Author Topic: Max velocity in SM:P? (Read 8289 times)

Defendi · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2009, 01:49:55 AM »

Quote from: providence13 on July 16, 2009, 08:52:45 PM

a talented pilot can do things with a large stellar body and a forced orbit the will turn another pilot's hair white. Especially when atmospheres are involved.

Is that a Starship Troopers (the book) quote?

Uh . . . I don't think so. Just an observation based on the physical realities of of orbital mechanics.

Defendi · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2009, 01:58:58 AM »

1) Fly near something that requires some piloting.
2) I don't think I would, personally.

Others may differ.

markc · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2009, 01:30:57 PM »

How about the idea that the Q Drive needs constant tuning during flight and can provide the lowest drive a rating of 75, 80...90, 95, 100 or on high rolls a 105 or 110 multiple of your V and Acc?
The higher rating drives would also have something close to this so as to make the Q-Drives something more than just flip a switch and suddenly it works.

MDC

Steve_990 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2009, 02:07:06 PM »

1) I would say Piloting rolls. For me, FTL Pilot is more the jump to lightspeed to ensure you are calculating variables correct etc... Pilot is more the reflexes and "Star Wars" style of flying around.

2) Maybe instead of using skills to increase over what is already a theoretical maximum speed, the skills (Piloting?) should be used to find ways to force distance between you or slowing down your pursurer... then they have to make adjustments on similar skills to counteract or "head off at the pass". Stuff like heading into interstelar clouds that mess up navigation, or flying though or near dust clouds or asteroids... etc... etc...

markc · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2009, 03:44:11 PM »

Quote from: Steve_990 on July 17, 2009, 02:07:06 PM

1) I would say Piloting rolls. For me, FTL Pilot is more the jump to lightspeed to ensure you are calculating variables correct etc... Pilot is more the reflexes and "Star Wars" style of flying around.

2) Maybe instead of using skills to increase over what is already a theoretical maximum speed, the skills (Piloting?) should be used to find ways to force distance between you or slowing down your pursurer... then they have to make adjustments on similar skills to counteract or "head off at the pass". Stuff like heading into interstelar clouds that mess up navigation, or flying though or near dust clouds or asteroids... etc... etc...

Thanks, I guess I am just going to use my original idea [not talked about] as a way to close distance on other starships.

MDC

Steve_990 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 18, 2009, 01:01:27 AM »

What was your original idea?

Defendi · « **Reply #26 on:** July 18, 2009, 06:37:44 AM »

Remeber, it can take days to get out far enough the Q drive is fully effective.

markc · « **Reply #27 on:** July 18, 2009, 01:18:13 PM »

Quote from: Steve_990 on July 18, 2009, 01:01:27 AM

What was your original idea?

I would like to keep that one close to the chest as it is a big setting point.

MDC

markc · « **Reply #28 on:** July 18, 2009, 01:19:37 PM »

Quote from: Defendi on July 18, 2009, 06:37:44 AM

Remeber, it can take days to get out far enough the Q drive is fully effective.

Yes that will help a lot and it may be enough to keep the drama high.
Thanks
MDC

David Johansen · « **Reply #29 on:** July 18, 2009, 09:00:47 PM »

Of course planet busting was hardly the most unsual thing that particular group got up to.

The Oort in the group (Bar Thol Emmmuuuu the Angry Oort) in question built an AT X hamster ball with gun ports.

The Dragoon (Blaster Girl) blew away their medical droid and much of the med bay for attempting to protect a prisoner / patient.

Mocked a Jeronian cruiser during a chase by pointing out that even if they only matched velocities they'd never catch up.

RandalThor · « **Reply #30 on:** July 27, 2009, 05:28:00 PM »

Markc: I would go with an engineer working on the engine to get a temporary bost of power that can increase the maximum velocity. Though I would not let it get more past +10% or so and never for more than a number of hours equal to their ranks in engineering (whatever the specific skill is). That would help them get away or get closer. I would imagine that space chases in SM:P aren't likely to be like the ones in Star Wars, which are like car chases. So rounds and even minutes are not going to be the time scales used, for the most part.

markc · « **Reply #31 on:** July 27, 2009, 06:17:29 PM »

Quote from: RandalThor on July 27, 2009, 05:28:00 PM

Markc: I would go with an engineer working on the engine to get a temporary bost of power that can increase the maximum velocity. Though I would not let it get more past +10% or so and never for more than a number of hours equal to their ranks in engineering (whatever the specific skill is). That would help them get away or get closer. I would imagine that space chases in SM:P aren't likely to be like the ones in Star Wars, which are like car chases. So rounds and even minutes are not going to be the time scales used, for the most part.

Thanks I will use that idea and maybe tie it to the lower of the engineer's ranks or the TL of the drive. And as you say it can provide some extra push to get the PC's or NPC's away.

MDC

DJRJ_AU · « **Reply #32 on:** July 27, 2009, 06:39:44 PM »

Quote from: markc on July 27, 2009, 06:17:29 PM

Thanks I will use that idea and maybe tie it to the lower of the engineer's ranks or the TL of the drive. And as you say it can provide some extra push to get the PC's or NPC's away.

MDC

Don't make it easy for them, make the buggers work (and sweat!) for it. You need extra energy diverted to the engines? Sure, but where are you going to get it from? You need something that provides sustained "oomph" and the best place to find that would be a system that also needs sustained "oomph" in order to work properly - The shields for instance... Energy from the weapons could provide a kick but (to my reasoning) not in a sustained fashion.

Let them take power from the shields and divert it to the engines. They go faster but their shields get weaker to do it ... and then they could run into some small bits of inert particulate matter... Bwuhahahaha!

David Johansen · « **Reply #33 on:** July 27, 2009, 08:38:53 PM »

As far as skilled pilots go, space pilots are skilled physicists above all else. There's a lot you can do with bouncing off the atmosphere, slingshots, and atmospheric braking if your hull will take the strain and you get your numbers right. Usually it's getting the structural load numbers right that screws this stuff up.

RandalThor · « **Reply #34 on:** July 27, 2009, 10:42:59 PM »

Quote from: DJRJ on July 27, 2009, 06:39:44 PM

Don't make it easy for them, make the buggers work (and sweat!) for it.

Oh yeah, they need to succeed at some pretty difficult skill tests and have some nasty consequences for failure, like lights out everyone all power gone! Hehehe...

DJRJ_AU · « **Reply #35 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:35:07 AM »

Quote from: RandalThor on July 27, 2009, 10:42:59 PM

Oh yeah, they need to succeed at some pretty difficult skill tests and have some nasty consequences for failure, like lights out everyone all power gone! Hehehe...

Ohhh! Nasty (and petty, so very petty) thought time. The power goes out due to distribution failure. "Power relays all along the dorsal conduit have been disrupted, you'll need to wire in a bypass of some description. That will take time, and you're not sure if the oxygen level will hold out until the bypasses are in place. On a positive note, the air-recirculation system does have an emergency, manual backup mode. Open that panel, attach the handle to the crankshaft and start cranking..."

Defendi · « **Reply #36 on:** July 28, 2009, 04:56:22 AM »

Quote from: David Johansen on July 27, 2009, 08:38:53 PM

As far as skilled pilots go, space pilots are skilled physicists above all else. There's a lot you can do with bouncing off the atmosphere, slingshots, and atmospheric braking if your hull will take the strain and you get your numbers right. Usually it's getting the structural load numbers right that screws this stuff up.

That's all definitely true. That's how I'd go.

David Johansen · « **Reply #37 on:** July 28, 2009, 09:30:18 AM »

Also, if you've got the engineer tinkering and boosting stuff, it's probably throwing all the delicately adjusted thrusters off synch and there's probably a piloting roll needed to keep the ride smooth and straight.

markc · « **Reply #38 on:** July 28, 2009, 12:51:39 PM »

All are good ideas my main thought is to have something like you see in The Hunt for Red October and the Russian sub goes to 110% and then 120% on the reactor [IIRC], to get mor speed.

Also as everyone has pointed out drama is very good for the game and the PC's alike.
MDC

Oldgrue · « **Reply #39 on:** January 16, 2010, 09:54:16 PM »

Superluminary velocity is always trouble.
Since we depend on fluctuations in light (Curse you Fresnel! Now you plague my fun as much as my work!) to see the trouble with superluminary velocity is the ability to perceive the universe around us. Even if your sensor systems are based on quantum entanglement, they need to be predictive and likely AI controlled for pico/atto/femtosecond reactions at that speed.

I'd suspect that a sublight chase is going to be a combination of 'chicken' and skill in a solar system or the like. In deep space it probably becomes a matter of who cuts velocity first, and whose hardware/crew is more resilient.

The piloting and navigation rolls would seem to me to be:
1.Course : intercept/parallel
2.Correction/evasion: Contested skill rolls with a negative modifier to represent
a. A subsequent attack roll against the hull due to environmental pressures.
b. A percentage of distance gained by the pursuer.
3.Self Discipline checks for 'pucker factor' for everyone who knows what they're actually doing. It is a game of chicken after all.
(repeat as needed)

News:

Author Topic: Max velocity in SM:P? (Read 8289 times)