User Tools

Site Tools


starship_propulsion

This is an old revision of the document!


Neither reliable jumpdrives nor the fabled (and nonexistent WARP) drives have been invented in the Furscape universe. The most widely used technics for ship propulsion are described in this article for your convenience.

IEC Plasma Exhaust Drives Most spaceships use IEC fusion for both power and propulsion: hot plasma from the reactor is used as reaction exhaust. However, chemical rockets are often used as a supplement for high-acceleration maneuvers such as lifting off a planetary surface. Vernier thrusters and CMG Units (Control Moment Gyro) are used for fine maneuvers, such as docking. When operating a ship with IEC engines, think of “fuel” as reaction mass used to create plasma for movement.

Solar Sails Somewhat antiquated and now considered somewhat preppy even, solar sailers use the constant stream of particles emitted by the suns of most solar systems to push the spaceship forward. A major disadvantage is the fragile nature of the huge foils used as sails, as well as the difficulty of cruising against the solar wind, towards the inner planets. (For purposes of game mechanics, Furscape does not have actual solar sail modules for installation on ships.)

Chemical Rockets These are primarily used for take-off, atmospheric maneuvering, and orbital maneuvering. Their strength is unrivaled, but their fuel efficiency leaves very much to be desired. (For purposes of game mechanics, these engines are “free” to use for lift-off and maneuvering within a single LITE sector of space. They cannot be used for moving a ship from sector to sector.)

starship_propulsion.1303453578.txt.gz · Last modified: 2011/04/22 06:26 by hagalaz