Math ahead! Preparing propper NPC- Gate-Distribution + SlipStream suggestion - merging ideas :)

[NeonSturm]

Slipstream-lanes can form themselves between Star-Systems or Planets.


The Slipstream-engine should move around 3 systems far (devs plan jump-drive with 8 sectors = 1/2 system afaik), but:

1. only through slip-streams
2. they are one-way (but can have loops to get back)
   
3. you can not reach every sector with them (more for long distance system travel) and thus a form of FTL not competing with jump-drives, hyper-drives or gates (which allow access to all system sectors + void sectors)

Compared to current days:

Slipstream-Drives use High-ways through the wilderness on earth where you have to cross rivers and mountain-chains on specific points (or use slower travel methods).

With cars: You can specialize on all-terrain(thrust) or being fast(slipstream) or a bit of both.​

Gates are the streets, bridges tunnels which allow you to cross trees, rivers and mountains at 50..100 km/h or about 27..67 mph (if I calculated mph correctly)

Jump-Drives are like helicopters which need to land+refuel very often (just forget missing fuel-stations

You can have fast slipstream and sector-accurate not-as-fast jump drives together with thrust shuttles for planetary landing (dedicated trade ships).​

Hyper-drives are more like long-distance planes (just forget the landing area ​

Spoiler: Current idea how to implement it (WIP, needs more examples and pictures)

Step 1:
2x2x2 systems create a group with:

1. void (=star-free) system (a good place for possible black holes, wormholes, nebulae, ... if they get added)
2. 1:7 chance for void:star system
   
3. 6 star systems

Step 2:
Sanity check:

Disallow touching 2^3-system groups to have more than 1 empty system in the same place (avoids lines of >4 void systems)

If they have at least 1 in the same place as the neighbour, two neighbours in + and - direction of that axis should not have it in the same place (would create boring situations)

Eventually redo the generation step or rotate the 2^3 system group.​

Step 3:
Generate polarity StarSystem polarity. (total polarity = 0)

[axis polarity
  x      +-0
  y      +-0
  z      +-0
]

foreach axis in {x,y,z} do    for(system = 0; system < StarSystems.count; system++) do
   boolean[] hasPartner = {false, false, ..., false} // 8 falses to avoid possible issues with further stuff.
   StarSystems[system][axis] = random polarity
   do
     system2 = (system + random(1, StarSystems.count) ) %StarSystems.count
   while( hasPartner[system2] )
   StarSystems[system2][axis] = -StarSystems[system][axis]
   hasPartner[system2] = true

Step 3:
Create lanes.

The polarity is a vector pointing to one another star system around it - calculation example:

Math.floor( angle xz / Max.Angle ) * 8 = {{-1, -1}, {-1, -0}, {-1, +1}, {-0, +1}, {+1, +1}, {+1, +0}, {+1, -1}, {+0, -1}}​

If the system is an void sector, skip it and connect to a system behind

2x high-lanes are the equivalent to a high-way and you can optimize your gate-network with them.
3x hyper-lanes are rare and you should consider building a gate-hub (where multiple gate-lines join together).
4x jump-lanes are very rare and valuable.

If you can use them without crushing your gate-network design, you got very lucky.
But be careful with pirates and interdiction fields. You may end in the middle of no-where and require about 10 minutes to get to the other end of them without another backup FTL technology.​

Step 4:
Create 1-2 lanes to the lane from step 3.

With 1, the direction should be the direction the original lane is compared to the rounded-down (Math.floor) one.

With 2, as above, but rotated 45° once clockwise, once counter-clockwise.​

Step 5:

Make sure each star is connected to the same network, else create connections between nearby slipstream lanes.​

Additional ideas:

You can enter it in front of a sun-damage sectors on the bottom side (polarity-vector points top) and will spawn after (relative to vector of origin) a star if you exit the slipstream. Flying around the star gives you time to recharge this slip-stream drive.

This fixed positions also give you the opportunity to spawn next to a gate after leaving or being able to enter after exiting a gate.

This should create a very curved path without exact direction. Gates could help jumping over a gap (if system A->B are not connected directly over slipstream you would have to go A->C->D->E->B)

Maybe gates should allow you to directly enter the slipstream if there is a gate in range of a star and the gate you are.
Maybe they should even allow you to enter a route which lets you per autopilot automatically enter another gate on the destination sun (only over slip-stream distances your ship supports)

(both without spawning your ship in "real" space)​

 

[der_scheme]

May I point you to my analysis of the suggested three methods of FTL? Under these premises I don't see how we could benefit from a naturally generated wormhole network. It would make at least one of the three current choices obsolete. Not that I'm against wormholes in general, but they should be rare and more random.

(And yes, I have watched Andromeda. Ignoring my personal opinion of the FTL there, it is impossible to replicate.)

 

[NeonSturm]

If peoples have most problems with it being redundant to Gates or Hyper-Drives, I've got a new idea about SlipStreams.

They only connect inside a CLUSTER of 13x13x13 solar systems, 3 systems galaxy-border (just like current system-border). Gates can be used instead of connections a player is missing and to connect multiple clusters (like StarGate's intergalactic gate bridge).​

I've also got the idea we could use the same logic to connect stars with slipstreams and "points of interest" with NPC-gates (just there may be 2 in opposite directions)

Developing one algorithm for both applications.​