• Registered: 2008-02-17
  • Posts: 9

Topic: Need help with moving ships

Hello, just had my first game we had 2 ships (CL and FF) each, all ships with 6 engine rating, and we found that we could not move and manouver at the same time. I am sure we must be doing something wrong.

The way we understand engines thrust is used to accel, decel and to turn.

Is this correct?

So let me give you an example the way I understand

Turn1 plot 6 (ship accel to speed 6 from 0) 6 thrust used (OK)
Turn 2 I want to do a U-turn, and here I get lost. My speed was 6 and it will stay 6 unless I use thrust to slow down or speed up (correct?)
Turn 2 plot U (i need 6 thrust to decel to speed 0 and another 6 to U-turn) So NO GO
Turn 2 plot U6 (i will need 12 thrust to turn and 0 thrust for speed since I am keeping speed 6 also NO GO

So the only way a FF with 6 engine can do a U-turn or 120* turn is to keep speed 3 (half engine rating), this does not look like a lot of movement and larger ships would be unplayable.

I am almost sure we did not get this correct, so please HELP!

Another question , is there a max speed ship is allowed or can I keep accel for ever (if leaving a map is no issue) 6/12/18/24/30 and so on?



Hexblade

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,286

Re: Need help with moving ships

If you plot a U turn...speed 6, your order plot would be "U" only, requiring 6 thrust.  (speed 6 from previous turn + zero thrust spent this turn)

If you were to write your plot as 6U, you'd speed up six and need 12 to u turn, as you said, no go there.

If you wrote your plot as U6, you could make the turn, but not apply the 6 thrust that would bring your speed to zero. This would take 12 thrust, so again as you said...no go.

The whole trick is to ignore the letters in the orders.  They merely tell you how thrust is applied, added, subtracted.  You don't pay thrust for them since the formula the indicate pretty much takes the maneuver into account intuitively.  (I had to re-read pages 16-19 about a dozen times before that sank in...)

The movement system is only a pseudo-vector system, it doesn't behave like a true vector system where speed is constant and thrust is spent to spin around, stop the spin, and such.  It can cause a bit of confusion if you expect it to work that way. wink

Hope that helps.

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,578

Re: Need help with moving ships

Remember -- you are NOT accelerating/decelerating with your movement plot. You ARE writing your desired movement.

So, if you are traveling at speed 6, and you plot "3S1", your new speed will be 4 (i.e. "decelerating" by 2) and not accelerating by 4 to a speed of 10.

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website