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Ok, so right now some people like chain drives and some people do NOT like them. For those who don't know what a chain drive is, an example is where someone makes a logic clock and connects it to 100 jump drive computers, each with 1 jump drive module apiece. This will charge up and then jump, one at a time, 100 times, before it all needs to be recharged again. These kinds of systems are great for jumping larger ships across great distances, but they are vulnerable to jump drive inhibitors.
Personally, I like the fact that you have to have to have some set-up and basic knowledge of logic to get them going. I think this is a good thing, and I'd hate to see that kind of mechanic taken away. However, I also understand why people don't like them. It's not very realistic for a very large ship to take forever to charge one jump drive that has 50,000 modules and yet a very small system with 100 jump drives and 100 modules can jump 100 times. No matter how large your ship is, you can still have the same tiny chain drive and keep it charging while the ship is docked. How big a chain drive is does NOT need to scale with the size of a ship. One jump drive with 1 jump drive module on it is all that is needed to jump even the most massive of ships? Is this realistic? I think not.
So, here is a suggestion on how to retain the kind of functionality that people want from chain drives, would require some setup, will have it's own pros and cons, would require scaling with larger ships, and would also be realistic within the StarMade universe.
The Idea:
How about jump drives use a special kind of liquid energy, which can be stored in tanks? Each jump drive can hold up to a certain amount and would work fine for a smaller ship, but for larger ships you'll need tanks to hold enough of the energy to jump. Each time a ship jumps, it would use up a certain amount of the liquid energy. The amount needed to jump would depend on the size of the ship. A separate warp energy converter could also be attached to the system to fill it automatically, but without triggering the jump drive. The jump drive would display the total charge available on the icon when connected to a warp tank system. The warp energy tanks could have a cool, liquid inside of them filling up and emptying, giving some cool animation to the whole jump drive process within the actual ship.
How this would affect current chain drives:
Smaller ships would be unaffected. Each jump drive might actually be able to provide a few jumps each when full. But for larger ships, chain drives would stop working, since each jump drive computer wouldn't have the liquid energy storage necessary for the ship to jump.
Can you detail out the types of jump blocks?
Sure, there would be four of them.
- Jump Drive Computer
- Jump Drive Module
- Jump Energy Converter
- Jump Energy Tank
The jump drive computer would work a lot like how it does now. It has it's own ability to refill itself, based on how many jump drive modules that are connected to it. The difference is that it would have a STATIC amount of jump energy capacity.
Jump drive modules would work just like they do now, except they could be connected to EITHER a jump drive computer OR a Jump Energy Converter. The more you have connected, the faster either system produces liquid Jump Energy.
The Jump Drive Energy Converter would convert energy, just like the jump drive, but would have no jump capability. This converter would need to output to either a Jump Drive Computer or a Jump Drive Energy Tank. The more Jump Drive Modules connect to it, the faster it will create Jump Energy.
The Jump Energy Tank would simply hold the Jump Energy produced by either a Jump Drive Computer or a Jump Energy Converter. These could be grouped together or separately. A jump drive computer would need to be connected to these in order to use the energy contained within.
What would a few examples of setups look like?
1. A Small and Quick Jumpship:
This ship could have 1 Jump drive computer connected to a jump drive tank. There would be 1 jump energy converter with a lot of jump drive modules attached to it. The pilot of this ship would then keep the jump energy converter on all of the time, balancing their power systems to allow this. The ship would then be able to rapidly jump over and over.
2. A large warship:
This ship could have 1 jump drive computer connected to a very large jump drive tank. The person has a LOT of jump drive modules connected to the jump drive and a small jump energy converter attached that runs all the time. It has enough jump energy to jump 3 times before it runs out of juice. Though it is constantly recharging, it is a very slow charge. The player needs to hold their mouse down to make it charge faster. The faster jump drive charge is easy to control, so that in combat they don't get stuck using too much power while defending themselves. While the ship is docked, it will eventually recharge though due to the small jump energy converter running.
3. A medium sized cargo ship with logic options:
This ship has 1 jump drive computer connected to an extremely large jump drive tank. There are two jump energy converters. The jump drive computer and rechargers each have a medium size amount of jump drive modules attached. The person sets up a logic system which sets up a tier of charging speeds for the jump drives. They balance the power so that there are 3 levels. Just using the jump drive to charge up leaves enough energy left over to maintain radar-jamming and thruster maneuvering, but is somewhat slow. The second level turns on one of the converters, charging twice as fast, but the pilot would then only have enough power left over to use their thrusters OR keep radarjamming on. The third option turns on both jump rechargers, allowing much faster jump energy recharging, but the ship will not have enough power to use thrusters or radarjamming while on. The slow charge would be more useful when the player is trying to gain some distance from an enemy. The second would be useful once far enough away, but still needing to keep radarjamming on. The third option would be for if the pilot is scanned, cannot outrun the enemy and needs to try to jump as quickly as possible OR perhaps they are simply recharging their jump drive at a station.
Might there be any other uses for this "jump energy"?
Sure! I have seen ideas floating around about constant warping and similar ideas. Perhaps another kind of jump drive could be implemented that keeps a person in jump mode for as long as they have jump energy. It could use a certain amount of jump energy to initiate the jump (based on the ship size) and then keeps the ship in a warp mode for as long as it has energy. Just press it once and you jump a short distance, but hold it down and your ship will stay in jump mode for as long as it has enough energy (or till it reaches a warp point). This would be kind of interesting and would also introduce variability to the jump distance.
Well, that's all I have for now. I hope you like my ideas. And as always, thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
Personally, I like the fact that you have to have to have some set-up and basic knowledge of logic to get them going. I think this is a good thing, and I'd hate to see that kind of mechanic taken away. However, I also understand why people don't like them. It's not very realistic for a very large ship to take forever to charge one jump drive that has 50,000 modules and yet a very small system with 100 jump drives and 100 modules can jump 100 times. No matter how large your ship is, you can still have the same tiny chain drive and keep it charging while the ship is docked. How big a chain drive is does NOT need to scale with the size of a ship. One jump drive with 1 jump drive module on it is all that is needed to jump even the most massive of ships? Is this realistic? I think not.
So, here is a suggestion on how to retain the kind of functionality that people want from chain drives, would require some setup, will have it's own pros and cons, would require scaling with larger ships, and would also be realistic within the StarMade universe.
The Idea:
How about jump drives use a special kind of liquid energy, which can be stored in tanks? Each jump drive can hold up to a certain amount and would work fine for a smaller ship, but for larger ships you'll need tanks to hold enough of the energy to jump. Each time a ship jumps, it would use up a certain amount of the liquid energy. The amount needed to jump would depend on the size of the ship. A separate warp energy converter could also be attached to the system to fill it automatically, but without triggering the jump drive. The jump drive would display the total charge available on the icon when connected to a warp tank system. The warp energy tanks could have a cool, liquid inside of them filling up and emptying, giving some cool animation to the whole jump drive process within the actual ship.
How this would affect current chain drives:
Smaller ships would be unaffected. Each jump drive might actually be able to provide a few jumps each when full. But for larger ships, chain drives would stop working, since each jump drive computer wouldn't have the liquid energy storage necessary for the ship to jump.
Can you detail out the types of jump blocks?
Sure, there would be four of them.
- Jump Drive Computer
- Jump Drive Module
- Jump Energy Converter
- Jump Energy Tank
The jump drive computer would work a lot like how it does now. It has it's own ability to refill itself, based on how many jump drive modules that are connected to it. The difference is that it would have a STATIC amount of jump energy capacity.
Jump drive modules would work just like they do now, except they could be connected to EITHER a jump drive computer OR a Jump Energy Converter. The more you have connected, the faster either system produces liquid Jump Energy.
The Jump Drive Energy Converter would convert energy, just like the jump drive, but would have no jump capability. This converter would need to output to either a Jump Drive Computer or a Jump Drive Energy Tank. The more Jump Drive Modules connect to it, the faster it will create Jump Energy.
The Jump Energy Tank would simply hold the Jump Energy produced by either a Jump Drive Computer or a Jump Energy Converter. These could be grouped together or separately. A jump drive computer would need to be connected to these in order to use the energy contained within.
What would a few examples of setups look like?
1. A Small and Quick Jumpship:
This ship could have 1 Jump drive computer connected to a jump drive tank. There would be 1 jump energy converter with a lot of jump drive modules attached to it. The pilot of this ship would then keep the jump energy converter on all of the time, balancing their power systems to allow this. The ship would then be able to rapidly jump over and over.
2. A large warship:
This ship could have 1 jump drive computer connected to a very large jump drive tank. The person has a LOT of jump drive modules connected to the jump drive and a small jump energy converter attached that runs all the time. It has enough jump energy to jump 3 times before it runs out of juice. Though it is constantly recharging, it is a very slow charge. The player needs to hold their mouse down to make it charge faster. The faster jump drive charge is easy to control, so that in combat they don't get stuck using too much power while defending themselves. While the ship is docked, it will eventually recharge though due to the small jump energy converter running.
3. A medium sized cargo ship with logic options:
This ship has 1 jump drive computer connected to an extremely large jump drive tank. There are two jump energy converters. The jump drive computer and rechargers each have a medium size amount of jump drive modules attached. The person sets up a logic system which sets up a tier of charging speeds for the jump drives. They balance the power so that there are 3 levels. Just using the jump drive to charge up leaves enough energy left over to maintain radar-jamming and thruster maneuvering, but is somewhat slow. The second level turns on one of the converters, charging twice as fast, but the pilot would then only have enough power left over to use their thrusters OR keep radarjamming on. The third option turns on both jump rechargers, allowing much faster jump energy recharging, but the ship will not have enough power to use thrusters or radarjamming while on. The slow charge would be more useful when the player is trying to gain some distance from an enemy. The second would be useful once far enough away, but still needing to keep radarjamming on. The third option would be for if the pilot is scanned, cannot outrun the enemy and needs to try to jump as quickly as possible OR perhaps they are simply recharging their jump drive at a station.
Might there be any other uses for this "jump energy"?
Sure! I have seen ideas floating around about constant warping and similar ideas. Perhaps another kind of jump drive could be implemented that keeps a person in jump mode for as long as they have jump energy. It could use a certain amount of jump energy to initiate the jump (based on the ship size) and then keeps the ship in a warp mode for as long as it has energy. Just press it once and you jump a short distance, but hold it down and your ship will stay in jump mode for as long as it has enough energy (or till it reaches a warp point). This would be kind of interesting and would also introduce variability to the jump distance.
Well, that's all I have for now. I hope you like my ideas. And as always, thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
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