new "nebula" - Low Mass Field

posted on August 25th, 2010, 8:36 pm

What if there was a nebula placeable on maps that made ships travel x times faster through them? It might make for some interesting map designs...

posted on August 25th, 2010, 9:31 pm

erm how can a nebula, which has gas as mass, have less mass than the vacuum of space, which has only small amounts of space dust?

i like the idea of "lanes" being placeable that increase speed, as an alternative to the instant wormholes. but having a nebula allow this doesnt seem right.

[Tyler]

posted on August 25th, 2010, 9:41 pm

Last edited by Tyler on August 25th, 2010, 10:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If the nebula reduced the mass of the ship in it similar to a warp field, it would make a ship move faster. Affecting the ship rather than the nebula's mass is what I got from the suggestion.

Willing Suspension of Disbelief has been used to cover much worse.

posted on August 25th, 2010, 9:46 pm

dont intertial dampeners already lower the mass of a ship?

posted on August 25th, 2010, 9:50 pm

No, that counters rapid speed changes to prevent crew jelly.

Mass is altered by the Warp field.

posted on August 25th, 2010, 10:00 pm

Actually, the warp drive distorts the space surrounding the ship rather than the ship's mass, much like the real-life Alcubierre drive concept.

No, that counters rapid speed changes to prevent crew jelly.

Mmmm, crew jelly.

[Tyler]

posted on August 25th, 2010, 10:03 pm

Last edited by Tyler on August 25th, 2010, 10:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The warp field, also known as a subspace field, is a subspace displacement which warps space around the vessel, allowing it to "ride" on a distortion and travel faster than the speed of light. (ENT: "Cold Front") This has the physical effect of reducing the inertial mass of any object encompassed by the field. (TNG: "Deja Q"; DS9: "Emissary")

Mass is affected by it.

posted on August 25th, 2010, 10:10 pm

I haven't seen that last part before. So it does what you said by doing what I said, but with subspace rather than normal space? Interesting. I'm going to go on a wiki walk; I'm beginning to question my Trek tech knowledge.

posted on August 25th, 2010, 10:28 pm

Willing Suspecintion of Disbelief has been used to cover much worse.

It's "Willing Suspension of Disbelief."

I don't like the idea, everyone would just go into these nebulae since there's no downside. I would like it if this was incorporated into one of the existing nebula types (Mutara would probably be best) so that the amount of types doesn't get any larger and so there is some kind of downside (unless it was put with the green neb, which currently has no downside IIRC.)

Speaking of mass-lowering Nebula, I think that would make a great special ability of the Sensor Nebula, for it to increase movement speed of itself and ships within short range of itself by 10%.

[Tyler]

posted on August 25th, 2010, 10:40 pm

Last edited by Tyler on August 25th, 2010, 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Stupid typos...

I wouldn't give it to a ship as an ability, I can't see it being worth attempting when that would require to ship at point blank range moving at the exact same speed to combine warp fields. Besides, it's a sensor Nebula, not an engine Nebula.

posted on August 25th, 2010, 11:53 pm

erm how can a nebula, which has gas as mass, have less mass than the vacuum of space, which has only small amounts of space dust?

i like the idea of "lanes" being placeable that increase speed, as an alternative to the instant wormholes. but having a nebula allow this doesnt seem right.

Yeah... that's why I put "nebula" in quotes. Anyways, now that I read this again, it wasn't the greatest idea.  It would be nice if the devs could fix fix the wormhole out of sync, anyone know if that's on the to-do list?

posted on August 26th, 2010, 10:44 am

they will probably fix wormholes soon enough.

but i dont like the wormholes idea, wormholes are supposed to be rare.

also there is no tactics to using a wormhole, its instant transport.

i would prefer fast lanes as these can be used tactically. for ambushes maybe too. maybe there would have to be a deceleration period so u are vulnerable for a while and cant turn.