degree of variance as odds = negative, even = positive.

Displacement error: use same mechanic as temporal rules, but roll for distance accuracy as each percent equals .01 AU in distance from intended exit location. In addition, a miss by 3+ on a piloting roll becomes 2d6-2 (minimum of one) times .1 AUs. See below...

There are three rolls required to enter jump space. The astrogation roll determines both temporal and displacement error. Neither the pilot not engineer's skill roll can better the initial navigator's initial plot detailing the approach to jump point not the energy schedule used to enter jump space. In addition, a critical failure on the part of the navigator can be caught by either of the navigator or the pilot if they take the time to double check the numbers.

Engineering affects temporal accuracy. Piloting affects displacement accuracy.

In my TRAVELLER universe, any attemped exit point within 100 diameters of either a planetary mass or stellar mass results in an "exit shunt", a relatively turbulent event that can cause jump sickness, as the ship is forced into normal space at the 100 diameter limit. Roll vs ship BY star or take 1 minor damage hit.

While others may not want to use this, in my TRAVELLER universe, planet's move. Coming out at your exit point too soon or too late, means that the world you were aiming for, when moving at say, 20 miles per second, will add extra distance the ship must travel to reach its destination.

These rules were cobbled up to avoid having to use jump masking. For me, the original rules to enter jump space were accounting for gravity effects with proximity to masses within 10 to 100 diameters, etc. Nothing from the normal space could interact (in Classic Traveller by GDW) until the ship tried to exit jump space and re-enter normal space. A mushing that lands you in the outer system of the destination, or wastes fuel and time leaving you at the same star system is bad. Being up to 36 parsecs away kinda sucks, but thems the breaks of jump space.

Sol moves at about 230 km per second of memory serves me right. Spending a week in jump space and coming out at the same spot as entering, results in Sol moving roughly 154 million km. The planets also would have moved on the 3600 times 168 hours to their own location. For me, these rules are an attempt at gameable rules. Enjoy.
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