Warp gates

[Matt_Bradock]

For the sake of consistency, why not make Warp Gates work similar to the Transporter?

You build the gate, set it up, connect your modules to the computer... but instead of having to fiddle with the marker beam, you open a GUI on the Warp Gate Computer similar to a Transporter Computer. It would allow - as the transporter does - public or faction only access, and list all available (not faction locked or belonging to your faction) other warp gates within its range to choose as destination.

This wouldn't only allow faster warp gate setup without the need for an extra tool, but also a way quicker change of destination, allowing for warp gate hubs where a single gate is enough to connect to any of the others in its range (unlike the current operation where you have to build a separate gate for every single route, and a warpgate network practically has to be linear)

Not only that, but it would also make it a lot easier to prevent unathorized access or hide your warpstations from potential enemies.

 

[Sachys]

This wouldn't only allow faster warp gate setup without the need for an extra tool, but also a way quicker change of destination, allowing for warp gate hubs where a single gate is enough to connect to any of the others in its range (unlike the current operation where you have to build a separate gate for every single route, and a warpgate network practically has to be linear)

Not only that, but it would also make it a lot easier to prevent unathorized access or hide your warpstations from potential enemies.

I'd be up for warp "hubs" in such a fashion - though I still feel having visited the sector and marked it being a valuable guard against potential enemies and so on. lets face it, teleporters go Captain Borky McCorky every now and then and people can TP to your station regardless of settings. I think the rest is obvious.

 

[Amadeus]

I like your suggestion. I also wouldn't mind if we could enter coordinates and the gate would send us there, kind of like a one way gate. Sort of like a super accelerator

 

[Snowtiger256]

I had something similar in mind when I did this:

Updated Jump Gate logistics

 

[Matt_Bradock]

I'd be up for warp "hubs" in such a fashion - though I still feel having visited the sector and marked it being a valuable guard against potential enemies and so on. lets face it, teleporters go Captain Borky McCorky every now and then and people can TP to your station regardless of settings. I think the rest is obvious.

I have my methods for that. Anti-personnel turrets, or a "safety" rigged at the transporter room that sets off a damage pulse that instakills with some area triggers.

 

[Shaker]

Very helpful idea, then they can remove the useless marker gun

 

[nogg]

it could also be set up so we connect gates by using the map, select gate station, what gate you want on that station and rightclick on destination gate.

 

[lupoCani]

I certainly support the idea of a warp gate GUI. If I may add a couple of points-

Firstly, the GUI could be like that of a shop, remotely accessible to all nearby ships. This would be very convenient for travelers, especially with a warp hub kind of setup.

Secondly, I'm not wholly against the continued use of marker beams as a security system. This suggestion is compatible with that - just make gates able to remember multiple connections, and use the GUI to select between them. This suggestion seems to favor a conventional faction system, which is also useful, so long as gates that cannot be jumped to, also cannot be seen in the list. Warp gate secrecy is important.

(In fact, the systems may coexist, with marker beams/keys/signatures/whatever for granting access to specific ships, gates and/or players.)

Thirdly, I'd like to consider how this would all be displayed on the map. Currently, gates have a single outgoing link each, and that shows on the map. If gates can connect arbitrarily, there might be a need for a more sophisticated system.

Lastly-

I like your suggestion. I also wouldn't mind if we could enter coordinates and the gate would send us there, kind of like a one way gate. Sort of like a super accelerator

This is an issue of it's own, I admit, but I did write a piece on this concept about half a year ago, in reply to another thread on warp gates-

In terms of general purpose and function, I think it's agreed that the role of gates is to be powerful, and the role of drives is to be mobile. If we want to give mobility to warp gates, as we're doing now, how about we integrate them with drives proper?

Insofar as I can see, a jump consists of a hyperlaunch and a drop-out. Technically, these are just decoration, but they do seem like a solid foundation for a system. Currently, if you were launched by a drive, you have to be dropped out by a drive, and the same holds true for gates. A jump is either drive-drive or gate-gate. Suppose we lifted this restriction.

This would leave us with four kinds of FTL:

• Drive-Drive, "hyperjump". This is the current standard jump procedure. Weak launch and weak drop-out, but completely flexible.
• Drive-Gate, "jump to beacon". A jump that's started by a shipboard drive, but received by a gate. Weak launch, but with a powerful drop-out. The range is longer than that of a regular jump, but the destination is fixed to one with a functioning warp gate.
• Gate-Drive, "boost jump". A jump that's launched by a gate, but the ship drops itself out of hyperspace. Strong launch, weak drop-out.This means the destination is anywhere, and the range is better than Drive-Drive, but limited compared to-
• Gate-Gate, "gate jump". Launched by a gate, received by a gate. Strong launch and drop-out, maximal range, so long as there's a gate on both ends. Of course, the ship is not required to have a jump drive.

 

[Sachys]

I have my methods for that. Anti-personnel turrets, or a "safety" rigged at the transporter room that sets off a damage pulse that instakills with some area triggers.

which is what sensible people do. now... apply that to a warp gate system as outlined here. doesnt work. granted, you can add doors, but thats still not perfect.

 

[lupoCani]

On the topic of doors-

If gates whose internal space was filled with block would kill ships that arrived, aka stargate-style Irises, that would be epic.

 

[Calhoun]

which is what sensible people do. now... apply that to a warp gate system as outlined here. doesnt work. granted, you can add doors, but thats still not perfect.

They could just fix it when implemented.