Pirates and Nomads

[geoschmo]

So under this system how many engines would you need on a LC and a Cruiser to move them the same speed, and how much space would they take up? I am sorry I am so dense. For some reason this QNP stuff just never seems as easy for me as the rest of you.

Geoschmo

[Suicide Junkie]

Lets just pretend that the LCs count as "Small ships" and the cruiser is the first "medium ship"

An LC weighs 400kt, so it would have 40 EPM.
The cruiser weighs 500kt, so it would have 50EPM. Since it is in the Medium ship Category, we divide by 5 and get 10 EPM.

The LC can only use "Small ship engine mounts", so it can only use the 15 thrust point engines.
Eight engines x 15 thrust gives 120 MP, divided by 40EPM gives 3 speed.

The CR can only use "Medium ship engine mounts", so it can only use the 3 thrust point engines.
Ten engines x 3 thrust gives 30MP, divided by 10 EPM gives 3 speed.

Note also that 400/500 =.8 and 8/10 = .8
Neither ship gets an advantage in speed due to the QNP scale step that separates them.

The QNP scale only affects the details of implementation, and has no effect on what the player sees (other than the required mounts)

PS: as for space taken up, both engine types would be the same size. Using 10kt per engine, that would be 80KT and 100KT respectively.

[ September 17, 2002, 18:36: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Ok, I am not familier with that bug Director, but the rest of what you and SJ makes sense.

Here's a link to one thread that mentions it (in reply #2
Questions, Part 4

And another link to a thread (see reply #10):
Rumors, Suggestions, Features on the next patch

That's all I've found so far. I think the initial report is back even farther...

[geoschmo]

Ok, I think I am getting it. Sort of. 80KT worth of engines on a LC and only getting 3 spaces of movement seems very low though. Are you using numbers different than actual so that I can understand the principle better or something? How would you get a LC go the typical 6 spaces per move?

Geoschmo

[geoschmo]

Ok, I had a lightbulb moment on the way home from work and scrubbled som stuff down and I finally understand how the QNP works. And I understand now why the larger ships get RCE's as well.

I also now understand what you are saying SJ about the hybrid system. I see how you can use the new mounts to restrict engines to certain hull sizes, and by changing the EPM and the MP's of the engines you can change the MP scale and keep a constant ratio of engines to ship hull size and eliminate the RCE's in the larger ships. It's quite brilliant SJ.

I also ran some tests and confirmed that the engine only damage type does not store up. The level I ionic weapon only does 15 damage without a mount and the standard engine is 20Kt of structure. So higher structure points really will make engines imervious to engine killing weapons mounted smaller ships.

Geoschmo