A Subspace Message

A thread of 2 messages, 6 February 1994 to 7 February 1994, in the order they were sent.

#6761 A Subspace Message

William White · 6 February 1994

Someone noted that the subspace velocity formula in FF&S doesn't give units.
They're sort of implied on the next page, but they're goofy, if my analysis is
correct:

A vessel in subspace moves at 200 .01-parsec wide hexes per turn X its
subspace velocity from the formula.  That means that a ship with a velocity of
1 can move 400 hexes per hour--that is, 4 parsecs.  So the units for the
subspace velocity formula turns out to be parsecs per quarter-hour.  Do we
call this Warp One?

Now for my real question:  What volume should be used for the fuel pellets
used by the Daedalus-type STL ship in FF&S?  Liquid hydrogen, or hydrogen
rocket fuel?  Since the fuel usage is based on mass rather than volume, it
would be nice to be able to go with the denser of the two, but the book
implies that "normal" liquid hydrogen values are used, except for the higher
cost.

It's not really important, but I can't seem to get a single stage craft that
can get anywhere in less than a millenium or so.  Anybody out there remember
"Starlost"?

[email removed]

#6763 RE: A Subspace Message

Susan M. Shock · 7 February 1994 · reply to #6761

According to a conversation I had with GDW over the phone before Christmas,
the units represented by the formula in FF&S for subspace drive velocities
is supposed to represent parsecs per hour. Also, you are supposed to multiply
by 50 rather than 200 to obtain hexes per turn. Since this value is about one-
fourth of what Bill figured out by the rules, this makes sense.