[grumbler]

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
Why the bonus movement for AM and grav drives?
You've already got more thrust coming out of them, so adding bonus movement dosen't help with the movement limits and disrupts the QNP physics.

The idea I had was to balance out the drives so that the "fleet speed" of a human player using 40% of the ship's tonnage on engines was as follows:
Fission: 4
Fusin: 6
A-M: 9
Grav: 12

I.e. roughly a 50% boost with each power tech. In order to do that without getting into the 254 limit for the bigger ships, I had to use some bonus MP. Right now the 254 limit is reached at Fission and fusion only at the 5000kt shop level, at 2000kt (slight impact only) for AM, and 1500kt for Grav.

In other words, it was a balancing game. It actually helps the AI a bit, as the AI tends to design slower ships, and thus the high tech engines with bonus movement allows them to pack more weapons. Didn't want to upset the balance with the ancients, though, so I left them alone.

I would also argue that the reactor cost balance could be pushed even farther. 25% minerals and 75% rads, say.

I agree, but didn't want to push TOO far!