FTL Travel

[Crypt]

FTL travel with a Cost End limitation (*) is supposed to "cost END every Phase it’s used, just like any other power that costs END."

 

(*) like two of the three examples 6E1p225 and a lot of spaceships in 5E Star Hero (several of them even have a X10 END cost.)

 

Well well...

Unlike the other movement powers FTL is given in speed, not in distance.

 

So i wonder how we are supposed to handle an END/phase mecanism.

 

For 10 BP: Speed of light.

300 Mega meters /second

Cost END (-1/2)

Real: 7.

Are we supposed to convert it in a way that the character/vehicle actually move at a maximum of bought FTL ? (in this example: 300Meg m/s)

300Meg m/s = 3600 Meg m/turn

Then at SPD 2 => 1800 Meg m/phase

at SPD 4 => 900 Meg m/phase

SO the more SPD the character or vehicle has, the more tiring it's to move at the same speed (that's non sense, isn't it ?...)

 

 

Or are we supposed to understand "distance" when "speed" is written ?

For instance: 300Meg m/s ===> 300Meg m/phase (so at SPD 2 or more the actual speed is superior to the one bought.)

 

PS: please read the whole post before answering. Thanks

 

PPS: don't tell me that we shouldn't add a Cost END limitation to FTL.

[Simon]

Re: FTL Travel

 

FTL is purchased in terms of distance / time. For example:

 

FTL Travel (6 Light Years/day)

 

If you use the power at full strength for one day, you will travel 6 light years. During the course of that day, you would spend END on every phase.

 

Not terribly difficult, IMO....

 

Edit: If the question is how much END do you spend per Phase, I can't see how there's even a question/concern there. You calculate it just like any other ability in the Hero System. The aforementioned instance of FTL costs 32 points. Apply Costs Endurance to it and it will cost you 3 END per Phase that it is active.

[torchwolf]

Re: FTL Travel

 

FTL travel with a Cost End limitation (*) is supposed to "cost END every Phase it’s used, just like any other power that costs END."

 

(*) like two of the three examples 6E1p225 and a lot of spaceships in 5E Star Hero (several of them even have a X10 END cost.)

 

Well well...

Unlike the other movement powers FTL is given in speed, not in distance.

I think the speed in this particular case should be independent of SPD - except that you'd have to subdivide it if you're plotting it out, if you get to change course and/or perform a maneuver of some kind a number of times per Phase determined by your SPD. If you just use vectors and turn mode to determine course changes, subdividing it may not be so useful, unless FTL combat is possible in the campaign.

 

So i wonder how we are supposed to handle an END/phase mecanism.

1 per 10 active Points used, rounded normally. I'm not stating that because you don't know (I assume you do) but bear with me, it has other implications. Assuming the normal END cost:

1-4 x C costs 1 END per Phase.

5-128 x C costs 2 END per Phase.

etc.

As expanded on below, I assume that characters, vehicles, etc. can normally reduce their SPD voluntarily to 2 in order to save END, by the same logic you can do it under other circumstances. In combat, you wouldn't normally want to do that, but when simply traveling it would seem reasonable.

 

For 10 BP: Speed of light.

300 Mega meters /second

Cost END (-1/2)

Real: 7.

Are we supposed to convert it in a way that the character/vehicle actually move at a maximum of bought FTL ? (in this example: 300Meg m/s)

300Meg m/s = 3600 Meg m/turn

Then at SPD 2 => 1800 Meg m/phase

at SPD 4 => 900 Meg m/phase

That would be a reasonable way of of resolving it, I think. And there you have the subdivision of how far the ship (or character) would move each Phase, assuming you don't want to handle movement plotting in another fashion. It does however indicate when and where the ship/character is able to act.

I know this is not the only way to handle this, especially in a semi-hard SF game where the action might take place at some point somewhere in this distance (FTL at lightspeed, SPD 4, launching fighters or firing weapons taking place at some point from 0 to 900 Megameters from the previous position).

 

SO the more SPD the character or vehicle has' date=' the more tiring it's to move at the same speed (that's non sense, isn't it ?...)[/quote']

Not necessarily - most vessels consume more fuel or energy when maneuvering, especially when in combat. You could assume that a character or ship moving in a straight line can voluntarily lower their SPD to 2 in order to conserve fuel or energy. This would also have the interesting effect of the ship or character not being immediately fully combat ready, taking one or two Phases to change SPD.

 

Or are we supposed to understand "distance" when "speed" is written ?

For instance: 300Meg m/s ===> 300Meg m/phase (so at SPD 2 or more the actual speed is superior to the one bought.)

Yes, I agree that wouldn't make much sense. Speed would be the only meaningful interpretation unless it would be possible to increase your FTL speed just by buying up SPD instead.

PS: please read the whole post before answering. Thanks

 

PPS: don't tell me that we shouldn't add a Cost END limitation to FTL.

That would be too simply wouldn't it?

 

I hope I understood what you meant enough to make a reasonable comment on it.

 

Not everyone will probably agree with me in my interpretation, but that's my 2 intergalactic credits.

[Crypt]

Re: FTL Travel

 

FTL is purchased in terms of distance / time. For example:

 

FTL Travel (6 Light Years/day)

 

If you use the power at full strength for one day, you will travel 6 light years. During the course of that day, you would spend END on every phase.

 

Not terribly difficult, IMO....

 

Then a SPD 4 ship would spend more END than a SPD 3 ship even if they travel at the same speed.

 

 

Not necessarily - most vessels consume more fuel or energy when maneuvering, especially when in combat. You could assume that a character or ship moving in a straight line can voluntarily lower their SPD to 2 in order to conserve fuel or energy. This would also have the interesting effect of the ship or character not being immediately fully combat ready, taking one or two Phases to change SPD.

I mainly wonder about long trip fuel consumption (how much time the ship may work with all systems on, etc..)

[Simon]

Re: FTL Travel

 

And be able to make more course corrections.

 

If that wasn't a concern, then they could reduce their SPD for the duration and save on END.

[Crypt]

Re: FTL Travel

 

And be able to make more course corrections.

 

If that wasn't a concern, then they could reduce their SPD for the duration and save on END.

 

Well, so you mean that FTL Travel is, by default, supposed to be a SPD 2 movement ? (let's say that on a well planned long trip the ship only move so there is no need to change its SPD)

[Simon]

Re: FTL Travel

 

No. I'm saying that it defaults to whatever SPD makes both good common sense and good dramatic sense for the character/situation

[tarragon]

Re: FTL Travel

 

According to 6e2:17 by default everyone is assumed to act at speed 2 when out of combat. If you treat vehicles the same way and it doesn't matter how fast your vehicle is, they all use the same SPD when just cruising.

[Crypt]

Re: FTL Travel

 

According to 6e2:17 by default everyone is assumed to act at speed 2 when out of combat. If you treat vehicles the same way and it doesn't matter how fast your vehicle is' date=' they all use the same SPD when just cruising.[/quote']

 

ok so basically,

300 Mega meters /s at SPD 2 => 1800 Mega meters and 1 END(*) / phase

1 LY = 10 000 billion km so it would need:

10.000.000.000.000.000 / 1.800.000.000 = 5.555.555 END to travel 1 LY at C

 

(*)

10 BP: Speed of light.

Cost END (-1/2)

Real: 7.

 

 

Now at 56 BP: Speed of light X 8M = 1LY/s (actually this is not true. There is 31M s in 1 year so 1LY/s should be at the 60BP level.)

8M X 300M m/s at SPD 2 => 8M X 1800M m and 6 END / phase

10.000.000.000.000.000 / 14.400.000.000.000.000 = 0.69

6 X 0.69= 4 END to travel 1 LY at 8MXC

(the same cost as 6 X 5.555.555 / 8M)

 

Ok.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: FTL Travel

 

I've felt like the FTL travel power has been redundant ever since mega-scale movement was introduced. If you really want to break down End cost phase-by-phase, a standard movement power with mega-scaling might make things easier for you. Just scale it up until it exceeds light-speed.

 

Don't look at me,

Xavier Onassiss

[Crypt]

Re: FTL Travel

 

about that:

at 56 BP: Speed of light X 8M = 1LY/s (actually this is not true. There is 31M s in 1 year so 1LY/s should be at the 60BP level.)

44: 1LY/4mn

46: 1LY/2mn

48: 1LY/mn

50: 1LY/30sec

52: 1LY/15 sec or 1 turn

54: 1LY/7sec

56: 1LY/4sec

58: 1LY/2sec

60: 1LY/sec

62: 2LY/s

64: 4LY/s

66: 8LY/s

68: 16LY/s

70: 32LY/s

72: 64LY/s

etc...

 

72BP=64LY/s instead of 250.....the nasty effect of rounding....

 

 

PS: now that i have what i wanted to know here is the house rule i wanted to build =

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/77289-END-cost-for-FTL-travel

[ghost-angel]

Re: FTL Travel

 

Given the Times and Distances involved with FTL - I would just invoke LTE to begin with.

[Vulcan]

Re: FTL Travel

 

Depends on the situation.

 

I had a galatic-level superhero with FTL at a high END cost (x5, as I recall). It was only really good for short hops from one system to another - if they were close enough together, or if there was a place to stop in between. But he would show up worn out, regardless.

 

(The character in question had 'low-end' powers for the game at normal END cost... that he could 'supercharge' up to campaign max at much higher END cost. FTL was the supercharge on his Flight.)