Jump Drive into Hyperspace Drive

[Nebulon-B_Frigate_FTW]

Basically, instead of Battlestar Galactica-like jumping, more Star Wars-like hyperspace (as the visuals would suggest).
This would work as follows:

1. It takes a certain amount of time to go a certain number of sectors.
   1. A minimap of the big map could show you changing sectors over time, and show dangers like stars.
2. You can drop out of hyperspace whenever you want, instead of going a set distance (no more of this nonsense where you upgrade your FTL and it ends up being less hassle to fly manually to things a few sectors away).
3. No maximum range, you can just stay in hyperspace until you reach your destination. Thus, no more repeated jumping to reach a distant location.
4. When changing sectors in hyperspace, an inhib will make you drop out of hyperspace (solving the problem of being able to jump over inhibs).
5. Chamber for jump distance would be replaced by one for hyperspace speed.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

I too would like this. Without the ability to automate jumping with logic, it's just become a waste of my time having to sit there clicking buttons to do something that would logically be automated in a technologically advanced universe.

 

[DrTarDIS]

I think that's supposed to be on the "capitol ships" update. which may or may not be part of or after the universe update.

Aso for "this nonsense where you upgrade your FTL and have to fly manually to get closer than a few sectors away" Can't you just "set destination" in nav and end up exactly where ya wanna be?

 

[jayman38]

Yes and no: I would like this, but I would like to keep the jump drive available for those players who want it.

 

[Nebulon-B_Frigate_FTW]

I think that's supposed to be on the "capitol ships" update. which may or may not be part of or after the universe update.

Aso for "this nonsense where you upgrade your FTL and have to fly manually to get closer than a few sectors away" Can't you just "set destination" in nav and end up exactly where ya wanna be?

Right, had a bit of a derp, there is a way to get within a sector, it's just so annoying to deal with figuring out which sector things around you are in that it's not worth bothering unless sectors are large.

 

[Captain Fortius]

Good idea.

We can keep the old name though. A hyperspace drive lets you do hyperspace jumps, right? Well, if you get to steer the craft around IN hyperspace I guess it's more "flight" than jump, but as far as my Star Wars knowledge goes, they travel a pre-calculated path in hyperspace, so you don't really do any steering.
On the other hand, in Warhammer 40k they actively steer ships in warp transit according to whatever the navigator perceives at the moment, and still call the process a "Warp Jump"

It's splitting hairs really, as all the related words became largely sinonimous, and the first thing that matters is good gameplay, but I think "Jump Drive" sounds nice and neutral, and it's up to personal preferences to refer to the process as warping, jumping, hyperspace transit, or any combination of anything really.

As for the actual gameplay part, most fictional universes have some sort of drawback to extended periods of hyperspace travel, such as growing imprecision of arrival coordinates, power or fuel drain, structural strain, exposure to malign influences, dislocation from the normal flow of time, etc., so long distance travel is usually done in more than one jumps, and it takes an extraordinary circumstance for a ship to risk travelling long distances in one uninterrupted session.

Is having such dangers good gameplay? They add depth, and give rise to challenges and decisions, while not having them and travelling wherever you want is certainly convenient.

I lean towards having to face such dangers. It's just more exciting to push the ship and crew to the very limits and risk annihilation than simply go "click-whoos-we're there."
It's also my opinion that effort, time and dangers in crossing long distances is necessary for a second reason as well:
Otherwise it's just too damn easy to have an extremely distant secret hideout, and zigzag around the galaxy looking for vulnerable targets, and avoid, elude, or escape anything that poses a threat.
-Keep in mind, I'm not saying you SHOULDN'T be able to do so, merely that it SHOULD be a risk-reward process rather than reward without any risk. Otherwise it's chaindrives 2.0.

 

[Nebulon-B_Frigate_FTW]

Good idea.

We can keep the old name though. A hyperspace drive lets you do hyperspace jumps, right? Well, if you get to steer the craft around IN hyperspace I guess it's more "flight" than jump, but as far as my Star Wars knowledge goes, they travel a pre-calculated path in hyperspace, so you don't really do any steering.
On the other hand, in Warhammer 40k they actively steer ships in warp transit according to whatever the navigator perceives at the moment, and still call the process a "Warp Jump"

It's splitting hairs really, as all the related words became largely sinonimous, and the first thing that matters is good gameplay, but I think "Jump Drive" sounds nice and neutral, and it's up to personal preferences to refer to the process as warping, jumping, hyperspace transit, or any combination of anything really.

As for the actual gameplay part, most fictional universes have some sort of drawback to extended periods of hyperspace travel, such as growing imprecision of arrival coordinates, power or fuel drain, structural strain, exposure to malign influences, dislocation from the normal flow of time, etc., so long distance travel is usually done in more than one jumps, and it takes an extraordinary circumstance for a ship to risk travelling long distances in one uninterrupted session.

Is having such dangers good gameplay? They add depth, and give rise to challenges and decisions, while not having them and travelling wherever you want is certainly convenient.

I lean towards having to face such dangers. It's just more exciting to push the ship and crew to the very limits and risk annihilation than simply go "click-whoos-we're there."
It's also my opinion that effort, time and dangers in crossing long distances is necessary for a second reason as well:
Otherwise it's just too damn easy to have an extremely distant secret hideout, and zigzag around the galaxy looking for vulnerable targets, and avoid, elude, or escape anything that poses a threat.
-Keep in mind, I'm not saying you SHOULDN'T be able to do so, merely that it SHOULD be a risk-reward process rather than reward without any risk. Otherwise it's chaindrives 2.0.

The word hyperspace evokes the correct idea in players' minds easier.
Also, this wouldn't allow steering.

 

[Cluwne]

I sort of agree with "no steering" clause. It helps balance this mode of transportation.
Regarding the challenge, there's really no reason to introduce one. With stellar phenomena (hopefully), NPC and player interdiction there will be plenty of stuff to drop you into realspace already. It will also gently nudge people to build warpgate networks, as those, despite the tedium of construction and linking, provide much safer, and possibly faster, alternative to hyperdrives.
I am not entirely sure whether free-target warpgates should teleport straight to destination, or just launch in it's direction at Warp 10. Probably former is best, as those "entrance points" to swift and safe travel are fixed and, knowing their location, can be blockaded.

I think that's supposed to be on the "capitol ships" update. which may or may not be part of or after the universe update.

Schine have long since forgotten about capital ship systems. It's dead Jim.

As for "this nonsense where you upgrade your FTL and have to fly manually to get closer than a few sectors away" Can't you just "set destination" in nav and end up exactly where ya wanna be?

Current jumpdrive functions like block-based teleport admin command with limitations. You can pick a sector within range you want to jump in, but where you end up inside this sector you have no control over.

 

[Captain Fortius]

The word hyperspace evokes the correct idea in players' minds easier.

Different. Technologies.

Faster than light flight,

Shifting to hyperspace,

Entering an alternate dimension,

Creating a temporary wormhole;

- All of them, however, are "jumps". Hence the collective term, "Jump Drive". Chances are, if you're playing a game with spaceships, you won't find it confusing.