Link-jumping for FSD drives

[Teh Smoo]

To start off: I'm not even sure quite what this would do. This is very much an idea about throwing something at the wall, and seeing what happens. My best guess is that it results in emergent gameplay, or is ignored. I don't see how it could do anything bad, though.

But, here goes:

Put in the ability, or a module, that lets ships link their FSD drives, engage them together, and jump further.

So the ships would have to be close-ish together, maybe supercruise, maybe normal space. They do something like wing-lock, and their drives link up with magic. The linked drives are greater than the sum of their parts, allowing the linked ships to jump the same distance, which is greater than the longest jump range. Something-something warp tunnel with multiple ships stabilizing it?


Any number of ships can do this, but you don't get extended range, it just takes the best possible range and everyone goes that far. So, you could have an FDL or Corvette, and exploration ship, link up, and jump... something like 20% or 50% longer than the exploration ship. Range TBD.

If 2 exploration ships link, they jump 20-50% longer than the longest range, as well. This doesn't allow TOTALLY insane jump range stacking, but it WOULD allow ships with generous ranges to drag along combat ships. And allow exploration ships to link up and jump together. Range TBD.

This comes at a terrible price, however- the ships would have to wing up and play together, and move in a coordinated fashion. And maybe a module slot? Might be nice to just put it in, and buff combat ship jump ranges for people with friends.

 

[disorganise]

Handwavium magic aside.....
Where is the logic of 'greater than the sum'? It would make more sense to arrive at an *average* jump distance I think. So the long range jumper "donates" range to the low range jumper.

 

[space voyager]

I wouldn't wave that hanwavium magic aside just yet. There is no logic to it whatsoever. If that was possible, I want to be able to fit multiple FSDs into a single ship and JUMP.

I like the link idea as far as timing the jump goes, so that the jump and arrival would look like in SW movies, but the jump distance of the group should be the lowest of the linked.

 

[Teh Smoo]

Handwavium magic aside.....
Where is the logic of 'greater than the sum'? It would make more sense to arrive at an *average* jump distance I think. So the long range jumper "donates" range to the low range jumper.

FTL drives use magic and handwavium out of the box. Why would two drives NOT be able to sync up and boost each other? They tunnel in hyperspace and reverse polarities and amplify the phase variance, you see.

IT'S A GAME IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE SENSE.

I just think having a mechanic gently nudging players into playing WITH each other would be generally beneficial, in at least a few ways.

 

[Robert Maynard]

I don't see how it could do anything bad, though.

Whether allowing ships with undersized FSDs to travel as quickly as jump-range optimised ships would be "bad", or not, is a matter of opinion.

 

[disorganise]

Sorry, I don't subscribe to the "it's a game it doesn't have to make sense" school. Sure, there's some 'magic', bit generally speaking, we get a much better and longer term satisfying entertainment if the logic is consistent.

Encouraging collaboration is great. It's super fun....until the instancing issue raise their ugly head.

Pooling resources to help out the little guy makes some sense. Pooling to get 2+2=5 does not (in my opinion).

*maybe* the squadron megaships will offer a beliveable/consistent option. Collaborate to fill it with fuel, dock, and it jumps a few hundred ly

 

[varonica]

I wouldn't wave that hanwavium magic aside just yet. There is no logic to it whatsoever. If that was possible, I want to be able to fit multiple FSDs into a single ship and JUMP.

I like the link idea as far as timing the jump goes, so that the jump and arrival would look like in SW movies, but the jump distance of the group should be the lowest of the linked.

The linking up to jump is a good idea, I would support that, it enables a wing to all jump and arrive at the same time, just the onboard computers coordinating the jumps with a coms link I would suggest but you need to be really close to minimise time distortion due to relativistic effects. As far as greater than the sum, the moment someone uses the word "magic" as part of a suggestion in a sfi-fi setting it sets my nerves on edge and my fingers twitch to hit a scathing reply, but I shan't because some of the idea is actually quite good!

Whether allowing ships with undersized FSDs to travel as quickly as jump-range optimised ships would be "bad", or not, is a matter of opinion.

Nah, you just agree to link up and jump with them, then scarper when they enter a system to far away from anything else for them to jump out, perfect trolling!