mQNP

[Pax]

Originally posted by Krsqk:
Of course, you could always just change the tonnage used percentage in an unproportional way. A 500kt engine knocked down to 2% for a frigate and 5% for a light cruiser would result in 60/200=3/10 used for frigates and 150/400=3/8 used for light cruisers (proportional increase would be 2% and 4%).

Well you COULD, but that's a bit contrary to the basic premise of QNP (and by extension, mQNP). The basic premise of QNP as I understand it is, you should need a given amount of thrust, per kT of ship, to move at X speed.

Standard QNP calculates this per ship hull by setting an engine-thrust:ship-mass ratio -- adjusting the EPM of that hull, so that you need more and more of the same engine components to achieve a given speed, as hulls get larger.

mQNP does this instead, by setting an engine-mass:ship-mass ratio -- adjusting the size / mass of the engine, to fit the needs of each hull size.

A hybrid system tries to balance between the two approaches; I'm not, personally, entirely satisfied with such an idea, but other mod writers may disagree.

[Krsqk]

Well you COULD, but that's a bit contrary to the basic premise of QNP (and by extension, mQNP). The basic premise of QNP as I understand it is, you should need a given amount of thrust, per kT of ship, to move at X speed.

Well, since the idea of disproportionate thrust using different EPM came up, I thought I'd just through my $.02 in. I realize the point of QNP is proportional movement, but while we were heading down that road...

[Andrés]

This sounds interesting, I will give it a try.
The main problem with standard QNP is that the maximun thrust is 255, that limits a lot the numbers you can play with doesn´t let you make a good contrast between many ship sizes.
To use real QNP we'd need two changes, 1st increase the maximun thrust to somethijng like 65k and 2nd allow mounts that increase standard movements of engines, to avoid needing to have tens of componensts of different scales.

Right now, mounts should allow a much better controled and a more detailed gradient from biggest to smallest engines.

[Krsqk]

Originally posted by Andr&eacutes Lescano:
To use real QNP...

Real Quasi-... Is that like buying "genuine faux pearls"?

[Suicide Junkie]

The main problem with standard QNP is that the maximun thrust is 255, that limits a lot the numbers you can play with and doesn´t let you make a good contrast between many ship sizes.

That's not really the point.
Ship sizes are just sizes of ship.

The contrast comes in deciding how many engines you put on the ship.
...As well as the balance of weapons and defenses for the remaining space.

Is it a Super-fast scout?
Is it a lumbering assault ship?
Is it a moderate ship of the line?
Is it a quick interceptor?
Is it a slow artillery ship?

The size of the ship is not terribly important to these decisions, though the slow and heavy ones would probably be more effective as larger hulls.

[ January 07, 2003, 18:20: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Puke]

[quote]Originally posted by Krsqk:

Well, since the idea of disproportionate thrust using different EPM came up, I thought I'd just through my $.02 in. I realize the point of QNP is proportional movement, but while we were heading down that road...

im not suggesting using mQNP for disporportoinate movement scales, just indirectly porportionate movement scales. for example:

standard dogma would have a 200kt hull needing 20kt of engines to move the same distance that a 500kt hull would need 50kt of engines for.

I would advocate that a 200kt hull would need 10kt of engines to move at the same speed that a 500kt hull would require 50kt of engines to move. or something similar.

this is because of the indirect relationship between size and engine efficency, the quasi nutonian properties of inertia, and techno-babble hand-waiving. blah.

[Andrés]

Yes, but the point of QNP is having engines per move proportional to ship sizes.
For example you have many ships with engines per move going from 1 to 255 engines per move. You're right actual tonnage of the ship is irrelevant.

That doesn't sound too bad, but the largest ships using whatever combination of engines to get 255 of thrust will move at 1, any attempt to make it faster will generate an error.

If you want to make the fastest ship have a maximun of 4 movements, you'll need engines per move of 255/4 ~= 64

Then your largest ship can only be 64 times larger than the smallest one, you can't even make the contrast between standard escort and dreadnought, much less add extra sizes.