Topic: Hyper-Drive implementation idea

[Recon]

Here is an idea for implementing hyper-drive that would be more interesting that just load star map/ click / engage drive. I'll try keep it short.

   Ok, Idea is that we simply create some tubes that represent hyperspace. You can look at your star map and get an idea of whats around, but you cannot select you destination.                 

   When you engage you hyper driver you are sucked into a tube which you travel down very fast(add some fog and flashing lights and the tube is far from straight, remember we are bending space  ). Depending on what suns are nearby branches are formed in the tube, if you really drive you ship towards any of these branches they will suck you in and you will now be heading to another star.

   So, the simplest trip is to point your ship straight at the star you want to go to and dont take any turns in the hyper-tube. you get where you are going.

  So this is simple enough, to make it a bit more interesting we add some dangers
   1) The longer you spend in hyper space the move it drains you shields, you run out of shields you explode.

          2) The longer your trip the more hyperspace fuel you use, run out of fuel and you are dropped out of hyperspace in the middle of nowhere and have to use you system drive to finish you trip.

   3) A hyperspace tunnel when opened leaves a residue, if another ship engages it's drive near where someone else engaged one shortly before they get sucked the same tunnel with you. they can then follow or attack.

        4) Tubes exit in suns , as a tube gets close to a sun it should take on the suns colour and get bigger. It's up to the pilot to disengage the drive close to the system without nose diving into that sun .

Well thats it, you could keep adding little extra things to this but I think i got the main parts covered.

regards

[contingencyplan]

Ya see, the Universe is a series of tubes...

Overall, I like the idea, especially where Players have to still pilot their ships to some extent to move through hyperspace (rather than a point, click, *blink*, "We're here!"). Let me respond to the extras you mentioned:

1) I like the idea of shielding diminshing the longer you're in hyperspace. However, I don't like the whole bloey-uppy thing, at least not as a default. While the physics aspect of it may be true, ships powerful enough to have a hyperspace drive will have computers powerful enough to detect when the shields are too low and the ship will be destroyed. Unless something's happened to the computers, the computer should send a signal to pull the ship out of hyperspace. However, I like this idea mainly because it limits the ability for ships to jump right into a battle - they can do so, but they'll do so with significantly lowered shielding and thus be particularly vulnerable.

2) Fuel: similar idea as above - the computer will detect whether the ship is about to run out of hyperspace fuel and pull the ship out of hyperspace. Likely the fuels will be different, methinks.

3) The residue thing sounds good - we'll have to go through what the physics of hyperspace combat is. But at least the ability to follow a hyperspace signature should be implemented.

4) I like the idea of colors and such changing, but I'd have to talk with Morgul and Caenus about the physics of anchoring the tubes in suns. At the least, the computer should (again) stop the Player from plunging head-first into a sun. The Player will almost certainly be doing something else while traveling in this manner (e.g., going to the bathroom), and we don't want them to shit their pants so soon after flushing the toilet... :-P

At any rate, kickass ideas overall.

[Morgul]

Ok, a bit of minor explaination.

Faster than Light travel in Precursors is done through 'Subspace'. Subspace is, another spatial dimension above the three we commonly know. By moving through this dimension, one can travel more of a straight line from point A to point B, hence cutting travel times down. That's the basic principal. It also allows for spacetime to be curved in advantageous ways, hence cutting the traveling time down that much more.

Subspace is effected by the presence of mass, and it heavily influenced by gravitational forces. Because of this There are gravitational eddies and forces all throughout subspace. It can be a rather interesting place to travel (as in dangerous), unless one follows trade routes that have these nice gravety generators smoothing out a 'lane' of subspace.

So, are there tunnels? Kinda. Think of it more like rivers... I'll explain mre when I have some extra time.

[contingencyplan]

Query: Will objects in subspace be able to interact with objects in regular space, and vice versa? Or are they completely disseparate until one transcends from one plane to the other?

[Caenus]

According to multidimensional mathematics, the odds of anything moving within a higher dimension interacting with a lower dimension is actually pretty unlikely.  You can see this if you look at it in a lower order example.  Assume a ship that can only travel on two dimensions: left, right, forward, and back.  Now, assume that a ship can move within all three physical dimensions.  The only way the 2D ship will interact with the 3D ship is if the 3D pilot chooses to intersect the 2D ship's plane.  Ergo, a skilled 4th dimensional pilot (4th being subspace, not time, time is an illusion, don't try that bullshit!) could plot a course without intersecting with the three dimensional existence of planets, ships, or any physical object.

Ergo, while the river idea is cool, it's mathematically a little wonky. 

[Morgul]

Ah, Caenus my dear friend. You're assuming. Your example is correct, but you didn't take into account that 3d objects, might have 4 dimensions. Length, Width, Hiegth, Mass. I'm making the (most likely incorrect) declaration that the force of gravity is a vibration of the 4th spatial dimension, and that the phsyical manifestation of the 4th dimension is the property we know of as Mass. Just like a 2D bug could see the effects of height of a 3D object, we see the effects of the 4th dimension, namely mass. So, Mass has a true meaning in the 4th dimension, and has effects on 3D ships traveling the 4th dimension.

Now, this is most likely 99% bullshit, but that's what I've been seeing.

[EDIT:]

This all being said, the math would basically be adding a 4D vector to your 3D vector (velocity). So, when you're hit by these eddies, your mass will change as well as a directional vector being added to your ship. As a second note to this, a computer is key to travelign subspace. It makes piloting work just like you'd imagine. However, without the computer, you will either kill yourself, or get lost, edning up who knows where in realspace. Perhaps a NorAellian could pilot without a computer (some do), but they can visualize in 4D.

[/EDIT]

[Rosencrantz]

Ah, Caenus my dear friend. You're assuming. Your example is correct, but you didn't take into account that 3d objects, might have 4 dimensions. Length, Width, Hiegth, Mass. I'm making the (most likely incorrect) declaration that the force of gravity is a vibration of the 4th spatial dimension, and that the phsyical manifestation of the 4th dimension is the property we know of as Mass. Just like a 2D bug could see the effects of height of a 3D object, we see the effects of the 4th dimension, namely mass. So, Mass has a true meaning in the 4th dimension, and has effects on 3D ships traveling the 4th dimension.

Now, this is most likely 99% bullshit, but that's what I've been seeing.

[EDIT:]

This all being said, the math would basically be adding a 4D vector to your 3D vector (velocity). So, when you're hit by these eddies, your mass will change as well as a directional vector being added to your ship. As a second note to this, a computer is key to travelign subspace. It makes piloting work just like you'd imagine. However, without the computer, you will either kill yourself, or get lost, edning up who knows where in realspace. Perhaps a NorAellian could pilot without a computer (some do), but they can visualize in 4D.

[/EDIT]

Hmm. I think I've heard something like that before as a theory. Or at least something similar to that. It does make some things interesting. I have to think about this some....