Forums » Suggestions

Accelerator Beam

Nov 22, 2008 Roda Slane link
Accelerator Beam:

Port: Small
Mass: 600kg
Range: 600m
Grid: 5
Acceleration Bonus: %100/(Range^0.5)
Energy usage: (50/s)*Acceleration bonus

The accelerator beam requires a target. The target itself is not affected. The target may be a ship, roid, or piece of cargo. The acceleration bonus is always in the direction of the target.

Although this device does not impart any addition to top speed, it is popular with traders, chasers, and scavengers, miners, roid gorillas, etc...

Traders use it to lock on to their fighter escort, to gain additional acceleration to their jump point.

Chasers use it to lock onto hostile targets, that are attempting to escape, to gain additional acceleration to close the distance for a well timed parting shot.

Scavengers use it to lock onto cargo, to help guide their ship for a clean pickup of the cargo, and to speed up the scavenging work.

Miners, roid gorillas, prospectors, use to assist in maneuvers in roid fields. Some unescorted traders have been known to fly into the roid field in order to effect a "slingshot" maneuver back out, resulting in a faster clearance to jump point than normal.

Used to securely transfer cargo from one ship to another, as any cargo dropped by a targeted ship, will be automatically transferred to the targeting ship.

Care should be taken to avoid "blackhole" syndrome, where a massive target (roid) is selected, and the operator allows themselves to be accelerated into a collision.
Nov 22, 2008 Death Fluffy link
For the most part, this sounds like a tractor beam idea.

I would argue that once engaged, both objects are being pulled towards each other similar to gravity, with the object of greater mass being least affected.

I agree with all of the applications Roda suggests. However,
1) for traders locking onto their escort, it should be a large port add on, since an atlas or taur really don't need additional acceleration.

2) Chasers locked onto hostile, should either negate jump or be pulled through the jump with their target.

3) The target must be affected. Otherwise this add on makes no sense. A 40,000kg behemoth, being pulled towards a 2kg crate of scrap?

Though I may not be fully understanding what Roda is attempting to describe here.
Nov 22, 2008 Roda Slane link
I am not opposed to your points 1 and 2.

I suggested avoiding affect to the target, to increase ease of implementation, and limit impact on overall combat balance to strictly the desired results. Some input from the devs might be required to understand what is easy to implement.