[Suicide Junkie]

Do you mean a single area of research that gives you engines and reactors? I don't know...but that's kind of a "supertech" area. Plus it doesn't make much sense to have the reactor do movement...it doesn't...it just provides "power" to the engines that do the moving.

Its the wheels on your car versus the combustion engine under your hood. Once you have four wheels, all you need to go faster is a bigger engine. As long as your chassis is not scraping the ground, more (horse)power = faster speed.

It makes more sense to have them independent of each other as a research area but also have it so they are tied together in pratical use and should be researched concurrently...ie...better engines need better reactors...it makes perfect sense...and is more flexible than the other proposed system. I think it's the best thing since there is no true warp ability.

Of course. Matrix tech areas.
-Research into containment fields and construction materials lightens the reactor.
-Research into High Energy Physics improves the max speed (power output).
-Research into antimatter manipulation makes the reactor harder to destroy.
-Research into mass production / manufacturing techniques reduces cost.
- anything else you can think of.