[Radi]

I posted this on JPR forums, but I think it is a good topic to discuss.


While D.A.N.C.E.R. works well for small ships and rather low mass, it does not scale well. We all know how hard it is to haul irridium or uranium. Point and accelerate, and hope you do not have to to turn.

What and how to change that?

[Jump]

As an old hauler I will say that was part of the fun of it. We had to do our thing in an environment that didn't let us cheat the laws of the games physics. Plus, it was soooooo much fun to laugh at a squad mate who missed the gate. Well, unless of course it was you.

So what do you propose they do to change it?

[Radi]

heh....

I guess the amount of time that it takes to stop and go. Abiltity to turn. Breaking thrusters or ability to reverse thrust.

[Gent30]

Well, imo, keep the dancer, if the CM technology only worked on cargo, then you could up the rates of counter mass to much bigger than 20%

[Radi]

I wasn't suggesting to change the flight engine. It wouldn't be Jumpgate without it IHMO. I suggest only modifcations to counter it's effects or some of it so that is not so unforgiving.


This is only for large ships (cap ships). If nothing changes, it will become simply impractical to move such big ships in such environment.

[Jump]

How about purchasable booster rockets that only mount on cargo ships or cap ships if they ever come. Say you can fit two if you wish and use each twice. Not a Flashfire, but a real rocket booster like NASA uses to get off the Earth. Then you can decide if you want to purchase it and when to use it. Use it for a quick launch from a specific gate? Use it to slow down quicker at the end or if you miss a gate. There is gambling and risk to your choices and of course, it will eat into your profits.

[Pyrophred]

one obvious solution is more/bigger engines. But as Jump said that was part of the fun. being forced to think out your moves in advance and calculating when to cut engines/turn makes hauling more interesting.

[Smegit]

Hey! Don't go changing that!!! What was the name of the Quant station? You could ff your tow straight at it from the gate and then turn and AB to slow down and dock at the station backwards. And people say there is no flight skill in hauling? Fighter pilots around used to say "He's ffing straight at the station!! He's gonna splash!"

Smeg

Edit: Spelling!!

[Radi]

Again, I'm talking only (for now at least) about LARGE CAPITAL SHIPS.

[Mickey_D]

Originally Posted by Smegit

What was the name of the Quant station?

Tri-Point.

[Twinky]

Heh, what about speed docking at Wake ?

As for a solution to the problem. Invent a new type of drive/engine. In one book I read the author had capital ships that could accelerate to a point, then go to sub-light speeds, then decellerate out of light speed to it's original mass state almost instantly. Think supper accellerator, instant AB with no acceleration process, but that you can't completely stop you just return to your original state of movement/speed before you had hit the light speed button. But since this is jumpgate with relatively small sectors, you don't need something that goes sub-light speeds, just get the tow up to 120kps, hit the button to hit 512kps, let go of the button at the other end of the sector and be slow enough to maneuver. But then again, that would create a problem in PvP...

Another solution is larger range of engines, like military versus commercial. one set has good speed, high AB consumption rate and medium accel; the other has slightly decent speed, excellent accel, low AB consumption rate. What this does is create an engine for various situations, and this logic can be applied to personal craft where one might prefer accelleration for fighting and then prefer speed for missions. Following this logic could also start to address the issue of monotiny(sp) in flight confirgurations where in Jumpgate Classic the only true desicion to be made was between ammo or laser and majority went with laser.

[TexMurphy]

In fact Id like to keep the flight engine just as it is. Possibly Id like to see vertical and latheral thrusters added.

[dailatron]

Originally Posted by Gent30

Well, imo, keep the dancer.

I agree. To me thats what makes Jumpgate Jumpgate. Keep it just the way it is please. In most cases some tweeks to the flight engine might not even be noticable until you come to PvP and that to me is when the flight engine really comes into effect.