Server editable speed limit for massive ships.

[Zarth]

What i'm trying to say is could we have a speed limit option that can be used on super massive ships? say if a ship reached a certain mass and exceeds the limit set for the server, that ship will not be able to reach 100% of the server speed. or atleast not without the use of the overdrive. Say the admin could set a 100k mass limit, and anything higher will only be able to travel at 50% of the speed limit.

I wanted something like this added so smaller ships could have a speed advantage over their size. Because as it stands now... they kinda don't. They're really only able to hit the top speed faster, and are more nimble then their hulking counter parts. But when it comes to top speed, they fall short. they aren't able to out run these larger ships if they're being chased by one. Massive ships probably don't really even need turrets to deal with them. they could just speed off in one direction with the small ship chasing it, turn and blast it.

I don't know. i'm probably wording everything wrong, i just wanted to spill my brain out before heading to work :P

 

[CyberTao]

A set mass would probably have a lot of people building just under the limit, some may view it as a restriction on size or creatibity, but that's just generalizing.

What you could try is tweaking the power costs for thrusters, so large ships could not have as much (helps with acceleration), and messing with Space friction/dampening. Set the friction to a high enough value, and it becomes impossible to reach max speed without enough acceleration.

 

[jayman38]

I'm thinking of three variables to start with:
Mass_Interval (or something similar): The amount of mass that will add an additional interval effect. Default value: 100,000
Interval_Effect_Speed_Drop: The amount of speed less than maximum effected by one interval. Default value: 1
Interval_Effect_Speed_Drop_Min: The lower limit of speed, no matter how massive. Default value: 5.

Results:
120k mass ship (exceeds only one interval with these settings): 74 max speed in a default server where the maximum default speed is 75.
250k mass ship (exceeds two intervals with these settings): 73 max speed
420k mass ship (exceeds four intervals with these settings): 71 max speed
...
50m mass ship (exceeds 500 intervals): max speed: 5 (absolute speed drop minimum)

(Fun fact: The more times you write the word "speed", the more wrong the correct spelling appears.)

 

[Duckman]

... and messing with Space friction/dampening. Set the friction to a high enough value, and it becomes impossible to reach max speed without enough acceleration.

I know, that friction in space is a "plot device" in SciFi, but it seams weird if you want to make it feel "real", since there is no "friction" in space.
Also bigger ships should be faster, if they have bigger engines.

Newton's laws of motion

First law: When viewed in an inertial reference frame, an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.

Interstellar space

The contents of interstellar space are called the interstellar medium. The average density of matter in this region is about 106 particles per m³, but this varies from a low of about 104 – 105 in regions of sparse matter up to about 108 – 1010 in dark nebulae. Regions of star formation may reach 1012 – 1014 particles per m³ (as a comparison, Earth's atmospheric density at sea level is on the order of 1025 particles per m³).

just my two cents

 

[CyberTao]

if they have bigger engines.

Bigger engines means more acceleration, which would overcome more of the space friction. Keeps larges ship from reaching the speed cap unless they invest in some power thrusters, which was the idea iirc.