Starship Corporation

added Ship Speed (in percentage of lightspeed) as a construction goal, and the possibility to build multiple engine rooms

What do 63pls mean?

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63 percent of lightspeed

I do not intend to be picky, but why do we need anything like "speed" ?
In most parts of space, the gravitational field and the particle density is sooo low that there is nearly no friction, e.g. with only minimal acceleration and enough time, there is no limit in speed other than c anyway. So what is the meaning of a maximum space ship speed ?

If there is any crucial property, it is not velocity (speed) ... it is acceleration ! This is dependend on the space ship's mass and the power of the used engine(s). Using greater acceleration also implies the need for better steering capabilities (maneuverability), which implies better (or at least more) jet nozzles, inertial dampers ( ) and so on.

Maybe, the introduction of acceleration (number of engines, mass of the ship) and maneuverability values (depending on position and number of jet nozzles which have to be placed within the hull and have to be connected to the fluel tanks or the engine room) is a better way to go in terms of accuracy, game play, and complexity

I like the added detail. Adds more of a simulation. Small things like this change half dozen variables. Cargo ship delivery time of supplies and money, which then effect time it takes to build items such as combat ships for a war. Small little things like this change battle tactics. Besides if your the fastest ship on the block who can shoot you down?

But acceleration can't be that high. Even with a long-term acceleration of 10m/s² (which would make artficial gravity superflous btw) it woul take 20,000,000s (250 days) to just reach 66% of c; and then the same time to slow down. Plus, the whole "classic" approach to ship-design wouldnt work anymore, as you fly in the direction of your room ceiling instead of parallel to it. Breaking also would turn your ceiling into your floor.

If you start being ultra-realistic about this, both timescales and ship design become rediculous. Only way out is to expect Star Trek like inertial dampers and artificial gravity. But, as mentioned in another thread, flying with the speed of light it would take several (hundred) years to fly to the next planet. So I guess we can savely assume that in this game one usea some kind of hyperspace or warp drive. If so, it would be a cheap way out just assuming that we use low warp-fields (or a non-binary and therefore scaleable hyperspace) to reach velocities lower c with not much "real" acceleration and in a short amount of time. Then again, a maximal velocity would make sense, as a ship only can produce a certain warpfield (or can only dive into a certain depth of hyperspace).

Or they use jump gates and only special very big ships have the actual ability to Jump. (Kind of like B5 show).

Merchants and civilian would use the gates more than military.

Dave Chase

Interesting. I like Daves idea.

That idea was in that aweful film. Lost in space
Good thoughts though.

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If ( x = 1 && y = 1)
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You are right, but I am using Speed because most people are very familiar with it and can immediatly "feel" it.
However it might be possible that I change this later - especially because I want to make ships more vulnerable during their (very long) acceleration and slowdown phase of their interstellar journey.

I dont like the idea of jump gates. I can understand very well why game designers so often use this - but I want to do something different, that feels more like 18th century shipping than science fantasy.